How to build an oak frame extension

Sackville Oak Frames - Oak Frame Extension - Listed Property - Oak - Extension

One of our most popular frames and forms of enquiry, has to be for our oak frame extension. An oak frame extension is ideal for those wanting to enlarge and/or enhance their existing property whilst creating something very special in their home.

With years of experience and understanding of adjoining new oak frames to existing buildings, an oak frame extension can create an outstanding effect on an existing property, whether listed or a new build. An oak frame extension can add character or increase the size of a kitchen or dining room, creating a valuable living space.

We have designed and built beautiful oak extensions to create a beautiful living space, connecting existing buildings to outdoor spaces. Perfect for hours of entertaining, drinks receptions, as well as a feeling of being connected to the outdoors in those wet, Winter months.

Building with oak and glass creates a wonderful light and bright space in your home; due to the pleasing aesthetics of the contrasting timbers with glass, as well as the heat efficiency having used the latest oak framing and glazing technology, these spaces are becoming very popular and one of our more sort after frames.

Our oak frame extensions are incredibly popular and we invite clients, architects and contractors to our framing yard in the Weald of Kent to visit the frame while it is being crafted. We also keep in touch with past clients, often maintaining an on-going relationship with repeat oak framing work on their property and most are very happy for our prospective clients to visit and take a look at our work on-site.

Most of our oak frame extensions have been built in Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex as well as Surrey.

The benefit of building an oak frame extension

An oak extension can give you some wonderful additional living space, and it is an oak frame extension that can add character and charm to a listed property, as well as being the eye-catching ‘showstopper’ on a more modern, contemporary home, so it lends itself to any type of property, old or new.

Oak Garden Rooms, Oak Conservatories, Oak Sunrooms, Oak Orangeries, Oak Studio, these are all structures we design and build and can all be very different or one of the same, depending on the style of frame you are keen to design. These oak extensions can extend your listed or contemporary property to give you and your family the perfect inside/outdoor space for your property. Sackville Oak Frames, create spaces that can extend your kitchen, dining or living area with beautiful garden views.

As you can well imagine, though there are more benefits to using oak in an extension than just aesthetics alone. Oak and it’s impressive green credentials ensure that your new living space is sustainable, and in this modern age, this is incredibly important.

We can’t end the benefits without mentioning the speed in which an oak frame goes up on site. An oak frame and all it’s hand crafted components can be manufactured off site in our workshops, resulting in a much faster build time than normal.

What is an oak frame extension going to cost?

We are often asked how much an oak frame extension will cost based on very limited information and very rough ideas. It is difficult to assess immediately what an oak frame will cost as we do not provide a “one size fits all” kit or oak frame price list. The reason for this is because we know that every site, and every client have their own specific requirements.

You can find our more about how we price an oak frame extension and what a Sackville oak frame extension will cost on our Pricing page. It gives you a really good idea of what to expect if you are managing the build, or if you are bringing in a project manager to take care of the build for you.

Something we do often hear when following up with clients, is how pleased they are that they decided to build an oak extension over an alternative brick built extension or the PVC conservatories that are often seen as ‘cheaper options’. Whilst an oak frame extension may prove more expensive than a more standard extension like those mentioned above, an oak frame is (dare I say it?!) totally bespoke and truly unique structures, so our clients are always happier that they spent more, to really add something special to their property, rather than spending less and having something nice, but not entirely unique and fitting with the property.

We are always so happy to hear from potential clients, so please get in touch to discuss your project or with any questions you may have about pricing an oak frame extension, so we can put a quotation together for you.

What timber is used for an oak extension and where is it from?

We are really passionate, not just about oak framing, but about woodland, the timber industry and making sure that all the materials we use are all from sustainable sources. We only buy and process timber that comes with an “Assured Chain Of Custody”, meaning that we can trace the timber through the supply chain to its source – a properly managed forest which is safe guarding the future of commercial forests throughout Europe and the world. You can find out more about where we stand with the timber industry and where we source our materials by reading Our Timber Policy.

We use only European or English oak, and for the majority of our oak frames, we use ‘green oak’, which is oak that has been felled recently and therefore retains it’s moisture, making it a great material to work with as it requires no treatment and will gradually over time ‘bed in’ and age, making it look better and better over the years.

As it ages, the oak frame will dry out and crack, sometimes with the most dramatic noise, however, this isn’t something that our clients’ need to worry or be alarmed about as it is actually this process, that strengthens and tightens the oak frame up. It is due to this strengthening that oak frames last as long as they do, with each oak frame expected to last 100 years +. When looked at like that, when building an oak frame extension, oak frame house, or even just a porch, it is worth sourcing the very best oak framers, as it is the well-designed and well-built frames that will be around long after this generation, and the next… and the next… incredible really, to leave such a wonderful structure for the future generations to enjoy.

Will I need planning permission to build an oak frame extension?

With any extension, you will need to speak to your local planning department about the rules, regulations and planning requirements in your area, so it is always best to consult before you start any form of construction. We also recommend speaking to Sackville Oak Frames at the earliest opportunity as we have a contact book full of planning consultants for all sorts of projects, as well as years of experience on a range of sites and properties, so we can help you at the very early stages of planning.

In some cases, building an extension may be allowed under ‘Permitted Development‘, but again, we recommend speaking to a planning consultant and/or Sackville Oak Frames prior to seeking ‘consent’, as many extensions require planning consent due to their size and location.

Owners of Listed properties must always apply to for consent to build an extension; we have years of experience working on Listed properties, so again, if you are in the early stages of your project and you currently own a Listed property contact us as we can help from the outset.

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We are always so happy to hear from potential clients, so please get in touch to discuss your project or with any questions you may have about pricing an oak frame extension, so we can put a quotation together for you. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us, or leave us a comment below and we will reply.


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