Oak Garages by Timberpride
British Oak Framed Buildings
British Oak Framed Buildings by Timberpride
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Oak Roof Trusses

Solid Oak Framed Roof Trusses that Inspire

If you want to look up to a vaulted room in your home and feel that tingle of awe everyday we ought to talk about oak roof trusses. When it comes to trusses, it's important to keep in mind that they are not all created equal. Some trusses serve as integral components of a building's structural framework, and some cosmetic trusses are purely designed to enhance the visual appeal of a building.

Our inspiration started many years ago when we walked into Westminster Hall and were left speechless at the beautifully embellished hammer beam trusses which have supported the roof for nearly 600 years, leading us to design and construct our own oak trusses that last many lifetimes.

Oak Roof Trusses
Bespoke oak trusses built in the UK

Truss the Process

Oak roof truss styles are not confined to one type of design. It’s about much more than holding the roof up! Feature or cosmetic trusses don’t even do that, they are just for show! Being able to see the whole structure with vaulted oak trusses makes an unforgettable impression.

Whatever you choose you can be sure all our oak trusses will reflect your environmental ethics and be a positive choice for sustainable living and will last for hundreds of years.

We will listen to your needs, suggest solutions based on our experience and aim to offer a package that fits with your design and budget brief.

Enquire about oak trusses

Types of Trusses

The truss is the triangular frame forming the shape of the roof. The basic truss is 3 beams, with 2 principle rafters tied together via a horizontal tie beam to prevent spreading.

Many of the designs and names date back to medieval origins as this is the time period when these innovations were perfected. The king post is a vertical post in the centre of the truss, often accompanied by a pair of curved posts either side called queen posts, but can be a combination of the two. This combination is known as a King & Queen post truss.

In addition there are also cruck beams, raised collar, hammer beam, scissor, arched braces, interrupted tie beams, sling braces and a whole lot more.

Get in touch if you'd like to hear more about the types of trusses available or what's possible with your project.

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Everything is bespoke

All our oak trusses are bespoke and made to order at our workshop in Tetbury. A Timberpride oak frame can last for many hundreds of years and will always be made of genuinely sustainable British oak. We can even tell you where the tree was grown!

Oak Trusses – Design

Every project is made to order by our team of skilled carpenters, setting out British Oak beams on trestles in our Cotswold workshop. We measure, draw and scribe each joint before cutting and shaping the mortice and tenons by hand. Each carpenter will work exclusively on your oak truss design ideas and will carve his initials in a secret place where they will not be found for hundreds of years.

Enquire about oak trusses

Extras to consider when installing an oak frame with us

What is fixed face glazing?

We glaze our Oak frames using air-dried English oak cover boards to clamp glass in place, forming a weathertight seal by compressing closed cell memory foam between the oak and the glass. Having a small degree of flexibility in the method, the timber can move up to 6mm without causing bending stress on the glass.

The benefit of this glazing method is the complete coverage of the internal mortise and tenon joints, shielding them from outside weather conditions.

Fixed face glazing in oak framed extensions
Oak Extensions fitted with fixed face glazing

Bespoke oak doors and carpentry

Finish your oak frame garage with a pair of solid oak doors, fitted and  complete with ironmongery.  For your oak framed extension choose bespoke, hand made bi fold doors, glazed, hung and complete with beautiful ironmongery sourced and hand made in Britain.

Our traditional hand made joinery is available exclusively when we make you the oak frame of your choice.

British Oak Framed doors and carpentry
Oak framed buildings Timberpride roof truss

Why should you install a wooden external staircase?

External staircases are popular because they don’t waste any internal space. Fully bespoke designs mean we can customise elements such as treads, risers, handrails and balustrades to satisfy building regulations as well as the aesthetic needs of the building. We can design the perfect oak staircase, maybe even incorporating a balcony for a sunset tipple.

Weather durable and aesthetically beautiful, a bespoke oak staircase can see generations of use and remain strong.

Oak Framed Garages by Timberpride
External Oak Staircases by Timberpride

Why Invest in an Oak Truss?

Oak is a remarkable material that seamlessly blends both resilience and beauty. Elite craftsmen have relied on this exceptional wood for millenia, utilising it in the construction of high end structures and prestigious buildings. Thanks to its impeccable durability, our bespoke oak trusses are engineered to last for centuries, requiring no maintenance along the way.

The statement of a visible oak roof structure is striking yet comforting due to the warm honey coloured frame. Oak allows you to enjoy the beauty of a visibly vaulted roof that not only lasts for hundreds of years, but is also an ethical and sustainable choice too.

We know that every roof truss design is different.

As oak carpentry specialists we are here to address any concerns or questions you may have regarding your investment. With our expertise and passion for artisan oak craftsmanship we're committed to guiding you through the process and happy to discuss your specific requirements.

Completed oak truss

Produced to Order by Specialists who Care

Our skilled carpenters will make the traditional mortice and tenon joints by hand, so that they will withstand the moving and twisting nature of oak. Whether shipped assembled or in component form, hand drawn oak pegs are used to lock the joints in place and pull the structure tight preventing spreading.

We make all trusses in our Tetbury workshop using only British oak, which is then precisely milled and graded to D30 and D40 in house. Whichever type of truss or roof structure you need, we will produce scale drawings to ensure everything is dimensionally perfect.

Alec & Victoria Golesworthy

Sustainable Oak Construction

We believe it is our responsibility to make maximum use of every magnificent oak tree that we bring into our yard. Harvesting a tree that was planted by our great-great grandparents’ generation which has now reached maturity is an honour.

Each saw log is selected for the job, considering length, girth, knots and efficiency. Not only do we produce beams, we take boards from the outside which, grade dependent, are used for cladding, joinery, or flooring thereby maximising the yield from what might be a 120 year old tree.

We are proud that nothing is wasted when we create each oak truss. Only the bark and slabbing boards, pieces too small or rotten knot pockets which can’t be used are chipped to fire our biomass boiler, heating the workshop, office and kiln.

Sustainable Oak Frames Process
how your oak framed building is sourced

Case Study

In the heart of South Gloucestershire, a Cotswold developer, Bob, faced a challenge sourcing oak roof trusses for his coach house renovation project. Seeking both aesthetic appeal and structural integrity, Bob discovered Timberpride’s artisanal approach, contrasting with robotic production methods.

Quality Craftsmanship 

Opting for quality craftsmanship over cost, Bob’s decision proved fruitful as Timberpride’s personalised service and attention to detail ensured a seamless experience from design to installation. Bob’s gratitude highlights the value of Timberpride’s commitment to superior quality and customer satisfaction, making us a standout choice for custom roof trusses in the Cotswold region.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Strength. While there are other timbers which are stronger than Oak, they are not generally used in construction and are much more expensive and rather ugly. The other great advantage is durability. Windsor Castle was nearly 1000 years old when it burned down, but many of the oak beams were resized and used in the rebuild. No other timber can match Oak’s combination of strength, durability and beauty.

Laminating boards to make structural sections is useful to create unnaturally long and stable beams, there is a lot of skilled work in a glulam beam as well the kiln-dried timber, so they are much more expensive than solid Oak. Modern glues are impressive and won’t fail unless they are used incorrectly, so when a glulam beam fails it is usually the timber which tears away from the glue leaving a thin layer behind. This can never happen in solid Oak, meaning the solid will last longer, cost less and won’t have lots of visible glue lines.

Vaulted Oak roof structures have always been the pinnacle of architecture, the first choice of roof when building churches because nobody could think of a more beautiful offering to God! The charm and interest of a fully exposed roof creates uniquely stunning spaces filled with light and openness.

Green oak is wet, with 80% of its weight being water. Over time, as it dries out, the wood fibres will shrink. This shrinkage causes cracks to develop in the middle of each face of a beam, opening at a rate similar to the shrinkage itself. In reality, larger beams will undergo little change in section size, while smaller beams—like those measuring 125mm or 5 inches—may experience shrinkage of up to 7% of the section size. Oak does not shrink measurably in length. Additionally, changes in temperature and humidity throughout the year have almost no impact on an oak frame.