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Your Link to Timber Frame News & Information | |
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September 2008 |
Dear Homeowner,
Welcome home to "In Touch" - a newsletter that will grow around your questions, concerns and personal stories surrounding your timber frame project. This monthly newsletter will provide information about designs, the "green" nature of timber framing, comparisons to traditional building versus timber framing in safety and energy savings, and much more! We hope you will "contact us" and let us know your questions about the timber framing process and the answer may be contained in the next month's "In Touch."
We hope you enjoy this brief monthly communique. If you would like to opt out, please see the end of this email for opt-out details. However, we hope you stay connected as an "In Touch" reader! The Timber Frame Business Council (TFBC) is a non-profit trade association and will NOT share your contact informaiton as a result of receiving this newsletter!
We look forward to staying "In Touch." |
| A Client's Guide |
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| Preliminary Research
Planning and building a timber frame home is a unique opportunity to build your dream home. Here's how you start. First, gather some "ballpark" information to help you decide if this process is for you.
- Talk to professionals who know the timber framing process and who can help you understand the value and cost of this building system. Timber frame companies have resources to answer your questions. Local architects, designers and construction contractors are also good sources of information.
- Read books and magazines.
- Rough out your preliminary budget and consider getting "pre-qualified" at one of your local mortgage/lending institutions.
- Collect literature from timber frame companies by attending their home building seminars, workshops or schedule a visit to their building sites, open houses, or model homes.
- Gather information about different companies' products, services and average costs. Check out TFBC Members.
At this point you may discover that different timber frame companies provide a wide variety of products and services and it may be a bit confusing. You'll need three primary services. First, the entire home must be designed; then a timber frame must be fabricated and raised; and finally, the pieces of the home must be pulled together and built. Some timber frame companies offer complete design and general contracting services; some offer design and fabrication services; and finally, some just design and erect the timber frame itself, but do not handle overall construction services! Decide if you want to assemble and manage your own team or whether you would prefer to hire a contractor to take on these tasks. |
| The Keys to Successful Timber Framing |
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| By Amy Cornelius, LEED-AP
Hugh Lofting Timber Framing, TFBC Member
Timber Framing is one of the oldest construction techniques known to man but remains one of the least understood in the marketplace. Evocative pictures greet us from magazines and coffee table books that encourage visions of grand rooms and entrances for homes, churches, office buildings, barns and even enhancements to our landscapes. The problem arises after the vision: how the heck do we design, build and afford the dream? There are many factors that affect the price of a timber frame from specialty finishes to species of wood but the two main keys to a successful timber frame project are all in the design: keep it simple and use a collaborative process to develop the plans. In this article we will discuss the timber frame in general, the collaborative design process, and how to intelligently weigh options vis-à-vis your budget. Click here to read more. |
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| Greening the Not-So-New House |
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45 tips to green any home, rent or own
By the U.S. Green Building Council
Reprinted with permission from This Old House magazine
There's a reason so many builders are leaning green these days. After all, who doesn't want a home that's healthier, keeps energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions in check, and doesn't squander water and other natural resources? But you don't have to build from scratch to turn your not-so-new house into a dwelling that's eco-friendly and more economical to run. Whether you own or rent, the following 45 simple ideas can help you save money (and the planet) today.
- Lint Hint: Saving energy doesn't get any easier than this: Lower your energy bill by cleaning your clothes dryer's lint trap before every load to improve air circulation, therefore cutting down on energy-wasting drying time.
- Power to the People: Reduce your carbon footprint (and maybe even your waistline) by using human-powered appliances and equipment. Think reel mowers, good old-fashioned manual can openers, carpet sweepers, whisks and wooden spoons instead of electric mixers.
Click here to read more. |
| Ask the Expert |
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Do you have a question about your home or building project? Please forward your questions to pam@timberframe.org and the answer may be found in the next edition of "In Touch." |
| Tell Us Your Story |
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If you have built a timber frame home and you'd like to share your story with our readers, please pass along your story (and any photos) -- we'd like to highlight your project! Send your story to info@timberframe.org! |
| About the Timber Frame Business Council |
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Established in October 1995, the Timber Frame Business Council (TFBC) was created as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality, integrity and marketability of the timber frame industry. TFBC is committed to strengthening and advancing the business, communications and research capabilities within the timber frame industry.
Using its most traditional definition, timber framing is a specific type of post and beam construction in which a frame is created from solid wood timbers that are connected by several types of interlocking wood joinery including mortise and tenon, dovetails or scarfs secured with hardwood pegs.
Timber frames are enclosed using several methods. While traditional timber frames were typically in-filled (between the posts and beams) with various mixtures of clay, straw, lime and other regionally available materials, contemporary frames use several methods that effectively enclose the timber frame and allow the timbers to remain exposed to the interior of the building. Timber framing is a building system which lends itself well to both residential and commercial construction over a broad spectrum of architectural styles such as; traditional, rustic, modern, southwestern, oriental and colonial to name a few. Timber framing integrates well with many other building systems and materials, such as; structural insulated panels, log systems, engineered wood products, concrete and conventional stud framing. |
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| The Timber Frame Business Council is a non-profit trade association dedicated to putting you in touch with North America's best timber framing professionals. Please consider hiring a TFBC member for your next building project! And, remember, to stay "In Touch"!
Sincerely,
Pam Hinton, Executive Director
Timber Frame Business Council |
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Visit Us!!!
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Timber Frame Business Council
Your Link to Timber Frame Professionals, Resources & Information
104 Carlisle St.
Gettysburg, PA 17325 USA
888-560-9251
www.timberframe.org
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We'd like to hear from you! Email to info@timberframe.org or pam@timberframe.org
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