With 12 million tonnes of wood being harvested from its forests annually, the UK is one of the largest producers of timber for sale in all the world. One of the greatest types of wood that grows on our soil is European oak timber, a strong, durable wood that's perfect for DIY projects.
Still, you may be asking, what is European oak timber? What are its properties? These are totally reasonable questions if you're thinking of buying some and using it for your next project.
We're going to answer these questions and tell you some of the things you can do with a wood that will make you proud to live in the UK where it's harvested.
What Is European Oak Timber?
European oak. English oak. Common oak. Quercus robur.
All of these are names for the same wood. Not to be confused with American oak, European oak is native to the majority of the European continent. It's a type of white oak and as such is a lighter hue than any red oak.
Visual Qualities
The heartwood of English oak is a light to medium brown colour and often has an olive cast. However, there is a lot of variation in colour when it comes to the heartwood. On the other hand, the sapwood is light brown to a degree that it's nearly white.
One of the most interesting qualities of European oak timber is the fact that quartersawn sections of it have small patterns engraved in them. The wood here is often flecked, which means that using it is a really cool way to draw the eye to any woodworking project.
Texture-wise, each cut European oak is one-of-a-kind. It has a straight grain, but the texture itself is coarse and uneven. It has interlocking grain and irregular patterns within the wood fairly often, which is another way that it's unique from other woodcuts.
High-Quality Properties
English oak is the perfect wood for basically any household woodworking project because of its durability. Not only is it hard, but it also is more rot-resistant than most other woods.
The workability of the wood isn't sacrificed because of this durability. Projects using English oak are made easy and effective with either hand or machine tools. The only material that it doesn't interact well with is iron. Beyond that, you can do nearly anything to common oak and not expect a poor reaction.
To find out the cost of European Oak timber for your project, you can get an instant quote by typing your requirements into our price calculator.
Where Does It Come From?
As you may have guessed, European oak timber comes from Europe. Specifically, it can be found in the western countries of Europe. It's most common in our homeland- Great Britain!
This timber is also found in other parts of western Europe. Specifically, France, Ireland, Bulgaria, Romania, and Germany are known for growing the trees that European oak comes from.
What Can Be Built with It?
There are a huge number of things that can be built with European Oak timber. Because the wood is of such a high quality, the end result is sure to turn out even better than you had imagined. Feel free to contact us if you want any more ideas, but we're here to give you some potential project ideas.
Cabinets and Furniture
English oak is the perfect material for creating household items like cabinets and furniture. It's perfect for your cabinetry because it's sturdy and unlikely to bend when even a lot of weight is placed on it.
There are a lot of awesome and unique ways that you can build tables, chairs, and more with European oak. It's a great way to tie your home decor together.
Flooring and Trim
Much like American white oak timber, European oak is the perfect material for flooring in your home. It's rot-resistant, meaning that water damage and moisture are unlikely to cause any real harm to it.
Barrels
If you're the owner of a business (or simply a homeowner that needs storage space,) European oak is a great material for making barrels that you can insert objects into. The waterproof nature of the wood will stop contents from becoming water damaged. Plus, the fact that the timber is so easily manipulated by hand tools ensures that you'll have a simple time building a barrel.
Buy Timber Today
Now that you know why European Oak timber is a great choice for any project, it's time to get some! Click here to visit our website and purchase European Oak affordably. We'll deliver it directly to your doorstep so that you can focus your efforts on the product that you plan to create.
Have fun woodworking!
