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Why You Should Visit Your Timber Frame Company

June 3, 2021

“A truly invaluable experience.”

“I hope you encourage all your future clients to come to your shop.”

In Their Words

The trip to visit the Carolina Timberworks shop was the highlight of our project thus far! We were simply blown away by the whole experience. Even just driving to your beautiful shop through the gorgeous mountain environment with the leaves changing and stunning vistas around every corner.

Driving up to the shop for the first time, quite impressive, understated and perfectly done to create the right environment exuding the extraordinary craftsmanship inside. First Impressions: Safe, Clean, Orderly and filled with incredibly focused craftsmen working busily inside and out shaping our beautiful South Carolina Southern Yellow Pine Beams, custom cut from trees on our land, years before. They are now coming to life right before our eyes! Every one of your customers must take advantage of a visit like to this to see this happen. To see and feel the emotion and even the smell of the wood, while these talented men create extremely difficult precision joinery. Unreal experience!

Each one of your craftsmen were so polite and engaging as we communicated with them. Obviously very proud of what they are doing and eager to share the particular things they were doing.

A truly invaluable experience for us all.

How to interview a timber frame company

Ask someone who builds timber frames for a living what makes their company different, and you’re likely to hear some variation on the theme of high quality, responsive service and talented people. Their answer may be truthful, but if you want an enjoyable experience, you haven’t learned what you need to know to make an informed decision. So how exactly do you do that?

While You’re Here

With 5 peaks over 5,000′, 10 acres per inhabitant, a jet-capable airport, the North and South Forks of the New River, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the picture postcard perfect town of West Jefferson, you’ll want to leave some extra time to explore the area. Here’s a list of some of our favorite things to do while you’re in town.

Learn More

Carolina Timberworks Timber Frame Construction Process

January 28, 2021

or…What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Timber Frame

Timber frame construction process from Carolina Timberworks

The process of creating a timber frame is important, regardless of how well the finished product turns out—just ask someone who endured a terrible process to obtain their timber frame.

There is neither a shortcut, nor any secret to designing a timber frame. But whether good or bad, every timber frame company has a process. This is ours.

It starts with a dream: a spark that inspires a homeowner or a business owner to build something.

We’ve been doing this long enough to know that we’re not the right fit for every project that comes along. We half-jokingly call this first meeting the “dating phase.” There’s an understood agreement that this meeting is about learning about one another—how we both like to work, what makes us tick, our expectations. We ask you questions, and we answer your questions. (Here are some good ones: How to Interview a Timber Frame Company). Afterward, if either of us doesn’t think the partnership is a good fit, we say so, parting ways amicably and with no hard feelings—and with no expectation of a second date.

But if, on the other hand, we both agree the match has potential, the discussion turns to taking the budding relationship to the next level. The rosy flush of romance may fade considerably at this point because we (Carolina Timberworks) will bring up the subject of money on only the second date. Tacky, right? To make matters worse, we’ll throw in questions about timing. Uncomfortable though it may be, this refreshingly open communication results in saving both of us a lot of time, money, and frustration. After all, you probably don’t want to spend months waiting (and paying) for a timber frame design, that when finally priced, turns out not to fit your budget.

At this point, it’s time to talk commitment. You’re about to “marry” a timber framer—something your mother probably warned you about. (Okay, maybe not. But bet you didn’t know that timber framers’ mothers warn them about marrying the wrong clients!) Doubt and fear make their appearances. But this is why prenuptial agreements (contracts) were invented. Really good timber frame contracts are all about reducing future disagreements and problems by carefully defining what success looks like. The best ones are easy to understand, fair to both parties, contain good drawings, and are typically fairly lengthy. You wouldn’t sign a one-page prenuptial agreement, would you?

Now something weird happens in the relationship: At this point your honeymoon begins, but your timber framer has to go to work. While you’re basking in the sense of accomplishment that comes from knowing that you’ve conceived the latest addition to your family, your timber framer will be spending a great many days/evenings/weekends in front of a monitor, painstakingly working out a whole lot of details.

It’s three weeks into your honeymoon. You feel a bit guilty about emailing your timber framer that breathtaking photograph of your view of the Matterhorn from the Mont Cervin hotel in Zermatt, Switzerland. Hard at work, your timber frame spouse replies rather distractedly and with some frustration: “The engineer just called. He woke up in the middle of the night worried about…” The words every timber framer dreads. The “separate honeymoon” phase continues.

If children were produced like timber frames, sometime prior to birth, you’d receive, with a certain amount of fanfare, an amazingly complex set of drawings from the doctor with every measurement of your baby you could want—and quite a few more—including views from every possible direction or angle. To your dismay, you realize the timber frame shop drawings are pretty complex, and out of your realm of knowledge of design. It’s at this point your architect, builder, or contractor steps in with their trusty red pen, marking up the drawings and suggesting changes. Back to the timber frame shop the drawings go to the love of your life (your timber framer), and in due course, a revised set of drawings arrives in your inbox. Upon consultation with your architect or builder, one of you will sign off on the shop drawings, thereby unleashing the timber frame dogs of war (okay, that doesn’t really work, but always wanted to work that phrase in somewhere).

The timber procurement process is a bit like gestating a baby: there are times where it seems like not much is happening. This can be a blessing, for your often hyper-focused timber frame mate appears to relax a bit, and even suggests a meeting. The subject? What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Timber Frame— The Next Steps.

The first thing most people do when walking into a timber frame shop is to pause, smile, and comment how good it smells. Just like babies, freshly cut timber smells good! And just as babies symbolize new life, the beginning of a new job in a timber frame shop always feels like a fresh new start. Some timber frame parents just can’t wait for a peek at their new child, and visit the shop for an early “reveal”. Others, preferring to be surprised, are willing to wait just a few more weeks…

Suddenly, after months and months of slowness, things start to happen—fast. You’ll know you’re entering the final phase when your timber frame spouse’s extended family starts arriving in their pickups to raise your timber frame. You knew the “relatives” (our crew) was part of the deal, but you never expected this many beards, that they’d be this hungry, or that they’d be this nice!

Here’s another family secret: Timber framers don’t really like clothes. Don’t believe me? Watch carefully. Once the timber frame is standing, the crew’s phones will come out. And if you’re lucky you’ll catch a glimpse of each member of the crew, your extended family now, casting one last glance at their baby just before they depart. And if you could read their thoughts, you’d know they think the baby will never look more beautiful than at this moment—completely naked, without a stitch of siding, roofing, or other finishing touch.

Check out some of our favorite children

West Jefferson, NC

January 20, 2021

West Jefferson: The Coolest Corner

Is West Jefferson, NC (Ashe County) one of the best places to live, raise a family, and work in Western North Carolina?

Carolina Timberworks thinks so.

West Jefferson, NCAshe County by the Numbers

Elevation (5 peaks over 5,000′)	3,178′
Population (people, not cows)	27,203
Square miles	426.14
People per square mile (Manhattan is 69,467)	64
Acres (Bill & Melina Gates own only 242,000)	272,778
Acres per person	10
Number of farms (no farmers, no farmers’ market)	1,125
Christmas tree production (by county, in the U.S.)	No. 1
Median home value (San Francisco is $1.38 million)	$153,200
Sales tax rate	7%
Property tax rate (per $100 USD)	$0.443
Median rent (half pay more, half pay less)	$634
Median household income (half earn more, half earn less)	$40,962
Households with broadband internet	70.4%
Average travel time to work	25 min.
Closest public airport (GEV)	11 min.
Closest major airport (CLT)	2 hr. 7 min.
Distance to Blue Ridge Parkway	17 min.

Where is Ashe County?

West Jefferson NC Photo — (Double-click to zoom in and see astonishing detail)

Completed in early 2021 at an estimated cost of $154.7 million, the widening of U.S. 221 from U.S. 421 in Deep Gap to West Jefferson to a four-lane median-divided highway is game-changing. West Jefferson is now approximately 30 minutes from Boone, NC, 2 hours from Charlotte, NC, and 2-1/2 hrs. from Asheville, NC.

Best Realtor

Theresa DeMarco. Hands down. And she’s a Carolina Timberworks alumni.

Theresa’s Website

Some of our Favorite Things to do in and around West Jefferson and Ashe County

Take a good book to bed with you: Ashe County Public Library
People-watch downtown West Jefferson
Visit America’s longest park, the Blue Ridge Parkway
See for yourself why Outdoor Magazine named Boone, NC (30 min. away) in its Top Ten Places to Live in the U.S.
Bicycle 10.8 miles on a unusually flat (and scenic) road: Railroad Grade Road
How about a 3 hr. family bike ride…downhill? Virginia Creeper Trail
After you finish biking, here’s where to find HUGE donuts: Hole Lotta Doughnuts
Float/kayak/canoe/flyfish the North Fork or the South Fork of the New River: Ashe County New River Map
See Time transformed into Space: Museum of Ashe County History
Unlike sausage-making, you’ll enjoy seeing cheese made: Ashe County Cheese (hint: 5 year old super sharp Cheddar)
Hike to Canada in an afternoon: Grandfather Mountain, at 5,945′ is the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and as you ascend, you’ll transition from Rich Cove Forests to Northern Hardwood Forests, and finally reach a section of Canadian hemlock forest.
Not to be outdone by neighboring Watauga County, Ashe County has its very own Grandfather Mountain. It’s called Mount Jefferson State Natural area. For a great 1 hour hike, take 2 vehicles, leave one at the parking area at the top of the mountain, and drive the other back down to the ranger station at the base. Park, and hike (up) the Mountain Ridge Trail to your other vehicle.

Ashe County Airport

You may be surprised to learn that private jets regularly land and take off only 3 miles from Jefferson, NC. Ashe County Airport (KGEV, GEV) is a county-owned public airport with a 5,002′ long runway.

Communities in Ashe County

West Jefferson is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the largest town in Ashe County, while Jefferson is the county seat. Lansing rounds out the list of towns (our favorite pizza comes from Pie on the Mountain in Lansing). Some of the other places you might like to explore are Todd, Fleetwood, Creston, Helton, and Glendale Springs.

Neighboring Communities

Trouble choosing where to explore next from your home base of West Jefferson? Here’s one great day trip: From West Jefferson, take 221 S to 421 N to Boone, a busy college town about 30 minutes from West Jefferson, home to Appalachian State University, a vibrant downtown and the best haircut (Haircut 101). From Boone, take 105 S for 5 miles, then turn right on Broadstone Road. In 3 miles you’ll travel back in time 100 years and arrive in Valle Crucis, home to the original Mast General Store. Now for an achingly beautiful (and twisty) road take 194 S to Banner Elk. Take 184 S to 105 S to Linville, then 221 N to Grandfather Mountain. From there, get on the Blue Ridge Parkway and head north for 12 miles to the village of Blowing Rock. Finally, after you’re tired of shopping, take 321 N to Boone, then 421 S to 221 N back to West Jefferson.

Best Local Weather Forecast

RaysWeather.com

Contact us to schedule a visit.

Carolina Timberworks is a timber frame company in West Jefferson, and we’re proud to call Ashe County home. If you’re building or remodeling in the area and are contemplating post and beam or timber frame construction, drop us a line and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!

Carolina Timberworks
West Jefferson, NC 28694

Website: www.carolinatimberworks.com
Phone: 828-266-9663

Drop us an email!

Timber Frame Trusses

March 17, 2019

truss, n. A collection of timbers or members forming one of the principal supports, as of a roof or bridge, and framed together so as to give mutual support and prevent distortion, as by the forces of gravity and wind loads.

Trusses, whether structural or decorative, are usually named in one of five ways: 1. from the construction in which they are used; as in, roof truss or bridge truss, etc.; 2. from their form; as in, lenticular truss, etc.; 3. from their resemblance to certain objects; as in, scissors truss, etc.; 4. from some prominent feature in their construction; as in, king post truss, hammer beam truss, etc.; 5. from the person by whom they were in invented; as in, Howe truss, etc. (adapted from the Funk & Wagnalls Company 1943 Standard Dictionary of the English Language)

King Post Truss

The king post truss with struts is popular, timeless, very strong, and an elegantly simple truss design. This style can be embellished with radius cuts on the struts and a through tenon at the base of the king post (as pictured above). This truss is very adaptable with regard to desired span and roof pitch.

King Post Truss With Struts and Queen Posts

The king post truss with struts & queen posts is based on the popular king post truss design, but with the addition of two queen posts (pictured above). This truss is also very strong, and adaptable with regard to desired span and roof pitch. This arrangement is particularly good for longer truss spans (in excess of 24’ feet).

King Post Truss With Extra Bolsters

The king post truss with extra bolsters builds on a favorite timber frame truss design with two added bolsters on the underside of the bottom horizontal chord for a heftier look. These mirror image pieces added to the underside of the bottom chord can provide a stepped transition to the vertical wall plane. The bolsters can have a wide variety of decorative profiles cut into their visible ends. Twin metal straps can also be banded around both the bolster and the bottom chord for a craftsman detail.

Timber Frame Truss curved arched lower chord

Arch Chord King Post Truss

An arch chord king post truss is another variation on the classic king post style, this time with an arched lower chord. This design adds a curvilinear element into the ceiling space instead of the standard horizontal timber, raising the structure somewhat and giving some extra volume below. Some of our clients have pointed out how the curves in this timber frame truss soften the lines and convey a natural aesthetic (after all, there are very few straight lines in nature). The radius cut for the arch should be shallow in order to be cut out of solid sawn timber. However, more semi-circular arches can be accommodated by using a grain matched glue laminated arch material (this is considerably more expensive than solid sawn timber).

Queen Post Timber Frame Truss with arched curved lower chord

Arch Chord With Queen Posts Timber Frame Truss

The arch chord with queen posts timber frame truss is another variation on the classic king post style, this time with twin vertical queen posts. This design adds more vertical elements above the arched bottom chord with the extra volume below. The radius cut for the arch should be shallow in order to be cut out of solid sawn timber. We like to use a spline tenon to joint the 2 half arches to the base of the king post. On larger spans, this configuration often requires concealed steel connectors to resist tension and spreading along the arch itself.

Scissors Truss

A scissors truss is a traditional truss style with many variations, this design can be used in small or large spans. Scissors trusses are not recommended for shallow roof pitches ( below 8/12 pitch ). We like to add the queen posts on either side of the central king posts. These trusses have a more complicated geometry with many angled intersections and a higher center for added space.

Hammer Beam Timber Frame Truss

A hammer beam timber frame truss is based on the more elaborate hammer beam timber frame bent design. The combination of heavy timber and metal tie rods and turnbuckle is not only appealing but is often required to handle the spreading forces this configuration will develop. In case you were wondering, a hammer beam is a short beam projecting laterally from the inside of a wall, and serving as a tie beam.

Hammer Beam Timber Frame Bent

A hammer beam timber frame bent, pictured above, is a beautiful and more complicated design, and creates dramatic vaulted spaces. There are many ways to embellish this design, from through tenons and radius cuts to decorative pendants or finials. The hammer beam bent is often associated with religious structures, great halls, or great rooms. Without a metal tie rod and turnbuckle, deep wall posts and/or concealed steel connectors are needed to handle the forces this configuration will develop.

Timber Frame Truss and Purlins

Timber frame truss and purlins: adding purlins between heavy timber trusses is an elegant way to reduce the cost of a timber frame roof because purlins permit an increased on-center distance between trusses (so you purchase fewer trusses). An added benefit are the strong lines that purlins create by running parallel to the ridge beam(s). (Another benefit is that purlins are a great place for placing LED lighting fixtures). Purlins often sit in pockets cut into the truss rafters (as shown) but can also sit on top of the truss rafter to create a secondary layer to the roof structure. There are some span restrictions based on the purlin size ( beam width x depth) and how close they are together. This is a very traditional concept in heavy timber roof framing. (purlins are a series of horizontal timbers laid across (or connected to, as depicted above), the principal rafters, and support the roof covering–typically 2×6 tongue and groove boards, conventional or structural insulated panels (SIPs), and roofing)

Timber Frame truss roof with ridge beam and rafters

Timber Frame Truss Roof With Ridge Beams and Common Rafters

A timber frame truss roof with ridge beams and common rafters can provide a larger space between each truss. We like common rafters between each truss thereby giving a rhythm to the roof structure. The common rafters are often smaller than the truss timbers to differentiate between the primary and secondary timber frame elements.

Timber Frame Truss Roof With Ridge Beam, Purlins, and Common Rafters

A timber frame truss roof with ridge beam, purlins, and common rafters is a stunning combination that creates visual interest and structural complexity. There is a hierarchy of timber framing at work here, with trusses supporting the ridge and purlin beams. Above these components is a rack of common rafters. Typically the trusses are made from the biggest timbers, followed by intermediate sized ridge and purlins followed by the common rafters as the smallest timbers. One of our favorite combinations!

Bridge Trusses

The Howe, Warren, and Queen Post Parallel Chord Trusses, sometimes referred to as Bridge Trusses are relatively simple designs used in the construction of everything from the earliest 19th century modern bridges to WW II aircraft hangars. They’re efficient, strong, and characterized by the joining of numerous smaller members into a series of interconnected triangles. In addition to being a proven way to solve the engineering problem of long spans, we think they look great in modern timber framing (see an example here) and are one of the best examples of form following function.

Cruck Frame Bent

Cruck Frames, found primarily in the UK, were the original A-frame. According to Cruck Building: A Survey, the definitive definition of a cruck is as follows: “a true cruck consists of a pair of timbers (blades), straight or curved, serving as the principals of a roof, and stretching to point at or close to the apex of the roof, from a level well down the side walls.”

Why Do Timbers Split and Crack?

June 23, 2016

Eric Morley on why timbers split and crack, how long it takes timber to dry, where to get dry timbers, and why gunshots in the night are nothing to be afraid of when you understand wood checking.

The Short Answer: Wood Checking

Splits and cracks (known as wood checks in the industry) occur when wood shrinks as it dries. Wood shrinks roughly twice as much along with the growth rings (radially) as it does across the rings (tangentially). It is this uneven shrinkage that causes checks to develop.

Is Wood Checking Bad?

Here at Carolina Timberworks, we think of them as wrinkles in a cotton shirt. It proves the timber is real. Checks are what make a solid timber look different from a boxed beam. Look at the reclaimed timber below. It is impossible to predict where a check will appear in timber. It is the check that gives this reclaimed Oak timber so much of its character and a big part of what makes it completely unique and different from any other beam in the world.

Ever Heard the Song of the Wood?

Have you ever taken a hot loaf of artisan bread out of the oven, and put your ear to it? If you do, you’ll hear the song of the bread–pops and crackles as the crust shrinks, cracks, and dries.

Walk into a timber framer’s shop one winter evening when everyone has gone home for the day. Throw another log into the woodstove, and listen carefully. If there are green (wet) timbers arrayed on sawhorses, within a few minutes, you’re likely to hear the song of the wood – a symphony of pops and cracks as wood checking occurs.

If one night, asleep in your new timber frame home, you’re awoken by a loud crack a little like a gunshot. Don’t worry. Roll over and go back to sleep. It’s just your timbers singing to you. That’s wood checking in action.

Why Does Wood Shrink?

It sometimes surprises people to learn that roughly half of a living tree’s weight is water. Let’s consider a 24’ long Douglas Fir log that measures 34” diameter at the large end and 14” at the small end as an example. This hypothetical green (wet) log would contain a little over 1 ton of water or about five 55 gallon drums of water.

Sometimes when we drive a chisel into green (wet) timber, water spurts out of the wood. Wood is hydroscopic – meaning it’s like a sponge in that it can absorb, hold and release water. When freshly cut, approximately half of a tree’s weight is water. The photograph below shows water in a freshly cut Cypress timber–and how the timber is drying from the outside in.

How Long Does It Take a Timber to Dry?

It’s not exactly a fast process. It depends on the humidity of the environment in which the timber is located, but one rule of thumb is that timber air dries about one inch per year. Thus a 12” x 12” timber would take about six years to dry to the center.

How Dry Will the Timber Become?

A timber will eventually air dry to the Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC) of its environment. The EMC is the point at which wood is neither losing nor absorbing water. A timber’s moisture content is determined by the atmospheric humidity of the timber’s environment.

That environment varies, of course. Is the timber located inside, or outside? What part of the country is it located in? What time of year is it? For example, in the dry mountain air of Denver, the outdoor EMC of wood exposed to the outdoor atmosphere in July is 9.4%, while New Orleans is 15.3% (Forest Products Laboratory: Equilibrium Moisture Content of Wood in Outdoor Locations in the United States and Worldwide, August 1988).

How Wet (or Dry) Are My Timbers?

Since we can’t see the water in the wood, moisture meters are used to measure moisture content. Inexpensive moisture meters measure the surface moisture content which works ok for 3/4” boards, but not 8” thick timbers. Professional moisture meters use electromagnetic scanning to read the moisture in the wood, not on the surface of the beam.

What is the Average Moisture Content in the U.S.?

The majority of the U.S. has an 8% average moisture content, the Southeast and California coastal areas have an 11% average moisture content, and the Southwest desert areas are closer to 6%.

Most Timber Frames Are Built From Green (Wet) Wood

It is impractical (it takes years) to air dry timber, and we humans are an impatient species, so for the last two thousand years, people have been building timber frames from green (wet) timber. Yes, green timber will shrink, check, and sometimes twist as it dries, but timber framers and engineers understand and account for the movement. Checks begin on the exterior surface of the timber and almost always stop at the heart (center) of the timber, and are almost never a structural concern.

By the way, if a crack were to develop all the way through a timber (splitting it into two separate pieces), it would be called a split and might be cause for concern.

Learn more about timber framing all the ways timber can be used here.

How Much Does Green (Wet) Timber Shrink as It Dries?

Shrinkage depends on the species, but more than you may think!

Since many timber frames are built from Douglas Fir, let’s start by looking at a 12×12 Douglas Fir (Coastal) timber. This particular green (wet) Douglas Fir timber, dried to a final moisture content of 8%, would be expected to shrink a little less than 9/16” on each face from 12” x 12” to a final size of 11-7/16” x 11-7/16”.

Western Red Cedar shrinks less: The same size timber in Western Red Cedar timber would shrink a bit less about 5/16” to 11-11/16” x 11-11/16”. Finally, how about a species with a high shrinkage rate, like White Oak? It would be expected to shrink a bit less than 3/4” to slightly larger than 11-1/4” x 11-1/4”.

6 Ways to Minimize Problems with a Green (Wet) Wood in a Timber Frame:

Specify Free-Of-Heart-Center instead of the less expensive Boxed Heart grade.
Apply a wax-based end sealer to the end grain to slow the drying process. We use Anchorseal, available at https://uccoatings.com/products/anchorseal/.
Utilize housed joinery wherever possible.
Drawbore pegged joints.
The slower the drying, and the more gradual the process, the better (i.e., the worst thing you can do is enclose the timber frame and immediately turn on the heat or air conditioning full blast.)
Do not apply a film-forming finish (i.e., polyurethane) to the greenwood.

I Don’t Want Wood Checking or Cracks in My Timbers. What Are My Options?

Don’t build with solid timber. Instead, ask us to price glulam beams for the timber frame, or to fabricate box beams from well-dried new or reclaimed lumber.

If you’re ok with some checks, but would prefer to avoid some of the characteristics of green lumber, consider purchasing your timber like you do your high-quality organic cotton t-shirts–pre-shrunk. There are two ways to buy dry beams: new timber that’s been dried in a kiln, or reclaimed wood that’s dried slowly and naturally for 50 or 100 years during its previous life as a barn or warehouse.

Where to Buy Kiln Dried Timbers?

We offer two types of kiln-dried timber: Conventionally kiln-dried (KD), and Radio Frequency Kiln Dried (RFKD). Conventional kiln drying dries about the outer 1” or so leaving most of the timber wet. The other method, RFKD, is similar to a giant microwave and dries timber to the core.

What you need to know about RFKD timber is that it currently works only on Douglas Fir, it is dry to the core, and it is more expensive. It is, however, not as dry as conventionally kiln-dried hardwood flooring or lumber (6-8% moisture content). For example the driest grade of RFKD timber measures 15% or less moisture content 3” in from the surface of the timber.

What About Using Reclaimed Wood in Timber Frame Construction?

Reclaimed wood beams that have naturally air-dried for 50-100 years during their previous life as a barn, factory, or warehouse are often completely dry to the core and the driest timbers available anywhere. It’s not easy to hand-scribe and connects irregular, twisted, and non-square reclaimed beams so the finished timber frame appears to have always been one frame.

We think a timber frame built from reclaimed wood is everything that today’s sleek, mass-produced, technology-saturated culture isn’t. It celebrates the cracks and character and dirt and all the other marks that time, weather, and use leave behind.

Interested in learning more about timber framing? Check out our timber frame videos and see what makes Carolina Timberworks the best in the nation.

How to Figure Out a Timber Frame Budge

September 23, 2015

Champagne timber framing on a (craft) beer budget

After receiving the latest Carolina Timberworks newsletter, a potential client emailed a great question: “Can you show a recent home for a customer on a 300k budget, else this stuff is non-realistic to normal non-millionaire folks“.

My Emailed Reply About a Timber Frame Budget

With respect to non-millionaire projects, we do a lot of them. One way to fit timber framing into the budget is to consider hybrid timber framing — i.e. timber frame only certain parts of the house as opposed to building a timber frame house. You might consider identifying an area or two within your plan that you might like to timber frame (for example the front entry and great room) and establish a budget. Then, give us a call and we’ll do our best to come up with something great that fits your budget.By the way, if the timber framing is structural (versus decorative) there is some cost offset savings to be realized (since the timber framing is replacing 2x conventional construction).

Admittedly, timber framing is more expensive than conventional construction, but it’s also for us non-millionaire folks. I have a timber framed heavy duty mailbox post, one curved timber bracket at my front entry, and a timber framed garage/guesthouse.

Finally, you can design, cut, and raise the timber frame yourself. It’s a heavy lift (pun intended), but your ancestors probably did it, and people today find it highly rewarding. By the way, there are wonderful schools that teach introductory timber framing (Heartwood in MA, and Yestermorrow in VT).

A More Considered Reply

Most of the timber frames Carolina Timberworks builds are for architect-designed homes — so to be clear, we do not design homes. My personal design philosophy has been shaped by the architect-designed timber frames we’ve been involved with, as well as two books:

A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander
The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka

Sarah Susanka’s design philosophy might be summarized as follows: Keep your budget as is, but design a smaller home with less square footage. Spend the cost savings on great design, quality materials, and craftsmanship.

Suppose you want to budget for some timber framing in your home, have a smaller home design in hand, and have already chosen which areas of your home to timber frame. Here are some factors under your control that will determine how much your timber frame costs:

The timber frame design itself. The simpler the timber frame design, the less expensive it will be.
Your timber choices are varied, and certain timber species are less expensive than others.
Within a given timber species, sometimes a lower grade is available that will produce a serviceable yet still beautiful (and less expensive) timber frame.
Reducing timber sizes. If structurally feasible (here’s where quality timber frame engineering pays for itself), these savings can add up fast. For example, an 8×8 post has 36% less wood than a 10×10 post.
The Golden Triangle applies to timber framing, just as it does to other purchases. Pick any two sides. You can have fast and cheap (but mediocre), good and cheap (but slow), or fast and good (but not cheap). You can’t have all three.

Need Some Ideas About Designing a Smaller Home So You Can Fit Timber Framing Into the Budget?

Since we don’t design homes, it was timely that Brice Cochran of Timber Frame HQ recently sent me some good advice on the topic.

Planning is the First Step

Whether you’re buying your first starter home, downsizing after the kids have flown the coop, or are financially limited to a smaller timber frame home, planning the most practical way to use your space can make that house seem more spacious.

It’s great when you can have a room for each of your family’s activities, but it usually isn’t feasible. By thinking ahead, planning your space, and getting creative, you can come up with a solution that gives everyone in the family the space they need for various hobbies and activities.

Consider the Things You Want to Do

Of course, you could make a laundry list of dozens of things you’d like to do in your home, and those may be good for your bucket list. However, think seriously about your family’s lifestyle options. What hobbies do your family get involved with and what responsibilities do family members have that require special space?

Be realistic about your needs, now and in the future. Make contingency plans and put future expansion and remodeling ideas into your design. If you envision a future addition, make sure you have the space on your property for it. Make sure there is easy access to add electrical, HVAC, and plumbing to the room when the time comes.

Rethink the Size of Rooms

It’s become very popular to have huge master bedroom suites and oversized spa bathrooms. It sounds cool to think of having a private getaway in your bedroom with plenty of space for a desk, a comfortable chair, or even an exercise machine. In addition, that spa bathroom that’s big enough for the whole family to use at once might seem glamorous, but when you’re planning a modest home, these two rooms may need some rethinking. The extra square footage you gain when you scale down those oversized rooms can go a long way to giving other smaller rooms the space they need to become roomy multi-purpose rooms the entire family can enjoy.

Hallways are a big waste of space. Plan your home to have the smallest square footage of the hallway as possible and use the extra space to enlarge other rooms.

Repurpose Spaces

If you never use your formal dining room and have ample space in your kitchen or family room, repurpose it as an office, hobby room, or exercise room. You don’t need a huge laundry room. In designing your home, consider using a closet for your washer and dryer.

Consider creating a centralized all-in-one space that includes your HVAC, plumbing system, storage, and laundry area. This compact use of space frees up valuable real estate for expanding smaller rooms.

Choose Furniture That Does Double Duty

Think further than a hide-a-bed when you’re considering furniture that can multitask. Of course, a convertible sofa is a good answer for a guest room that doubles as an office or study. There are lots of furniture options that make changing the role of your room easy and look great.

Certainly not cheap, but a great space saver for a guest room is a Murphy bed. These units have been around for years and today’s models are sleek and stylish. An adjustable height coffee table that rises to become a worktable or eating space is a perfect space-saving option for a desk or craft table in a study.

If you don’t have room for a desk, there are fold-down wall-mounted units that hide beneath an art print or mirror surface when it’s stowed away.

A long counter with base cabinets can be used as a desk or work area with plenty of storage space. This area can double as an entertainment area in a family room.

There’s a wide variety of furniture that incorporates storage into the base. Benches, footstools, low chests all are available with built-in storage space. Under-bed storage options vary from off-season clothing storage to a child’s toy storage and play surface to a pull-out trundle bed. Expandable tables are popular for feeding a crown or as a roomy work table.

Make Use of Lost Space

You may have some wasted space that can be converted to useful living space. The area beneath the stairs can serve a number of purposes. Open up space and create a compact workspace with a built-in desk and shelves. Another option is to create a storage space with a closet or a wall filled with drawers. Depending on its location, it could become a cozy reading nook, wet bar, or a diminutive powder room.

Space under the eaves can be fitted out with drawers for built-in storage, or if there’s enough headroom, lay down sturdy flooring and use it for long-term storage.

The most overlooked and underused space in most homes is the vertical wall space. Shelving can be installed around doors, above and adjacent to windows, in a wide hallway, and can reach to the ceiling. With all the added storage that doesn’t take up floor space, you can minimize bulky furniture like dressers and cabinets. You’ve opened up the room to accommodate the things you need for your multi-purpose plans.

Spend time planning how you’ll realistically use your home and develop a strategy to make the most of your home’s square footage. You may be surprised at how much you can do with the space you have.

Finally, you might enjoy this article about the low cost of quality: https://www.carolinatimberworks.com/a-return-to-quality/

Differences Between Decorative and Structural Timber Framing

June 2, 2015

A homeowner building in the Outer Banks emailed a great question this week:

“I was wondering if people typically use your trusses as structural members or just as decorative members attached to the existing frame structure?” We build and install both decorative and structural timber framing.

What Is Decorative Timber Framing?

Non-structural, or decorative timber framing, is frequently timber frame trusses in a cathedral ceiling or beams on a flat ceiling. Our engineers call this timber framing non weight-bearingin other words, the timber isn’t holding up or supporting anything above it. As an example, suppose a great Room is designed with 2×10 ceiling rafters framing and holding up the roof. If you choose to install timber frame trusses under the 2×10 rafters, the timber frame trusses wouldn’t be structural because the 2×10 rafters are actually doing the work of supporting the roof.

Over the years, we’ve built a lot of non-structural timber framing. Our yardstick for this work is simple: to look right, it must look as if it is structural.

Back to our great room example. Structural trusses usually have between 6’ and 8’ spacing between trusses. So if a great room was 16’ wide and 24’ long, we’d design three trusses for the room — one at 6’, one at 12’, and one at 18’. Sometimes, we might include two more — one at each of the gable ends (at 0’ and 24’).

Often we make these end trusses half-thickness so as to appear partially embedded in the wall. In addition to truss spacing, in order to look right, the trusses must be built using appropriate timber sizes. A structural truss spanning a 16’ wide great room would probably need to be built from timber at least 6” wide – i.e. we might use 6” x 12” timber for the rafters and lower chords.

If the truss were built from smaller material, say 4” x 6”, it wouldn’t look structural, and that’s what would make it not look right. Conversely, to look structural, there shouldn’t be too many trusses, or built from timber sizes that are oversized–that doesn’t look right either.

Our yardstick for designing and installing non-structural timber framing involves a mental picture: at some point in the future, the homeowner has a guest visit the home. This guest may be an architect, an engineer, or perhaps another timber framer. We want that guest to look up, and stand there for many minutes trying to figure out if the timber is structural or non-structural, then turn to you and ask.

Pros of Decorative Timber Framing

A great place to use reclaimed beams. Reclaimed beams are normally not graded or grade-stamped, which is required by engineering for structural timber framing.
They can be (and often are) retrofit from below after the roof is in place. The benefit is that the timber is protected from the weather, and since it is installed later in the process, it is unlikely to be damaged by other trades. As you might imagine, this costs a bit more than setting heavy timber from above with a crane (picture each 400 lb. timber being unloaded and carried by hand into your great room).
Pre-finished. We frequently apply a finish to the timber because most builders agree that it’s less expensive for our crew to finish the timber framing in our shop while it’s on sawhorses than it is for a painting subcontractor to erect scaffolding and apply two coats of finish on site.
Great for remodeling. We can add or retrofit timber framing and beams to existing houses and have done so many times as a part of a remodeling project.

Cons of Decorative Timber Framing

Need to carefully consider spacing, timber sizes, and proportions so that it looks right (structural).
Added weight: timber is heavy. For example, a single 6” x 12” x 16’ Douglas fir timber weighs about 4 lbs. per board foot or 384 lbs. An engineer needs to be consulted to determine that your framing is designed to safely support the added weight of non-structural timbers.

What Is Structural Timber Framing?

Structural timber framing, as you might expect, is when the timber framing is weight-bearing, or doing the work of holding up part of the house above it. If we return to the great room example, your architect and builder might decide to support the roof using structural timber frame trusses. In that case, the timber frame trusses would be designed and engineered to support the weight of the decking (usually 2×6 tongue & groove) or sheetrock ceiling, the insulation, the roofing, and the wind and snow loads.

Pros of Structural Timber Framing

It looks right. The aesthetic concern of looking right is addressed automatically because the timber framing has been engineered to be structural.
It replaces some structural conventional 2x framing, which can help offset the cost.
Durability. If kept dry, timber framing can (and does) last for centuries.
Safety. We don’t like to think about it, but houses sometimes burn. Unlike steel or 2x4s, timber framing provides more time for the family to safely get out of a home in a fire (see the FOR ARCHITECTS section on our website for an article on the subject).

Cons of Structural Timber Framing

More expensive than conventional 2×4 framing.
Must be engineered; however, this isn’t a major cost in most projects.
Installed earlier in the building process — meaning it has to be planned in advance and protected during the balance of the construction process.

Is Timber Framing Sustainable Building?

May 15, 2015

Timber frame and post and beam homes are wonderful spaces.

So, is timber framing sustainable?

Buildings that are loved get maintained, and well-maintained buildings last far longer. Timber framing may be one of the best ways to conserve our resources because post and beam homes are special places that people love, and because they are loved, they are maintained over the years, and because of that care, post and beam homes last for centuries rather than decades.

Wood is one of our only renewable resources. Think about this sometimes overlooked and obvious fact.

Timber is a natural product. It is recyclable, biodegradable, and renewable. It does not off-gas toxins because there are none.

Timber, unlike 2×4 and 2×6 lumber, upon the end of the useful life of the timber frame or post and beam home, will be carefully dismantled and reused. Used 2x4s may one day be reused, but today are going into landfills, rotting, and releasing their stored carbon into the atmosphere.

Wood is a carbon sink. If kept dry, wood lasts indefinitely. If you leave a tree in the forest to die a natural death, it will rot and release its stored carbon. If you cut down a tree at the end of its natural life, it has spent years storing carbon and producing oxygen. If you then fabricate it into a timber frame, and keep it dry for centuries, the post and beam home is acting as a long-term carbon storage unit.

Post and beam homes can, and often do, use less wood than stick-built homes.

The figure we’ve heard is around 30% less. There are some caveats here, and it may seem counter-intuitive at first, but take a look at the photo (at left) from Stewart Elliot of Riverbend Timber framing.

Timber frame homes use big timbers which come from big trees. Here’s another counter-intuitive one. Big timbers come from big trees–sometimes old-growth trees. Big trees have spent many, many years storing carbon and producing oxygen. Today’s 2x4s are manufactured from young, small trees–trees that have not lived long enough to store much carbon or to have produced much oxygen. What we’re doing to make 2x4s cheaply is to grow genetically-engineered super fast-growing trees, cutting them down in 10 years, and then replanting. By the way, when we replant these crop trees, we’re not doing it by hand. We’re burning diesel fuel. Is it a cheaper way to produce a 2×4? Undoubtedly. Is it greener wood? We’re not so sure.

Timber frames or post and beam homes are the best use of old trees. Related to (7) above: in our view, it is far greener to cut down a majestic old-growth Douglas Fir tree at the end of its life, and fabricate it into a functional and gorgeous timber frame that will be treasured and maintained for centuries, than to cut it down and saw it into 2x4s that will eventually go into a landfill and rot, or produce window sashes which will rot, or make paper. Better to revere these fantastic trees by turning them into an architectural solution to a structural problem that is so stunning and useful that generations of people will benefit from, and take care of the building.

Some post and beam homes are built without cutting down a single tree by using reclaimed wood and beams from old buildings and factories.

Is timber framing suistanable, like in this great room? — A working cattle farm on the New River, rich in flora and fauna…a marriage of modern amenities cloaked in old reclaimed wood…while inside fine art and fine craft engage in dialogue and soliloquy.

Nearby is a photograph of one of our timber homes that utilized reclaimed wood. We love putting old wood back to work, and the timber in this project is structural and is holding up the roof.

Timber framing is a darker shade of green. Having spent a week in a photovoltaic solar class, we’d note that no building material or technology is without consequences to the environment–not even solar panels. We contend that timber frame and post and beam homes, while not an environmentally perfect building solution, are demonstrably and quantifiably greener than most other conventional building methods.

Is there progress to be made? Sure! Yet, even so, timber framing, teamed with structural insulated panels and solar photovoltaic panels, is the most beautiful, green, and energy-efficient method of building we know of.

Want to know where Carolina Timberworks is heading? Carolina Timberworks 2.0