QP1 Grade Fresh Sawn European Oak
European Oak Beams to buy on line
iWood's Fresh Sawn Oak Beams, sometimes called Green Oak, are sawn from oak trees grown in managed forests and produced to your section sizes for use in construction or landscaping projects.
Our beams and sleepers are sourced directly from hand-picked sawmills around Europe and as such, they are of the highest quality. Oak is an extremely versatile material that is resistant to harsh conditions and easily stands up to the test of time. It is a highly dense and durable material that boasts both strength and hardness.
As a timber, it has been used since medieval times for building and construction, so whatever your purpose, this timber is an excellent choice. Oak is also able to withstand attack from insects and fungus and has an attractive grain pattern, which makes it ideal for decoration purposes as well as practical use.
What makes our oak so special?
Here at iWood we source only the best materials and our beams are no exception. Whether you're using them purely for decoration or they’re part of the structure of your house, rest assured that our beams are up to the task. If you would like to talk to someone about them or have a question then feel free to get in touch.
Available Oak Beam Grades For Sale
iWood supplies 3 "Fresh Sawn" or "Green Oak" grades and an "Air Dried" grade. Our Fresh Sawn QPA and QP1 grades are the most popular and ordered regularly for construction jobs.
- Fresh Sawn Constructional (to QPA) - Our highest grade of constructional oak, also known as 'D30 construction grade' (please note, this grade replaces D40, if that's what you're looking for) with fewer knots than the QP1 grade. Suitable for, and used extensively in construction.
- Fresh Sawn Constructional (to QP1) - Our second highest grade, also known as to 'D24 construction grade'. This grade is also suitable for construction. It contains more knots than our QPA Grade. Click here for more information on the QPA and QP1 grading rules..
- Air Dried Constructional Grade - Suitable for construction where reduced movement or an existing aged look is required. Air dried oak has dried naturally for between 1 and 3 years, giving the timber a discoloured, darker, weathered look, featuring the highly-sought-after traditional surface checking. It's common practice to hand plane, sand or shot-blast the faces before use, or choose the option for us to plane them for you. Air dried beams, because they already feature splits and surface checking, are often used in restoration work or like-for-like repairs to more closely match existing, aged oak.
- Fresh Sawn Fencing / Sleeper Grade - A lower grade of oak, not suitable for construction but Oak sleepers are used extensively for landscaping.
What sizes of beams can you supply?
Please note, as is industry-standard, our beams are not exactly cross-cut to length and are provided slightly over-length to be cut down on site.
Also, any small lengths, may be provided in multiples, i.e. if you order 3 @ 1.5m, it may be provided as 1 @ 4.5m (but provided over length as mentioned above) purely because this is how the sawmills on the continent operate. Please check with us if you're unusre.
We have a wide range of oak posts available. Fresh Sawn beams are available in QPA & QP1 grade which we can supply in thicknesses of 30mm to 300mm, widths of 50mm to 300mm, and lengths up to 7m. Larger sections and longer lengths are available on both grades but we need to check for availability and may need specific delivery arrangements.
QP1 can be provided in thickness and width up to 400mm, up to 5m in length. Longer lengths are available up to 300mm in thickness and width.
Our friendly staff are just a phone call away if you need something specific.
Air dried oak is available on our website up to 350mm section, up to 7m.
Larger sections and longer lengths are available but may require additional delivery arrangements. Call our sales team on 01889 597281 to discuss.
Air dried is available in standard pre-cut sections of 100x100mm, 120x120mm, 150x150mm, 180x180mm, 200x200mm, 250x250mm and feature the lowest air-dried price per cubic metre. Any different air dried sizes you require will be cut from these sections, revealing fresh sawn faces.
Air Dried Beams with a Planed Face
Showing Surface Splits and Checking
Drying and Movement
One of the most common questions we get asked about oak posts is “Won’t the oak move as it dries? How does this affect the structure of the building?”.
The answer is yes, oak can shrink slightly, but it doesn't cause a problem. Fresh Sawn Oak posts, and air dried to a lesser extent, can shrink by between 5 and 7 percent across the face as part of the drying process, but almost negligibly in the length. This has the effect of pulling any jointing tighter, actually strengthening the structure. Oak dries very slowly and does not detract from its structural integrity.
As the surface of fresh sawn oak dries, it will begin to check, which gives oak its traditional, characteristic look.
What is the Difference between a Sawn and Planed Finish?
As standard, the oak posts have a rough sawn finish sometimes featuring lines from the band saw, which is perfectly acceptable for most applications, or can be sanded or hand-planed before use if preferred.
Sawn beams can have a tolerance of approximately 5mm plus or minus so we provide the option for your beams to be planed to a more exact finished size if required. iWood's kit form Oak Trusses are all provided with a planed smooth finish.
The main reason for having planed beams is to get more precise sizing. While smooth when you receive it, the surface will eventually check as it ages and dries, so planed and sawn faces end up looking similar with time.
Joiners tend to prefer to work with planed beams as they can work knowing the corners are square.
Important Fixing Information
If you are using screws or nails with the oak, it is important that stainless steel is used, as the natural tannins (acids) in the oak will quickly corrode iron.
Blue Stain
As you can see on some of the photographs, beams can sometimes have black or dark blue marks on them that are picked up during production when they come into contact with ferrous metals. These will fade with time, can be sanded off after the surface of the beam has dried, or can be removed immediately with Oxalic Acid.
You can reach us with any questions, or place an order on 01889 279018.
Using Oak Posts in Construction
Oak is one of the most used constructional timbers in the world and it is both very strong and looks great. Green Oak Posts are prone to movement but that is completely natural and as Oak Posts split and crack, they lose none of their structural integrity.
We use green Oak for the Gazebo and Pergola kits we supply and each piece is carefully mortised and tenoned so that you don’t have to do any of the joinery work. If you would rather build your own structure, then look at the beams for sale on our website which are provided sawn or planed ready for you to work on.
Larger Requirements
Occasionally we can get longer beams than what we offer above so please ask if you need anything that is not available, and we’ll do our best to source for you.
Image Gallery
Here are some photographs of beam jobs we've completed recently to give you an idea of the product
We have a huge range of other products available too, check out our Oak Cladding and our solid oak flooring
Oak Beam AccessoriesiWood offers a range of supporting accessories for beams. Click here for Oak Wind Braces, Oak Dowels and Staddle Stones.Beam Frequently Asked Questions
What moisture content are oak beams?
Fresh sawn, or green oak when first cut has a moisture content of 60 – 70%. Oak left to air-dry for 1 to 3 years will have a moisture content of 25 – 45%. For lower moisture content oak can be kiln dried, but only up to 100mm thickness.
Which grades are Oak Constructional Beams available in?
In European oak, QPA visual grade is the top grade, equivalent to the British D30 strength grade constructional oak. QP1 visual grade is equivalent to British D24 strength grade constructional oak. Air dried oak is cut as QP1 but cannot be visually graded after 1 to 3 years of air-drying.
What is D40 oak?
D40 is the highest strength grade of oak available, and is only achievable in large section oak. For more information on D40 grade Oak, see this article
What is D30 oak?
D30 strength grade is the highest achievable grade of European Oak. It is equivalent to the QPA European visual grade that we sell. D30 is used for construction.
What is D24 oak?
D24 is a strength grade for oak used in construction. It allows for slightly more knots than D30 grade. D24 is equivalent to the QP1 European visual grade that we sell.
How much do oak posts cost?
For QP1 constructional grade, the cost per cubic metre of oak varies depending on the thicknesses, widths, lengths and grade of oak, so it's not possible to give one, definitive cubic metre rate.
Oak is at the higher end of pricing for beams, but for good reason. Its strength and durability for construction is virtually unparalleled in its price class. Oak is cheaper than more durable hardwoods, such as teak and ekki, which are often used for specialist marine projects, but more expensive than softwoods, which have a lower durability.
What type of fixings should be used with oak?
The preferred fixings are anything made from stainless steel. Natural, acidic tannins present in oak, which aid its durability, will quickly corrode iron and other ferrous metals (metals containing iron). The exception to this is stainless steel, which still contains iron, but contains other metals, such as chromium and manganese, which prevent the steel from rusting and corroding when in contact with oak.
