Magnificent, character adding oak porch, door and fascias for 19th Century home
oak by design
oakbydesign
01423 593 794
case studies
"The oak porch has transformed the appearance of the home exterior"
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Title

Magnificent, character adding oak porch, door and fascias for 19th Century home
Call Us: 01423 593 794

Summary

Clients Name: Chris & Lorraine
Dimensions: 1550mm (w) x 800mm (d)
Location: Wakefield

Services

Design Service
Technical Advice
Working Drawings
Supply Only
Reference: 16050
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Initial discussions about an oak porch

Chris and Lorraine visited Oak by Design’s showroom in March, along with their beautiful German Shepherd, Hepzibah, to discuss an oak porch.

Their detached home had a one-storey garage and entrance area at the side and an overhang, which covered the front of the door and garage.

They wanted to give their 1859 rendered home a bit more character and felt that an enclosed oak porch with glazed windows would achieve this.

Chris and Lorraine came prepared on their visit to Oak By Design. They had plenty of photos of their existing home and relevant measurements.

Half of the top of the porch would potentially fit against the house and the rest would sit above the top of the garage roof. There was much discussion about the best way to supply a porch that fit correctly, and importantly, looked aesthetically correct.

Lorraine loved the porch in OBD's showroom and wanted to recreate this at their home in Crigglestone.

The Oak porch take centre stage!

After discussing the various options, Joanne suggested that to achieve the look of the showroom porch, they adjusted their plans. She suggested that they replace their existing UPVC door and frame with an oak one and fit an open porch as opposed to an enclosed one. This way the oak would take ‘centre stage’ and the porch wouldn’t feel too enclosed and, it would weather in a rustic way.

Chris took further measurements after they returned home. After speaking to their builder about the proposed plans they adjusted the pitch of the roof and shortened the extent of the porch. OBD supplied final diagrams for the proposed porch for approval. Chris also decided to cover the garage overhang boarding, fascia and its support with oak to finish the look of the front of the property.

They chose the Osmo Polyx UV in Clear (420)

At the beginning of May, Chris and Lorraine took delivery of their oak porch, door, frame, boarding, and fascia’s.

Chris and his builder had decided to cover the exposed back wall of the porch with vertical slates down to the existing garage roof. He also ordered oak boarding for the internal area above the doorframe and chose to overboard the oak common rafters. This gives a very finished look when stood within the porch. Asking for “wavy edged” fascia boards added to the final appearance.

The oak porch is the perfect finish to the home

They have had many neighbours and friends complimenting them on the look of the house, and people stopping their cars and asking about it.

Chris says ‘We are absolutely thrilled with the end result, it is everything we wanted it to be and it has really finished the house off. We’ve added a few accessories like a butler bell pull (yes it works), a cast-iron wellie rack and two stone doves in the rafters. Oak by Design supported us all the way through the process and nothing was too much trouble.”

Read More

Benefits of Oak Porches

Oak porches are becoming increasingly popular in residential and commercial properties due to their numerous benefits. One interesting statistic that highlights the growing demand for oak porches is the significant increase in their sales over the past decade. According to a report by Oak By Design, a leading supplier of oak porch structures, sales have risen by an impressive 75% between 2010 and 2020.

The surge in the popularity of oak porches can be attributed to various factors. Firstly, oak is known for its exceptional durability and strength, making it an ideal material for constructing outdoor structures such as porches. Unlike other types of wood or synthetic materials, oak has natural properties that allow it to withstand harsh weather conditions and resist rotting or decay. This longevity ensures that an oak porch will remain aesthetically pleasing and structurally sound for many years.

Another key advantage of oak porches is their timeless aesthetic appeal. The natural beauty of oak brings a touch of elegance and sophistication to any property, complementing both traditional and contemporary architectural styles. Whether used as a standalone structure or integrated into an existing building, an oak porch adds character and charm to the overall design.

Furthermore, oak porches offer practical benefits such as shelter from inclement weather and additional storage space. They provide a welcoming entrance area where residents or visitors can take off coats or shoes before entering the main building. Additionally, an oak porch can serve as a storage space for gardening tools, bicycles, or other outdoor equipment.

In conclusion, the increasing sales figures indicate the rising popularity of oak porches among property owners. With their durability, timeless appeal, and practical advantages, it is no surprise that more people are choosing these structures to enhance their homes or businesses.

The Difference Between Green Oak and Air-Dried Oak

Green oak and air-dried oak are two distinct types of timber that differ in their characteristics. Understanding these differences is crucial for anyone involved in the construction or woodworking industry.

When comparing green oak to air-dried oak, one can draw an analogy with the concept of ageing wine. Just as wine needs time to mature and develop its unique flavours, green oak requires a seasoning process to achieve optimal quality.

During the seasoning process, green oak gradually loses moisture content through natural drying methods. This reduction in moisture not only improves the stability of the wood but also prevents excessive movement and shrinkage over time. It is comparable to how ageing wine develops complexity while maintaining stability.

On the other hand, air-dried oak undergoes a different drying method. Once cut into sizeable timber pieces, it is left outside to dry naturally over an extended period. The exposure to open air allows for gradual moisture loss through evaporation, resulting in lower moisture content compared to green oak.

The metaphorical comparison between green oak and ageing wine helps illustrate how both processes require patience and time for desirable outcomes. Just as aged wine showcases its refined qualities after years of maturing, air-dried oak represents a stable and reliable material due to its prolonged seasoning period.

In summary, understanding the distinction between green oak and air-dried oak is essential when choosing timber for construction purposes. Whether opting for freshly felled or naturally dried wood, each has its advantages based on specific project requirements and desired characteristics.

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Danielle Rigby
Danielle Rigby

Left us a 5 star review

google

On behalf of Shears PHG Our customer was looking at having an oak porch built for their property in the West Midlands we got in contact with Joanne at Oak by Design and she was really helpful, always friendly on the phone and polite nothing was too much trouble. Joanne kept us up to date through every stage and our customer is really pleased with the results of the Porch it looks great and we wouldn’t hesitate to use them again in the future

google

Found Oak by Design searching for a new front porch to replace a canopy and knew immediately that this was company for the job and I was not disappointed. I already knew what I wanted and Richard, very patiently, developed my basic requirements, with a number of iterations, into a full detailed design. As I live outside their site working area I decided go for supply only and to install the porch myself. It was delivered as promised and it looked great even on the pallet! It took me a while to fit but it was very satisfying and the result is fantastic. The quality of the aged oak and carpentry of the timbers is excellent. I’m delighted with the porch supplied by Oak by Design - it looks superb.

google

Great company, always on the end of the phone to talk through design, measurements, fitting. The Oak is very high standard, looks amazing.

google

Superb! Fantastic! I can’t recommend enough. If you want gorgeous oak use this company. Oak by design made a porch for us and we couldn’t be more happier with it! It’s beautiful! The quality is first rate. Throughout the build Jo kept us informed as to the process of having the oak cut to size and installed. Jo and the team even sent us a lovely oak chopping board! Jack and his team who built it are fabulous! They go the extra mile. We have decided to use oak by design for a kitchen extension project in the future. Thank you oak by design for giving me a gorgeous porch! Charlie x

google

Ordered an oak mantle beam from Oak by Design and they quickly called to check the finer details. Unfortunatly, the beam was slightly damaged on arrival by the courier company. Oak by Design immediately arranged to have it picked by DHL, transferred back to Yorkshire from Kent, repaired and sent back within 2 days, with no quibbles. The beam is beautiful, as is the high quality customer service by these people. Fully recommend using this company. Anthony Slater, Tonbridge. Tonbridge.

google

Having lived with our porch for over 2 years I can honestly say it’s the best addition to our house we ever made. Not only does it look fantastic the quality is outstanding. I love that it keeps the mud out of the hall and provides a seating area to remove muddy boots.

google

From the initial quotation right through to the delivery and after service Joanne has been brilliant and given me an excellent product. I have just ordered another porch for another project from them and I will continue to do so for future projects . Thomas and Bell Building Contractors Ltd

google

What can I say, Oak By Design have been the most fantastic company to deal with. Joanne was so helpful, friendly and professional. She really seemed to care about our project, which made such a difference. We had 4 oak RSJ covers made and 2 fireplace mantles. The finish is outstanding. Everyone believes they are solid beams, which was just what we wanted. The care and attention this company will give you is 2nd to none and I would highly recommend them. Pictures will follow when we complete our project, thanks again Oak By Design. x

google

A first rate service from start to finish. We've used this company in the past for our floor - 40 foot of solid oak! 2 beams and 2 RSJ covers. This time a beam for our new kitchen inglenook and another RSJ cover. More than impressed with the products which more than met our spec. A very friendly and helpful team who I'd recommend to anyone.

google

Excellent customer service. Very friendly. Explained in detail. Product is beautiful. Would recommend. Company sent photos of finished product prior to dispatch to confirm our happiness with their work.

google

Very professional. Excellent product and service. Highly recommended.

google

Exceptional service and beautiful flooring. Absolutely delighted with every aspect. Went above and beyond great customer service to meet our needs and timescales.

google

Oak by Design were extremely helpful at all stages of my project from helping and advising me to choose the most appropriate beam through to advice on fixing the beam. They were extremely patient with changes to my beam dimension requirements finally providing a solution to suit my project. They provided photographs on completion of the beam prior to dispatch to ensure that my requirements had been met. I was extremely impressed by the quality and finish of the beam which has become the focal point for my fireplace project. Oak by Design provided customer care of the highest quality and I would highly recommend their services.

google

From the start of our enquiry, the service provided was excellent. Joanne was a great help and the oak porch structure looks fantastic on our new build. It completely changed the look of the house. Very quick delivery could not recommend enough.

google

Four years ago we took the decision to completely gut an old farmhouse and start again with it, we started looking for a supplier of oak to refit all of the internal doors, door casings, skirting and flooring. Our carpenter recommended Oak By Design. He wasn't wrong! All of the oak has been completely top notch. As the old house has settled into it's new skin it has moved and cracked in various places, the only thing that has been stable and unwavering is the oak. The customer service has been superb, with them continuing to supply exactly the same items, with the same quality over the course of 4 years. They even indulged our designs for furniture for our "boot room", with Shoe pigeon holes and a bench which we could store wellies under (as pictured). The doors supplied by them are reassuringly heavy and sturdy, with a proper "thunk" as you close them, cutting off sound from the rest of the house. There may be other, cheaper suppliers of oak out there, but none with the same level of quality, longevity and customer service as Oak By Design. If you want to do it right (& once!) use these guys.

google

Posting on behalf of my Mother in Law, Shirley Abbott "Having planned to shop around, Oak By Design was my first stop. I had no need to look any further. Joanne patiently and professionally guiding me through the confusion of choosing the right flooring. The service and support from the staff was exceptional, efficient and helpful. And - my floor looks amazing!"

google

Marvellous place, so many wonderful things made from wood.

google

I first used Oak by Design in 2021 for a oak porch, I used them again 2023 for an oak pergola. Both times my clients have been Delighted with the finished product. Both times the product was delivered when stated, everything i needed was on the delivery. Oak by design listened to what I required for both jobs. The quality of the oak is excellent, all joints fit correctly & if I had a problem I only had to ring and speak to them. R Brown Carpentry always recommends Oak by Design when asked about oak structures.

google

I firstly used oak by design a couple of years ago for an open oak porch. They were extremely helpful and everything was delivered on time to the highest quality. The porch went together with the oak dowels provided and looked great when it was all slated in. They have also supplied me with a oak beam for a fireplace natural random finish and it looks good.

google

We are ‘over the moon’ with our beautiful oak porch made by Oakbydesign .From our initial enquiry to delivery and installation the service and attention to detail has been outstanding! A very big thank you to Joanne who was so helpful and friendly from start to finish which made the whole process such a pleasure. Highly recommend anyone looking for an oak porch to choose Oakbydesign . Yvonne Grant.

google

We got a fantastic garden structure from Oak by Design. It is a very handsome building and the design process was very patient, to say the least. We didn’t really know what we wanted, so we had to be guided through it. And we are delighted.

google

Amazing customer service from beginning to end . My builder was in awe at the quality of the oak porch components. Call them and ask for Joanne - what she doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing! It’s not every day you invest in a “proper” porch so do it right. You’ll definitely be delighted!

google

Fantastic staff with fantastic craftsmanship. Great communication and always on the ball. I would highly recommend oak by design, I don’t think you could get a better quality oak porch anywhere. Extremely pleased with ours , always getting compliments from fellow villagers

google

From start to finish Oak By Design have been incredible, nothing was too much trouble. Our new Oak doors are beautifully made and have really been the icing on the cake to finish our house renovations off. We have also had a fabulous outdoor oak structure with heating and we are very much looking forward to making the most of it in the months ahead. Thank you to the whole team I would throughly recommend.

google

Pleasure to do Buisness with

google

My wife and I recently purchased an oak porch from Oak By Design. We are delighted with the porch and it has been much admired. We did get some help assembling it but everything fitted together perfectly.

google

My client was looking for ways in which to make his conversion (of an early seventies house into a period family farmhouse) “stand out from the crowd”. whilst maintaining a commercial eye on his expenditure, as the house was being converted for resale profit. Making the choice to meet with Richard and explore possibilities for incorporating some Real solid Oak features into his plans proved to be the making of the project. By taking lots of advice from Richard on both the size and structure of the components we were able to incorporate three key features. The beautiful and bold roof trusses and purlins for the open plan kitchen are simply a joy to behold. The stunning full height gable window which is directly glazed into the large framework can be appreciated from both the the kerbside and of course from within the cosy snug on the ground floor or the amazing first floor main bedroom where we incorporated some additional exposed roof beams just purely for effect. All in all it is fair to say that these significant choices certainly created the wow factor my client was looking for. Having managed to pre sell the property well before completion it in itself demonstrates the benefits of keeping these sorts of real oak features as part of a modern build. I have no hesitation whatsoever is saying that if anyone is looking to get advice and is serious about investing in quality oak products they should have no need to look further than Oak by Design. Thanks again Richard for all your help , guidance and continued support which is a credit to you and the craftsmen you employ.

google

This is the second time that we have used Oak By Design for oak products and once again we weren’t disappointed. We recently ordered some internal oak doors and from the very start they were a pleasure to deal with. Joanne especially was extremely helpful and friendly, nothing was too much trouble. We were kept updated about the progress of our order. Unfortunately we needed to delay acceptance of the doors for a few weeks and Oak By Design happily agreed to store them in their workshop until we were ready for them. The quality of the doors is very high, they are very well made and finished, far better than any oak doors that you will buy “ off the shelf. “ They are all installed now and look fantastic. I would highly recommend Oak By Design and we will certainly use them again in the future if we require any more oak products. A huge thank you to Joanne and the whole team for a great service and a great product.

google

From the beginning the customer service has been superb, excellent help and advice when choosing the flooring, delivery arriving when promised and a product which is extremely high quality. We have replaced the majority of our flooring downstairs and we are so pleased with the result that we would have paid more. Fantastic.

google

Oak by design provided our engineered oak flooring. From our initial meeting and supply of samples to the final delivery we have been provided with excellent service. Carl has been in touch throughout the process and provided updates about the lead time and expected delivery dates. We are delighted with the flooring. Very happy to recommend Oak by design.

google

We were delighted with our new porch. Right from our initial contact with Joanne at ObD, through the design and the installation by Jack and his team the service has been excellent. We would have no hesitation in recommending ObD and Jack to anyone thinking of a high quality oak porch. Thank you to all involved.

google

A fabulous service and supportive through the design and delivery process. Highly recommended

google

I was sourcing an oak RSJ cover (circa 5m length) for my extension and found Oak by Design on the internet. All of the reviews I could were glowing and so I contacted them......And I'm so glad that I did. Joanne Fisher answered my initial call and she looked after my order from beginning to end - in terms of ensuring that I got exactly what I wanted she/they provided a superb service - everything on time - delivery in to the Peak District to suit when I wanted. The quality of the the RSJ cover is fantastic thick solid oak that matches my oak floor - looks amazing. If you want anything oak I can thoroughly recommend Oak By Design.

google

We worked with Jamie from Oak By Design on a super project near Wetherby. There was plenty of oak in this design for the team to really show their worth - and they did. The attention to detail was excellent. If anything was not quite how the client wanted it, they were straight back to attend to this. The customer care was superb. We look forward to working with Oak By Design on another project soon.

google

Firstly, the product quality was superb, a beautiful oak mantle piece for my fire place, gorgeous. The installation was quick, efficient and fitter very friendly. The price was very reasonable, actually very good value. But what makes it all SIX STAR, ( but we I can only give 5!), was the customer service. When walking in the shop I was perfectly attended to, I was given samples to take home and they remembered to call soma days later to see what I thought. Order to install time was very fast for such a bespoke service. My experience was world class, great to deal with a brilliant local/small business, I totally recommend.

google

Oak by design were a fantastic company to deal with. They made us some treads for a bespoke stair case from large pieces of air dried oak. They were very thorough in making sure that they understood exactly what we wanted. They made excellent suggestions for small changes to our own design in order to produce a better finished product and to manage the cost. We were very happy with the treads when they were delivered. They look fantastic and fitted perfectly to the steel frame which was made by a third party. I could not recommend them more highly.

google

When embarking on a large renovation project assembling the right team of skilled work people is vital. It involves the need for skill, imagination and trust. It was important to us to use a local company and Oak by Design seemed to tick the right boxes although we had not dealt with them or indeed heard of them before. We soon came to realise that the combination of Ben, Billy, Jamie, Matt and MIck ( listed strictly in alphabetical order ) was a great success. Skilled: highly, imaginative: an excellent creative talent, trustworthy: 100% but also such great team players that all the other trades on site benefitted from their cooperation and great good humour. I would endorse the other reviewers who have commented on the quality of the materials used, whether in the replacement windows, the light oak internal doors. the fantastic oak staircase, the secret bookcase and the pièce de résistance: the oak conservatory. It has been a great project and much of that I attribute to the work of Oak by Design. A big thank you to you all.

google

We worked with the team who designed a wonderful porch for our house near Harrogate. It has been an amazing addition. Simple but effective - excellent craftsmanship using authentic materials. We are absolutely delighted with the transformation and everyone who sees the porch says how great it looks. Thanks to all the team at Oak By Design.

google

Great personal service to ensure we got what we needed specific to our personal requirements. Quality is outstanding and there was a helping hand there all the way. The porch we ended up with was not cheap but having looked at others the quality of the Oak by design product shines through. Very pleased with the result and the complements from both neighbours and our builders keep coming.

google

Really delighted with the new porch by Oak by Design. It adds a super feature to my converted barn. Thanks to Joanne and the team.

google

We ordered two bespoke doors and two bespoke porches for our house build from Joanne at OByD. We were specifically delighted with Joanne's attention to detail (and patience! lol) making the overall customer experience excellent. The product was equally fantastic, the product quality was truly beyond our expectations. Joanne is super helpful and knowledgeable, and kept my spirits up throughout our project. We would 100% recommend OByD, and specifically Joanne, for all your standard and bespoke oak requirements. H&D

google

I could not recommend Oak By Design more highly. Joanne and the team worked tirelessly to resolve an issue that was the result of my mistake when I ordered the porch. Great customer service.

google

Super friendly people helping me with my self build porch!

google

Perfect from start to finish. The service is above and beyond. Pleasure to install

google

Spectacular service from start to finish! great design work and support from concept to installation. The builders were amazing! So pleased with the outcome! Thankyou so so much !

google

Thank you Jo for your assistance and detailed guide every step of the way with my new porch. Very pleased with the finished product, I would highly recommend Jack and his team for installation

google

Great service by a friendly professional team, a pleasure to work with. The end result of our oak glazed leisure spa and outdoor kitchen looks fantastic. Great job

google

Very impressed with Oak By Design. Customer service is fantastic and they were very patient in helping me ensure what I needed was the right size. Photos sent of oak cover before it was sent to me and end product was great. It was also not the most expensive either. Would definitely recommend.