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Your Link to Timber Frame News & Information | |
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March 2009, Issue 7 |
Dear Homeowner,
Welcome home to Issue 7 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 General Contractor, 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 General Contractor
The general contractor is responsible for the actual construction of your home. They take the house from foundation to finish. It is important to note that one company's services can vary from the next. However, most general contractors coordinate all the labor and materials. It is their job to deliver your house on time and within budget.
During the construction process the contractor will manage your job site, supervise all the workers installing plumbing, roofing, electrical services and much more. These workers may be on the general contractor's staff or they may be hired subcontractors. There are pros and cons to subcontractors. Be sure you ask what the potential pitfalls might be. What about using local subcontractors if your general contractor is located in another town? What about access to theses "subs" a year from now if you have a problem? Do these subcontractors work with this general contractor on a regular basis? This may mean they have established a good track record together. Be sure to ask.
Your general contractor should be detail-oriented since they will coordinate all payments, maintain records, develop and implement a construction schedule and officiate bids to make sure they are inclusive of all proposed work. Their experience can be of great value during the design phase of your project.
While experience with timber frame homes is helpful, it is not absolutely necessary. What is important is that the designer and/or the timber framing company are able to communicate to the contractor the construction details unique to timber framing.
Finding a qualified contractor in your area is not difficult. You can begin by consulting acquaintances who have built custom homes or you can check with your local home builders association.
Next Month: Understanding the Design Process
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| 10 cutting-edge interior design ideas |
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Interior design today encompasses far more than choosing themes and decoration. "It's not about just making something look good - it's about making it feel good," says Burns Century of Burns Century Design in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Today designers and manufacturers are motivated by a more enlightened and sophisticated clientele to generate materials, products, and design ideas which feature enduring quality, durability, and beauty.
But is it possible to make our interiors healthier spaces using environmentally responsible means of production without compromising these attributes? Interior designers across the country believe we can have the best of both worlds. Here's how.
Out: Wall-to-wall carpet
In: Eco-friendly flooring
Growing concerns for establishing a healthy environment within the home have led to a revival in solid surface flooring. Stone, tile, bamboo, cork and hardwoods are appealing design elements because they can be accented with everything from jute rugs to elegant Tibetan wool carpets. "Many of us are negatively affected by the allergens trapped in wall to wall carpeting," says Rowena Finegan, a design consultant and biologist with Eco-Terric in Bozeman, Montana. "As an alternative, we emphasize the beneficial health factors of using cork and reclaimed hardwood flooring."
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| The Green Beginnings Video |
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New Educational Film Captures and Defines Essence of Green Homes
If you are a newcomer or professional looking for a book that clearly explains green homes in simple, non-technical, easy-to-understand plain English, this is what you've been waiting for.
Produced by Freeland Media in association with Amy Cornelius, LEED AP, Hugh Lofting Timber Frames (TFBC Member), and directed by award winning cinematographer Erik Freeland, the film depicts the collaborative effort between the professional team and homeowners who designed and built the Green Beginnings house, a U.S. Green Building Council LEED Silver home.
Shot on location amidst a picturesque backdrop of rolling farmlands in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, the film follows the true story of planning and building a state-of-the-art green and sustainable home. Avrim and Vicki Topel, authors of Green Beginnings: The Story of How We Built Our Green & Sustainable Home today announced the release of the GREEN BEGINNINGS VIDEO, a new educational documentary about green homes.
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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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