Old oak child beams

What are child beams?

Child beams are an important part of a wood joist. The smaller beams, often in head sizes such as 10×10 cm or 12×12 cm, lie transverse to or inside the nut beams. The child beams bridge the free space between the large, heavy nut beams, thus supporting the plank floor. Child beams are also called wooden rafters.

A lesson in the history of children’s bars….

In addition to their structural function, child beams have an aesthetic function in old buildings. The number of child beams played a role in the client’s status. The smaller the spacing between child beams, the higher the status and wealth of the assignee. A joist with a high number of child beams exudes a certain “grandeur. A stately property such as a chateau or mansion usually has a relatively high number of child beams.

What are nut bars?

The large nut beams are real construction beams with heavy head sizes such as 25×25 cm, 30×30 cm or 35×35 cm. These joists run from wall to wall and carry the weight of the entire floor: the child beams along with the plank floor. Often the nut beams can be distinguished from other types of beams by the large number of notches, these are the places where the child beams were attached. A beam with small notch spacing logically goes together with a large number of child beams. So this is an indication that the beam came from a stately home!

What is the difference between child beams and purlins?

The difference is mainly in size. First, a children’s beam is usually square, say 10×10 cm. A purlin, on the other hand, is rectangular, say 10×15 cm or 10×20 cm. This larger head size has the advantage that it can span larger distances, for example 300 cm or 350 cm, while limiting the additional weight of the joist. So old purlins are usually longer than child beams. Second, there may also be a difference in function. An oak child beam supports the floor of the storey, while a purlin can support the roofing in addition to this function. In this case, the purlins often run lengthwise in the roof.

How old are used child beams?

Children’s beams are often more than a hundred years old. Today, oak joists are very labor intensive. In addition, there are numerous other solutions and building materials available to support a storey floor. In the past, however, child beams were staples in the construction of large buildings. Many antique child beams still contain hand-forged nails, indicating a very advanced age. For example, we have batches of child beams in stock from properties built in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The choice of oak children’s beams makes sense because the wood is very strong and does not bend easily even in smaller head sizes. Moreover, it has a beautiful, stately appearance. Old child beams are often sawn (or hand-hewn) without the heart of the oak trunk, meaning they are predominantly heartless. This keeps the beams nice and straight and prevents major cracking.

17th-century children’s beams from Reims

This particular batch of children’s beams came from a former state building in the old center of Reims. The building was renovated and the historic joist was replaced. We managed to get our hands on this lot, which has a head size of about 10×15 cm and lengths of over 260 cm. Even though the beams are hundreds of years old, the wood is still rock hard.

Children’s beams from castle Boekenberg, Antwerp

In some cases, the decision is made to replace an antique joist due to contemporary structural requirements for a remodel, for example. So too at the 18th-century Castle Boekenberg in Antwerp. These children’s beams are still hand-hewn and therefore have a sublime patina. The beams were narrowly saved from destruction: a few weeks after the joists were taken down and the wood transported to the shipyard, we read the sad news that the entire castle was destroyed by a major fire. Fortunately, the historic beams were saved and are stored in Doorwerth. It is a large lot with head sizes of about 9×9 cm to 10×10 cm in lengths up to about 260 cm.

Renovate old beam

When renovating a historic building, people sometimes again seek historic children’s beams. We can help with that.

Architectural interior projects with child beams

An oak joist in a living room, bedroom or orangeroom adds a tremendous amount of warmth and character. Our team works with architects who need help realizing such a joist using historic oak. Upon special request, we make a preselection. The atmosphere of a room is largely determined by such a beam. There are numerous options: for example, tighter children’s beams with a white lime coating or, on the contrary, the dark brown beams with a hand-hewn patina. We have several uniform batches of child beams in stock for architects to choose from.

Children’s beams recovered

The antique children’s beams or rafters can be recovered by us: de-nailed and cleaned. Note that it is very difficult to remove the hand-forged nails from the wood, they may break off in some cases. The beams can be brushed clean upon request.

Children’s beams planed

Interior designers may choose planed oak child beams if a tighter, and lighter look is envisioned. We plane the children’s beams to the desired head size, making them fairly flat and straight. Check out the project on the Amsterdam canal where the client chose planed oak joists.

Old oak child beams prices

Prices vary from dimensions, origin and processing, among other factors. If a price indication is desired, simply request a quote and specify the net dimensions and quantities desired.