Can you buy oak timber in summer?

We hear this question every year when the building season starts: won't oak bought in July crack in the sun? You can buy it. On one condition: the sawmill has to look after the material all year round, not only when a customer turns up.

Where does the concern come from?

Oak gives up moisture slowly and unevenly. Left in full sun it dries too fast from the end grain, and then it really does crack. The material loses value and the joiner loses patience. Hence the belief that buying oak in summer is a lottery.

What does a decent sawmill do about it?

The risk does not depend on the season, but on how the material is handled. Here is how we do it:

• we wax the board ends, because that is the most exposed area,
• we debark the long timber before sawing (bark holds moisture and pests),
• the sawn timber sits in a covered, year-round seasoning shed with airflow, not in the sun,
• stickers are aligned in a single line and the ends of the stack are sealed.

This regime applies from January to December. Oak bought from us in July is exactly the same material as oak bought in November.

How can you check before buying?

Ask the supplier where the sawn timber is seasoned: in the open yard or under a roof? Are the ends protected? How long has the material been seasoning? Our standard is natural seasoning of 6 to 24 months. Best of all, come and inspect the material on site, ul. Lipowa 29 in Sulęcin.