Oak beams are incredibly popular these days, but they have been for centuries. With a quality oak beam, you can create a variety of exquisite items for your home or garden, including:
• Fences
• Outdoor Tables
• Outdoor Chairs
• Borders
• Planters
• Feature beams
• Fireplace mantels
• Coffee tables
• Doors
• Sheds
• Summerhouses
• Decking
With so many possibilities, it’s no wonder why oak beams are in high demand, but why should you opt for oak over another material, such as softwood like pine? Well, the main reason is strength. With oak, you’re guaranteed exceptional durability over years. Okay trees are slow growing, so when the wood is finally cut and formed into beams, you’re guaranteed wood that’s well established and strong all the way through, meaning it will eventually last for decades if not centuries to come, depending on the weather conditions in your local area.
Oak also delivers plenty of character. Let’s not pretend it’s boring to look it. Oak is packed with personality and you are also guaranteed beautiful graining, whilst you’re able to choose a set of oak beams with just the right amount of character for your home. We all know that spring is the main period for carrying out some gardening work, but if you have lots to be done, it may be essential you buy strong timber at an affordable price. But isn’t oak expensive? Well yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s not cost effective. For example, if you invest in oak, you’re guaranteed a quality product that’s cut out for the harsh British weather conditions, and capable of lasting decades when finished appropriately with oil, wax or paint.
You will have probably heard of green oak beams and air dried oak beams, so what about these two types? Well, with green oak beams, they have been felled in the last 18 months. As such the wood has relatively high moisture content: typically 60-80%. In other words, it will still be drying. With air dried oak beams, they are dried, and either by spending some considerable time exposed to air or by accelerated drying inside a kiln – but this oak, too, could have a moisture content of 30% or more and still be drying. The less moisture the beams have, the better equipped they are to deliver exceptional durability. So we’d always recommend you dry out your beams if you buy them with high moisture content.
There are many oak beams for sale, but green oak beams are also strong and less expensive than air dried, but you’ll often see them used for oak framed buildings, whilst it’s much easier to work with in terms of cutting and shaping with precision. The wood will continue to dry though, so everything should be fixed in place otherwise warping can occur, compromising your structure. Every wood is different but oak is one of the best, especially when it comes to buying timber beams, so do make sure you read through the pros and cons in more detail.