Q WHAT IS A TIMBER FRAME? A Timber framing is a specific type of Post and Beam construction that uses traditional wooden joinery to connect members. The most common connection is the use of a peg (trunnels or tree-nails) to secure a mortise and tenon joint.Timber frame structures exist today that have stood for 2,000 years or more, a testimony to their strength and durability. Timber framing in America and abroad has enjoyed resurgence since the mid-1970s. Like their predecessors, today’s timber frames are strong and durable structures, featuring the amenities of modern stick-built homes. Timber framing is used today for its unique styling, its exceptional strength and its unique character. It is found in any place where the beauty of exposed beams and open spaces are desired. A major difference between timber framing and a conventional, or “stick-framed,” structure appears in the spacing of the frame members. A conventional framed structure uses 2-by-4-inch wall studs placed every 16 inches. By contrast, timber frame posts are 10 to 16 feet apart.Traditionally, timber frames were enclosed using an in-fill wall system that exposed the timbers to the inside of the home and the outside elements. This created a number of problems when dealing with modern day conveniences and the desire for tight, energy efficient enclosures. Having the timber exposed to the elements created the need to paint or tar the outside of the timbers to keep them from deteriorating over time. In-fill wall systems also reduced the appearance of the timbers in the home, as 8×8 posts became 2×8 posts when walls were built in between them.Today most timber frame structures use structural insulated panels (SIPs) or “stress skin” panels. SIPs are constructed of two pieces of oriented strand board with a rigid insulation material (EPS or expanded polystyrene) permanently bonded between them. SIPs have unmatched insulation value and add strength to the structure. Interior walls are partitional and a good place to hide electrical, plumbing, etc. Timberwrights, those who craft and raise a timber frame, are a special combination of artisan, carpenter and furniture maker. Each is a craftsperson who has developed the special woodworking skills necessary to size timbers, lay out and cut a wide variety of complex joinery details, and erect the frame at the building site. They master a number of woodworking skills and tools unique to the timber framing business. In addition, the timberwright must be very proficient with mathematics and plan reading.
