Oak Timber Beams

Oak is a quality in-demand timber. It’s tough, yet excellent to work with. It easily accepts screws which, like other fastenings, should be Non-Ferrous. Oak can be waxed, stained, polished and is generally good at accepting treatments. All our oak timber beams are graded in France to QPA/1 and better. As our beams are stored in both undercover warehouses and outside in our yard, the colour of the beams may darken down depending on how long they have been there. This effect is natural and quite common. Planing, sanding or blasting the timber will clean them up if required.

Another factor important to mention when machining beams are that, due to the higher moisture content within the beam, you can sometimes expect a mild reaction with the oak and the steel tooling that is used to shape the timber, this will show up as a dark blue stain across the faces, again this can easily be sanded off, and is widely accepted in the trade. We stock a number of standard thicknesses in a variety of lengths, mainly square sections, 150mm, 200mm, 250mm, 300mm, 350mm, and even 400mm beams, ranging from 3mtrs to 7mtrs in length.

Fresh Sawn Oak Timber Beams

Oak is widely used in different kinds of building projects due to its strength and resilience. Fresh sawn Oak beams are sometimes referred to as ‘green oak’ beams. This is a popular choice for craftsmen as the wood is soft and easy to work – especially for complex cutting. It is attractive and a popular choice for a range of projects from barns to garage ports. Many historic buildings, including buildings from medieval times, have used Fresh Sawn wood to great effect. 

If you choose our Fresh Sawn timber please bear in mind that if additional cutting is required then you may lose the QPA/1 grade. However, at Timbersource we have qualified graders that can grade fresh sawn beams using the preferred TH grading system when strength is key to the project that is being undertaken.

Air Dried Oak Timber Beams

Oak is known for being a strong wood. However, oak will dry at a very slow rate and please be aware that naturally air drying oak will mean the timber will contain splits and cracks on all surfaces. As a plus, this may give the wood an attractive, aged and weathered appearance and can add great character to the wood, which may suit some projects. Over a period of time, the colour of the air-dried timber will silver to a traditional oak timber look.

Correctly seasoned timber like this has many benefits and more applications than Fresh Sawn Oak. Drying timber is useful to minimise subsequent shrinkage after installation, reduces the chances of fungal decay, can strengthen the wood and even prevents corrosion of metal fixtures. It also means preservatives can be better applied – as well as paint, stain, and polish when there is less moisture content in the wood. A freshly felled oak tree can contain as much as 540 litres of water to every square cubic metre of the wood, which is substantial. Dried Oak is, therefore, lighter than ‘green oak’ and sometimes it is necessary to use dry wood to meet building legislations. Drying time is usually dependent on conditions such as temperature, wind, rainfall and humidity and also the correct stacking of the wood during the process. It can lead to a reduction of up to around 20% of water content.

Timbersource are a leading online timber merchant in the UK, supplying timber beams to the joinery, carpentry, construction and building trade at competitive prices. To Contact Us click HERE.

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