44 Kings Road
Harrogate - HG1 5JW
Opposite the Conference Centre.
Why Not Visit Us Today !
NEW Harrogate Showroom - NOW OPEN !
Displaying Oak Floors, Doors & Beams
Call 01423 593794 - No appoitment necessary.
Why Choose
Oak By Design?
"I just wanted to say a very big thank you, to you and your team, for our fire surround. It is absolutely perfect and...Read More.
Updated News
The Great Yorkshire Show is now only 3 weeks away. We are exhibiting from the 12th to 14th July - Avenue M. See you there !
Richard is taking part in this years London Triathlon. For more details and the storey click here
Catalogue Request
Please feel free to request a new 2011 catalogue. Just click the catalogue!
- Types of Oak
- Characteristics
- Grades of Oak
"An Oak Beam is a focal point and topic of conversation..."
Types of Oak Beams
We only offer Air Dried European Oak (Quercus Robur).
What is the difference between Air Dried Oak and Green Oak?
1. Green Oak is defined at Oak that has been recently felled and its moisture content will be high. There will be no or few cracks within the timber and due to the high moisture content, will be considerabley heavy.
2. Air Dried Oak is more seasoned, typically 2 years and longer, to allow the moisture to evaporate causing cracks and a more stable product.
3. Green Oak is cheaper than Air Dried Oak and costs are incurred for storing the oak for a great length of time.
4. Green Oak is easily to work due to the moisture however, more susepatable to future movement is the timber dries.
5. Air Dried Oak has more initial character and although sourcing specific lengths can be more difficult.
"An Oak Beam is a focal point and topic of conversation..."
Characteristics
As this page is dedicated to air dried oak beams, their properties and character can be sumed up as follows:
1. A hard durable timber weighing approximately 20-25kg per cubic foot or 700-800kg per cubic meter
2. Its colour is a pale tan with a range of close and open grain.
3. There will be a variety of knots, large and small, character due to cracks and medullary rays. These rays look like tiger markings and apear when the board is quarter sawn, see below and picture right..
3. The drying will have caused the surface to crack and this will develop and stabile over time
4. It has a naturally present chemical called 'tannin' and this is used to colour a beam by fuming
The picture to the right shows the average colour of European Oak when air dried.
The oak will naturally react to weathering and the sun causing the timber to dry and discolour. Over time, approximately six months, the surface colour will 'silver off' in colour and eventually darken as time goes on.
Over very long periods of time, the core colour of the oak will naturally darken eventually turning a deep chocolate brown over a few hundred years.
The light 'tiger-like' markings that are sometimes seen are called medullary rays and its produced when the oak is quarter sawn.
Quarter sawn boards are where the grain runs at 90 degrees (a quarter) to the sawn face.
The picture shown right indicates that the two center planks are quarter sawn and the medullary rays will appear on the face of these boards.
"An Oak Beam is a focal point and topic of conversation..."
Grades of Oak
There are two grades of Oak for