Timber Frame HouseTimber Frame Structures
By Robert M. Davidson
Known as one of the worlds oldest construction methods, Timber Frame Structures are regaining popularity with some new technology. Some hot new trends have come to this old construction method that make the design possibilities almost endless. The "barn" has evolved in the last few years. Working with traditional concepts and images, some barn construction companies have found new exciting uses for barn designs that combine today's yearning for wide open spaces, with environmentally conscious construction. The new Timber Frame designs of today still remain grounded in their traditional elements and roots.
Solid and rugged, these structures are the essence of traditional timber framing, utilizing oak pegged mortise and tenon joinery. No metal brackets or splines are generally used, and the weight of the entire structure is supported by the frame which leaves the interior mostly open. For centuries timber frames have been used to build solid structures that span great lengths and heights. Most Timber Frame Structures are assembled in a large workshop by highly skilled craftsman using newer technology for even more precise joinery. Depending on the size of your structure, it could take anywhere from three to six weeks to cut and finish your frame. Then the frame is dis-assembled and shipped to the construction site. From there it is reassembled and the living spaces finished to the owners specifications.
The wood used during the construction process is usually taken from local native forest's through sustainable means, but most oftentimes the wood harvested to be used is either Cedar, Douglas Fir, Eastern White Pine, or Oak, among others. The trees are cut down to size with large saws and then kiln dried due to the fact that only fully dried timbers can be smoothed, sanded and stained. The kiln dried timbers provide strength and durability, and combine the beauty of the wood with the elegance of the timber joinery to create a rustic yet modern feel. Hybrid Timber Frame Structures, which are gaining huge popularity, use large timber structures to provide the wood frame feel used in the main area of the house and use either standard stick frame techniques or SIP (Stress Skin Panels) to fill in the walls and provide insulation. The result is a Timber Frame look and feel with the savings of a conventionally built home with standard framing.
Many of today's home buyers are planning to spend their retirement years in their homes, or enjoying their family horses for a very long time. So when you look at how Timber Frame Homes and barns are being built these days, you can definitely see that people are counting on the fact that their Timber Frame Structures are strong enough to last more than one lifetime.
Timber Frame House
