In drawboring, peg holes are drilled slightly offset, so that the peg must take on a curve to follow the holes. While good joinery design is the best precaution against excessive shrinkage, shrinking timbers are sometimes held in place by the use of drawboring. Green timber will shrink as it dries, and timber frame builders must calculate shrinkage into a frame’s design. Green timber is easier to work with tools because some woods become very hard when dry. In fact, many timber frame home buyers choose a timber framer largely because they like the look of a certain timber framer’s wood species and how that species influences the design of the frames.īecause seasoning the large pieces of wood needed for a timber frame would take several years under cover, most timber framers use green, or unseasoned, timber to build their frames. They will be able to design your frame with a particular wood’s characteristics in mind. ![]() Typically, timber framers work mostly with one species of wood or with a carefully chosen repertoire of woods. Weaker woods would require larger members. If your frame is fashioned from a strong wood such as Douglas fir or oak, your frame would have smaller members and a lighter look. Just about any wood can be used to build a timber frame as long as the strength characteristics of the species are taken into consideration. Wood species vary in strength and timbers must be sized according to their structural design values. The photographs in this article will show you some of the basics and your timber frame designer should welcome the opportunity to elaborate on the specifics in your frame.Ī wide variety of wood species can be used to build modern timber frames, but it’s important that the wood selected is appropriate to your frame’s design. ![]() Each timber is positioned and sized to transfer a share of the building load through the frame to the principal posts and on to the home’s foundation.Īlthough the actual engineering of your frame will be left to the experts, you may find it useful to have a better understanding of the basics of a timber frame - from the wood species used to the joints carved into the wood. Every joint is designed to transfer loads and stresses from one member to another. In simplest terms, every solidly built timber frame contains hundreds of timbers working together to form a resilient self-supporting structure. ![]() Timber frame builders have responded to modern concerns by investing considerable effort in professional engineering and design to ensure that their frames will meet today’s needs and standards and will withstand the test of time. When we build houses we also look for a solid investment that will last for decades. They must not only shelter us from the elements, they must also be secure, energy efficient and good looking.
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