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Andy joined Carpenter Oak & Woodland in 2005, to help the company provide a greater focus on customer service, marketing and sales. Andy’s background is varied indeed – helping him to bring a wide range of skills to the team. An avid lover of carpentry, Andy has also spent time in furniture restoration and conservation – something he still enjoys as a hobby.
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It is interesting that so many people specify oak frames for their homes when a number of other equally suitable timbers are readily available. Quite a high proportion of people can't actually tell the difference unless presented with samples side by side and even then a good degree of uncertainly prevails. But it's us the manufacturers who need to make a better job of promoting alternatives. Certainly Douglas fir and chestnut are very good structural timbers, indeed on some fronts, better. They are lighter, cheaper and to all intent and purpose just as durable so long as the architectural detailing is up the job and this applies as much to oak framed buildings. Most of us are aware that many period oak framed houses still stand today; we know oak was used to build warships and we've seen examples of beautifully figured oak used in furniture. Consequently we have a sense of its solidity and beauty in a way that we don't for other timbers. Yet typically an oak frame won't display the dazzling medullary rays you see in furniture because to do so it really needs to be quarter sawn and planed, both a cut and finish rarely used in timber framing. So as Christmas is upon us how about giving the chestnut a look in!
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I see that Martin Clarke, CE of British Precast is calling for a moratorium on the use of timber frame in multi-storey construction. Anyone would think he had a vested interest!
He was responding to the recent fire at a multi-storey site in Hatfield built using small section softwood now commonly used in the mass construction market. It?s at times like this I wish people could readily differentiate between our industry and the high volume, softwood framing market and industry leaders would show more foresight with regard to the use of sustainable materials in construction.
It is confusing that timber framing is used to describe two very different construction methods. The first, as in the Hatfield fire, uses small section (typically 50mm x 100mm) softwood for the mass production of panel systems that can be quickly erected on site. This approach has been used on the continent for years but only relatively recently adopted in the UK in any numbers. It has a number of advantages for the mass development market and of course uses a sustainable material. By comparison our industry uses large section (typically 200mm x 200mm) green timber, often hardwood, to manufacture unique timber frames for the primary building structure. As an aside these frames actually perform well in fire conditions because once the outer layer has charred it takes prolonged exposure to fire to have any further effect.
On the second point I find frustrating that in this day and age when we have to look at every possible way of reducing our impact on the environment, the likes of Martin Clark grab at opportunities like this to nurture bad press for the industry in general. Whilst the incident itself needs to be treated very seriously we have to quickly learn from other parts of the world where they have more experience than us and not call for a halt in its use.
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This annual event held at the National Arboretum at Westonbirt, Gloucestershire is one of those rare occasions when you really can see artists and craftsman at work. I so rarely go to 'craft' shows or shops these days because inevitably they comprise a collection of objects of questionable quality bought from the same wholesale supplier as every other 'craft' shop in the country.
The Festival of the Tree is different. The organisers clearly take care in selecting the exhibitors for the trade stands. In addition there is a really interesting array of wood related demonstrations including on site milling, chair making and turning on a pole lathe, many of which visitors are encouraged to have a go at.
However the centre piece for me is whiling away the time watching sculptors from around the world create the most magnificent large scale carvings from huge chunks of tree. At the outset this isn't a peaceful pastime as the first stages are carried out with a range of chainsaws but none the less it's fascinating to watch. This particular part of the event is known as Sculptree and runs for eight days, at the end of which the sculptures are auctioned off in support of Tree Aid.
All in all, well worth a visit.
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Working with green timber is incredibly rewarding but finding the right timber for each job can present its challenges. We have to be particularly vigilant over the next couple of months to ensure that what we receive from suppliers meets the criteria we set for timber specification.
At this time of year the timber yards throughout Europe are running down their stocks of green timber. The cutting season starts towards the end of September / early October so right now last years green stock is significantly depleted and the timber suppliers have less to select from when fulfilling an order for us.
This is especially true if we are trying to source long lengths of curved timber for use in sling brace trusses and cruck frames. Lead times for projects incorporating this type of timber can be pushed out and whilst some companies might claim to be able to source the right timber, in reality they are very likely to be using lower quality stock. This may of course not be evident to most people for another 12 to 18 months as the frame dries and unsightly cracks make it apparent.
Timber is the only sustainable material currently available for use as a primary structure for buildings and the only heterogeneous one. We?re depending on nature to provide us with a material in her own good time and when she does to some extent we have to work with what she gives us but the wait is, in our view, always worth it.
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On Monday this week I spent the day at Napier University in Edinburgh visiting the Centre for Timber Engineering. For anyone interested in the timber industry, and for me particularly in the use of timber in construction, it's a fascinating place.
Of course much of the increasing use of timber framing is softwood stud framing or as it is known in the states and increasingly here, balloon framing. For this, kiln dried, small section (typically 100mm x 50mm) softwood is used to prefabricate buildings for large scale developments. It's popularity is increasing rapidly as its use in combination with engineered timber floor beams is proving to be an extremely cost effective, sustainable approach that meets all the current thermal and acoustic building regulations.
However what is apparent is that, like us, Napier are eager to develop a better understanding of the use of large section (typically 1750mm x 175mm upwards) green timber in construction. Of course this is our area of expertise, hence their suggestion that we develop a closer partnership. It may seem absurd that with hundreds of years of period timber framing behind us we're still trying to understand how best to use the material. The reality is that we have the expertise to continue building traditional timber frames using age old techniques very successfully. However, architects and engineers are frequently pushing the boundaries and in turn challenging us to use our knowledge to help them make their concepts buildable.
Back to my visit to Napier. In the first instance we will be working with them to deliver a one day seminar on making large section timber frames buildable, both commercially and practically. This event is likely to take place towards the end of the summer and more details will be posted on our website in due course, so watch this space!
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