The post and beam nature of traditional timber frames inherently lends itself towards having large glazed areas. It is therefore perfect for a garden room, conservatory, or even the whole gable end of a building where people want a lot of light or have a good view. We use a face glazing system, now an accepted standard in the green Oak industry. This is where the insulated glass unit is sandwiched between the timber frame and an oak cover strip with rubber gaskets to stop water penetration. Floating on the outside of the frame, rather than between the frame allows the timber to move and shrink without cracking the glass. Although it is impossible to guarantee the stability of green oak, with judicious timber selection and careful design it is possible to minimise the problems associated with it. It is also worth remembering that the slower a bit of timber dries the less it will shrink, and we generally advise people to keep central heating to a minimum to begin with and making sure any fully glazed rooms are well vented in summer.

We can also build more conventional rebated glazing, but this requires the use of much drier, better quality wood where you can guarantee minimal movement and shrinkage.