How do I restore split external timber beams

[toomuchworknotenoughtime]

Forgive if this is the wrong forum.

I have a few structural timber beams outside about 8"x8" in cross section.

They've been gunged up with some sort of black matt paint which is now flaking off and looking really tatty. Most seems easy to remove but as I scrape it off I'm finding some filled splits in the timber - seems to be a white polyfilla type material. Some of this is loose and I'm pulling it out revealing quite wide and deep splits. Say 10" long and up to 1/4" wide and extending almost to the centre of the beam. Most seem to radiate from cracked knots.

The general look is really good. Very rustic looking. I can't believe the "filler" was doing much from a structural strength point of view but would be interested to know whether there is any concern structurally. From a weather/insect resistant point of view, can the splits be left open, and if so can they/should they be preserved in any way to strengthen and prevent future damage.

Many thanks

 

[JohnD]

what are these beams doing?

photos would be nice

 

[ladylola]

I've dealt with similiar in the past on several oak timbers on heritage buildings.
Generally the splits are nothing to worry about and don't affect the structural strength of the timber, the timbers are likely to be over engineered from a modern view point anyway.
Any sort of problem can only really occur if the splits form water traps or direct water to joints.
I've had to splice in timbers on rare occasions if a split is very large but generally if a split is a potential water trap then there is a much simplier solution.
Inject the split with a polysulfide mastic and immediately press fine sawdust or dirty type of dust depending on the colour onto the surface and tap it with a stiffish old paintbrush and your split will be fine and waterproof for years to come. I've also found that leadmate works well with this method too.

 

[Nige F]

I`d be inclined to brush linseed oil into the cracks

 

[toomuchworknotenoughtime]

Many thanks for quick replies.

Here are a couple of photos:

Untitled

• toomuchworknotenoughtime
• 23 Oct 2011
• 1

Untitled

• toomuchworknotenoughtime
• 23 Oct 2011
• 1

I'd like to restore them completely. Any suggestions as to how to strip them - at the moment I'm scraping them but its fairly slow and very dusty - and what to finish them with.
Thanks for all help.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I'd like to restore them completely. Any suggestions as to how to strip them - at the moment I'm scraping them but its fairly slow and very dusty - and what to finish them with.

I'm currently doing the carpentry and joinery on a pub/restaurant where there's been quite a bad fire. Where possible we have to re-use existing materials, including quite a lot of "oak" beams. Some are charred, most are soot blackened, so we intend to either wire brush them or in really bad cases we might sand blast then wire brush. The intension is to paint the beams black after cleaning, but we will be giving them a few coats of boiled linseed oil first.

 

[ladylola]

Scraping is probably your best bet to remove what looks like varnish or similiar.
Wire brushing is fine but especially on exterior oak I'd recommend using a brass brush rather than a steel one as steel can lead to blackening when it becomes damp.
As to the finish , it's perfectly ok to leave it untreated, countless old buildings have bare timber that is hundreds of years old and has weathered to the common silver colour. If you wish to keep a "new timber" look after stripping then I'd go with the linseed oil.