4 Over 4, with a Lean-To
Traditional Framing:
If you ever have a chance to walk around an old barn or see the bones of a really old homestead shelter you’ll notice that those massive posts and beams don’t land straight on the foundation but on even larger timbers, the sills. Our forebearers built this way based on centuries of practical experience. Those sills lock in the box, as we say, making the entire frame ridged and allowed the frame to ride like a boat on top of the foundation. Today’s timber frame industry has done away with timbered sills and we feel that this is a great loss and will generally shorten the life span of the frames.
This four over four timber frame incorporates fully timbered sills and has the main floor braces in a traditional inverted position. The main frame has a foot print measuring twenty eight feet square with the lean-to taking up fourteen feet square. The total square footage is 1, 764 square feet.
There are many benefits to this design:
- Increased overall rigidity of the frame.
- Increases the reliance on the dynamic nature of wood rather than forcing reliance on the foundation. The structure supports itself.
- Self supporting structures do not rely on engineered materials to meet building code.
- You can do away with toxic plywood, Structural Insulated Panel systems and highly manufactured nominal lumber.
- Inverted lower braces improve passive solar options and view lines on main floor.
- A timbered floor system does not need toxic plywood to make it structural.
- Cellars and basements will benefit from a beautiful ceiling.
- Our timbers are locally grown and milled, and we replant two trees for every sixteen foot timber we use.
On top of these points we can cut this frame as modeled for significantly less than others can cut the posts and main beams and for nearly what it costs to frame in a conventional house. If you are considering straw baling, cob, slip straw or rammed earth then a traditional timber frame will provide you with an heirloom skeleton that allows these natural walls to do what they do best – insulate you from the elements.
As with all our models full plans are available to the ambitious DIY, plans include full joinery details, construction specifics and permit necessary stuff like wall sections.
To enquire about this or any other frame either comment on this post, (this is the slow response way), or drop us an email — follow the leads on the contact page.
For an explanation of listed costs, click!
Tags: cost of shelter, Design, For Sale, green building, model frames, Models, Plans for Sale