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As the building regulations get more and more demanding I took a look at the implications of the recent changes for people designing and building using post and beam structural oak framing. The most recent changes came into effect in England and Wales in October 2010 and come into force in Scotland shortly.
As always interpretation of the regulations is everything so this is my interpretation and I'm sure other people will hold different views. But with regard to oak framing, in essence I think the regulations re-enforce the view we have held as a company for a very long time i.e. unless it is absolutely necessary do not break the building envelope with the oak frame. If you want to find out more about thermal bridging, air permeability and insulation with regard to timber framing download our synopsis (1.12mb pdf).
More blogs by Andy Parker
The publicity that our traditional framing gets (on TV and in numerous self build and lifestyle magazines) tends to overwhelm our timber engineering projects. Although we do many more traditional frames the engineered timber projects are often very high profile and of significantly greater value, but they don't make such great TV and publicity tends to be confined to the trade publications.
Despite this I am regularly asked by engineers and architects we work in partnership with to explain when and why we use engineered timbers instead of the green natural timber we use so extensively in traditional framing.
In response I've put together a quick fact sheet (pdf 1.14mb) on glulam. I hope it's helpful and if you have any other questions about the use of engineered timbers you can contact me on 01225 743089 or drop me an email.
The staggering size of some glue laminated beams!
More blogs by Scott Fotheringham
I see that Home Building & Renovating magazine has revisited an oak frame house we were involved in about ten years ago. It demonstrates how the beauty of an oak frame holds its appeal for the owners who are obviously still very pleased with their home. It also demonstrates how a self managed project can significantly undercut the budget of one done through a large main contractor. The McAvoy's managed to build for £900 per square metre, which even then would have been a very competitive rate. Mind you self management should never be undertaken lightly. In this case the owner's son is an architect with significant experience in building in oak frame so he has all the credentials to ensure a successful outcome.
More blogs by Andy Parker
This is a great directory and likely to be an invaluable resource for people who are undertaking a project that incorporates an oak frame or indeed any post and beam timber frame construction. The directory is a list of practices across the UK with experience in this form of building. The use of large sections of green timber in a building does present some architectural challenges that not everyone is familiar with. We would certainly recommend using an architect with some knowledge or experience of oak framed homes. You can search by county or postcode and the site sensibly lists architects in adjacent counties as well so you should be able to find someone in your area. Of course we are always here to help you find the right architect for your project but this site is another addition to the ever growing resources available to anyone embarking on a new oak frame house project.
More blogs by Tim Burrell
As a bit of a whisky fan I was intrigued to see that Whisky Galore, a New Zealand based web site has picked up on the timber conservation work to Shackleton's huts in the Antarctic. Various people from Carpenter Oak & Woodland have been involved in this project over the years. Every year during the short window of the Antarctic summer an international team of conservators takes on another phase of the work. This is a far cry from building oak framed homes in the relative warmth of the UK. During last year's expedition time was spent clearing ice and snow from underneath the huts and to the delight of the team they came across crates of whisky that had been stored there. They say that only three crates were recovered!
More blogs by Andy Parker
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