10/2/2023 0 Comments Timber framer co![]() ![]() The structures, with their large, open floor plans (no load-bearing interior walls) and exposed timber and joinery, are a joy to make and to live in. Timber framing, however, remains a viable option, even though it requires more skill. Stick framing became firmly established as the predominant method of light construction after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, when a large part of the city needed to be rebuilt quickly. Since the framing was nailed together, one didn’t need the skills of a joiner. Now anyone could build a house - and faster, with a smaller crew. This system relied on the repetitive use of many small pieces of lumber (2x4s, for example) to overcome the scarcity of skilled labor. The newly built railroad made it possible to ship smaller-dimensioned lumber to the treeless prairie, and the new technologies of sawmills, drying kilns, and mass-produced nails helped promote a new construction system called stick framing. In North America in the 1830s, settlers migrating west needed a way to build quickly with unskilled labor. Illustration © Michael Gellatly, excerpted from Learn to Timber Frame. It has been used in countless buildings over thousands of years the world over. The Through Mortise and Tenon: This simple tying joint, in its most basic form, handles moderate loads. In much of Europe, where centuries-old wooden buildings are still lovingly preserved and valued, carpenters are trained as timber framers and are highly skilled in the techniques. The homebuilders in the colonies were often shipwrights, using basic hand tools and minimal material processing (but great skill) to provide shelter. ![]() The same techniques were used to build Asian temples and great wooden ships. It is the traditional method of framing brought over by the colonists to the New World and can be found worldwide in areas that had abundant timber before the age of sawmills, drying kilns, and mass-produced nails. Rather than using small framing members (2x4s, 2x8s, etc.) that are closely spaced and simply butt-joined and nailed together, timber framing uses larger pieces spaced farther apart and mortise-and-tenon joinery held together with wooden pins, or pegs. It’s a type of post-and-beam construction - picture the barn raising in the movie Witness. Timber framing in much of the world can refer to any framing system using wood components, but in North America we use it to mean solid timber (greater than 5 x 5 in section) joined together with traditional wooden joinery. Photo © Jared Leeds Photography, excerpted from Learn to Timber Frame. Uncover its history in this excerpt from Learn to Timber Frame. Those options include but are not limited to – eastern hardwoods, white and red oak, eastern and southern pine species, cedars, cypress, douglas fir, white fir, larch, old growth, kiln dried timbers plus reclaimed and recycled timbers and materials, even tropical hardwoods.The ancient art of timber framing restores a sense of connection to the environment and materials that we’ve lost with our reliance on plywood, steel, and concrete. I also have sources for all other timber species if you choose to go that route. And perhaps best of all is relatively inexpensive. This material is structurally sound, (we sort and use the best pieces which are then graded by TPI or an engineer) aesthetically pleasing (beautiful colors and striking character in most pieces), terrific weight to strength characteristics ( can carry a heavy load though lighter in weight than many wood species), wonderful material to work with (cuts like butter, planes and sands to a nice finish). Lately we have been promoting and using local source beetle kill and fire seasoned pine, spruce and fir timbers for many projects. ![]() We are dedicated to sustainable design and building practices but are not limited to any boundaries that those terms may imply. Past projects have included custom homes, additions, barns, equestrian buildings, outdoor living spaces like kitchens and porches, pergolas, pavilions, entry ways, porticos, gazebos all using the time tested method of interlocking wooden parts integrated together with mortice and tenon joinery and wooden pegs. Any home style can be adapted to timber frame – ranch style, Craftsman, Colonial, modern, simple or complex. Even the simplest timber frame is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. We have honed the skills and techniques, picked up some new tricks along the way and figured new ways to make these places affordable. In my humble opinion there is no better way to build a fine structure than by using the time tested techniques of interlocking wooden joinery of timber framing. I have been timber framing since 1980, learning the skills and techniques from New England craftsmen. Rundquist – Owner – Brewster Timber Frame Companyīrewster Timber Frame Company relocated from Brewster Massachusetts to Colorado in 1998.
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