Cabin Creek
Timber Frames' staff will work with you, your architect,
designer, or contractor to turn your timber dream into a
reality.
- We work with your structural engineer and
contractor to see that your timber frame structure
conforms to the Universal Building Code of 2003 that
most counties have adapted ... if required by your
local building department.
- We work with you or your contractor to schedule
all aspects of the cutting, raising, delivery and
enclosing of your timber frame structure.
- You have the option of choosing from just the
timber frame structure, adding or not the tongue and
groove for your loft and ceiling areas, enclosing or
not your timber frame structure with structurally
insulated panels, bucking out your window and doors
or not, eve or plumb cut of your SIPs roof panels.
YOU tell us what you want and we will quote you a
price for your project.
- Timbers are graded, TPI.
Timber Frame Design ServicesOur
standard timber frames are pre-designed plans, ready for
cutting and assembly. If you wish, we are able to modify
our standard timber frame to accommodate your
requirements. We are also able to design a timber frame
for you based upon your basic floor plans.
Custom Timber Frame Designs
There are
several advantages of working with an experienced timber
frame designer before having your floor plans drafted
for you. It is a much simpler matter to make minor
changes in floor plans than it is to make major
modifications in the timber frame itself. The
differences will show themselves in significantly
reduced expense. After your timber frame design has been
drawn, it is time to have a designer work around the
timber frame plan to create the ideal room features and
placement. We can recommend design professionals who are
very familiar with timber framing. These home designers
are adept at incorporating your ideas into timber frame
plans.
 |
We can also provide a series
of pertinent questions to help you select from
prospective general contractors to finish your
timber frame home.
Review our truss, bent
and knee brace sketches for more detailed
information on the options available for your custom
timber frame home design.
Click
Here to print in Acrobat/pdf |
Timber Frame Construction Options for Stand-Alone
Timber Frames or Hybrid Timber Frames
Timber Frame Climbing Wall for Camp |
Timber Frame Cooking Porch Addition |
Timber Frame Great Room |
Timber Frame Gazebo |
Timber Frame Homes |
Timber Frame Trusses |
Timber Frame Compound Joinery |
Timber Frame Stables & Barns |
Timber Frame Cabins & Cottages |
Timber Frame Hand Hewn Trusses |
Timber Frame Trusses |
|
|
|
|
Timber
framing is the art of building structures of massive
timbers, joined by interlocking joints and held together
with wooden pegs. It is an ancient and honorable art
which has been in use for over two thousand years, and
many sound structures, cathedrals, houses, and barns
still stand which were built hundreds of years before
Columbus. The architectural appeal of wooden, hand
crafted, timber frame buildings derives from their
inherent feeling of strength, durability, and warmth,
and a historic appreciation of the ingenuity of the
early craftsmen. For many of us the attraction of
handmade items of any sort is strong, and their value is
enduring.
Brought from Europe, timber
framing skills were used commonly in settled areas of
this country, but rarely along frontiers. In the 1840's
powered sawmills began mass producing 2-inch by 4-inch
pieces, and mass produced nails also became available.
These allowed the rapid construction of often flimsy
buildings. Flimsy structures are still built today,
depending on the use of plywood corners for rigidity.
We are flooded by mass produced plastic,
plywood, and stamped metal buildings and objects which
will soon deteriorate and have little intrinsic beauty.
In the last thirty years, a resurgence of
interest in timber framing and quality construction has
occurred. Continuing engineering studies have validated
time tested joints and have shown us methods of making
them stronger and even more durable. The advent of
insulating panels has provided the means of efficiently
enclosing and insulating these structures.
The modern timber frame is efficient, strong, durable,
and attractive. Costs of heating and cooling is 40 to
50% less per year, compared with equal R-value stick
built frames with fiberglass insulation.
Cabin Creek Timber Frames is a small company with 20
years experience in building both large and small
structures. We are members of the Timber Frame Business
Council, the Timber Framers Guild, the Better Business
Association of Asheville and Western North Carolina.
After plans are drawn up, timbers are
carefully selected for appropriate size and grain. The
joints are then marked out with great care, hand cut to
result in tight strong intersections, and holes are
drilled to accept the locking octagonal pegs. Frames are
trial fitted in our beamery prior to erection day.
We highly recommend insulating panels or SIPS,
which provide a very tight efficient insulating envelope
around the walls and the roof of the timber frame. We
can help with the purchase of panels and the panel
application process.
Timbers and joints will
have been cut, joints pre-fitted for final assembly, and
labeled for correct positioning, ready for shipment to
your site.
We design and cut timber frames
for homes, great rooms, timber frame trusses, cabins,
chapels, studios, cooking porches, stables and barns.
|
|
If you are building a timber frame home or considering
building one, you should consider your choices for
enclosing the timber frame once it's complete. A timber
frame home makes a statement about your identity that
conventional buildings don't make. You have opted to
spend more per square foot than conventional
construction would have cost. You have decided to make
the structure of your home not only visible, but fully
displayed. You have decided to build one of the
strongest, longest-lasting structures that can be built.
Once your frame is erected, the next step is
to enclose the walls and ceilings. There are other
choices, but none as efficient as panels. The lesser
choices include a number of infill methods, first of
which would be a stick frame with batt insulation built
inside the posts and rafters. With stick built
enclosures, the walls are built with studs between the
posts and bents and the timber frame holds up the roof.
STICK FRAME: There are three problems
with this method:
- It takes twice as long to get the structure
dried in, which is what you are doing if you use
conventional stick framing for the enclosure.
- It is an expensive method- requiring skilled
tradesmen onsite to do the job properly.
- Conventional stick framing with batting
insulation is energy inefficient and moisture and
air transport is not stopped.
PANEL ENCLOSURES: Panels are placed
outside the walls and over the roof framing to form a
tight envelope. The Timber Frame Business Council (2001)
estimates that 95% of their timber framers are
recommending the use of panel enclosures to enclose
their timber frame structures. Panels are made by
laminating rigid foam to OSB or other building materials
to form a 'sandwich' type panel. There are different
panels to choose from out there. There are structurally
insulated panels, meaning they are engineered with OSB
on both sides when roof, wall, or floor spans exceed 12
feet. Sandwich type panels, are also made of OSB on both
sides but are not 'stamped' for spans up to 12 feet.
OSB/GYP panels are available. Nail base panels, OSB on
one side only, are used over structural decks like
tongue and groove ceilings for insulating and to provide
a nailing surface. There are other 'specialty' panels
out there to choose from. Panels now come in a wide
variety of widths, lengths and depths, and a wide
variety of R values. You should check with your local
building department for the required R values for your
timber frame structure as it varies from one part of the
county to another. Panels have many advantages over
other enclosure methods.
- Panels can be installed faster.
- Panels are stronger in shear and
racking than stick frame or wrap and strap.
- Panels are less expensive to install
due to markedly reduced onsite labor times.
- Panels are the most energy efficient
alternative available at this time. Energy bills can
often be reduced by 40% or more by using panel
enclosure systems.
- Other advantages of panel enclosures
are significant noise and draft reduction as well as
heat convection. Panel enclosed structures usually
have straighter walls.
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) are
excellent options for hybrid timber frame homes, homes
where part of the structure is timber frame and part is
not.
After the timber frame is
trial assembled, it is prepared for transport to your
site. The timber frame is then shipped to your site
where it will be reassembled and raised by the timber
framers who hand crafted it.* Hopefully you will chose
to have the timber frame enclosed with structural
insulated panels (SIPS). These panels have a very high
energy efficiency rating and provide an enclosed
envelope for your timber frame structure. The SIPS we
normally use have the window and door openings precut in
the factory.* Having these precut in the factory helps
keep the jobsite neat and clean and decreases the amount
of time it takes to apply the panels to the timber
frame.
Once we have crafted,
trial assembled, raised, and enclosed your timber frame
with SIPS**, it is then ready for you, your builder, or
contractor to finish. |
There
are elements of site location that may effect costs.
Access to this building site was across the Nantahala
River . . . by ford only. |
|
Several factors are involved in
selecting the best location on-site for your timber
frame. Some elements may save costs and optimize
your enjoyment of your timber frame. We are pleased
to help our clients with the site evaluation
process. A few of the considerations are house
placement and orientation, integration of views with
timber frame design, evaluation of roads into the
property, preparations for the erection of the
frame, etc. |
|
Specialized Options for Your Timber FrameHand
Hewn Timber Frames
Some clients prefer the hand
hewn timbers to the smooth, planed frame. We can arrange for
a portion or an entire timber frame to be
hand
hewn.
Compound Joinery
Cabin Creek
Timber Frames offers compound joinery options. Our skilled
craftsmen have proven ability to complete complex timber
frame structures. Please see our
Gallery
photos for more detail.
Elements of a Complete Timber Frame Package Wood
Choices
There are a number of varieties of
commercially available timbers, including Eastern white
pine, Douglas fir, oak, southern yellow pine, hemlock, and
cypress. We prefer white pine since it is locally available,
and we believe it is more stable than other woods (i.e. it
splits, warps, and twists less than most other varieties. We
generally use green timbers as this is usually not a
problem. We can, however, have the timbers dried prior to
cutting. This does add considerable expense and does not
prevent the natural cracking and splitting of timbers as
they dry.
Sanded and Chamfered edges
Timbers are lightly sanded and chamfered as we finish the
cutting of joints and trial assembly, ready for you to
finish.
Tongue and Groove Panels
After the
frame is erected, we apply tongue and groove paneling (if
desired).
SIPS (Structural Insulated Panels)
The SIPS or insulated panels are strong, durable, and
efficient. We can arrange to obtain panels with rough
openings for doors and windows already in place. This saves
much labor, cleanup, and money. The wall panels provide an R
rating of 17 for walls and 38 for roofs. These
pre-programmed rough openings accept standard windows and
doors without having to pad out or adjust for thickness of
the wall -- another great convenience.
A
point to remember: Panel manufacturers tell us that a SIPS
enclosure is 40-50% more efficient (that is savings in
heating and cooling costs) than an equally R rated stick
built house, due to the tightness of the insulating envelope
the panels provide.
.
The
Process: A rough outline of how to approach the
building of a timber frame. Once you have decided to
build a new home, the process begins. You will need a house
and a place to put it. Let's start with the site. Whether
you already have property or are still pursuing the perfect
site, there are factors to consider which include: is the
site level or steep, wooded or open, is there access to
power, water, gas, cable, schools, municipal services, etc.?
Road or driveway access can be a problem. Access by large
trucks and cranes can be vital to your project, or at least
affect the cost, and may influence the roadwork into your
site. Consider zoning and restrictive covenants, and
requirements for a building permit. Some sites may not have
soil suitable for building, or may not pass a percolation
test for a septic tank drainage field if required. Sites
which are steep, quite wooded, rocky, or swampy may present
expensive problems . If you plan a house using passive or
photovoltaic solar panels, you must be aware of the
direction south and how much sunshine is blocked by trees,
mountains, or other structures. Shade is helpful for
summertime cooling, and the use of overhangs can help. Views
and other natural features should be considered and
protected to preserve as best possible the feeling or
ambience of your site. We will be happy to help you with
your site evaluation if you wish.
The Building.
Any project requires planning and preparation, which
requires background information and study. A good place to
begin is to read books on timber framing. (Please see our
booklist.) Magazine articles provide some superficial
knowledge, but rarely discuss the subject in depth. Talk to
professionals who understand timber framing in depth. Some
general contractors and architects may be of help if they
have had experience with timber framing. Many have not. Talk
to banks about your tentative building budget. Visit timber
frames shows, or preferably the businesses themselves to see
the operation and the people involved. We will be happy for
you to see our facilities and some of our buildings in our
area.
Plans: We feel it is best to first design
a plan for the frame, then fit the floor plan or layout into
the framing plan. We believe it is most effective and
economical to have the timber framer involved first with any
plans. This is due to the fact that few designers understand
or are familiar with timber framing. We are happy to work
with a floor plan designer to make both plans easier and
more practical, that is, to work. First, the entire project
must be designed. This must include both the frame plans and
the room layout plans. Then the frame must be cut,
pre-fitted, and raised. Our company offers design and
fabrication services and we erect the frame. Some people
prefer to act as a general contractor to coordinate all the
jobs involved in the entire process. Others hire a general
contractor to do this. We can work with you either way to
accomplish the project. However, please remember we do not
build the entire building, but limit our part to the design,
the fabrication of the frame, and application of the tongue
and groove paneling and the insulating panels. We then turn
the remainder of the project over to you or your general
contractor.
So, to recapitulate, you will need a
designer or architect for the floor layout, a timber frame
company, and a general contractor. Best results will be
obtained when all these commit to working together as a
team.
Your investment of time and money in the
design process will vary depending on whether you elect to
purchase a standard plan or have an entirely custom home
designed. Unless a plan is drawn with timber framing in
mind, it is likely to require significant changes in cost
and modification to accommodate timber framing. The best
cost saving approach is to have the timber framer involved
from the beginning. Whether your plans are standard or
custom, a comprehensive set of plans will be required for
financing, obtaining building permits, and the actual
fabrication of the frame.
Custom design is an
interactive process which requires communication,
reflection, revision and refinement. Both flexibility and
decisiveness are necessary. This multi-step process requires
increasing levels of commitment. Not only will good design
add value to your home, the process should be an enjoyable
one resulting in a home with which you are pleased.
First, a number of attributes or qualities you wish to
include in the house must be listed. For instance, the
number of rooms, the rough size of each and the total size,
and the rough placement of each should be listed . Also
describe the orientation of the frame to take best advantage
of views or topography, and note the feeling you would like
the house to present. Our designer will help you create a
more detailed sketch which will result in the first of a
series, each more advanced, of schematic plans detailing
your house. These could be hand drawn or CAD-computer
assisted design-generated. It is likely that several sets
will be drawn before a version is found that you wish to
pursue. This version can then be the basis for more detailed
plans for the floor layout, the frame plans, and eventually
contracts and construction plans.
The wood for
your frame is your choice. We are happy to make suggestions
regarding cost , workability, appearance, etc. Please call
us regarding this.
We prefer to use structural
insulated panel systems or SIPS for the insulation envelope
around our buildings, which provides a wall R rating of
17-24, and a ceiling rating of 38. These can be installed by
us or you if you wish. The company we often use provides
panels with precut door and window rough openings, a great
savings in labor, site waste, and time..
If you
wish to incorporate tongue and groove paneling for the
ceilings or for second floor subflooring, we can provide and
install this.
Some municipalities require
structural engineering approval for a frame. We are happy to
work with an engineer in your area or our own in this
approval process.
We offer a contract which
incorporates most of the previously mentioned factors, and
will serve as a guide for the project. We usually offer a
fixed price contract to build and erect the frame, to apply
the panels and tongue and groove paneling we work on a cost
plus a percentage basis.
|
