Tag Archives: green building

Timber Frames and Energy Efficiency

August 9, 2010

Well, it’s been hot this summer, some say record-breaking hot, but you couldn’t tell it by the energy usage for our timber frame home.   This timber frame, wrapped in energy efficient structural insulated panels, has met and exceeded our expectations.

Timber frames and SIPs are a great combination when it comes to a well insulated home.  Even with walls of windows, which are notoriously inefficient, and an electric dryer, we are not seeing the high power bills that might be expected.

Of course, we have all Energy Star rated appliances and fixtures, use fluorescent bulbs, and are manic about turning off lights when we aren’t in the room.  However, our 2 ton heat pump and fans are keeping our timber frame home cool and comfortable.

Last month we topped out at $74 and this month we went down to $72. We are pleased at the money we’ve saved…and at the energy we’ve saved.   Our home is 1700 square feet and we cook most days (heating up the house) and embraced daylighting and have more than our share of windows.  We do use our ceiling fans and we keep the house cool during the day just because it’s our “model” home.  I guess I can say our “model energy saving home”, can’t I?

All these years I’ve been encouraging people to consider using panels on their home and I am pleased.  I’d like to know how much energy is saved every year just in timber frames with insulated panel enclosures.  That would be a significant number, I’d think.  Sustainable homes are important to each of us.

So, I’ll sit here and not stress over the heat and high utility bills, and I might hope for cooler weather so we can open the windows and go back to our $30 power bills of the spring.

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Timber Frames – Solid and Strong

July 26, 2010

We often sit back and marvel at the beauty of our timber frame home, but it’s easy to forget that timber frames are solid and strong, carrying their loads with dignity for generations.  Wood is a very forgiving building material.  As in nature, it offers strength along with it’s flexibility.

We can look at buildings around the world, building built with wood and joinery, much as timber frames are built today and get an idea of the sustainability of timber frames.

The gingerbread houses in Haiti offer a look at how timber frames handled the devastating earthquake.  The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute found that only 10% of these homes suffered more than moderate damage, while many or  most of the other buildings suffered irreparable damage (13 of 15 government buildings collapsed).  Many of these gingerbread homes had little or no maintenance and still survived better than newer construction.

With better understanding of engineering, today’s timber frames are built to withstand the forces of nature and man.  What a great way to build and a secure way to live.

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Timber Frames and Flooring

July 14, 2010

Your timber frame home offers lots of opportunities to express your individuality.  As you design and build your new home, you’ll gain insights into the flexibility that timber frames offer.  Is your taste elegant?  Does it lean toward traditional or even rustic?  Your new home will be whatever you wish, just make selections carefully and design it to be the home of your dreams.

While many, if not most, timber frames feature wood flooring, the types and finishes available in wood floors are almost as varied as the styles of timber frame homes.  There is antique flooring, fine clear flooring, and everything in between.  You can choose laminates, hardwood, or even softer pine.

We decided we needed a durable hardwood that would withstand not only people, but dogs without looking worn.  So what better choice than to distress the floor before it went down and not dread that “first scratch”.   Pam and Neal had installed amazing hickory floors in their new timber frame and they guided us on the techniques used so we could enjoy a similar floor.

Starting with a utility (economy) grade hickory, we ended up with an amazing floor that looks as though it has suffered through generations.  It is warm and inviting and handles traffic easily.   The cats, dogs, and human traffic only add to the patina.

The dark color compliments the clary sage walls and lighter timber.   The contrast is stunning and grounds each room.  With rugs (chosen with Pam’s input) defining the different living spaces, this flooring is never overlooked.

While we opted for tile in the bathrooms and mudroom, this warm flooring is used throughout the rest of our home.   It works well even in the kitchen, where spills don’t cause concern.

In using utility grade material (the stuff that didn’t meet the grade for “real” flooring), we feel that we made a step in the sustainable direction.  These trees didn’t die in vain.  Finished with water based stains and polyurethane, the floor offer a non-toxic alternative to many of the products available on the market today.

So, begin thinking about your flooring early on and know all of your options. Go with the floor that will compliment your home and your lifestyle.  There is something out there for everyone and your wood floor should last for a long, long time.  Why “wood” you use anything else?

For some other ideas on designing and building your timber frame home, check out Timber Frame Magazine .

See you soon.

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You Can’t Beat a Timber Frame Porch

June 28, 2010

Timber frame porches offer shelter from the sun, wind, and rain.  They also offer much, much more.  The space extends your living area outdoors, expanding the space you live in and making it comfortable to live in a smaller space inside.Timber Frame porches offer shelter

The front porch on our timber frame serves as a place to drink our morning coffee…and a glass of wine with friends in the evening.  As we sat and worked on green beans from the garden, it brought back memories of grandmothers and mothers sitting on front porches in aprons as they prepared food for canning and freezing.

Flowers, both those brought from inside after a long winter of sunshine through the windows, and those planted in the spring, thrive on the porch.  They fill the air with fresh, natural scents and the vibrant greens and amazing color lift the heart.  These plants, sheltered by the timber frame of the porch, bring a smile to everyone who comes up the steps.

After a long, hard day, sitting on the porch swing (just swinging) is a nice way to end the day.

Whether you porch is large and grand and opens to views of mountains and lakes or whether it’s smaller and reminiscent of your grandparents’ porch, it connects you to the outdoors…to life larger than yourself.

So, stop on by, sip a tall glass of iced tea, and swing or rock for a while.  We’ll be waiting.

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Timber Frames and Smart Cars – A Common Thread

June 18, 2010

Timber Frame and Smart CarTimber frames have been on the cutting edge of sustainability for far longer than there has been a “green building” movement.    Building with minimally processed timber, using minimal embodied energy, and building homes that will be in place for centuries without degrading is pretty much a definition of green.

As we designed and built our timber frame home, much thought went into not only what went in, but what might come out in the future.  We understood that while nothing lasts forever, timber frame homes should last darn near that long.

Recently we received an email that stated ” The Smart ForTwo is 95% Recyclable”. I had to step back and think about our timber frame homes.  Can we make the same claim?   Are we doing everything possible to build homes that will not only sit lightly on the land today, but will not be a burden in a landfill in years to come?

The choices we make today as we build, and as we live, don’t only impact us, they impact generations.  So think about each step you take and remember that the footprint you leave is there forever.  It won’t wash away with the next rain or be covered over easily.

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Resources for Building Your Timber Frame Home

May 25, 2010

The chances are that if you’re reading this and are interested in building a timber frame home, then you are probably researching “green” building.  Since “green”  has become a catchall for everything from dish soap to vacations,  you have to sort through way too much information to get down to the real essence of sustainable building.  Timber frames, of course, are a great starting place…with a structural insulated shell, they offer sustainability and energy efficiency.

The Green Building Pro Expo is a great place to start.  It took place last week, but you can still listen to presentations by leaders in the industry and peruse the booths of the exhibitors…including Goshen Timber Frames.  When you finish there, go over to the Green Building Pro website to stay on top of the latest in green building news.

Another resource that provides answers to real world questions is the Green Home Guide .  Sponsored by the US Green Building Council, the guide is full of information that will help you build responsibly.  A recent question about treated wood for an arbor offers insight into better ways to build with untreated wood.

Of course, the Mountain Home Guide offers information on building on challenging lots.  There is much common sense information in this publication.

No one said building was easy, but these are resources that will help you to make sense of the entire process.  David and I spent lots of time sorting out the necessary from the unnecessary and are pleased to be able to share what we found.

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Designing Timber Frames

May 1, 2010

Designing timber frame homes is a very personal journey for homeowners.  We started designing our own timber frame almost fifteen years before we actually built it.  The design we ended up building was not even close to the early designs.   We built a smaller, more charming home.   We traveled many roads leading to this design, discussing simplicity and complexity, weighing the size and scale options, and always, style.

We poured over books of very old home designs.  The kit homes from Sears, Wardway, Aladdin, and Van-Tine offered a sense of history.  Stickley’s craftsman homes were charming.  Many of these designs offered character that would work well when translated into timber frame construction.  So much of what made them special and unique actually carried from one design to another.  They were designed to a human scale, something missing in many homes today.

The Creekside was designed to fit our lifestyle and to be comfortable.  It sits on a small footprint and is energy efficient.  The living space is open and flows well, but not overwhelming.  We designed in smaller, cozy spaces for the office and reading nook, while making sure that this home will age in place.   Designing a timber frame home that brought all of this together was important to us.

Sharing this experience with people who visit us at Goshen Timber Frames is important to us.  We want to help them design a home that works for them.  We see many clients who are interested in the older character and style similar to our home.  Whether they want smaller or larger, they are looking for a sense of shelter in their new home.

So, my advice as you research your new timber frame is to design and build what draws you, what engages you, and what works for you.  Don’t think about the current trends, but design a home that fits with your land and your lifestyle.  You will be well rewarded.

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Spring is Upon our Timber Frame

April 23, 2010

Spring has sprung.  Well, almost.  There was frost on Thursday morning (April 22), but the flowering cherry tree says it’s Spring as it smiles on the new timber frame home it didn’t get to greet last year.

Timber frames work easily with Spring weather.  Windows come open and sunshine fills the space.  The timbers stand proud and strong and welcome the fresh air. We open the windows during the warm days and close them as evening nears, saving the warmth in our well insulated home.  Heat hasn’t been on in several weeks even though some nights have been near or below freezing and we’ve had frost several times.

We are looking forward to having our windows open and a fresh breeze at night, breezes to bring us dreams of faraway places and wondrous things. Those days will be here soon enough.

Now, the planting has begun.  Garden, flower beds, cleaning up the winter debris…there are plenty of tasks for every day.  I do see how folks worked from sunup until sundown without ever going to town.

But, I need to head to the office, leaving behind this bloom-covered tree and my sheltering timber frame.

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Timber Frame Bath with Salvaged Fixtures

February 9, 2010

Incorporated into our new timber frame home were salvaged items.   We had hoarded items that we found charming for years, just waiting to place them in our new home.

Timber frames are a natural fit with heavy cast iron bathroom fixtures.   The sinks in both bathrooms are old, as is the kitchen sink, and the bathtub.  They were carefully refinished by John at http://www.southernstatesusa.com .  They feel solid and warm…much like a timber frame.

The sinks sit comfortably on vanities built with salvaged wood taken from old buildings on the site.  The door to one is an old window.  The frame for the mirror is also salvaged wood.  Over the tub hangs an old mirror that has hooks down each side.  What a find from the barn!

Our decorator, friend, negotiator, and peace keeper, Pam Pringle of Pringle & Associates was able to find treasures in the barn.  She knew just what went where and how it would be used in our timber frame home.  Since she owns and has decorated a couple of timber frames, she was the perfect person to guide us.

We had four clawfoot bathtubs in the barn.  David carefully moved them into the yard and I sat in each, selecting the one that fit me best for my “soaking tub”.  Banks and Robin were out and found the four tubs, sitting under a tree, quite the sight.  Banks loves it when people “embrace the mountain lifestyle”.  Well, the other three found homes quickly.  One worked well in someone’s outdoor shower and two more will grace the bathrooms in new timber frames in Georgia.

You’ve got to love saving these wonderful fixtures from the landfill.  Can you say “green building” and “sustainable building”?  That’s what I’m talking about!

So, build what you love, with “stuff” you love.  Just build boldly!

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Green Was Easy with This Timber Frame

February 4, 2010

You know, I think we are all trying a little to hard to make “green building” work.  Today’s building technology, coupled with the age old craft of timber framing, makes being “green” easy.  Timber Frames just lend themselves to being green.

David and I had many of the elements of our timber frame home planned long before we broke ground.  We even designed our green home around some of the “stuff” we loved.

Saving two bath sinks, a great clawfoot bathtub, and an amazing farm sink from the landfill was a beginning.  Reclaiming the tin roof from a chicken house teardown was easy.

Doors…do they really wear out?  We don’t think so.  All the doors in our home, with the exception of one, had earlier lives in homes between 1850 and 1940.  Hinged doors easily became pocket doors and they are charming!

Wood, chestnut and oak, salvaged from teardowns on our property made beautiful cabinetry.  You don’t even have to distress them…it’s there.

Windows can be problematic.  You don’t want to sacrifice the energy efficiency of new windows by reusing old sash windows.  One made a great door for the vanity in the guest bedroom.

Timber frames lend themselves to mirrors with character.  We have old mirrors scattered throughout the house.

So, before you bust the budget and trash the landfill, think a little bit about what you love and how it could be incorporated into your new timber framed home.  We did and we are so pleased.

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