Timber Frame Facts

Fact #22 – Timber Frames are not log homes. Logs depend on horizontal members for their structure and strength.  Timber frames are built using age old timber joining techniques for vertical and horizontal timbers.

Fact #23 – There is no such thing as a fake timber frame.  It either is a timber frame or it’s not a timber frame.  Boxing beams and hanging beams from conventional framing is not a structural technique.

Fact #24 – Timber Frames can become additions to existing structures of any type.  It is not uncommon to add a great room, master bedroom, or outdoor living space to a conventionally framed home.

Fact #19 – Most timber frame companies work  closely with engineers to make sure that the structure meets or exceeds local building codes.   That timber frames are sustainable is evident in the history of building.

Fact #20 -  Early timber frames, dating back to 5000 to 6000 BC, survive in England and Scotland.

Fact #21 – There are timber frame buildings in France dating to the 12th century that are still in use today.

Okay, the hard facts are out there.  Now let’s get a little more creative with our facts.

Fact # 16 – Timber frames are “nailed” with wooden pegs.

Fact #17 – Timber frames are easy to decorate for Christmas.  Those beams and pegs just beg to be lit and swagged and decked with all sorts of decorations.

Fact #18 – Timber frames offer the opportunity to have cozy, private spaces without walls.

Fact #13 –  People who live in timber frames are happier (okay, so I made this up using my own data).

Fact #14 – Timber frames help to meet green certification requirements.  Building with rapidly renewable timbers, using energy efficient panels, minimizing site waste.

Fact #15 – Timber frames are naturally more fire resistant.  Heavy timber is recognized by fire codes (even in places where fire is a major hazard…like California) as a safer building product.

The fact is…

Fact #10 – Timber frames are honest.  Their integrity is there for all to see in the timbers and the joinery.

Fact #11 – Timber frames offer design opportunities that aren’t easy (if possible) to accomplish with other forms of construction.   The post and beams provide structure that is natural and not forced.

Fact #12 – A timber frame can be designed in any style…a Tudor (or half timbered home), a bungalow or cottage, a lodge, a farmhouse, a colonial, or a contemporary home.   The possibilities are endless.

The advantages of timber frames are many.  Let’s move forward with facts that support that statement.

Fact #7 – Daylighting is easy in a timber frame.  Because the structure is supported on the posts, your options are open to have windows wherever needed.

Fact #8 – The same joinery used in fine furniture and construction for centuries is the joinery still used in timber frame construction.  Whether dovetails, mortises and tenons, or scarf joints, the details would have been the same in a centuries old timber frame and one cut today.

Fact #9 – The same tools used to craft timber frames through the ages are standard in every timber frame shop today…whether a handcrafted shop or a shop using  computer numerical controlled  (CNC) equipment.  You’ll find chisels and mallets used to finish joinery.

Facts are easy when you are discussing a craft that hasn’t changed much through the centuries.

Let’s continue the list of facts, not fiction,  about timber frames.

Fact #4 – Timber frames, with their point loaded design, allow easier renovation and remodeling, if needed.  There are no bearing walls that must be accounted for in the process.  This flexibility might not seem important, but try opening up a wall in a stick-framed home and you get into headers and engineering.  Not so with timber frames.

Fact #5 – Timber frames can be built with a wide variety of woods.  The timber will be sized according to the properties of that particular species. Decisions should be based on availability, aesthetics, and the design of the timber frame.

Fact #6 – Timber frames are still timber frames, whether they are cut by hand or with a machine.  While there are subtle differences, the joinery is the same joinery used for centuries.

More facts to follow.

While all timber framers want to tell how wonderful timber frames are and how you life will be much better if you live in one, we need to know the facts.  Just the facts, thank you very much. So I will begin a series of short posts with timber frame facts.  No hype and no hyperbole.

Fact #1 – Timber frames are built from a renewable resource.  Wood does literally “grow on trees”.

Fact #2 – Timber frames are built with wood that is minimally processed. This is environmentally responsible.

Fact #3 – Timber frames will last for centuries.

So that’s the start of these facts.   Let’s see where it goes.

I’m all for any and all projects that will get our economy back on track.  Public projects will move the dollars in the form of wages and materials.  Costs of building materials, like much else, have dropped recently.  Will these projects mean that prices cement, drywall, steel, etc will begin to rise?  If so, will these price increases mean that it will cost more to build a home?

Food for thought.

Duke Energy in North Carolina offers a discounted electric rate to homes that meet Energy Star requirements.  The homes must be inspected by a third-party inspector, but the 5% savings makes it an affordable option.

The savings, when coupled with the reduced energy cost to maintain a home that meets or exceeds the requirements, are significant.

There are lots of incentives for building an energy efficient home.   We’ll outline some of them in coming weeks.  Stay tuned.