Timber has been used in the construction of houses and other buildings for a great many thousands of years. Originally just thin branches were used to make a ‘bender’ or ‘wigwam’ type of dwelling. The Mongols took this concept a step further to make the Yurt, which is still very popular today. However all these early timber buildings were of a temporary nature, and when buildings became more permanent, the timber frame was conceived. Utilising the same techniques of wooden furniture manufacture, timber framed buildings featured squared off logs held together with pinned mortice and tenon joints. Hard woods were favoured over soft woods in western Europe and many buildings dating back hundreds of years still have their original oak trusses. In fact oak, when hardened, is nigh on impossible to drive a nail into without drilling a pilot hole first.
Oak carpentry today remains much the same as it has for hundreds of years. Of course we use many more electric tools such as mortising machines, power drills, reciprocating saws, routers and electric sanders these days, but the actual jointing and framing techniques are virtually unchanged. In the UK, timber framed buildings are seeing something of a resurgence. Since most modern houses built from bricks and mortar have terrible heat retention efficiency, architects have embraced timber along with a variety of home insulation methods in order to build highly efficient homes which are cheaper to build, cheaper to heat and easier to maintain.
Even old stone built buildings are being given the ‘timber touch’ when being renovated. For example when an old barn is converted into a residential home, the roof could easily be constructed from steel beams. However architects these days prefer to echo the building’s agricultural past and use, where possible, traditional oak trusses. As oak is one of the hardest of hard woods available in the UK, joiners and carpenters need to be skilled in oak carpentry techniques as it is not like working with pine or any other soft woods.
Oak will naturally split as it dries out and ages. This however does not affect the wood structurally in spite of how sever some of these features may appear. Even oak trusses which have been reclaimed from old buildings dating back a hundred years or more can still be used in new build homes or renovations as either a structural or decorative feature. It appears that oak carpentry is here to stay and many buildings constructed from a timber frame will be with us for many years to come.
By Carl Liver and Barry Summers
