How To Get Your Dream Timber Frame Home
As attractive wheels can make a complete look for a nice truck or sports car, artistic hybrid timber framing can make the look for homes and structures. It will give you the warm experience of adding exposed beam construction to your custom house plan without the inflexibility associated with full timber frame home building.
Timber homes that utilize the right balance of post and beam construction, have a clear advantage in value and enjoyment; fully capable of modern architecture style, rustic, farmhouse, open concept, classic, euro, and craftsman. The cost-per-square foot depends on your choices throughout the design process. You can feature timbers where they best serve their purpose, whether decorative or structural.
With Hybrid Timber Framing, you have a virtually endless combination of options to compliment your style. And through a 3D modeling process, you will see how your timbers look from all angles, making decisions that reflect your personality and aesthetic preferences. There’s a fun, exciting world to discover. You will love exploring the options of this timeless art with modern construction methods.
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Explore the world of exposed beam construction and learn the intricacies of floor plan design.
Design & Style is Everything
Careful attention should be paid to beam sizing, as well as proportioning. Without a conscientious design process, timber framing done wrong can magnify imbalances and make a project feel cheap, tawdry and awkward, as illustrated below.
A project by an unknown builder. To the untrained eye, this timber porch and accents may seem ok, but imagine how good this could look with the following suggested changes:
If this had been your plan, and ATF was hired, some form of these tweaks would have been applied to your 3D model, depending upon your style.
As designers, we have discovered that artistic post & beam design is one-part inspiration and three-parts perseverance, brainstorming many ideas for you until the “goldilocks” design is achieved (“Just right”). And speaking of inspiration, it can occur as a thunderbolt of intense clarity, or like a snowball that begins with a small nagging idea. But, never stop at your first idea. Always seek multiple options and/or develop your ideas further.
“Enjoy the design process and you will intuitively know when your 3D model has crossed the finish line.”
What is Your Timber Style Really?
Modern? Rustic? Something Else?...
Get the timber style of your home wrong and you'll create aesthetic headaches to work around. Get the RIGHT timber look and things come easy.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What is Timber Framing?
It is a construction method that pre-dates current “stick-built” framing. It utilizes heavy rectangular posts and beams that are exposed on both interior and exterior.
3. What are the Pro's and Con's of Using Timbers?
In the case of “full” timber frame homes, it reduces the flexibility of the floor plan and causes a lot of expense in order to structurally frame every room, including bathrooms and closets. With a “hybrid” timber house, you have the option to only use post and beam in specific areas and have much more flexibility in floor plan decision making. The primary pro’s are: unique, artistic look. Excellent sell through (if designed properly) and the ability to truly customize a home. The cons are: higher cost per sq. foot, and in the case of “full” timber design, more constraints in floor plan design.
4. Popular Wood Species?
There are numerous wood types that have been used for heavy exposed beam homes, including but not limited to: Douglas Fir, Cedar, Hemlock, Pine and Spruce. A majority of our projects use Douglas Fir for its superior traits.
2. What Will A Timber Home Cost?
Compared to “conventional” framing, timber framing has a higher cost. However, the range of investment varies widely depending on number and size of timber.
With “Hybrid Timber Framing” allocate 10-20% of the overall build cost for your timber budget. Open outdoor structures that are primarily built out of timbers and don’t include conventional framing don’t apply here – they vary widely.
This investment range will allow you to get the right-size timbers in the right amount to make sure you don’t have an underwhelming timber package, while keeping your overall investment on track.
For example: if your overall build budget is $1,000,000 (1 Mil), allocating 100-200K (Includes Design, Timber Fabrication, Engineering, Staining and Install) would give you a timber investment that allows you to get a totally unique and artistic timber package. If you’re going for a minimum amount of timbers, it could be less, but 10-20% of total custom home budget is the average investment for most clients who choose to design a hybrid timber home.
5. Engineering and Insurance Concerns?
As long as you can get an engineer to approve a timber home, insurance won’t question your house construction. Engineers need to understand the tensile strength of timbers and joinery (for example: an inch and a quarter oak peg is equivalent to a one half-inch diameter mild steel bolt). Arrow Timber hires engineers who have an excellent understanding of post and beam construction methods, so that permitting and insurance aren’t an issue.
6. What is the difference between "Timber Framing" and "Post and Beam"
Both construction techniques utilize heavy exposed timber posts, knee-braces and beams, but typically, traditional joinery is used in timber framing (such as oak pegs, mortise and tenon techniques), where-as post and beam is “butt-fit” using metal straps and bolts holding two pieces together. Essentially wood vs metal joinery.
Award-Winning Timber Home Design & Build Company
Q: What’s the Fastest, Easiest and Most Effective Way to Get Started?
A: Schedule a Brainstorm
30-90 Minute Brainstorm: You will be able to explore your building project possibilities, cost ranges and get more ideas for inspiration.
You don’t have to have all the details sorted before a brainstorm. Some clients have an existing floor-plan they’d like modified, while others just have basic sketches, pictures and ideas they like. Ideally, it’s best to come to us before your floor-plan is finalized, because of the big influence that timbers can have on the look and feel of your home.
Are the solutions our company offer the right fit for you? It’s easy to find out:
Email: donna@arrowtimber.com
Call: 1-833-212-0202
(Above) 3D Model Design & Hybrid Post & Beam Package by Arrow Timber
Learn the Costs of Timber Framing
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