Oak Frame Conservatory - Your Simple Guide
oak by design
oakbydesign
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oak by design
Richard
"Oak Frame Conservatory - Your Guide"

Oak Frame Conservatory – Your Simple Guide

Are you looking for a way to add more space to your home without compromising on style? Look no further than an oak frame conservatory.

These beautiful structures are the perfect way to create extra living space, while still being environmentally conscious.

This guide will provide you with all the information you need to know about oak frame conservatories, including types, design and construction, regulations and suppliers, as well as the benefits of having one.

So, if you’re keen to find out more about this wonderful addition to your home read on!

Overview and Types

You can welcome natural light and stunning garden views into your home with the addition of a beautiful conservatory, orangery, or garden room – all crafted from the timeless material of oak.

If you’re considering an oak frame conservatory, it’s important to understand the different types available; as well as the design and construction elements that come into play when building one.

A conservatory must have at least two thirds of its roof made from glass or translucent plastic and at least 50% of its wall area constructed from translucent materials.

Orangeries are characterised by flat or mansard roofs with glazed lanterns and windows rather than fully glazed walls.

Garden rooms generally feature solid roofs topped with tiles, combined with large windows or glazed walls for natural light and air flow.

Designing an oak frame conservatory is simple thanks to customisable options such as shape and roof style; while air-dried oak is used to fabricate structural components due to it being for more stable than the more commonly used, green oak.

Face glazing is also a solution that allows for natural movement of the frame, while softwood elements internally can help reduce costs.

Ventilation is essential for preventing overheating in summer months; solar gain can be used alongside underfloor heating, electric panel heaters or portable electric heaters instead of radiators if desired.

Log burning stoves offer an alternative way to heat a space while creating a focal point too.

Building regulations may apply depending on size and location – so make sure you check these out before starting construction!

Design and Construction

Designing your conservatory can be a fun and creative process, with plenty of options to choose from in terms of shapes and roof types. Framing options include air-dried oak for visible structural skeletons, glazing solutions such as face or direct glazing that allows for natural movement of the frame, and roof types like flat or mansard roofs with glazed lanterns.

The construction is nearly always mortise and tenon joints with kiln-dried oak dowels to secure the joint.  Everything is pre-assembled and undergone a dry-fit to ensure the construction follows the pre-made drawings created before the manufacturing process starts.

Ventilation systems are important to prevent overheating during summer months and are normally via roof lights and windows.  Solar gain can be used to heat the space in cooler months and underfloor heating provides another route to warming the space during the winter season. Log burning stoves offer a potential alternative to heat the space while also acting as a focal feature.

Ground conditions for footings and research into roofing materials must also be taken into consideration when constructing an oak frame conservatory, which will always be treated and sealed before being exposed to wind or rain. A solid roof is beneficial if you want to avoid contributing to overheating inside your conservatory, but this may require Building Regs approval depending on its size and location.

Softwood elements are normally used for roofing elements; however glazed gables and exposed oak rafters will add more cost due to their complexity design-wise. When it comes time for construction there’s no limit on how many bays you can have in an extension – just remember that conservatories must adhere certain guidelines on size according to Planning rules that cover any other home extension project.

It’s possible even for a competent DIYer who wants a challenge but suppliers offer standard designs and finishes as well as bespoke options tailored exactly towards meeting your needs!

Regulations and Suppliers

When it comes to regulations and suppliers, you’ll need to consider Permitted Development (PD) rights and Building Regulations depending on the size and location of your structure. PD rights mean that, providing you meet certain guidelines, you may not need to apply for formal planning permission.

This will depend on where exactly your oak conservatory is situated in relation to your property’s boundaries. It’s also important to remember that Building Regulations may be required if the size or type of extension exceeds certain limits or requires specific safety features such as fire protection.

There are a number of reputable oak frame conservatory suppliers on the market offering standard designs but we offer completely bespoke options tailored to your needs. We provide a professional installation service or supply only service depending on your location. We can design, supply, give construction costs estimation, provide building regulations advice, and tips on completion.

If you’re looking for a more cost-effective solution without compromising quality then consider a supply only service for your oak frame conservatory – though this is only recommended for extremely competent DIYers, we can advise a contractor on the ‘easy to assemble’ process that we offer.

Everything at Oak By Design is pre-done for you.  Sanding, oiling, hole drilling, glazing templates, ironmongery, drawings and kitchen sink.

Whatever route you decide to go down when constructing an oak conservatory make sure you research thoroughly so that you get exactly what you want with no unexpected surprises along the way.

Oak Conservatory Benefits

You’ll be surprised to find that not only is adding an oak frame conservatory a sustainable and durable choice, but it can also add value to your home!

With its natural light, aesthetic appeal, lasting quality and property value benefits, you’ll be delighted with the outcome.

From a sustainability standpoint, an oak frame conservatory has the potential to last hundreds of years when properly maintained.

Quality traditional oak frames used in construction are made from air-dried oak which is harder to work but for more stable than green oak.

As well as being incredibly strong and resilient, the oak adds character which will give your home the added charm you’re looking for.

Plus, due to their timeless style and natural beauty, oak frame conservatories have become increasingly popular in recent years – making them a great investment for your property’s future.

So why wait? Get ready to enjoy all of these benefits by adding an oak frame conservatory today!

Conclusion

You may be considering an oak frame conservatory for your home, but wondering if the costs and effort are worth it.

The answer is yes! Not only are you investing in extra space, but you’re also making a conscious decision to be environmentally friendly.

With the right regulations and suppliers in place, you’ll have peace of mind that your new addition is designed and built to last.

Investing in an oak frame conservatory will provide long-term benefits that make it worthwhile.

Working alongside you and/or your contractor, we can advise and provide working drawings specifically designed for your dream oak frame conservatory.

So don’t hesitate – give us call, pop in for a coffee and start planning your own conservatory today!

7 May 2023
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Lesley Holden
Lesley Holden

Left us a 5 star review

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Thank you Oak by Design for my gorgeous… Thank you Oak by Design for my gorgeous oak porch. From my first contact with your company and speaking with Amanda the service has been first class. The quality of the oak and the design of the porch was just what I wanted. Manufacture and delivery were well communicated and delivered to site for our builder on time and to fit in with the building works. Your finishing touches and added extras made our porch very unique to our home. I have had lots of compliments on the enhanced look it has made to our property and our builder is full of praise about the quality and the ease of construction on-site. Thank you so much Amanda & all the team at Oak by design.

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I wish I could give more starts!! We looked at many companies before finally choosing Oak by Design. We are so glad we chose them. They were excellent from start to finish. They worked with us to find a workable design that was to our liking. Our door looks amazing (despite the building site that still surrounds it!). Their customer service is of the highest standard, Joanne could not do enough to help us. I would not hesitate to recommend them.

google

Fantastic service and quality of product. I couldn’t be happier with my Oak porch, which was designed to my specification with the minimum of fuss. Joanne was so helpful and nothing was too much trouble. Incredibly well engineered and looks fantastic. Thank you so much.

google

Very professional. Excellent product and service. Highly recommended.

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Pleasure to do Buisness with

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

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

Great company. Awesome flooring, we are very, very happy with the outcome. And great price which is always a bonus. Staff knowledgable & efficient.

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.

google

As the owner of a local joinery business, Robert Davis Joinery, I have had the pleasure of using Oak by Design on several occasions over the last 8 years. They have produced bespoke interior products for me including Oak doors and timber moldings. The staff in the office and the workshop are always very helpful and friendly and the standard of the workmanship and materials are always of a very high quality.

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

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

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

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

My company has ordered 2 porches with Joanne from oak by design, and have more planned in the future. They've been brilliant from start to finnish. Great communication right through. And the quality of the product is exceptional. Do not hesitate to order.

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.

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We can thoroughly recommend Oak by Design. Not only did they provide the best of oak floors and oak staircase to suit our new, contemporary home, but they returned to make good a problem which was not their fault. Going the extra mile separates great companies from ordinary firms. Thank you Jamie & Billy. From Mike & Barbara, York.

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

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

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

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

google

Working with Oak By Design on our project was a pleasure and we were delighted with the results. Joanne was extremely helpful, quick to answer any questions and generally a great person to deal with! The quality and finish of the products - RSJ covers and Oak Windows & Doors were superb and look great. Would highly recommend working with Oak By Design and would not hesitate to use their services again for future projects!

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

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

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

Outstanding customer service from a company that truly cares. I’ve only dealt with a small amount of companies where buying experience totally outstrips the monetary value & this is one of them.

google

We purchased some engineered oak flooring and oak covers from Oak By Design and couldn't be happier with the finish and quality. They are spot on. Joanne was extremely helpful throughout the whole process and provided plenty of advice when necessary. Thank you

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

Oak by Design have made 2 oak framed rooms for us, sunroom at the front and and "moonroom" (photo) at the back which encompasses a shower room, work area and storage. They have been helpful at every stage and the outcome is simply brilliant. They make the whole house feel roomier and brighter and are beautiful places to be. GE North Yorkshire

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

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

Super friendly people helping me with my self build porch!

google

Found this company by accident whilst passing through Harrogate, but well worth a visit.Great products choice with helpful friendly service. The wooden flooring and beams look great in situ and we are very pleased with the transformed room. Would recommend and use again.

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 have been impressed from the first contact with Oak By Design, first class customer service and the product speaks for itself. We found it straight forward to install and the support was always there if we needed it. Brilliant, we could not recommend enough and will use them again.

google

Excellent quality workmanship and materials. Very easy and friendly to deal with on the phone. Everything done on time and no problems at all. Will definitely use again next time I need an oak porch or any other oak structures.

google

We were looking to have a bespoke oak and glass atrium for the front of our new house renovation. We wanted to find a company we trusted, who clearly understood our brief and could manufacture and install a high quality product at a competitive price. A big ask, but OakByDesign ticked all our boxes. Jamie and the team from the initial discovery meeting to completion of the installation were fantastic. The design, material quality and installation were first class and I would highly recommend you to include them within your project plans. Thank you all. Ben and Lindsay.

google

From the moment we visited the Oak Design showroom, we knew that we were dealing with a top quality local company. Richard the owner, showed us around his design works with real pride of his product and service offering. Jamie as sales executive has discussed and agreed the options & design with costs to us and we have now implemented the first phase of our home improvement, with more work to follow. We are highly delighted with the finished product and would strongly recommend Oak Design to other interested clients. I also suggest that you pay them a personal visit at the Home Building & Renovation exhibition in Harrogate, as well as their wonderful showroom of Oak Solutions in Tockwith to get a personal guided tour.

google

Marvellous place, so many wonderful things made from wood.

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

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

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

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

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

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

On behalf of John Docherty: Oak By Design were a great company to deal with; helpful, knowledgeable, professional. The quality of the oak supplied to us for our bespoke porch was first class. Nothing was too much trouble for this company, and we will definitely be using this wonderful company again in 2022.

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

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