Building a Timber Frame
Copyright 2008 by Morris Rosenthal
All Rights Reserved
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Guide to building a timber frame home
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One casual onlooker to the frame construction process commented, "I couldn't
even build the model!" It's always a good idea to have a scale model before
you build your own house, and this is the 1:12 scale model of the Kevin built
for his timber frame home. We started these pages with a series of photo
essays on cutting the timer frame offsite. Getting the frame ready for raising
day is only a small part of house building process, particularly if you build
in the country. The first step was clearing a space at the top of Shea's
wooded three acre lot to build the house on, digging a foundation hole, pouring
a foundation and footings, bringing in the electric and phone utilities,
and building a Title V compliant septic system.
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If you choose to build a timber frame home, your first choice is whether
cut the frame on or off site. If you cut your own frame offsite, don't forget
to budget time and money for getting all of the frame timbers to the building
site. Expect a good deal of checking (cracks in the timbers) unless you frame
with expensive pre-dried timbers, like some of the artsy timber framing
companies. After helping the Shea's build their own house, my own inclination
(if I ever have my own house) would be to buy one, it's just too much work.
Interestingly enough, timber framing is the predecessor of modern steel
construction and of the reinforced concrete home
building techniques used in Israel and around the world.
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I'm just getting started searching for a house or a piece of property for
myself in the South Western New Hampshire area, though I'm considering Western
Massachusetts and Southern Vermont as well. After six years of helping my
friend with his timber frame in the country, which started with clearing
the top of the lot and putting in a 600 ft driveway, I'm definitely leaning
to buying an existing home. However, I'd consider a factory house if I found
the right piece of land. I have a month before I'll be back in the area,
so I'm getting started searching real estate sites of the Internet and will
study up about the whole cost of ownership in the tri-state area, rather
than getting stuck on just income tax, property tax or the cost to build
or buy the house. I'm going to write about what I find as I go along because
it helps me think things through, so check out the progress at:
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