If you have an oak building in your garden or are considering one, then safety is of course of paramount importance. Fire safety is especially important, and this is something to consider around Bonfire Night, when you may be enjoying a bonfire or setting off fireworks in your garden. However, it is something to think about year-round if you have a fire pit on your property. 

Positioning an Oak Building for Fire Safety

If you are placing a new oak building on your property, then it is a good idea to consider fire safety throughout the year, and not just on the 5th of November. 

While you may worry about fire most when people are lighting fires for recreational purposes, wildlife is also an increasingly common concern around the world, including in many parts of the UK. Over the summer months, naturally started wildfires are an increasing threat due to global warming, and so homeowners need to bear this threat in mind when thinking about where to place a new oak-framed building. 

A well-designed oak building can fare well in fires. Though, of course, even the most fire-safe structure can be threatened by an accidental conflagration. 

So when positioning an oak building, you should think about wind direction and the direction from which wildfire threat is most likely to arise. This should be considered alongside other sectors when deciding where to place any new oak building on your property. 

Planting Around an Oak Framed Building & Fire Safety

When considering fire risk, considering wildfire sectors potentially acting on the site is just one thing to consider. Of course, you also need to consider the planting in your garden and the overall design of the site where the oak-framed building is situated. 

Of course, you need to think about where fire pits or other fire areas are positioned in relation to the structure. You should also think about how and where you plant around the oak-framed building and which plants you choose since the planting can also play a key role in determining fire safety on Bonfire Night and throughout the year. 

Think about trees that might overhang the structure or fall onto it. Choose trees and larger shrubs carefully. Make sure your garden is well-watered and that dry, dead material is not allowed to build up too close to the oak building, where it could increase the fire risk significantly. 

Building a Fire and Setting Off Fireworks on Bonfire Night

On Bonfire Night, it should really go without saying that you should make sure that you leave as much distance as possible between your bonfire and flammable plants and between your bonfire and any oak buildings. The bonfire should not be built too large in too small a space, nor should you use any dangerous materials in making the heap. 

Do not set off fireworks where they might crash into or fall onto an oak-framed building, or any other building for that matter. Ideally, unless you have a very large garden, it is better not to have your own fireworks but rather to attend a local public display. 

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We here at Loosehanger Oak pride ourselves on our attention to detail, as well as our environmental credentials. We provide an end-to-end service – taking care of everything from initial idea to finished construction. We handle all the small hassles and let you relax and look forward to enjoying your new oak building or oak extension.

Contact Gary today to begin your journey, book a free site visit and consultation, and join our many contented customers as you embark on your own oak framed construction project.