These Terms and Conditions are for the guidance of clients of Swift Oak Limited.

Swift Oak Limited supply timber framed building/garage kits to be installed by our customer’s or one of our recommended installation teams. Please note our prices do not include ground works, roofing works including felt, battening, tilt fillet, coverings and flashings, staining or finishing of any timber materials, fascia & soffit boards, windows, glazing, insulation, damp membranes, fireproofing, M+E services, service connections, internal and external finishing, soak ways, rainwater goods and any other works whatsoever apart from the Oak frame design and associated framing softwood, engineering assessment, manufacture and delivery to site as and if quoted. Swift Oak Limited are not responsible for any packing or fillets required internally for the application of plaster boarding or other surface finishes other than as detailed in the approved drawings.

Orders and Cutting Dates

Swift Oak Limited do not hold any buildings or frames for stock, all are made to order and bespoke. Orders must be made in writing via email and be accompanied by an Initial Payment, and no works will start until this has been done.

Payments – all subject to VAT

Deposit Payment of 35% at time of placing order; Final Payment of 65% is due before delivery is made. Orders will not dispatch until final payment has been cleared.

Please note we only refund a third of the deposit payment if requested. If an order is cancelled within a month before the frame is due to be delivered the deposit is non refundable.

Receipts

Upon receipt of each payment a receipted VAT invoice will be issued, where applicable.

Delivery and Storage

Swift Oak Limited will notify a provisional delivery date as soon as deposit is received. Estimated delivery dates may be subject to change. It is the client’s responsibility to ensure access for the delivery. Due to the nature of the product our delivery vehicle is 2.25 metres wide, 11 metres long and 2.5 metres high. If the driver is unable to deliver to your preferred site it is the client’s responsibility to provide an alternative suitable site to deliver to.

Should the Client become aware of delays for any reason that would adversely affect the delivery the Client must inform Swift Oak Limited prior to the delivery date so that new payment & delivery dates can be arranged. Failure to notify Swift Oak Limited of delays as above will render the Client liable to any & all additional costs incurred as a result of having to reschedule delivery & if applicable, assembly.

Ground Works

Swift Oak Limited will provide a drawing confirming the dimensions of the frame and typically expect brick work to be within the following tolerances:

Concrete to be poured to a maximum tolerance of +/- 3mm level per 1m length.

Concrete to be laid to within 3mm of the dimensions stated on the drawings supplied. Should dimensions be missing from the drawings, the contractor should contact Swift Oak Limited and not make any assumptions.

Brickwork to be within +/- 3mm of plumb per vertical metre.

Brickwork to be laid within +/- 3mm per 1m run along the length of a wall.

Brickwork levels to be laid within +/- 10mm of level per 5m length.

The top course of brickwork to be laid ‘frog down’ where sole plate is to be fixed to it.

Oak Staining, Movement, and Properties.

Unseasoned (“Green”) Oak will bleed tannin if it gets wet and/or if steel is place upon it. This will temporarily discolour the wood and if brickwork. It can be cleaned, sanded or left to weather away. In the case of internal timbers, any tannin which leaches during construction is unlikely to weather away. In this case, the client may choose to sand blast timbers prior to fit out, or sand timbers to remove the staining. Swift Oak Limited do not remove any staining caused by tannin unless previously agreed specifically in writing.

Green Oak is a naturally very durable raw material. It has been used in its raw form in general construction, and the construction of agricultural buildings for many centuries. Swift Oak Limited do not treat any of its Green Oak timbers with stain, preservative, fungicide or pesticide – it is the client’s prerogative to do so. The green oak used in our oak frames is natural and as such may shrink, warp, crack or display natural wood defects. Swift Oak Limited cannot accept any responsibility for any of these characteristics unless they are proven to be detrimental to the structure.

The sapwood of the Green Oak may be affected by beetle such as True Powderpost. This beetle eats starch found in the sapwood until it is ready to mate when it leaves the timber and the exit hole is seen. A deposit may be visible which looks like powder, hence the name.

The very nature of green oak, timber framed buildings, is that they will display natural characteristics of freshly sawn timber. There will at times be some amount of wain on the beams, but this will not affect it’s structural stability. Green Oak is a natural material and may split or ‘shake’ during drying; this represents no long-term adverse effect on quality.

STRUCTURAL CALCULATIONS ARE ONLY SUPPLIED IF REQUESTED BEFORE ORDERING, AND ARE SPECIFIC TO EACH BUILDING.

Other Timber

Any structural softwood used is sawn and untreated. We would recommend that the customer apply a suitable fungicidle and pesticidle preservative to these elements once building is erected. If softwood weatherboard is selected, this is treated with preservative treatment.

If Larch cladding is selected, this is untreated. If oak cladding is selected, this is also untreated.

Softwood doors are clear treated but are not coated with any sort of stain. Oak stair cases are untreated. We recommend the joinery be given another coat immediately after installation, along with a further coat within three months. Additional coats should be applied periodically in accordance with the coating manufacturer’s instructions. It is the client’s responsibility to apply these further treatments as necessary.

VAT

All prices quoted are subject to VAT at the standard rate unless otherwise specified. However, certain projects, typically new-build houses for domestic occupation or certain works to Listed Buildings may be zero-rated. Clients will be required to provide suitable evidence to support the application of any zero-rating. It is unusual that free standing new garages are exempt from VAT.

Erection

The erection of the building if not being carried out by one of our recommended teams should be carried out by a competent carpenter/joiner. Swift Oak Limited are not responsible for any failures in the building due to the building not being erected properly.

Quantities of materials are worked out based on our standard specification. Ie 600 centres stud work and 400 centres rafters, and also 30mm overlap of the weatherboard (this may vary depending on frame specification).