The choice has (hopefully already) been made: it will be oak.
It is great and primal, and precisely because this is a natural product, it is important to pay attention to a few things. We are happy to provide sound advice on storing, processing and maintaining the wood purchased.

Sawing and planing

Can I saw and/or plane the wood?
Yes indeed! Most of the wood has been stripped of nails, old nails and iron residue. Still, there may be a lost piece of iron in there. So be careful when sawing and planing: always check that the board or beam is completely iron-free to avoid damage to tools.

Can the wood start to work after sawing and/or planing?
When the wood is sawn and/or planed, there is a chance of operation afterwards: the wood could crack, warp or twist. This does not always happen; the effect is difficult to estimate. This risk is inherent in resawing beams or planks. Keep this in mind.

Maintenance & Cleaning

How should I treat the wood so that I can easily clean it?
In some cases, it may be necessary (and beautiful!) to treat the wood with oil, soap or a lacquer. This can prevent stains and circles in the wood, with minimal change in wood color. Always try the chosen treatment method on a small piece of leftover wood first and see if the color and luster is to your liking.

Can I clean wood with water?
Wood is best cleaned with a slightly damp cloth. Use green soap and not an all-purpose cleaner or similar product. There are water-soluble constituents in the wood vessels of every wood species. Using a lot of water can cause stains or circles to appear: in this case, the contents of the wood have come to the surface. With planed wood, therefore, do not use too much water and pat the wood dry as soon as possible if it did come into contact with a lot of water.

What are the blue-black spots in the oak?
These stains can be caused by tannic acid. Oak is a tannic wood species. When tannic acid in wet oak comes into contact with metal, corrosion occurs and the wood can turn blue-black. These stains are also called oxide stains. It is a natural phenomenon and oak just happens to have this characteristic. The tannic acid can also “leak” out of the oak. The so-called runout of tannic acid can stain a patio or wall. Keep this in mind when choosing oak in an outdoor application.

How can you prevent the blue-black spots?
Prevent the oak from coming into contact with metal. Do not leave nails or tools on an oak outdoor table and secure the wood with stainless steel screws.

How can you remove blue-black stains?
If the oxidation stains are not too deep, they can be easily removed using oxalic acid. Mix this in the ratio of 1:10 with water (1 part oxalic acid to 10 parts water) and apply to the oak with a brush.

Wood inside

How does indoor wood retain its shape the most?
It is necessary to measure the humidity in the room with a humidity meter. A humidity between 55 and 65 percent ensures that the wood will work as little as possible. Especially with a wooden floor and/or table, it is important to measure this continuously using a hygrometer.

Is wood sensitive to low humidity?
Wood can shrink at low humidity levels. In the cold winter months, the central heating system or wood stove can cause low indoor humidity. In addition, dry weather can cause humidity to become low in a ventilated indoor space.

Wood outside

Is oak suitable for outdoor use?
Oak is a beautiful wood species to apply in an exterior project and also much more durable than softwood. The oak wood will naturally gray due to the various weather influences.

How does oak exterior work?
Since outdoor humidity can vary greatly, wood can start to work. This risk is inherent in the choice of wood. A beam or plank shrinks in dry weather and expands in humid weather. Direct and bright sunlight combined with dry weather can cause the wood to warp or even crack. Keep this in mind during the hot summer months and put an oak outdoor table in the shade during bright summer weather.

How do I maintain my oak outdoor table?
For an outdoor table, we recommend not treating the wood, and cleaning it with a brush and green soap or baking soda. It is also advisable to brush the wood clean once a year with a hard brush. We do not recommend spraying the wood clean with a pressure washer because the force of the water can cause the wood to damage and/or splinter.

Operation & Storage

Is the wood worked out?
No, but the great advantage of using old wood is that most of the action is now out of the wood. Wood is a natural product and, depending on humidity, will always have a little work. This should be taken into account. As a result of differences in ambient temperature and humidity, wood can shed moisture or absorb moisture. This can cause the wood to work or warp: a property of wood.

How do I prevent largely unwanted wood action?
Wood can start to work when it suddenly experiences a change in temperature and humidity. Our sheds may have a (large) difference in temperature and humidity with the room where the wood is taken after purchase. The greater this difference, the higher the risk that the wood will work. It is best to let the wood acclimate quietly after purchase. During the cold winter months, use a shed or garage to acclimate the wood for about 10 days before moving the wood to a warmer area. Even in this warmer room, it is recommended that the wood be allowed to acclimate again for about ten days before processing.

How should I store wood indoors?
When storing the wood for an extended period, we recommend doing so in a dark, dry room with little (or preferably no) sunlight. Make sure the boards are off the ground (for example, using a couple of beams) and use a blanket, for example, to cover the wood. In addition, keep an eye on humidity; a humidity between 55 and 65 percent is most ideal.

What is the best way to store wood outdoors?
Make sure the beams or boards are off the ground (for example, using a couple of joists) and place the wood under a shelter. Prevent the wood from coming into contact with direct sunlight in
spring and summer.

Woodworm

Do you encounter a worm hole in the wood?
Worm holes do not always mean the critters are active in the wood. Therefore, wormholes are usually not a problem. Should there be any doubt about the inactivity of the critters, we can provide woodworm death upon request.

Can I encounter a critter in the wood?
Most of our range is used wood. We cannot guarantee that no critter lives in the wood. Should there be any doubt about the presence of woodworm, our staff can provide woodworm death upon request. In that case, treat the wood with it preventively after purchase. Make sure the wood is first sawn, planed and/or drilled before applying woodwormicide: this is because the product is most effective at the
surface of the wood.