An Oak Frame Self Build

There are those people who approach their impending retirement with the gleeful intent to have a very long, well-earned rest — quite understandable given the decades spent slogging away in the workplace. But then there is that other type of person who can’t resist the opportunity to do something a little bit special – albeit challenging – with that extra time. Two such people are Jan and Mike Davies, who together have built a beautiful oak framed cottage – clad in brick and infilled with energy-efficient SIPs (structural insulated panels) – carrying out a large amount of work on a DIY basis.

“We had thought about self-building quite a lot in recent years,” says Jan, “but the notion didn’t become serious until, a few years away from retirement, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I underwent treatment and have now been given the all-clear, but going through something like that gives you perspective. I realised there is far more to life than work, and retired early from my position as Manuscript Conservation Assistant at Nottingham University.”

This new impetus meant that creating the perfect home in which to enjoy their retirement became a high priority. “We were living in the old cottage next door, which was a real character property but far too high-maintenance and expensive to heat,” says Jan.

“When we first moved in, in 1991, we blitzed the place, repairing everything that needed fixing,” recalls Mike, who retired from his profession as an engineer early on in the new build. “We thought that would be it; but then discovered it needed constant maintenance. We spent a lot of time and money working on it.”

However, the couple had no desire to leave their unspoilt village in a Conservation Area that was home to their friends and familiar local amenities. As a solution they sectioned off part of their garden, creating a smaller plot on which to build a cottage.

The downside to this plan was that this garden had been lovingly planted and maintained over the years by devoted gardener Jan: “I spent such a long time doing the garden that it was heart-wrenching to see it being dug up.”

Before settling upon a build method, the couple visited several exhibitions but it wasn’t until they saw Border Oak’s Ben and Merry Albright building their own home on TV that they settled upon oak frame. “Ben and Merry really inspired us and made us realise that it could be an affordable option for us,” says Jan. “Border Oak is a family firm, and so we felt secure working with them.”

“They were also very flexible in the type of package they offered,” continues Mike. “There was never any pressure. So we decided to employ them to take it up to a shell, and then finish off the rest ourselves.”

Planning permission was granted on Valentine’s Day 2006 with a restriction stating that no vegetation could be removed between March and September due to nesting birds. There were 23 mature conifers on site, so work to remove them began immediately. But none of the trees have been wasted, with some of the wood going into a barn that is used as a carport, and the rest being burned over time in the woodburners.

However, removing the trees caused unexpected problems with the foundations. “The soil is clay,” explains Mike. “Trees suck the water out of clay, but removing the trees would cause the clay to heave. As a result we had to build on piled foundations at an extra cost of £16,000. There are around 30 piles in total — some as deep as five metres.”

In September 2006, Border Oak brought the oak frame in on a lorry and erected it over a period of two weeks. “It was fascinating watching them put the oak frame together — just two men with all that heavy lifting and pinning,” recalls Jan. “Neighbours kept stopping by to see how far we’d progressed.”

Over the coming months, Border Oak’s subcontractors completed the shell — including the brickwork, roofing and plastering. “The project manager, Tony Whylie, was really efficient,” says Mike. “All of the subcontractors we used have worked for Border Oak for some time.”

Throughout the build, the couple lived in a rented house across the street, meaning they could work in conjunction with the tradespeople on site. “Some days we were on site from 8am to 8pm,” says Mike.

Jan and Mike completed the floor themselves: they laid their own underfloor heating and a contractor pumped the screed on top. Mike laid the ceramic tiles over most of the ground floor. “The underfloor heating is lovely — every room is zoned. It’s far warmer than our old house and much more economical,” says Jan.

Baker Street fitted the oak farmhouse kitchen, which houses a ceramic Belfast sink and Sandyford range cooker, which also provides hot water and heating. An electric Neff oven provides back-up.

The kitchen is open plan to the family room: “When you have friends over you’re not shut away from them,” says Jan. Different ceiling heights subtly define the two zones, with a dramatic vaulted ceiling in the family area. The space leads outside onto the patio and has a woodburning stove; as does the separate sitting room on the other side of the hallway. “We spend evenings in the sitting room and days in the family room, which is a south-facing sun trap. We don’t need to use the woodburners very often,” says Jan.

The house is highly insulated, with SIPs forming an airtight shell around the oak frame and masses of Kingspan Styrozone insulation in the floor and roof. “We considered installing solar panels, but we feel we might not be around long enough to get the payback,” says Mike. “Anyway, the house is very low-energy.”

One thing the couple missed in the estimate was that they would be left to clean the black marks off the beams, where the steel stained them. “We had to clean them with acid and wax them over three weeks,” says Jan. “The acid made our arms sore.”

Having lived in their new home for two years, Jan and Mike are very much settled in, and are working on the garden in stages. “We are delighted with the house and are mortgage-free, which was one of our original aims,” reflects Jan. “Another priority was that we wanted the house to feel like it has been here forever — and we believe we have achieved that.”

“What’s unexpected is the amount of shrinkage in the oak,” comments Mike. Green oak of this sort is still living and breathing and the movement it results in has to be accounted for through the use of expansion joints where the oak meets another material.

“We came into this project somewhat naïve about building, and there were a lot of translation problems where we didn’t understand ‘builder language’,” he continues. “However, we have learned so much.”

“We would love to build again,” concludes Jan, “it’s just that we have everything we want with this house!” Perhaps it’s time to enjoy that well-earned rest…

Further reading:

• An Oak Frame Cottage Built for under £300,000
• Read an interview with John Greene, Founder of Border Oak
• How Green is Green Oak?