Why Air Dried Oak?

Your oak porch will be a focal point and as such, wants to be made from the best air dried oak.

Air Dried Oak or seasoned oak is the term usually associated with oak beams that have been left to ‘season’ over a period of time.

There is a large amount of water and moisture within an oak tree when it is cut down. This oak is ‘Green Oak’ and can have some advantages.

The advantage of Green Oak is its workability due to the moisture within it. It is kinder to a joiner’s tools and easier to work. It is also cheaper (in the short term) as there are no other costs of storing timber for later use.

The term Air Dried Oak comes in to use for oak stored outside for 12 months +.

Your oak porch will be made using oak that is 3 to 10 years old. This drying time allows the oak to lose its moisture causing the fibres in the oak to become stronger.

During this time, the oak beams will slightly distort, possibly twist and change colour. All these characteristics are normal and are representative of a well-seasoned piece of oak.

We will only use seasoned for your porch. Why? Well, it has already gone through the ‘settling down’ process and after its machined, the clean, square oak beams retain character whilst remaining more stable.