Old Growth Grain, Band Saw Marks, Built To Size
Cut from the inside of antique hand hewn timbers, so the original tight grain shows. Built to your exact dimensions and shipped nationwide from Auburn, Georgia.
Resawn reclaimed white oak box beams come from the inside of old hand-hewn timbers — the interior boards, which never saw weather. What that gives you is old-growth white oak with its original tight grain fully visible, and band saw marks instead of axe marks..
Color: light to medium brown, beige, and blond.
Texture: light to medium band saw marks. On request we can go lighter or heavier through sanding — or remove the saw marks entirely by planing.
Select grade available: if your project needs something close to the look of new white oak but you want the real old-growth material, ask us about select grade.
Boards are 120 to 200 years old.
Every Beechcreek box beam:
- 2, 3, or 4-sided box construction, built to your outside dimensions
- 1-sided skins available for trim and accent work
- Corners mitered for a clean, seamless appearance
- Backside planed; all visible faces sanded
- Bora Care treatment applied to kill insects and fungus
- Fastener holes filled with a sawdust-and-glue blend from the same wood
- Built to your exact dimensions — or your interior dimensions when the beam wraps steel, an LVL, or ductwork
- Shipped nationwide, full length, tarped and strapped
Each beam is one-of-a-kind. Expect natural variation in grain, stress cracks, nail holes, bug holes, knots, and patina — that’s the wood’s history, not a defect.
Resawn White Oak, Installed
Installing Resawn Reclaimed White Oak Box Beams
Most customers bring in a finish carpenter, though plenty of experienced DIYers handle it themselves. We supply the wood and we’re glad to talk through your run — we don’t install.
Before you start. Let the beams acclimate in the room for two to three days, stored off the floor in a dry, well-ventilated space. Keep temperature and humidity steady before, during, and after the install; wood moves with the room it lives in.
- Set your cleat. Rip 2×4 stock to match the beam’s interior width and fasten it to the joists or wall framing, level and on layout. Brackets are available separately if you’d rather not build cleats.
- Hang the beam. Lift it over the cleat and fasten through the sides with trim screws or lag bolts, keeping fasteners in the shadow lines.
- Fill the holes. Use the sawdust-and-glue blend that ships with your order — it’s milled from your own beam, so it disappears.
- Square your landing. Cut one end square where the beam meets a wall or corner for a flush finish.
Tools worth having on hand: lag bolts and trim screws, 2×4 stock, a level, circular saw, speed square, wrenches, drill and bits, braces, and ladders or scaffolding.
Care. Dust with a dry or barely damp cloth. In a kitchen or a high-traffic room, a sealer makes long-term upkeep easier.
How to Measure
Four numbers get your beam built right.
- Length — the full span, end to end. We build to 50 feet.
- Height — the vertical face, measured top to bottom.
- Width — the horizontal face, measured across the front.
- Interior height and width — the open channel inside the hollow beam. These are the ones that matter when the beam wraps an existing joist, steel, an LVL, or ductwork.
Wrapping something? Give us the interior dimensions and we’ll do the conversion: outside width comes out at interior width plus 2 1/2 inches, outside height at interior height plus 1 1/2 inches. We confirm both sets of numbers back to you before anything gets cut.
Beam under 14 feet? Tell us what it’s for. Mantels and floating shelves usually need end caps, and it’s easier to build those in than to add them later.
Why Builders and Homeowners Choose Beechcreek
Builders come to us because straight, square material makes the install go faster. When the beam fits the opening, corners stay tight and long runs stay true. Everything is milled here in Auburn, Georgia, and we stand behind what leaves the yard.
Homeowners and designers come for the surface. Wood that spent 60 to 200 years in a barn reads from the floor and holds up when someone walks over and puts a hand on it — that is not something a mold or a router can fake. We’ll talk through sizing, texture, and finish so the beam lands right in your room.
And every order puts people coming out of recovery to work. That’s not a side story. It’s why the shop exists.
Tell us what you're building.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is old-growth grain tighter than new oak?
The trees these barns were built from grew slowly, over a century or more, packing growth rings close together. Modern lumber is fast-grown and open-grained. Tighter grain is denser, harder, and reads richer under any finish.
Can the band saw marks be removed?
Yes — we can go lighter through sanding or remove them entirely by planing, giving you a smooth antique face. Just say so on your quote.
What is select grade?
Our cleanest boards — closest to the look of new white oak while still being genuine old-growth reclaimed material. If your design leans modern but you want the real thing, ask about select grade.
Are resawn white oak box beams safe to use indoors?
Yes. Resawn white oak comes from the inside of antique hand hewn timbers, so the wood is long since seasoned — the moisture left and the movement happened generations ago. Every beam also gets a Bora Care treatment before it ships, which kills insects and fungus. That’s a deliberate choice: we treat rather than kiln dry, because kiln drying reclaimed wood tends to make it check and crack afterward. One thing to be clear about — box beams are decorative. If the beam has to carry load, that’s a solid beam, and your builder or engineer specifies it.
Can you take the saw marks off, or make them heavier?
Both, and neither costs extra. Band saw marks can go lighter or heavier through sanding, or come off entirely by planing — surface texture is not an add-on on box beams. Backside planed and visible faces sanded is how we build them as standard. Tell us the look you’re after and we’ll match it.