Is oak wood sustainable?

There are many environmental benefits of building with green oak and it is a popular material for sustainable construction. Why is oak sustainable? Here are 8 reasons to choose oak for your sustainable self build.

1. Trees clean our air

Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in our atmosphere are increasing and this isn’t good for our health. Trees absorb CO2 and other nasty gases and release oxygen back into the air. This process happens quickly when trees are young and slows as they age.

2. Responsible forest management

Cutting down trees may sound like a contradiction to the point before but in a sustainably managed woodland, they will plant more trees than what is cut down. Trees are carefully selected, allowing the old trees to make way for the new. Look out for oak with PEFC and FSC accreditations, which guarantees to come from a sustainable source.

3. Low embodied energy makes oak sustainable

The process to harvest, prepare and transport oak uses less energy compared to the manufacture of other building materials like concrete and steel. Source oak locally which will use less energy during transportation for your sustainable self build.

4. Reduced waste

Off-site oak frame construction combined with the skills of the craftspeople in the workshops ensures less waste. Workshop teams select the right piece of oak for the right job. The frame is built to perfection inside the workshop, labelled, and erected on site. Off-cuts are sometimes used for fuel in a workshop’s woodburner. Oak is also biodegradable and will naturally be broken down at the end of its lifespan.

5. Energy efficient

Another reason oak is sustainable because is a natural insulator.  Self builders often fill the walls with insulation including environmentally friendly materials such as sheep’s wool or cellulose (recycled newspaper). Some self builders encapsulate the frame with structural insulated panels too. A warm house in winter and a cool house in summer means using less fossil fuel for heating and cooling, and fewer CO2 emissions.

6. No need for chemical treatments

Oak is non-toxic and has a natural resistance to rot and insects and can be maintenance-free. Over time, air exposure turns the golden colour to silver.

7. Sustainable design

Find a good architect with proven eco-design credentials and an understanding of how this works with oak frame design. Harnessing solar gain where it counts by orientating the house appropriately is just one idea, but advice on the best glazing, renewable technologies, cladding and roofing materials will be invaluable too.

8. Long-lasting and robust

There are plenty of oak-frame buildings constructed hundreds of years ago still standing today. Therefore a new oak-framed house could last just as long if designed, built and looked after properly.