Posted By Pam on May 14, 2012

1. Assembling Information
   • If you have not done so already, purchase or subscribe to timber frame / post and beam industry publications that are currently available.  Timber Home Living is a good resource.
   • Visit your local bookstore or online retailer for books about timber framing.
   • Become an avid scrap booker!  Cut out pictures, take pictures of timber frame homes, print out homes you like from websites and start compiling a portfolio of what you like.  Everything from frame styles, exterior shots, stairs, windows, kitchens, you name it, are appropriate.  Everything is fair game as long as you like it!
   • You should also also have a fairly solid idea of what your overall budget is including land, site prep, finish work, and more.  Most companies will ask you about your budget from the start.
2. Online and Offline Research
   • Be sure to visit the Timber Frame Business Council website for information on timber frame companies.  Members of the Council are fully engaged and understand the timber framing process. The Timber Frame Business Council (www.timberframe.org) is non-profit trade association providing information and resources to support you in the timber frame building process. TFBC members include framers, engineers, architects, designers, preservationists, general contractors, teachers, suppliers, and others interested in the timber frame industry.
   • Check out the Timber Frame Resource Center on Facebook — see a variety of companies and their projects; we’re the only non-profit single resource for timber framing!
   • Start to sketch out  your budget and compare/contrast the different costs and services each company offers.  What’s included in the package price and shell?
   • Reach out to industry professionals who know the timber framing process and can help you understand the value and costs of this building system.
   • Speak with local architects, designers and construction contractors who have designed and built timber frame homes.
   • Look for those timber frame companies who have open houses.  Sign up, speak with the home owners and ask for references.
   • The more homes you see, the better understanding you’ll have of what you like, dislike, and how timber frame construction works.
3. Attend Timber Frame and Log Home Shows
   • We recommend that you attend a few log and timber frame home shows in your area.  Use Google (or another search engine) to locate log and timber frame home shows close and convenient to you.
4. Start Thinking About the Process
   • When exploring timber frame companies, consider:
     • What services does the timber frame company provide? The role of the timber frame company varies from project to project and company to company.
     • Timber frame companies may serve as a subcontractor, a general contractor or a specialty construction consultant. Companies vary in size of their operations, their style of timber framing, and the scope of products and services they offer.
     • How long have they been in business? What is the experience level of their crew?
     • What type of wood will they use? Can they explain some of the characteristics and advantages of different types?
     • Are they willing to consult with your designer?
     • What type of enclosure system do they recommend?
     • Do they maintain workers compensation insurance and the license(s) and insurance required by your state and local governments?
     • Are they a member of the Timber Frame Business Council?

By now, you may feel a little overwhelmed.  This is OK! Think of it as the first few weeks of college – a tremendous amount of new information coming at you from all directions.  Everything is new, different, unknown and hard to manage.  By October; however, things start to settle in you are “in a groove.”  After a few months of your timber frame research you’ll have a better understanding of what you want, who you want to work with, and how you wish to manage the process. Choosing a member of the Timber Frame Business Council helps you further obtain a well designed and constructed timber frame home; this group is 100% engaged in timber framing and if hired early in your planning process, can assist you in avoiding a lot of frustration while saving time and money.

As always, if you ever have any questions please feel free to email or call the Timber Frame Business Council: (888) 560-9251. We’d love to hear from you!

Category: Building your Timber Frame Home, Timber Frame Business Council | No Comments »
Tags: custom home, new home, post and beam, timber frame

Posted By Pam on April 6, 2012

Off-The-Grid Home from TFBC Member, Hugh Lofting Timber Framing

Just south of Annapolis, Maryland, Hugh J. Lofting Construction Management Services (Hugh Lofting Timber Framing) constructed an off-the-grid home.  Tucked far back from the road the property enjoys the peace and quiet of farmland views and a backdrop of forest.

But don’t let the bucolic surroundings or the craftsman appearance fool you. This new residence is a thoroughly up-to-date, sustainable home filled with cutting edge technology that had a very aggressive mission – provide a modern lifestyle for a family of four while minimizing their footprint on the Earth.

This project’s environmental highlights include:

• Creating a beautiful structure that brings joy for many generations
• Generate all electricity on-site
• Source all domestic and landscape water from rainwater capture or on-site resources
• Maintain all storm water on-site through capture or infiltration
• Use of local tradespeople and utilizing natural, local and/or recycled materials
• Minimize construction disturbance and waste
• Create and maintain a healthy indoor environment
• Off-the-grid living

HJLCMS and Hugh Lofting Timber Framing (HLTF) designed and built the home to work with the Earth.  “The house is sited to maximize passive solar gain in the winter but is designed to be shaded from too much sun in the summer,” says Hugh Lofting, company president. Concrete floors and a real fireplace, made from Avondale Quarry stone, were used to create a thermal mass to maximize passive solar heat gain. Coupled with tight construction and a seamless blanket of insulation is a solar thermal heating system installed by Radiant Comfort Systems that utilizes the heat energy of the sun to warm the in-floor radiant system. For those few really cold days, peak-heating demand can be met with two wood burning stoves and a geothermal heat pump. All three floors of the home contain radiant heat.  The basement and the first floor are hand troweled concrete which is stained then polished. Both locally sourced labor and material were used to help bolster LEED rating points.  Additionally the recycled content of the concrete was traced and documented to gain additional points.

Local, yet nationally recognized, company Hyde Concrete was contracted to transform the concrete from a gray slab of material to a finished product with deep tones of color to create a warm atmosphere. From the warm leather tones in the finished basement entertainment area to the accents in the terra-cotta first floor the polished concrete brings a modern touch to the home.

The same solar thermal system provides domestic hot water to the home.  The domestic water system is backed up with a propane fired instant hot water system for peak demand. The hot, humid summers of coastal Maryland posed a comfort challenge.  The home is positioned to take advantage of prevailing winds for natural ventilation and is equipped with large, high-efficiency, operable windows throughout.

Regardless of the mode of operation, a healthy indoor air is maintained via Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) that efficiently maintains temperature while introducing fresh air. In addition to using ERV, the home utilizes the radiant system to cool the home.  Radiant cooling along with minimal ducting help control the humidity and allow the home to be comfortable in the summer. The mechanical system includes passive nighttime cooling through the solar thermal panels with a geothermal heat pump as back up.

HJLCMS utilized a systems approach to construction that reduced site generated waste and construction time while increasing quality control.  The precast concrete foundation wall system from Ideal Walls provides an R-23.5 at the basement walls. The timber frame crafted in the HLTF shop is enveloped by Murus Company Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) that provides R-40 insulation on the walls and roof. Although there are a number of windows on the south wall for solar gain, windows on the other faces are limited and all windows are high-efficiency Serious Windows, series 700 or 900, providing at least an R-5.6 and SHGC of .21.  Energy modeling shading simulation software was used to determine the most efficient percentage of window area to wall for the North, South, East and West walls.

This Off-The-Grid house has exceeded expectations with its performance and intuitive design.  The homeowners are thrilled that their dreams of an up-to-date, sustainable home filled with cutting edge technology have come true without having to sacrifice their craftsman style aesthetic.  This house proves that modern technology can be used in any style home.

Category: Architects & Design Pros, Green Building, TFBC News From Our Members | No Comments »
Tags: LEED, sustainable design, timber frame

Posted By Pam on April 6, 2012

From TFBC Member, Riverbend Timber Framing:  Dreaming of a home where they could live out their retirement years doing the things they love like golfing and hiking, Michigan natives, Randy and Cathy began their search. Wanting to retreat from the harsh winters and crowded suburbs of their home, the couple traveled south along the eastern coast, looking for a location to fit their desired leisurely lifestyle. The couple’s search came to a halt when they found a site for sale at the heart of the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina. The town, people and view of the Cherokee National Forest were incentive enough to buy the land that day. “The views were breathtaking; you could see for miles,” Cathy said. “We knew this spot would be the perfect place to retire.”

Knowing that they wanted a home that would reflect the nature around them as well as their passion for outdoor activities, Randy and Cathy settled on building a traditional wood home. Finding a connection with Michigan-based Riverbend Timber Framing, a company with over 30 years of experience crafting traditional timber frame homes, the couple got to work planning their timber dream home.

Finding inspiration in the Cattail Lodge floor plan concept, the couple and Riverbend’s design team came up with a unique home that was tailored to their lifestyle. Cognizant of their needs later in retirement years, the couple and their architect decided to reduce the original home’s square footage to 2,300 square feet and to create a more compact, yet open plan that complied with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

An important factor for Cathy was that the living spaces flowed together. She wanted the ability to interact with family and friends whether she was cooking in the kitchen or setting the dining room table. “This open layout is a great way for the cook to stay connected to guests.” Cathy states.

Randy’s request for his retirement retreat was that their home have plenty of outdoor space as well as windows in every room to keep the home connected to the land they had instantly fallen in love with. By adjusting the home’s layout to accommodate the lot’s slope as well as its view, the architects were able to grant Randy’s request with a closed-in porch resting atop the basement area. “We practically live out on the porch 11 months out of the year,” Randy boasts. “The porch has a built-in grill and a dry-stacked fireplace for cold nights.”

Randy and Cathy’s dream of building a retirement home that reflected their active ties to nature as well as provided them with the amenities they would need in the future, was brought to life with the help of Riverbend’s talented team. The natural blend of the outdoors and indoor living spaces gave the couple the inspiration to name their home “Hawk’s Tail.”

Category: Architects & Design Pros, Building your Timber Frame Home, Green Building, TFBC News From Our Members | No Comments »
Tags: ADA compliant, retirement home, timber frame

Posted By Pam on March 13, 2012

Now for something different from South County Post & Beam, Inc.

This project is a basketball and recreation barn, made with Douglas Fir and insulated wall and roof panels. This 40’ x 70’ barn is not your average barn. The barn hosts a half-court basketball court on the first floor along with a wood working shop and a gym. The loft is a spacious room for dining and entertaining, complete with a fireplace. Underneath all this spacious fun are a two car garage and an enormous amount of storage space. Who needs a house when you have a barn like this?

The change in the grade from the house to the barn allowed South County Post & Beam crew to create a timber frame bridge to connect the two seamlessly.

Barns are not just for animals any more!

 

Category: Building your Timber Frame Home, TFBC News From Our Members, Timber Frame Business Council, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags: timber frame, timber frame. barns

Posted By Pam on March 13, 2012

This beautiful home on the terrain hails from Hardwick Post & Beam (Hardwick, MA). The owners enjoy the warmth of oak and state-of-the-art insulation. The upper living area is less than 2,500 square feet, with the basement (liveable) area, the home is a bit above the 2,500 square foot mark.

The Client Need:

This family’s building lot presented an asset and a challenge. The asset: the back of the lot abuts un-buildable conservation land, which ensures privacy and an attractive, woodsy view. The challenge: the lot slopes downhill from the road.

What Hardwick Post & Beam Did:

Hardwick Post & Beam designed a house that nestles into the slope, providing two levels of living space with natural light and direct access to the outdoors. The timber frame allowed an open floor plan with ample windows and doors on the back of the house toward the woodland view. With one side of the lower level insulated by the terrain, and the four walls and  roof insulated by stress-skin panels, the owners report year-round comfort. Red oak beams add a warmth all their own.

Category: Building your Timber Frame Home, Green Building, TFBC News From Our Members | No Comments »
Tags: timber frame, Timber Frame Business Council

Posted By TFBC- HDQ on February 6, 2012

This beautiful cabin comes to us from Cascade Joinery. More details below:

“Sometimes you get to work with people who have a passion for the project they are building. This was one of those times. Bruce has a passion for wood and couldn’t have been easier to work with. He was inspired by an island cabin we had done some years ago. The outcome of this collaborative design/build project is a gem of a cabin that will make a wonderful island retreat for the family for many many years to come.

It’s small, under 1,200 square feet of heated space , 864 on the main level and a small sleeping loft with bunk beds, but lives large with 1,600 square feet of covered decks. The fir timber frame is sheathed with SIP walls and roof to make a tight energy efficient shell.

Only wood and all wood surfaces inside and out. Douglas Fir timber frame, knotty fir decking and paneling, Brazilian cherry butcher block counter tops, cherry cabinets, Brazilian cherry floors inside, cedar board and batten siding, cedar shake roof, garapa decking outside.”

Category: Green Building, TFBC News From Our Members, TFBC Newsletters, Timber Frame Business Council | No Comments »
Tags: eco-friendly homes, sustainable building, sustainable homes, timber, timber frame. green building

Posted By TFBC- HDQ on February 6, 2012

This lovely homes comes to us from Clydesdale Frames Co. More details below:

These clients fell into the category of “big unknown”. During the planning stages, most of our contact was with Norman. He was a ‘straight ahead’ kind of guy who asked good questions and had an eye for details. His wife, Sally, seemed like the ‘perfect host’ type. Just enough ‘mothering’ that your belly would be full of cookies…but not so much she got under your skin. On the phone, or face to face meetings, in the office, they seemed like the perfect couple to build for….but, you see….Norman was a lawyer.

I’ve always said there are two types of timberframers: those that have been sued…and those that haven’t been sued yet.

Hey…lets face it. We live in a world where everything is under question. When every 12″ of checking along the face of a timber becomes a debatable question to the integrity of the structure…when the credentials of the framer come into question because of their past availability, or lack thereof, to take an accreditation class…we, as timberframers, have the need and right to “feel out” our potential clients. I had been burned before, and like so many other builders…I issued this decree, “I will never build for a lawyer again!”

Well obviously I did…or you wouldn’t be looking at these pictures and reading this article. Let me tell you why.

The grace and honesty that Norman carried himself with…won me over. I knew Sally was a saint…it was Norman I was worried about. Norman talked with me at length about our contract. There were some elements to it which made him uncomfortable. After very fruitful conversations between the two of us, we came to an agreement. I understood his motives a little better, he understood my motives a little better…the perfect combination. Once you understand what motivates a man, it becomes much easier to please and satisfy his expectations for the work he is hiring you to do. Work started…

During the “shop time” of Norman and Sally’s frame…conversations about a staircase began to percolate. Initial cost estimates ended the discussion for a time…but many months after the raising of the timberframe…Norman made the call. “John…I think we want Clydesdale to build those stairs.”

I responded, “Norman…aren’t the sheetrockers in there right now?”

“Nope…there done. The painters are in there.”

I nodded my head in disbelief…this is a 2-story set of U-shaped stairs, with 3 sets of stringers per story. The posts supporting the stacked sets of landings, were over 22′ long. I didn’t know how we were going to get the pieces in the house, let alone stand them upright in the stair tower.  I drove out there to get a series of field measurements and ‘problem solve’ with Norman the challenge of getting material into the stair tower…and transitioning it from the horizontal plane…to the vertical plane. After a lot of measuring, talking, and brain storming (remember…the painters are finishing up), Norman decides upon the solution. He will take out the 400 lbs picture window in the stair tower…and we will use a crane to lower our pieces down from the outside…!

I just stared at him.

Not only would this work, it would save us some serious back breaking labor. The audacity to make that call after the exterior of your house was finished…showed his trust in us to ‘make it happen’. After the stair plans were completed and material was ordered, Norman called and asked where the Contract was on the stairs. We are a small shop, sometimes I’m not as ‘Johnny on the spot’ as I should be…I said to Norman, “After all we’ve been through together…you still need to see a Contract?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line, “You know…I think you’re right. I trust you guys, just email me over the financial numbers.”

“No problem…on their way.”

When the house was completely done…Norman called me and said, “John…it’s more beautiful than I imagined it could be.”

I agree…friendships forged in the fires of trust and stewardship….usually are.

 

Category: Green Building, TFBC News From Our Members, TFBC Newsletters, Timber Frame Business Council, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags: eco-friendly homes, Green Building, sustainable building, timber frame, Timber Frame Business Council

Posted By TFBC- HDQ on December 30, 2011

Farmington, NY (December 28, 2011): New Energy Works Timberframers received the annual Green Builder Green Home of the Year, Best Craftsmanship award for The Vermont Street Project, a sustainably designed and built timber frame home in Portland, Oregon. The home is featured in Green Builder Magazine’s December issue (http://www.greenbuildermag.com/GBM/media/pdfs/Best-Craftsmanship.pdf).

Inclusion as Green Builder Home of the Year is a prestigious honor. Over 60 homes from across the nation were entered and evaluated by a panel of judges for the use of green materials, sensitivity to local sourcing, sustainability, mechanicals, efficiency, and innovative design. Green Builder judges commented about this year’s Best Craftsmanship winner saying, “This is a beautiful example of a timber frame; it’s cozy and well-built, and showcases a good use of reclaimed wood on the interior with wonderful attention to detail.”

Craftsmanship was key in this home. Cabinetry, doors, countertops, tables, stairs, and millwork were all hand crafted of various reclaimed wood species by NEWwoodworks fine woodworking group, while the kitchen’s stainless steel sink was hand formed by a local artist, and hand finished flooring was custom milled from reclaimed wood by Pioneer Millworks. Jonathan Orpin, President, New Energy Works Timber Framers explains, “The Vermont Street Project is a living example of greater sustainability in a design and craft intensive home. It is the result of decades of custom timber work and environmentally sensitive construction.”

Design and construction of the project was approached with the principle that a well built home stands on four tenants:

1: A long-lasting, thermally efficient structure
2: Advanced and efficient mechanical systems
3: Sustainable structural and finish materials
4: A plan tailored to the family’s needs and to carefully crafted, coherent detailing

Features include: a reclaimed Douglas fir timber frame; reclaimed elm and oak flooring; interior woodworking using reclaimed walnut (cabinets/interior doors); solid FSC wood framed windows; recycled redwood siding; antique barn siding; photovoltaic panels; solar hot water panels; rainwater collection system; Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs); recycled wood and cement form foundation blocks; natural plaster wall coverings; a high efficiency boiler, and more. For details visit The Vermont Street Project (http://www.newenergyworksplatinum.com/). The Vermont Street Project was also awarded Fine Home Building’s Home of the Year, 2011 and Forest Stewardship Council Design + Build, first place. The Vermont Street Project is currently seeking LEED H Platinum certification.

Partners who collaborated on this project: Pioneer Millworks, Basco Appliance, Chown Hardware, Custom-Bilt Metals, Dimensional Millwork, Inc., ecohaus, Evolution Floors, GLD DesignStudio, Imaginenergy, Landscape East & West, Loren Nelson Photography, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Traditional Natural Plaster Company, Premier Building Systems, and Shelter Works.

New Energy Works Timberframer has been designing and building environmentally responsible timber frames across the USA for nearly 30 years from their facilities in New York and Oregon. Offerings include: Timber Framing (design, engineering, manufacturing, build), Enclosure Systems, Fine Woodworking, Recycled and Sustainable wood products. New Energy Works has 2 LEED AP staff members, is a member of the US Green Building Council.

Contact Jennifer Young for further details at: jennifer@newenergyworks.com or 800-486-0661 (EST)

Category: Green Building, Industry News, TFBC News From Our Members | No Comments »
Tags: craftsmanship, Green Building, new energy works timberframers, SIPs, sustainable homes, timber frame

Posted By TFBC- HDQ on December 20, 2011

“Life is a gift that is shaped by choices. Choices as to where we live and with whom we live. We make choices everyday that define who we are and how we want to be seen. One of the more important choices is how we live each day, where we wake up in the morning, where we entertain our family and friends and where we relax. Normerica designs, manufactures and builds authentic timber frame homes; we create the statement that reflects who you are.”

NORMERICA AUTHENTIC TIMBER FRAME
www.normerica.com
1-800-361-7449

OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES.
- Normerica timber frame gazebo sits on 18’ x 14’ footprint
- 8” x 12” pine ridge beam
- 4” x 8” pine rafters on 24” o/c
- 2 foot overhang, exposed rafter tails
- cathedral ceiling with 6/12 pitch roof
- front elevation features twin posts, single posts at rear
- stone fireplace enclosure across back wall
- pine knee braces and timber accents

To view more photos of this project, and the home it accompanies, check out the gallery below:

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Tags: Green Building, outdoor living spaces, timber frame, Timber Frame Business Council

Posted By TFBC- HDQ on December 20, 2011

The Ontario Farmhouse from PineRidge timberframe is situated on top of a hill overlooking thousands of acres of Canadian conservation land located in Beaver Valley, ON.  From the outside, this Victorian looking farmhouse is so traditional that visitors are rarely prepared for the impressive interior that awaits them.

This unique timber frame was designed and manufactured by PineRidge Timberframe from Mount Forest, ON Canada and went up in three weeks despite the strong winds blowing over the land.  With oversized structural panels the home has a feeling of solidity and heft – but they also help to keep heating and cooling bills low despite the home’s expansive windows.  The home’s open floor plan was designed to give it a homey old fashion feeling  while having enough space for easy entertaining (which Don Jack the homeowner does a lot of – for his real estate Clients, friends and family).  Instead of closing in the four season room next to the kitchen/ dining area, Don opted to eliminate the walls and keep the space as a additional seating / lounging / dining area for when he entertains.  Don did the finishing work himself, taking a little more than a year and a half to get everything just right.  From the radiant in floor heat beneath the blue and brown slate floors throughout the home to the 14 foot kitchen island that houses 2 dishwashers, Don tried to think of everything.  Mike Mader of PineRidge stated that Don wanted a timber frame that wasn’t typical so we gave him unique!  This Old World Ontario Farmhouse caters to the masses – but still feels like home.

Main Floor is 2,333 sqft, Second Floor is 523 sqft.

To view more photos from this project, check out the gallery below:

Category: Green Building, TFBC News From Our Members, Timber Frame Business Council | No Comments »
Tags: Green Building, timber frame, Timber Frame Business Council