October 6, 2011
The cost to heat and cool a home is the lion’s share of a utility bill. Whether you use natural gas, electricity, or propane, the comfort factor is offset by uncomfortable utility bills. Timber frame homes, wrapped in energy efficient insulated panels, offer relief from high utility bills.
While we do take other steps to keep our power usage at a minimum (we use fluorescent lights throughout and all of our appliances are Energy Star rated), we believe that the tight, well-insulated envelope that encloses our home is key in keeping our utilities in check.
We live in a timber frame home in the mountains of North Carolina. We’re told that the past winter was the coldest in 35 years and that the past summer was one of the hottest on record.
Our HVAC system is a fully electric heat pump. We use propane for cooking and for our tankless hot water heater only. We have more windows than most homes and have high ceilings throughout. In theory, our costs to heat and cool should be above average. But…we spend a fraction of the cost of homes of comparable size. The latest reports indicate that our home uses one third (that’s One Third) of the electricity of a similar home in our area.
Our power bills for the last 24 months are shown in this report…
Our costs actually decreased slightly in the past year instead of rising with the colder/hotter temperatures we’ve experienced.
Many people ask if vaulted ceilings will result in higher energy usage. I have to say that we spend much less on heating and cooling than we did when we lived in a conventionally built home of the same size. And that home had 8′ ceilings throughout. Goshen Timber Frames clients have seen similar costs savings in their own timber frame homes.
So, when you plan your new home, remember that these energy savings will continue to save you money each month and will save you even more money as energy costs rise. I know that the proof is in the savings.
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.
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.
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.
December 19, 2009
Snow settled into the mountains of Western North Carolina on Friday and on our new timber frame home. Timber frames just seem to accept the snow as a given, still providing comfortable shelter and a serene presence.
While designing our timber frame, one of the items that was important was a 
small home office, not isolated, but comfortable enough for me and my sidekick (also known as my laptop). I wanted light…natural daylight.. and I didn’t want to feel closed off. Well, it happened and this snowy day made me realize just how important it was.
We had about six inches of snow and with our heat set at 63, never felt a chill. The double paned, argon gas, low e (and whatever else was included) in our Jeldwen Windows paid off. The Thermocore insulated panels kept the heat in and the cold out. That’s the way it’s supposed to work, right?
As the day closed, I sent David out into the snow to catch a couple of photos of the timber frame with snow on it
(I grew up in far west Texas and snow wasn’t in our picture). He’d already been to the barn and even driven me to town (where the grocery store was without power and closing for the day), so this wasn’t a big imposition.
So, our timber frame proved itself once more, sheltering and warm, we are pleased to live in a timber frame and to be a part of helping others do the same.
October 26, 2009
Fall is upon us and the leaves are painting an amazing scene around our timber frame home. With the air crisp and cool and the beautiful colors, it’s a pleasure to drive up to our new timber frame.
We’re settling in, even Pearson, who has found that my home office is great for a working dog. He’s comfortable there, with the surrounding windows, whether I’m at my desk or not.
The living room and kitchen offer a respite from the busy world outside. The timber frame offers a great backdrop for our open cabinetry and relaxed living space. The Creekside is a great plan for living. Check it and many, many more plans out at Goshen Timber Frames Plans .
October 19, 2009
Our timber frame home open house was a great success! Legions of visitors (well…150 plus) toured, ate, drank and shared their time with us.
Our timber frame welcomed all with grace. The timbers, stately and warm, were the perfect backdrop for the guests. There were surprises for all. The screendoor on the bedroom closet was a hit and the glass loft railing opened lots of discussion, but he timber frame itself, charming and welcoming, was the centerpiece.
The large crowd in the small house was an early concern, but the open floor plan and covered porches handled it all with ease. Even small timber frames entertain well!
October 1, 2009
We are pleased to have been chosen as a home for the WNCGBC 2009 Green and Solar Tour of Homes . We encourage you to take advantage of the WNCGBC tour and visit the other 18 homes on the tour. There is much to be learned as you visit these exceptional homes.
We have decided that this is a great time to invite our friends, family, and folks interested in learning more about timber frame homes to visit us, also. We will have an open house on October 10th and October 11th from 1:00 pm until …. well, until. Be sure to email for directions and so we can add you to our list of attendees.
October 1, 2009
Well, we are now settled in and enjoying our timber framed home. It seems much, much larger than it’s 1699 square feet and sometimes we forget it is a small home, but it lives well.
The frame still speaks to us softly in the night, as timber tends to do, but we haven’t experienced the more pronounced “pops” that we’ve been told about.
We’ve not hung anything on the walls, yet, and don’t have all the furniture in, but we are taking our time to make sure that what we do bring in…we love.
So far, neither of us has found anything that we would have changed. The home fits our needs and is peaceful.
Stay tuned.
August 25, 2009
The kitchen in our timber frame is, like the rest of the home, scaled down. Since it measures out at 10′ X 11′, we had to make the best use of space and materials. We painted the maple cabinets (an often unpopular choice) to bring in light and to carry forward with our cottage look and we left the upper cabinets open and stained them to match the trim in the rest of the house. Since our old home had open cabinets, we knew we would like the concept. Having dishes and serving pieces within easy reach is a nice touch. The “messy” stuff …food, spices, etc,… will go in the pantry cabinet or lower cabinets. The larger pieces (crock pot, seldom used pans, etc) will be shelved in the storage closet under the stairs.
The concrete countertops really stand out. They are a dark gray. We wanted a rich glow, but not a glossy surface. Buffing compound helped us to get that look. It is warm and subtle. With a 2″ depth, they offer mass and a substantial feel. They just feel right in a timber frame home.
Floors and ceiling are wood, so it was important to have enough task and ambient lighting. We used a combination of undercabinet lighting, ceiling lighting, and lights above the cabinets. Timber frames can, if allowed, overwhelm the kitchen space.
The kitchen is open to the living area and will have two barstools for casual dining and cooking coaches. We added shelves (with lumber salvaged from the old homeplace) under and to the end of the bar. Again, in a small home, the use of space is important.
Timber Frame Kitchen
