The Timber Wall

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. (more…)

All our model frames are available for purchase in plan form. If you, or your builder, are interested in using our plans here’s what you need to know.

Preview: Look before you buy a plan. We suggest you request a preview of the model(s) you are interested in. You will need to download, for free, Google’s SketchUp Viewer. This program is available for both MacIntosh and (more…)

Looks complicated. It is actually simple and that is its elegance. The joinery involved in this frame is all traditional mortise and tenon, we have simply reoriented the typical meeting points of roof to wall. The price is in line with other frames of similar square footage. (more…)

At 14 feet by 20 feet and featuring a half storey second floor, this cabin will make an excellent bunkie or could be outfitted as a guest house for weekend or extended use.

For an individual or couple in the early stages of homesteading this frame could allow for four season living while the main home is brought to completion — and will stand to serve as an integral part of the homestead even once it has ceased to be the primary shelter. (more…)

Suitable as a stand alone structure or as an addition to an existing home, this frame is fully self supporting and could be modified to include a timbered floor system. The simple configuration of heavy timbers allows for an uninterrupted floor space, covering 320 square feet. (more…)