News: What Is A Kit Form Oak Structure?

23/09/2022

Bespoke kit form oak structures are our speciality. Whether it be a garage, gazebo, pergola, porches, trusses, or any of our oak products, we supply them made to measure and in kit form.

But what is a kit form oak structure?

A kit form oak structure is an oak-framed building that arrives at your desired location flat-packed. Once unpacked, the oak kit is ready for assembly. Carpentry work is complete, so all you need to do is connect the parts with the supplied pegs and there you have it... a high-quality oak structure that brings majesty to your home or garden.

Want to know more? Read on to learn about the innovative workings of kit form oak structures.

Oak Timber Structure Kits: Everything You Need to Know

What does a kit form oak structure look like?

In the below picture, you'll see an example of a pergola kit. This is how it'll arrive at your chosen location. You'll notice the beams and posts tied together to make for practical and safe delivery. There’s coding on the parts. The coding makes sure your builder can easily match corresponding pieces. Oak pegs arrive in a bag and it’s these pegs that connect the frame together.

A larger kit, such as the below gazebo, has the same principle. This gazebo kit includes saddle stones that’ll elevate the structure from standing water. There are also roofing parts such as cedar shingles and the battens that they'll fix too. But regardless of size, we'll package each structure by banding the oak beams and posts with any extras securely bundled.

What do we include in an oak frame kit?

What's included in your oak frame kit depends on the structure and your requirements.

As an example, let's examine a one-bay 3x3 metre oak pergola. Here, your oak pergola kit at its base will include four upright posts and four headplates, these pieces make up be the base of the structure at your desired thickness if 200mm post sizes are selected for example, the ridgebeams and headplates will also be 200mm thick.

If selected, it'll also include cross members. These are the beams running between the headplates at your preferred intervals. To offer improved stability and decoration, we supply braces to fix between headplates and posts. In this example, there'd be 8 braces in total. You can add staddle stones on which the pergola will stand if you’d prefer. We'll always include the oak pegs that allow you to secure the pergola together.

Of course, a pergola is a basic design, so the kit isn’t too complex. An oak garage, for example, is much more detailed and contains more components. Whilst there are optional extras with our garages such as roofing shingles and cladding, each garage kit will always contain the mainframe itself, the ridge beams and rafters that make up the roof and the wall studding. Studding refers to the vertical pieces of timber that create a fixing point for cladding and interior wall materials.

You can further customize your kit to include even more features, with the oak garages for example, you can include details such as a roof room with floor joists and an access staircase. You can even add partitions and solid oak garage doors.

As a general rule, the most basic structures include the main frame and oak pegs to fix it together. Yet, you can embellish the design to include more parts and features. All kit form oak structures come with a Parts Identification Drawing. This drawing identifies each part of the kit and what it should connect to.

What we don’t include in an oak frame kit?

Some oak structures sit on bricks. It's common for a porch to sit on a dwarf wall, for example. When a structure sits on walls, we don't supply the brickwork. Although, if you've selected a dwarf wall in your design, we'll cut the posts to fit so the oak frame sits on top and doesn't affect the overall height.

Often structures such as offices or garden rooms have glazing. Likewise, we don't supply windows. But you can specify the method used to fit the glazing and we'll prepare the frame for the installation by shaping the beams with a rebate and supplying a cover board if necessary.

While we supply treated and non treated cedar shingles. If you'd prefer to source your own such as slate or any other tiles so that they appear cohesive with existing buildings; we don't supply these.

Other extras that aren't included in the kit are draining systems and weatherproofing such as flashing and treatment oils. You can read more about maintaining an oak structure here.

We're on hand if you need any advice. Call or email us and our friendly staff can talk you through both what's included and what you may need to complete your structure.

How do you design a bespoke kit form oak structure?

Having a hands-on approach when creating your unique oak structure is of tremendous appeal. At Oak Timber Structures, we were the first company in the world to create and put in place an online 3D designer.

So if you dream of creating a structure, then our online designer makes light work of conceiving the perfect bespoke design to meet your needs. Whatever the size, whatever the shape, you can do it.

It doesn't end there either, because each designer has other controls to add unique characteristics.

Another major benefit of our 3D designers is price transparency. As you add or remove features and alter the size, the price updates in real time. So you can have faith in our open pricing. Simply put, you're in control of design every step of the way.

We simplify a very complicated process with our designers and it's easy and straightforward to create your kit. But, we understand not everyone wants to try their hand at becoming a designer. So if you're not confident with computers, or you've sketched a design, you can get in touch and we'll help turn your ideas into a kit form oak structure.

How do we know the kit form structure is in working order?

Here's the thing... Oak Timber Structures kit-form products combine the practicality of flat-pack without compromising on quality. We achieve superior standards through peak craftsmanship. Every one of our oak structures is handmade by us, and because we create every kit from scratch, we can produce whatever design you want. If you can imagine a design, we'll create it.

So how does your structure go from design to kit?

If you ordered online, we send you the CAD drawings, and when you're happy, the design gets signed off and goes into production.

If you sent in a sketch to our sales team the process differs slightly, firstly we'll offer a quotation on your sketch, you can pay your 50% deposit which then moves onto the CAD drawing stage. We only produce CAD drawings once a 50% deposit has been made, unless you have made a request for drawings ahead of the deposit payment which is charged separately. If you proceed with the quote after paying for drawings, this cost is then deducted from structure quotation.

Our skilled artisans have a combined 100 years plus working with timber. They'll cut the parts to size and wrap up with a light sanding for a smooth finish. We know how to make an oak building of excellent quality.

All carpentry work is complete. Expertly crafted mortise and tenon joints secure the frame together. When the parts are complete, we're not done yet. We perform a trial assembly here at our site to make sure the structure is in working order. When we're happy, it's dissassembled, packed up in kit form and ready for you. This is how we know the kit is in working order and will stand proud for years to come.

How to build kit form oak structure with ease

We make our oak structure kits with meticulous precision, thus they're easy to install. But, the ease of construction depends on the complexity of the design.

A 3x3 metre pergola is one of the easier to assemble so could be the DIY oak structure project you've craved. Here's how you'd go about it.

Upon arrival, lay out the parts, ensuring you've got plenty of space. Using the Parts Identification Drawing, find where the posts and beams connect to erect the mainframe. We code each piece in addition to the supplied PID indicating where each part connects together. Once in the correct position, hammer in the pegs through the holes.

Remember, oak is very heavy, so ensure the means and or person power are present to hold the beams in place and aligned before connecting.

Larger and more complex structures will need the help of a professional builder. Besides, not everyone has a penchant for DIY. If that sounds like you, it's best to get a pro on board to help. Most households know a trusted builder, so if unsure, always consult with a builder who can assist with not only assembly but other aspects like footings and brickwork too.

A professional makes light work of the assembly. We often get comments from builders praising how easy our kits are to build. As mentioned, oak is heavy, so for larger projects, builders may use a Genie lift to keep beams stable at height and aligned for connecting. Want to know the finer details of kit assembly? Request a free booklet here.

What else do I need to know about kit form oak structures?

There are a few important things to note regarding oak kits. As moisture leaves the oak, it shrinks. This is normal, and we even design the joints with this in mind. See, once connected and as the oak shrinks, the joints fuse to become tighter. So, try not to delay assembling your kit because connections can become misaligned. Attempt to limit storing your kit for no longer than 4 weeks.

Remember, if you're self-assembling, oak is heavy timber. So make sure you have adequate help when unloading the kit. Always follow health and safety protocol. Using a professional builder will make things easier, as they'll have the relevant equipment, knowledge, and workforce to carry out the task at hand.

Another important thing to remember with all our kits is the type of screws and nails to use. You must use stainless steel. Other metals such as iron, will corrode from the tannins in oak.

Want to order an oak kit?

So what is a kit form oak structure? When buying from Oak Timber Structures, it's a high-grade oak structure that arrives at your door in an efficient and practical package.

From the 3x3 metre pergola to the grand garage, we've revolutionised oak timber buildings. Supplying in kit form is cost-effective with no hidden costs. Furthermore, ordering a kit allows you to use a builder that you trust to do the job.

Our kits prove to be long-lasting structures handcrafted by skilled artisans with years of experience. Once assembled, the kit will transform into a structure admired for its elegance and grandeur.

Ready to give it a go? Browse oaktimberstructures.co.uk, find a structure that takes your fancy and start designing. We’re always on hand to answer questions about our kits. Or you can follow this link for a step-by-step guide to the ordering process.