When you are designing your fireplace or when you simply want to give it a facelift one of the ideas that you will probably have in mind is to use oak beams. This is justifiably so because oak has the natural beauty that will give your fireplace that sparkle that you desire. However, if you do not know how to buy oak beam fireplace you may end up getting disappointed. Your carpenter or your timber merchant should advise you accordingly, but the following are some of the factors that are used to define oak beams
Moisture content
This is the easiest factor that you can use to select your oak as there are only two options. The two options that you can choose from are dried oak or green oak. Dried oak has got no moisture in it and how the beams look when you purchase them is how you should expect them to look for a very long time to come. On the other hand, green oak is the one that has been cut recently, and it contains a lot of moisture and it will change its appearance significantly as it dries.
Colour
With an oak beam fireplace, you can choose between a huge range of colours. The difference in colour is brought about by different factors, for example, the moisture content, the type of waxing, and also the kind of oak that it came from. You can choose from a number of colours starting from the natural clear wax beams to more yellow beams popularly referred to as antique. In most cases, the colour is not a sign of quality, and so you are free to choose your oak purely according to the colour you like most.
Finishing
Finishing just like the colour will not affect the quality of the beam. In most cases, the finishing is only meant to give the beam a good appearance or to make it more attractive. While some are left in their natural state others are given a smooth finishing. A good example of finishing is what is popularly referred to as Planed Square Edges (PSE). In this type of finishing the oak beams are planed square, smooth and with very sharp edges and corners.
Shape
More often people assume that all beams come in one standard shape, but this is not necessarily true. When buying oak beams, your timber merchant will probably ask you the shape you want, and it would be good to know the forms available. The shape is paramount as it will also determine how they will look in your fireplace and whether they serve their purpose well. Different timber merchants come up with different shapes, but the most common shapes for these beams are the PSE, which is also a finishing style and the reclaimed shape.
Engraving
Engraving is not a primary characteristic of these beams, but it will undoubtedly draw your interest. As these beams form an important part of the home, it will be a good idea to personalize them as much as possible. The best and perhaps the most common way to do this is through engraving. If you want your beams engraved with unique wordings or characters, then you can always find a company that offers this service.