Written by Emma who works within our Frame and Encapsulation Design team
Sunday evening: bag is packed and I’m trying to decide what time to set my alarm. I need to be in the yard for 5am, my drive is 40mins. 4am seems reasonable, actually make it 3:55am, no 3:50am just to be sure! You never know when you might get stuck in traffic, or in my usual case a slow-moving tractor along the Herefordshire country lanes.
The site crews are arriving just as I do. The team chosen to look after me on my first visit ever to a construction site/build site are there ready to take me under their guidance and under the streaming lights of head torches (yes, it’s still dark outside at 5am in the middle of September). I jump into the crew van and we head off on our four hour jaunt up country… Lancashire is calling.
Greeted by excited clients, two lorries of oak and a cement truck made for an interesting start: one narrow drive way with vehicles trying to leave and vehicles trying to arrive. With some quick-thinking logistics, it wasn’t long before calm was resumed and we could begin.
After spending time in our workshops here in Herefordshire and seeing the lorries being loaded up with the freshly cut/crafted oak, it was nice to see it taking on the next part of its journey. Unloading was quick and very soon I was getting stuck into finding the first pieces of the gigantic ‘Lego’ set we’d been given to play with. I’m not going to pretend I wasn’t nervous or scared, as I definitely was!
Framing and pegging what could be done at ground level, before stropping and slinging for the crane to lift these large structures into place. The crew methodically working, as I watch each part or combination of parts slot into their respective joints, some as if they were magnetized and others with a little gentle persuasion into their final home. I was surprised at how quickly I could see the shape of our clients’ oak framed home come together.
Moving into the next couple of weeks, I was starting to pre-empt the crews next moves and finally felt like I was helping, becoming a part of the team. With the oak frame complete and in place it was time to move onto our Wrightwall encapsulation system. All manufactured alongside the oak frame back in our workshops, it was just a case of lifting each panel with the crane, slotting into place and securing down. Simples! Well maybe not quite that simple, measurements were taken, levels were monitored, and adjustments were made.
The days are long and extremely rewarding! Don’t forget this is Britain, remember your waterproofs. There were a few days where it rained constantly, a few others where it was too windy to lift with the crane but somehow at the end of each day we were still all smiling.
Building a rapport and sharing experiences with the crew is invaluable as an Oak Frame and Encapsulation Designer. Understanding the build process is beneficial to the design process and having the opportunity to talk directly with the crew will inevitably make future projects trouble free and effortless.
Would you like to speak with a member of our team about your dream oak frame build? Call 01432 353 353 or email enquiries@configurator-oakwrights.nzi.me to arrange your appointment.
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