Green Oak - What is it? & Why we use it?

Environmental decision to use locally sourced native hardwoods

When we first established Chris Nangle Furniture we took the environmental decision to only use locally sourced native hardwoods, never tropical woods imported from the Far East.

With this in mind our memorial benches are made using only locally sourced English Green Oak. All of our hardwood comes from well-managed woodlands and is sawn by our local mill, thus ensuring a minimal carbon footprint.

Green oak is the vernacular building material of England, renowned for it's great strength and durability. It has been used for centuries to make everything from The Globe Theatre to timber framed houses and churches, many of which can still be seen today after hundreds of years.

What is Green Oak?

Green Oak is unseasoned oak, which means that it has a high moisture content. A green oak bench will slowly air dry on average an inch per thickness per year depending on ambient conditions.

As the bench seasons, each piece takes on it's own individual character. Small cracks and splits may develop, however, they will stabilise over time and will not affect the durability or aesthetic integrity of the work.

Do We Need To Treat Green Oak Furniture?

As green oak is naturally strong and very resistant to decay it needs no chemical treatments or preservatives making it maintenance free.

Therefore it is the natural choice for eco friendly outdoor furniture, where it will naturally season and age gracefully to a beautiful silver colour.