Oak Framed Garden office

Working from home is tough. You need to balance where the workday starts and ends. Haunting the same four walls is tiring and can stifle productivity. So how can we help?

Sounds like you need a garden office. Separate from your home, you’ll have a workspace free from everyday distractions. Simply put, our oak offices help you get the job done and increase productivity.

We've thought long and hard to make sure our home garden offices get the best out of you and your working hours. Did you know studies show exposure to natural light can increase productivity by 5% to 40%?

That's why the modern design of our offices allows plenty of natural light through the front windows and doors. Not to mention, you'll save money on electricity bills with the reduced need for artificial light.

But how do our solid oak offices cope in varying climates?

Oak is a natural insulator. The oak frame alongside external and internal cladding creates a well-insulated space to work. During the winter months, the office will keep warm, and during summer, the office stays cooler than masonry buildings. Whatever the weather, your workspace is comfortable making sure you’re ready to seize the day.

We make every garden office from scratch. This means it's custom-built to your requirements. Whether you're short on space, or you want something significant, we'll make it. Once you're happy with the office design, we get to work.

All joinery is complete, and we can supply either a single or double oak framed door. Likewise, we'll prepare the oak frame for whatever glazing method you choose. Please note we don't include glazing in the kit form home oak office, so you'll have to source your own.

Before you assemble the office, make sure the groundwork and the dwarf wall it sits on are ready. An efficient course of action is to prepare this while your oak office is in production. Once assembled, you can fit the glazing and flooring.

Because the woodwork is complete, we recommend hiring a general builder rather than carpenters. A builder may suggest hiring a genie lift as oak is heavy. A genie lift will hold oak beams in place during construction. The above link is to a generic genie lift. Ask us for the heaviest piece of your office to make sure you hire a capable lift.

Receive our detailed PDF

We've put together a booklet of detailed answers to our most commonly asked questions. A perfect in-depth read about buying your oak structure from us.

Click here for our booklet

How To Use The 3D Office Designer

Every garden size is different and each home worker needs a workspace that fits their needsScouring the internet to find the right size is tiresome. With our designer, you can create a bespoke solid oak home office for your every need. Here's how each control of the designer shapes your unique home office.

Office Setup

Stop Office Rotation

With the 'Stop Office Rotation' box ticked, the 3D designer stops spinning. Use this feature to get a closer look at the office from different angles.

Custom

The 'Custom' control allows you to change the size of the office. Measurements are from outside of the post to outside of the post. Select your depth from 2.5m upto 4m and your width from 3.5m upto 8m.

Adjust the depth or width using the plus and minus buttons. You can change sizes in 0.1m increments, so you can get a precise footprint to suit different garden sizes.

Thickness

The thickness relates to the cross-section size of beams, including headplates and posts. Which you pick depends on your aesthetic preference. Thicknesses available are 150mm, 175mm, and 200mm.

Doors

Position

You can decide where the entry to the office is using the position control. This helps fit around existing garden configurations. The office entry is at the front. You can choose to locate the door on the left, right, or middle.

Size

You may need double doors for accessibility. The size control allows for a choice between single or double doors. The single is 0.9m in width while the double is 1.8m.

Glazing Methods (Glazing Not Supplied)

While we don't supply glazing, we prepare the oak office for glass fitting.

Glazing

We offer two glazing choices designed for easy window instalment. The 'Rebate with Cover Board' choice takes a notch out of oak posts for the glass to sit. Then, a cover board keeps the glass secure on top of sealing strips or expanding adhesive.

Another way we prepare an office for glazing is 'Softwood Packer with Cover Board'. This method involves a softwood packer that fixes to the beams creating a space for the glass to slot inside. A cover board fixes on top to keep it secure.

Regardless of the glazing method, you'll need to source the glass.

Boarding | Battens | Roofing

Boarding, battens and roofing relate to the specs and aesthetics of the roof.

Boarding

You'll install boarding below shingles or tiles and battens. With boarding fixed, the underside of shingles or tiles and battens aren't visible from inside the office. You can choose between larch, cedar or oak.

Battens

Battens run at a right angle to the rafters and create a fixing point for tiles or shingles. You can choose between softwood and oak battens. If you're using boarding, battens aren't visible, so softwood is fine. However, with no boarding, the battens are visible so oak battens offer a premium aesthetic.

Roofing

We supply either treated or untreated cedar shingles. Over time, each will develop a natural silver hue caused by the sun's UV Rays. However, treated cedar shingles are darker initially and will increase their lifespan by approximately 5 years. If you wish to supply your own tiles or shingles, select 'No Shingles'.

Cladding and Studwork

If you want to enhance the natural beauty of your oak-framed office, you can include timber cladding. Here are the cladding options.

External Cladding

External cladding relates to the outer walls of the office. Here you have three choices; European Oak, British Western Red Cedar and Canadian Western Red Cedar. Each timber is a high performance wood for outdoor use.

That said, we recommend treating the cladding with a solution to protect against weathering and mould. For European oak cladding, it's essential to seal on all 4 sides with a treatment such as OSMO 420 protection oil to prevent water getting into the oak.

Interior Cladding

Internal cladding adds style to the interior of the office. We only provide European Oak and Canadian Cedar for inside cladding. These woods are less prone to shrinking. Nonetheless, we recommend treating the cladding for further protection.

Cladding Orientation

You can choose the cladding to run horizontal or vertical. This is down to your preference and what you prefer the look of. The cladding orientation will decide where we prepare the mortise and tenon joints to connect with posts or wall plates. Please note that the orientation relates to both the external and internal cladding.

Floor Joists

Floor Joists

Floor joists run across the bottom of the oak office. With joists in place, you can lay flooring over the top. We supply softwood floor joists or, if you’d prefer to source your own, select 'No Flooring Joists.'

How Your Oak Garden Office Will Arrive

Your office will arrive in kit form, packaged and banded together. What does an oak office kit look like? The below image shows how we deliver your oak office.

Is there anything else I'll need?

We use mortise and tenon joinery techniques for the main frame of an oak office. This technique holds the frame together using the provided oak dowels. For rafters, battens, boarding and shingles you will need to source additional screws and nails.

Screws for the Common Rafters

The common rafters are the roof beams fixed at intervals between the principal beams of the mainframe. For common rafters, use 150mm stainless steel screws. It's integral you use stainless steel screws because metals such as iron react with the tannins from the oak.

Links to 150mm stainless steel screws:

• Tradefix Direct
• Fastco
• Justthejobsupplies

Screws for the Battens and Optional Boarding

The battens form a fixing point for tiles and shingles. To attach these screw them onto the rafters. These need fixing with 40mm stainless steel screws.

The technique depends on whether you're screwing into softwood or oak battens. Fixing into softwood battens is easy, but as oak is much harder, you'll need to pre-drill holes for the screws before fixing. They must also be stainless steel as other metals will be corroded by the oak.

If you've selected boarding, you should also use 40mm stainless steel screws. The boarding fixes to the office rafters below the battens. With boarding in place, you can then fix battens across the boarding.

Boarding is susceptible to moisture movement, meaning it can expand and contract.

Therefore to fix boarding, we recommend pre-drilling and holding in place with the head of the screw so it can move if required. Don't butt it tight together and leave a small gap between the tongue and the groove joints to allow for moisture movement.

Sealant for Optional Boarding

As discussed, boarding is prone to slight size change because of moisture movement. So, you must seal it before the installation. Use a waterproof oil such as OSMO 420 protection oil on all sides to reduce warping.

Nails for the Cedar Shingle Roof

Click here to download our leaflet on battens and shingles (pdf).

Links to Silicone Bronze ARS Nails 31mm x 1.8mm:

• JJ Roofing Supplies
• Roofing Superstore

As solid oak is a tougher wood, you'll need thicker nails. So, if you're attaching cedar shingles to oak battens, use larger stainless steel nails.

Click here to download our leaflet on battens and shingles (pdf).

Link to Stainless Steel Nails 30mm x 3.35mm:

• Roofing Superstore

Gallery Selection

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Why Buy Your Office From Oak Timber Structures Ltd

Here at Oak Timber Structures, our team has accumulated over 100 years of experience in the timber industry. Such knowledge is indispensable for creating a bespoke oak office. Furthermore, we use our years of experience to help customers accomplish any oak gazebo. We are here at every step.

• High Quality oak products
• High Quality customer service

We are proud of the quality of our oak structures. From the grade of the European oak to the intricate detail in craftsmanship. We strive for the best in both product quality and customer relations.

The strongest and most elegant oak structures start with the best timber. But that's just the beginning. Working with timber, especially oak, requires skills and expertise. Bespoke to order we craft each oak office to the highest standards.

Our passion for oak is at the heart of our inspiration. As Steve Jobs once said, "...the only way to produce great work is to love what you do".

Our innovative office 3D designer and pricing matrix offers a tailored buying experience designing a bespoke oak office. Watch your new timber office design take shape as you alter dimensions and specs.

Kiss goodbye to random quotes. With instant and transparent pricing, you can watch the cost change as you alter the design. It's yet another way we strive to innovate and establish a tailored buying experience for our clients.

How To Order Your Oak Framed Office

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securely accepted

Ordering from Oak Timber Structures is straightforward. Nevertheless, our team is on hand to help throughout the process. Here are the simple steps to order a bespoke oak office:

1. First, create the oak office using the designer or send drawings to contact@oaktimberstructures.co.uk
2. For online orders, click ‘Add to Basket’.
3. Navigate to your shopping basket where you can checkout securely online. We accept all major credit cards excluding American Express (as image). If you run into any checkout issues, please contact us using the online chat or call us and we’ll talk you through the process. Alternatively, you can order over the phone.
4. We then produce technical drawings for you to sign off and gain approval from a structural engineer if needed. CAD drawings take approximately 2 - 5 working days to produce.
5. If you are unhappy with an aspect of the drawings, we encourage you to call and seek advice from our helpful and friendly staff. They’ll revise the drawings accordingly and send them back to you for re-approval.
6. Once signed off, we add your structure to the production queue and create it according to the stated lead times. During this time, many people use the approved drawings to get their groundwork in place if required.
7. Our skilled team assembles the oak office to make sure there are no issues. This also allows us to code all components for seamless assembly. We then dismantle the office and organise it into transportable kit form.
8. If you're running behind schedule, we're happy to store your structure for up to 2 to 3 weeks at no extra charge. Please note that we limit storage to this. As green oak dries, it shrinks. Shrinkage is normal. In fact, our skilled staff prepares your structure for shrinkage to fuse joints, making them tighter and more robust. Yet, after 2 to 3 weeks, joints can become misaligned and harder to assemble, so it's important to limit storage time.
9. We schedule delivery by liaising with you once your bespoke oak office is complete.