What Timber

[Anonymous]

I am considering buying an old thatched cottage and having had a look in the roof it appears that the rafters are constructed with small (60-70mm) branches from a tree.

Havn't had survey yet, but does anybody know what timber this would be?

Thanks

G

 

[Anonymous]

the timber ( rafters ) in your roof is more than likely very original.
Albeit probably scantly built and more than likely from oak, if there is no rot they should be fine.
In the event that they may need reinforcing, this is easily done from within the roof space, using contemporary pressure treated timber, as long as you leave the original undisturbed.

It will be interesting to hear the surveyors comments.

 

[Anonymous]

Hard to tell what timber it is from this distance. Oak would have been the best, as Middi suggested, but if it is but a humble cottage they may have used whatever was to hand. If they are round poles 60-70mm diameter my first guess would be hazel.
Take care not to remove any of them without very careful consideration and consultation with a Conservation Officer. Such roofs are getting a bit rare. If their structural integrity is seriously compromised, it would be better to add extra rafters, perhaps of a similar size and material, rather than destroy the historic fabric.

 

[Anonymous]

>Havn't had survey yet
If you get a survey do make sure the surveyor knows about such buildings. Not all of them do.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for reply.

Dont think there oak, riddled with worm, some have snapped.

There was evidence of repair and new modern timbers having been introduced.

I think the roof is sound although looks a mess from inside.

G

 

[Anonymous]

Your comment seems to suggest you think that worm doesn't attack oak - not true! However, whatever the timber turns out to be, you may find that the worm (woodworm?) has only penetrated into the surface layers. The heart may be sound (although at 60 - 70mm thick you don't have a great deal of spare capacity!)

 

[Anonymous]

If it's 60-70mm roundwood, ('branches' did you say, George?), then there wouldn't be any significant quantity of heartwood. Woodworm holes would not be surprising.

 

[Anonymous]

Speaking to a friend in pub last night he said 'the timbers could be Larch Poles!

Does that make sense?

Woodworm has gone rigt through some of poles that has caused them to break.

G

 

[Anonymous]

We don't know what age the roof is, but my guess would be that it predates the comercial growing of larch in this country - it's not a native tree. At 60-70mm I'm still guessing hazel. It's what we used as the horizontal poles on this:

 

[Anonymous]

Biff, I'm interested to know why you used it specifically for the horizontal members. Is there something about its properties that make it better for this? What timber did you use for the "rafters"?

 

[Anonymous]

Hazel is thin, long, strong, straight and growing in abundance near by. Rafters are larch thinnings, a bit thicker, long, strong, straight and going spare (thought not an authentic British iron age material). Short upright wall posts are oak because they don't rot. Wattle for walls are hazel, see above plus flexible. String to lash it all together is sisal because life is too short for honeysuckle weaving. Thatch is water reed from Tay estuary, Scotland, because it comes delivered on a big lorry in nice neat bundles instead of having to wade in a local pond for it. Life is so full of compromises. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT="">

 

[Anonymous]

The owner kindly let me take this photo does it help with identification of timber type?

G

 

[Anonymous]

Willow.....????.

 

[Anonymous]

Biff, I'm shocked!
You realise that you're only a short step away from having your strawberries delivered from Kenya on a 747?
<IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/wink.gif" BORDER=0 ALT="">

 

[Anonymous]

I ruled out hand-tied chives. The chives are grown in England, flown to Kenya to be tied into neat little bundles and then flown back.

I'm not sure that the photo quite clinches the what timber question.

 

[Anonymous]

Looks vaguely like tree-wood to me.