Oak frame construction: how a timber frame is built

An oak frame is built from trusses: two or more posts, a beam on top and braces in between. Several trusses in a row, tied together by purlins, form the skeleton of a veranda, shed or garden building. In our frames every part is joined with mortise and tenon, half-lap or dovetail joints and locked with oak pegs, with no screws in the frame.

The parts

• Post: carries the load down to the foundation.
• Wall plate or tie beam: the horizontal beam joining the posts.
• Brace: the angled or curved timber between post and beam that stops the frame racking.
• Purlin: the long beam the roof boarding sits on.
• Peg: an oak dowel through the joint.

Which joint goes where

Posts meet beams with a mortise and tenon. Crossing timbers use a half-lap joint. Where a beam must not pull out, we use a dovetail.

Curved or straight braces

Our classic models have gently curved braces. The modern black veranda has a cleaner black Douglas fir frame. For a large frame we recommend oak.

Get a price

The calculator gives you an instant price for our standard models. Treat those models as a starting point: every project is made to the customer's own specification, in any size you want. Need a size or layout the calculator does not offer? Send us your sketch through the contact page or on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions