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Your Link to Timber Frame News & Information | |
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February 2009, Issue 6 |
Dear Homeowner,
Welcome home to Issue 6 of "In Touch" - a newsletter that will grow around your questions, concerns and personal stories surrounding your timber frame project. This issue will provide information about selecting a Timber Frame Company, putting the finishing touches on your new home, new ways to save energy, and much more! We hope you will "contact us" and let us know your questions about the timber framing process. The answer may be contained in 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 information as a result of receiving this newsletter!
We look forward to staying "In Touch." |
| A Client's Guide |
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Selecting A Timber Framing Company
The role of the timber framing company may vary from project to project and company to company. They may serve as a subcontractor, a general contractor or a specialty construction consultant. Timber framing companies differ in the size of their operations, their style of timber framing and the scope of products and services they offer.
Your preliminary research should give you an idea about which level of service you prefer. The selection of the timber framing company then becomes one of finding a company that matches your needs. As with the selection of the design professional, you should see examples of the timber framing company's work and feel comfortable with the people who will be responsible for your job. You may want to check them out with the Better Business Bureau or the Chamber of Commerce. Here are some questions you may want to ask potential timber framing companies:
- What services and products do you supply?
- How long have you been in the timber framing business? How experienced is your crew?
- Are you willing to consult with my designer and/or builder throughout the project?
- Which type of wood do you use? Can you explain some of the characteristics and advantages of different kinds?
- Who raises or installs your timber frames?
- What type of enclosure systems do you use?
- What are the advantages of each? Who will install the enclosure system?
- What type of warranty do your products have?
- Do you maintain workers compensation insurance and the license(s) and insurance required by our State and local governments?
- May I have a list of your client references?
Next Month: Selecting A General Contractor |
| 5 Steps to Finishing A Cozy Timber Home |
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Once you've designed the perfect, cozy timber home, here are some hints on how to finish it off in a welcoming way.By: Leah Kerkman, Timber Home Living
Five timber home decorating ideas from Sara Potaker, interior decorator and owner of Ansley Interiors in Crested Butte, Colorado:
1. Mind Your Seating Areas.
"In large great rooms, I like to make several seating areas," says Sara. There are some key places to design seating around, she says: your fireplace and the view from your windows. Having another corner with two chairs dedicated for one-on-one conversations and then maybe a single chair for a reading spot is a great idea, too, if you have the room. Just make sure that all of your seating areas are within a comfortable distance-too much space between sitting areas isolates people, Sara explains.
2. Set the Scene With Textiles.
"Don't be afraid of draperies," Sara urges. "They are warm up your windows while adding color and texture to a room." The same applies for area rugs. "Even with separate sitting areas, a large area rug can pull everything together." In spacious rooms, use deep, rich colors like gold and burgundy, which accentuate your gorgeous beams overhead. Smaller rooms are best served with neutral colors. Just keep it warm, Sara advises. "We're using a lot of warm tones, like browns, terracottas and deep beiges."
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| DIY Home Energy Audit |
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The first step to saving energy and money around the house is to find out how much you are already using.
Energy costs continue to rise, placing ever-greater pressure on households. And the energy you use to heat and cool your home is a large part of your carbon footprint.
By knowing what to look for, you can conduct your own home energy audit. Here's how to get started:
1. Get to Know Your Energy Bills
Bills are never fun, but don't forget that they contain valuable information along with the pain. Compare your heating and cooling costs by month for as many years past as you can, and look for trends in usage or obvious changes. Do you see any spikes? Can you remember why? Your utility can make older bills available to you by calling customer service.
Note both the kilowatt hours you are typically using as well as the amount your utility is charging per KWH. Get to know what it is that you are paying for every month.
2. Locate Air Leaks
Simple leaks can sap home energy efficiency by 5 to 30% a year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. So take a close look at places where two different building materials meet, such as corners, around chimneys, where pipes or wires exit and along the foundation. Make sure good seals form around doors and windows, and that no mortar is cracked. Any gaps or holes should be plugged and/or caulked.
Use the incense test: carefully (avoiding drapes and other flammables) move a lit stick along walls; where the smoke wavers, you have air sneaking in. And heating or cooling sneaking out.
Make sure the floor of your attic, including the hatch, is insulated, and that the material isn't crumbling or compacted, which means it has lost its effectiveness. Similarly, check your basement ceiling, as well as basement walls. Hot water pipes and furnace ducts should be insulated. So should exterior walls (determine this by carefully removing the cover from a power plug, or drill a small hole in the back of a closet).
If you live in snow country, a simple test of insulation levels is to see if snow melts from your roof faster than from neighbors' roofs. If so, you are probably losing too much heat.
If you find any problems, call in a professional, or go DIY and buy some fresh insulation yourself.
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| 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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