timber frame cottage

[rebeccac]

Has anyone got any advice?

We are thinking on bidding on an old (17th cent ) Suffolk cottage which is due to come up for auction. Its timber frame and it looks as if most of it is rotten! The whole place has been covered in cement too so its not possible to tell just how much rot and decay there is.

How much are we talking about to replace timber with green oak or oak from reclaimation yard ? For 50% of a 70 sq metre cottage? Any ideas ? Please!

 

[Penners]

The last time I looked, sawn green oak was something like £900 per cubic metre - fag-packet calculation that's about £25 per cubic foot. But that's probably a year or so out of date. If you want a "live" quote fairly locally to your cottage, give Shrubland Sawmill a call - 01473 830472. They're just outside Ipswich. Ask them to quote for a few sawn green oak beams of the size to match those in your cottage. That'll give you an idea of the sort of cost you're looking at.

If you do come to buy, remember that you'll get a much better price if you try to standardise your beam dimensions as much as possible, and buy your whole requirement in one go, rather than piecemeal. A considerable proportion of the price of timber is machine setting time.

If you want the timber planed, it'll cost you a fair bit more, and IMO it won't look right.

Whereabouts is the cottage (you don't have to be geographically precise if you don't want to)?

 

[Flyfisher]

I got a quote for a fair bit of green oak recently (mostly 6x4 inches) and it worked out at about £20 per cubic ft. I also got an equivalent quote for 'seasoned' oak and it was about twice the price. One-off pieces seem to vary quite a bit but I recently bought an old 10x10x120-inch beam for £300, which I think is just under £43 per cu ft.

My understanding is that green oak is best if you're planning lots of new framing because it will "lock together" as it moves while drying out. This is just what I've read though, I claim no particular expertise - although I do have my own little framing project waiting in the wings.

 

[christianb]

It depends upon the definition of reclaimation yard. There are two types: the more 'pile it up and someone will have it one day' type, and the 'I saw you coming' variety.

Actually, I was talking to a carpenter the other day and he reckons that oak furniture (antique and new) is a lot cheaper than it has been for a while, but that the raw stuff is astronomically pricey. Strange.

 

[biffvernon]

The cost of the timber is trivial in comparison to the cost of the labour to do that kind of work.
(Yes £20 per cubic foot is a figure to have in your head.)

 

[rebeccac]

Thanks all for such a rapid response I will certainly phone that company near Ipswich.

I feel pretty confident that much of the frame is ok , but even if we get a specialist survey it would be impossible to see the extent of any damage until all the cement plaster was removed and I dont think the vendor would accept that before selling!

 

[ian]

Green oak works so much easier than "aged stuff" from a reclaim yard. Not to mention the chances of nails etc. Factor in a cost for replacement tools and sharpening tools if intending to use well seasoned timber for major replacements!
I second what Penners says about standardisation of sizes, and Flyfisher on the locking together of new joints.

 

[Penners]

Green oak works so much easier than "aged stuff" from a reclaim yard.

Ian is absolutely right. Old oak beams, particularly if they're heartwood, are hellish to cut - hard as iron.