The oak supplied by Orlestone Oak Sawmill is European Oak, English Oak, Quercus Robur either Pedunculate or Sessile.
If the timber supplied is of other species this will be made clear at the time of ordering.
European oak, being a natural material is subject to certain irregularities and properties of a not concise nature.

Sawing
Although the dimensions are given in a very exact manner, the natural grain of oak timber can cause slight variations in cross section which are uncontrollable in the sawing process.

Drying
Green oak timbers dry and shrink from the outside inwards. This will result in cracking and checking of the outer surface as the timber shrinks and dries.

Jointing
We advise traditional joints are used to allow for the movement.

Moisture
European oak reacts to changes of humidity by expanding and contracting.

Staining and colour
Oak exposed to the atmosphere dries to a silver grey colour. Although oak is largely impermeable, recommended stains/polishes are available to protect the surface.

Beaming
Some sections contain a percentage of sap wood. If no sap is wanted in the beams it must be stated at the time of ordering. There will be extra costs in supplying sap-free beams.

Free wood
Ferrous metals have a natural reaction with the tannin in oak turning the timber black. We recommend the use of stainless steel.

Insect attack
While still green, some insect attack can take place but the timber will dry and become resistant to attack. We would recommend that all green oal beams should be treated with a suitable insecticide for the controlling of woodboring insects.

Flooring
We will supply the best quality boards we have at the time of ordering. Lengths and widths are random but we do try to supply boards in one length for ease of laying. Lengths may sometimes be shorter than the stated 2 metres, when knots and blemishes are cut out to ensure the qualities required for particular grades of flooring. Because of the nature of oak when milling the boards, some splits can appear. There is a certain percentage of knots in our boards. There is an element of waste when laying oak boards and we recommend you allow this when ordering because there can be differences in milling sizes when separate orders are placed. When possible, flooring should be left in the area of laying to climatise. Some shrinkage will occur after laying as the flooring settles with the surroundings. The movement of oak is out of our hands and should be taken into consideration when using this product.
Floor joists should be treated with a suitable woodworm killer if any infestation looks evident.

Credit terms
All new customers will be asked to pay a deposit at the time of ordering with the balance to be paid on collection or delivery.