Q. The board I like has a crack in it, will it split even more?
A. The boards should have done all of their cracking during the drying process but they could possibly crack more if under strain.
Q. Can I keep the bark on?
A. Bark is personal preference, sadly over time it will fall off as it’s a natural product. We don’t recommend keeping the bark on pieces that are going to be indoors as they can make a mess when the bark flakes off and unhygienic if on something like a chopping board. It is your choice though! With regards to trying keeping it on, there may be a solution if you were to do some research on a resin or something to lock it in.
Q. If you de bark a piece, will it still have a natural edge?
A. Yes it will, until the bark is removed the cant quite tell what it will look like but it will still be a natural edge. Also some ash boards have some small holes in the bark, these are ash beetle bugs and they are only in the bark when the tree is alive, and only in the bark, so when the bark in removed, there are no holes in the natural edge itself.
Q. Does this planed piece need sanding?
A. We recommend sanding a planed piece to leave a smooth finish to make sure there isn’t any sharp bits on the board. Also, sanding a piece smooth helps when applying oil as it goes on a lot better and protects the wood.
Q. Do you pieces over 50-60cm deep?
A. Unfortunately due to all of our trees being locally sourced, we simply do not tend to have trees that big in our local area. We will sometimes get boards this wide, so it is possible but rare!
Q. Can I use any of this wood outside?
A. Yes you can, from experience, elm wood does well outside, but any wood as long as its treated with an outdoor varnish, will be fine.
Q. What finish do you recommend?
A. For pieces such as shelves and chopping boards, we recommend our own mineral oil. It is completely natural and food safe, it doesn’t change the colour, it just enhances the grain and brings out the beauty of the wood. For something going in a bathroom or something that may get wet e.g. a bath board, we recommend a waterproof oil, like an osmo oil that will protect the wood from any splashes staining the wood.
Q. What does it mean by “Has old woodworm holes (treated)?
A. Unfortunately in some boards, mostly elm and oak, woodworm or bugs get into the wood and leave holes where they have been in. We kiln dry boards and spray them to kill any bugs in them to ensure no more holes are created. So, the holes are just where the bugs have been – the bugs are not there!
Q. Is the timber dry?
A. Yes the timber is all dry. It is a long drying process to avoid as much movement in the wood, it is usually air dried for 1-2 years and finished in the kiln.
Q. How did the business start?
A. It was something that had been thought about for a while, but when covid hit in 2020, Annika utilised her time after being furloughed and created The Rustic Wood Barn. A husband in tree surgery, and brothers in forestry – it was a no brainer! She began in a small 10ftx10ft area (which is now the dogs kennel) with around 30 pieces in there and organised a pick up for customers, (socially distanced of course!) and once she realised there was a real market for her timber, she moved into the barn and got more planks milled and got bigger and bigger.
Q. Where does the wood come from?
A. It is all 30 miles from here so Northamptonshire/Cambridgeshire area.
Q. Why have you got limited opening hours?
A. We both have full time jobs so struggle to be in the barn as much as we would like! You can contact us to book an appointment to allow customers to choose a day and time they would like to come.
Q. How often do you change your stock?
A. Our stock is constantly changing depending on how much space we have essentially! Spring time is when we have the most stock and the best of the stock. Summer can be too hot to have lots of boards available and the winter too damp. If the barn needs stocking up, the carpenter can plane boards on a Wednesday so will be available the next day.
Q. Can you cut to size?
A. Yes, we can cut to any size you like. Mainly basic horizontal cuts rather than angled.
Q. Do you offer a sanding/finishing service?
A. Yes we do, our carpenter is here on a Wednesday and he can sand, de bark and oil any board.
Q. What does planed mean?
A. It means the planks, once dry, go through a machine with smooths down it’s surfaces by removing layers of wood to give a smoother finish. This makes the piece easier to work with and sanding doesn’t take as long!
Q. What does sawn mean?
A. Rough sawn or sawn, essentially means it hasn’t been through the planer and is more of a rough texture and would need a lot of sanding to get smooth.
Some pieces we leave sawn because they are unable to go through the planer, whether that be because they’re too small or maybe warped. Sawn pieces you will also find are a lot cheaper than planed pieces as they have had no work done to them other than when they were milled and left to dry.
Q. Do you deliver?
A. We can post all over the UK and potentially deliver locally too!
Q. Do you have any European woods?
A. All our timber is from the surrounding area so we only have what we can get hold of in this area when a tree needs to be felled.
Q. Do you offer a milling service?
A. Unfortunately, we only mill our own timber. We do however know a company that do offer this service: www.jmtimbers.co.uk. They are based in Wellingborough.
Q. Do we offer a joining service?
A. Unfortunately not but we can recommend a few small local businesses.
Q. Do you make anything or just provide the timber?
A. We can finish pieces and provide brackets or fixings but do not make them ourselves. We do have a sister company called River and Rue in which we sell ready made products.
Q. Will the piece move in a new environment?
A. As long as the wood gets used to its new home environment and temperature it should be fine. Being a natural product, the wood can sometimes warp slightly, but then tends to move back again! So don’t be surprised if this happens. Also, as long as the wood is not exposed to a lot of heat, like under floor heating or a radiator, it should be fine.
