use of oak
#3083
10/15/06 05:33 AM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1
gthumbus
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I have 26 acres 16 of which i am clearing for organic gardening the timber is old growth oak I was wondering if oak could be used for timber framing because i would love to use it in the house i am going to build any advise would be helpful thanks shawn"whitebear" :p
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Re: use of oak
#3084
10/15/06 04:21 PM
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 718
Dave Shepard
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Red or white oak? Red oak is very common in TF houses and barns, as is white oak. White oak is rot resistant and great for sills. I would definately try to use it in your home. It is not as stable as White Pine, it will check and move aroud more, but is still desirable.
Member, Timber Framers Guild
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Re: use of oak
#3086
10/17/06 02:07 AM
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 87
pegs_1
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Looks like maybe hes been at it for awhile
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Re: use of oak
#3087
10/18/06 02:32 AM
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 242
timber brained
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Of course you can use oak for timber framing ,it is wonderfully strong, but be sure to ask yourself it you really want to cut down 16 accres of "old growth trees",especially if it is truly old growth. There is very little of that left in the states but there is plenty of abandoned farmland. tb
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Re: use of oak
#3088
10/20/06 01:26 AM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,198
northern hewer
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by all means oak is a good buildings specie, just alittle hard to work with aspecially if it becomes a little on the dry side, and is knotty,
Over my career it has always been advantageous to do a thinning of a treed area to remove th mature trees and let the younger growth have a breath of fresh air and sun
I have called on the ministry of natural resources timber specialists to go through and prepare an assesment of the tree lot, and recommend and mark trees for removal, by all means just don't go in and start cutting and make a hole in the tree stand, --not good-- but done right is beneficial
NH
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Re: use of oak
#3089
10/22/06 03:45 PM
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 49
Joe Miller
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We use white oak for a considerable number of frames (we have a local supplier of high quality logs.) It does shrink and move around quite a bit, and, pretty much requires the use of a boxed heart timber of anything of substantial size. It works awesome green, and, is easier than most other hardwoods when dry.
It is quite rot resistant, and, there is quite a historical precendence of using it in frames. My one gripe, as an engineer, is that it isn't very stiff. Longer span floor joists / purlins etc can be hard to justify.
Red oak is stiffer, but, not as rot resistant.
Hope this helps,
Joe
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Re: use of oak
#3091
12/07/06 12:27 AM
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 10
Newbiemy
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gthumbus, At U Ark, Fayetteville, you have a bunch of "dendrochronologists"... heck of a braintrust. There ARE old-growth trees in ARK, but they're few and far between. Most of the Ozarks is coppice. Still can be old, but most likely decades, not centuries. That said, in a 100 year old white oak, on a rocky soil, you can have 20 rings to the inch... pretty stable stuff.
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Re: use of oak
#3092
12/08/06 02:33 PM
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 63
Pete Ladd
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Oak is so phenomenally expensive, it might be more appropriate to use a less expensive species and reserve to oak for veneer, furniture, flooring, etc. Resource management.
It is somewhat overkill to use in a timber frame. Selling your oak might even pay for a softwood frame, plus some.
And, as said above, it will cure, check and twist, so the final result is open joints and untrue lines. Other species will better reward careful fitting.
But I guess people just love to say they have an oak frame. The name traditionally conveys solidity and strength.
Pete
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