The unique feeling of wood within a building appeals to all the senses, and each of the timbers we use has its own distinct qualities. Our skill is in working with our clients to establish which type of wood, style of frame and design features will make the most of their bespoke design.
Douglas fir
Providing clean lines and a crisp finish, Douglas fir can be an attractive option for more contemporary frames. The timber has an orangey-pink hue, maturing to a deeper orange over time, giving it a distinctive feel and flavour. Douglas fir performs best in straight frames.
Due to a lower moisture content Douglas fir seasons more quickly than hardwood, so can take surface finishes to bring out its natural character. Whilst it is a softer wood than oak, it is well suited to timber framing and a confident and natural partner to engineering features, glass, external panelling and decking.
We buy our Douglas fir from certified, well-managed forests in the UK. It can be significantly cheaper than some other timbers. By the time the frame is produced, it has lost a great deal of moisture, making it a calmer timber to live with than oak.
Larch
Larch is a versatile timber that works well in exterior structures and cladding as its resin content naturally protects it from decay. Whilst larch is a softwood, it is renowned for its durability. Larch brings character to patios, porches and balconies, as well as building finishes such as cladding.
Larch blends particularly well with Douglas fir. These two timbers form a natural partnership for projects where timber design is key to indoor and outdoor spaces.
Glulam
Glue laminated (Glulam) timber is often used in large-scale projects. It is extremely stable, without surface imperfections. This allows it to be used in place of steel as an engineering solution, as well as an impressive feature in its own right.
Incorporating a range of woods (including oak, Douglas fir chestnut and ash), glulam provides straight and uniform timbers to bespoke lengths. Unlike an oak frame, glulam will not move. If natural cracks and splits are not your style, glulam is an option for a more managed finish. Its stability is due in large part to a lower moisture content (8 – 12%) then alternatives we work with.
Glulam’s stability allows special shapes and structures to be made to measure, making it one of the more specialist timbers within timber framing.
