FAQ

All our oak comes from sustainable resources in managed forests. The use of such timber is therefore more environmentally friendly than the use of other building materials.

Many oak framed buildings have lasted for hundreds of years, every bit as well as others of the same age built in stone or brick. We expect that one of our oak framed buildings, on a proper foundation, will last for many centuries with reasonable maintenance – oak itself requires little or no maintenance.

Oak is famous for its durability against rot and infestation, so we don’t recommend special treatments. Some people like to apply oak oil (boiled linseed oil) to their oak beams to slow up the drying process, but this is purely a matter of personal choice. Softwoods supplied by us are pressure treated against both rot and infestation but external timber will need maintenance during its lifetime.

Almost always! We advise that you obtain written clearance or planning permission from your local planning authority before construction starts. While many of our buildings meet the requirements for development without permission, experience shows that permission is often required because of unique site circumstances such as being in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in a Conservation Area or alongside a listed building. Getting permissions properly saves an immense amount of trouble later, even if it takes a little more time and effort to start with. We can attend planning requirements for you if you wish.

Traditional buildings have great visual appeal and can blend in with both old and modern buildings very effectively. Our clients choose our buildings because they need the extra facility created and wish to add an attractive and special feature to their property at the same time. You can always show a drawing of one of our buildings to your local property advisor for an opinion.

We provide a full quotation in advance. You will find the cost of an oak framed building compares quite favourably with brick or stone. Our initial estimates and final quotations specify clearly what is included and what work needs to be handled by yourself or your other contractors. These may include groundworks, roof tiling/thatching, internal works, etc. and will need to be taken into consideration when arriving at a total project cost.

Our brochure and portfolio page contains many examples of our buildings. We also produce another booklet of line drawings showing many more designs. Our designers can produce a line drawing of your chosen design on a modern CAD package for a modest fee (deductible from your eventual building invoice) and invariably suitable for planning application purpose.

Oak has a golden colour, which gradually weathers to a silvery-grey. The softwoods gradually turn grey over time, but can be treated in a variety of colours.

This obviously depends on where it is and other local factors. Our closed buildings come with high-quality locks and hinges on windows and doors, and other security features may be added as building progresses. We always recommend consideration be given to alarms and other security facilities as required.

If your oak framed building is to be used for habitation or special purposes we are pleased to advise on suitable insulation and heating if separate from the main dwelling. Wood is a good insulator in itself.

The timbers used in our buildings can support an upper floor with minor additions and amendments. Some of our clients have found this useful to add storage space to garages and stables or to create a self-contained office. We can advise on the extra work required and specify extra flooring, roof features and window requirements.

OakCraft offers an upper floor range of 2,3 and 4 bay buildings. These can provide extra space for a wide variety of uses at a competitive cost.

Yes, you can find our oak framed garages in Newbury. In fact, our oak framed garages are not just durable but also some of the most aesthetic oak framed garages in Newbury.

Yes, you can contact OakCraft to supply and install oak framed buildings in Petersfield.  Furthermore, our oak framed garages are not just durable but also some of the most aesthetic oak framed buildings in Petersfield.