Timber Frame Homes Offer Craftsmanship Natural Beauty and Energy Efficiency

Characterized by a striking visual emphasis on prominent wood beams and surfaces in the living spaces and construction hallmarks of oversized “heavy” timber and traditional skilled joinery techniques like mortise and tenon connections, timber frame homes increasingly win discerning consumers’ purchases from Alaska to California. Today’s timber framing today owes its heritage to the Medieval church building techniques that spawned high, vaulted ceilings framed with graceful curves and enduring strength. The same craftsmanship and carpentry skills inform today’s structures – but gets a whole lot smarter about energy efficiency. “We’re still using chisels and hammers and mallets and custom cutting for one-of-a-kind work,” said Ron Gabany, owner of Pennsylvania-based Atlantic Timber Frames, a family-owned mid-size firm that boasts a custom touch. Even though Atlantic relies on cherished traditional carpentry techniques, avoiding the computer-generated cuts employed by some firms, the actual timber framing construction stage happens quickly -- another factor in the appeal of timber frame homes. “I’m on the site two to three days at most. When I arrive, the decking and foundation are already in place,” Gabany said. His crew then hoists the enormous wooden beams into place from the pad up. After the framing is in place, it is covered with interior finish panels backed by high performance insulation and completely sealed in an outer skin to reflect the home’s design style, whether colonial, farmhouse, Cape Cod or any hybrid layout that suits the buyer’s preferences. The specific materials vary from one job site to another, but typically include SIPs (structural insulated panels) or sprayed foam insulation. Don’t confuse timber frame with the old “little log cabin” in the woods. Unlike a traditional log cabin, Gabany said, “Timber frame homes don’t have as much wood, which makes it much easier for modern decorating. Unless the owner wants it to, until you walk inside, you can’t tell it’s a timber frame.” Essentially, the timber framing is a super structure with painted or paneled walls between the visible framing. Beyond its superior insulation layer, a properly built timber frame home offers extraordinary strength. Unlike a typical modern construction home using pre-fabricated, pre-cut lumber – known as “sticks” in the industry – the timber frame wood can be 8”x 8” or even larger. With proper maintenance, the homes represent a very long-lasting investment. As time has shown, a qualified contractor is critical. Often, historical structures – think of those lovely German towns filled with Tudor-esque buildings with jetting upper floors – suffer from a structural problem of irreversible slanting over time. “We’ve been doing this for an awful long time. I started working wood as a little kid when we moved to West Virginia and used teams of horses,” Gabany said, adding, “If you’re building a timber frame home, you need someone who understands wood construction, integrating with high-performance building materials, and creating the look and feel the owner wants.” Gabany offers a final admonition any construction veteran would echo: “Your contractor should answer your calls. Find a partner who gives you personalized attention.”