We Built an Oak Frame House in Cornwall

Chris and Jan's combined Teaching careers, spanning approaching 50 years, ran their course with characteristic dedication and creativity. Chris had achieved early success in educational publishing and managerial roles in school while Jan became the Principal of a large Children's Nursery. Over the past 25 years, they have become immersed in various self-build projects, culminating in this latest oak frame build. Their professional attributes were eminently transferable to the building process. The authors have reflected on their legacy of creating various iconic buildings to call home that have all been admired by key professionals. Clearly, you can't take the Teacher out of the Self-builder and their desire to help and inspire others has resurfaced! This book describes the challenges and rewards of building an OAK FRAME house in CORNWALL; an honest, often humorous, biographical appraisal of the SELF-BUILD process, containing detailed colour photos, design inspiration along with vivid anecdotal experiences. It '...should be by your side as you embark on one of the most exhilarating and scary challenges of your life'.

Foreword vii
Preface ix
Acknowledgements xi
Introduction 1
Chapter 1: Why an Oak Frame? 8
Chapter 2: The Plot 11
Chapter 3: Design Considerations 17
Chapter 4: Planning 23
Chapter 5: The Budget 25
Chapter 6: Caravan Living 30
Chapter 7: Tooling Up 34
Chapter 8: Foundations 37
Chapter 9: Scaffolding 45
Chapter 10: The Arrival of the Oak Frame 49
Chapter 11: Our Own Wood 60
Chapter 12: Getting Dry 63
Chapter 13: First and Second Fixes 72
Chapter 14: The Moving in Debate 80
Chapter 15: Energy 83
Chapter 16: Lockdowns 2020-21 89
Chapter 17: Those Telly-builds 98
Chapter 18: Weather 102
Chapter 19: The VAT Question 106
Chapter 20: Light Bulb Moments 109
Conclusion 113
Appendix 1: Self-build and Government 117
2: List of Suppliers 119
3: Further Reading 121