Traditional
Buildings from
Firewood Grade Oak
Joe Thompson builds and renovates timber frame structures from green oak.
All the timber is sourced locally and receives minimal processing,
while most of the construction work is completed using a portable set of
hand tools.
Having watched the panic clear-up and wasteful burning of huge stocks of wind blown timber after the ’87 hurricane, Joe Thompson was determined to find a more constructive use for oak deemed suitable only for firewood. After a bit of research he discovered that most English oak with all its character, while not suitable for planking, was perfect for traditional timber framing. Inspired, he has gone on to develop his own business renovating, converting and building green oak timber frame structures around Sussex.
Working closely with his forester, Joe selects each piece of timber
individually in the woods. Happily
there are no requirements for standardisation and unique qualities are
utilised to the full. The
beams are cut from relatively young oaks aged between 50 and 100 years old
and all the timber comes from Sussex.
Joe is always present at the milling to ensure that each piece of
timber is cut to his requirements with minimal processing.
His good working relationship with forester and miller is integral
to the quality of his craft and the success of his business.
Remarkably, on site, Joe works on his own - a solitary human figure
amongst the giant oak beams. He can ‘read’ the timber in a building,
telling what the trees looked like and which tools were originally used.
By using the same tools he ensures continuity of style.
He has made an art out of selecting timber with character –
pieces with knocks, splits, shakes, sapwood and waney edge can all be
utilised. Such ‘faulty’
timbers fit in well alongside existing timbers in a renovation or
conversion while creating an authentic traditional style in a new build.
Joe considers maximum retention and minimum intervention the best
approach and with his eye for character, only the absence of wormholes in
the sapwood will give away the new timbers.
Joe sees conversions using high-grade oak cut into softwood section
sizes as uniform and characterless, an unnecessary waste of high-quality
timber.
While
he has one foot in the past Joe is not immune to modern technology. His
digital camera enables him to provide an immediate record of his work
easily, which has proved to be particularly useful in keeping absent
clients informed about building progress via e-mail.
As a trained building surveyor specialising in oak, Joe’s skills extend
to the planning stage, working closely with owners, surveyors, engineers,
and architects on feasibility and development work. And if you are tempted
to learn more about the sustainable art of oak timber framing, Joe will be
teaching Timber Framing From Scratch on 22-28 April 2002 at the Weald
& Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, West Sussex (Tel: 01243 811363,
Email: wealddown@mistral.co.uk)
Joe Thompson, Sussex Oak & Iron
Mob: 07971 419058
Website: www.sussexoak.co.uk
Email: joe@sussexoak.freeserve.co.uk