How can you argue with those who claim that traditional timber joinery is the most beautiful way to frame a house? Trouble is, not everyone can afford to pay a team of skilled timber framers to make good things happen with massive 10x12s, and not everyone has the time, patience or aptitude to tackle this kind of work themselves. The good news is that there are ways to incorporate big, impressive timbers in your building project, even if the traditional approach is beyond your reach. Alternatives offer speed, ease and economy that make sense on a wide range of projects. These might not always satisfy purists, but that’s probably okay for the rest of us.
There are three ways you can ease the burden of introducing timbers into your next project: hidden mechanical connections that replace traditional joinery, composite post-and-beam designs that use site-assembled 2x lumber to create the timber frame look, and hybrid solid timber frame/stud wall designs that put a limited amount of timber where it has the greatest visual impact. Within these broad categories, you’ll find countless variations on the theme. All are designed to make timber framing more accessible. That’s why alternatives are growing in popularity.
Timber frame hybrids combine solid wood posts and beams with conventional stud walls and hidden joists, offering two big benefits in the bargain. Besides reducing the quantity of timber frame joints required for any project, the hybrid approach also eliminates the need to raise large, pre-assembled frames (called ‘bents’ in the timber trade) using a crane or big crew. Two carpenters can easily put up a hybrid frame home all by themselves without the need for heavy equipment. All it takes is some unusual understanding and a bit of timber framing skill.
The first issue is the correct sizing of timbers. The same engineering calculations required to determine post and beam sizes for a traditional timber frame are required for timber sections of hybrid designs. This is straightforward enough, until you get to the intersection points between the stud frame and the timbers. Here is where you’ll find concentrated point loads that need to be dealt with properly.
The simplest way to proceed safely is to incorporate multiple studs side-by-side directly underneath locations where timber frame beams end. Extend these ‘composite posts’ all the way down to the foundation within stud walls. You’ll find 10- and 12-inch spikes essential for making connections where timber beams meet stud frame walls on top. Predrill at least part way through the timbers to get the spikes going straight while whomping them in with a 6 lbs. sledge. One of the easiest options for installing timbers in a hybrid frame is as exposed floor joints.
Every year manufacturers around the globe invent new hardware that allows timbers to be joined without the need for mortises, tenons, dovetails and other traditional features. And one of the leading options currently available is also Canadian. It’s called Timberlinx and it uses a system of hollow metal tubes and expanding metal pins that offers an alternative for all the traditional timber frame joinery. A boring guide controls the critical placement of intersecting holes that house the connection tubes and expanding metal components
Sometimes the most daunting part of the timber framing challenge isn’t just the joinery. Finding a good supply of timbers is getting more difficult, and raising them can be a challenge, especially on heavily treed or sloped sites. This is the situation where composite timber framing shines
Well-chosen 2x10 and 2x12 planks can be bolted together in place, piece-by-piece, forming super-looking beams as long as you take care in three key areas. First, choose good wood for those parts of the beam that will remain fully visible on the sides. Sand all exposed areas as if you were building furniture. A 6-inch diameter random orbit sander spinning an 80-grit disk does a great job for the first pass. Switch to 120-grit for a second pass.
Next, use a small router to prepare chamfers along the outside edges of composite beams and the edges where boards meet. This small step makes the beams look terrific – much better than you’d ever imagine four 2x12s could possible look.
And finally, use galvanized carriage bolts to fasten the beams together. These resist staining much better than bare or electro-plated bolts ever could. Even though composite beams should only be used in sheltered locations that stay dry, bolt stains can appear after just one rain during construction.
Mortises are easy to create with the composite beam approach, too. Simply stop the inner beam layers where they meet tenons extending upwards from posts, then continue these inner layers as the beam extends past the other side of the post. By making the outer beam layers, a mortise is automatically created wherever the inner layers are left out.
Alternatives to traditional timber framing offer more than just steel plates bolted to the outside faces of posts and beams. With a little creativity and finesse, you can have most of the appeal of an old fashioned timber frame while staying within a bungalow budget.
There are three ways you can ease the burden of introducing timbers into your next project: hidden mechanical connections that replace traditional joinery, composite post-and-beam designs that use site-assembled 2x lumber to create the timber frame look, and hybrid solid timber frame/stud wall designs that put a limited amount of timber where it has the greatest visual impact. Within these broad categories, you’ll find countless variations on the theme. All are designed to make timber framing more accessible. That’s why alternatives are growing in popularity.
Timber frame hybrids combine solid wood posts and beams with conventional stud walls and hidden joists, offering two big benefits in the bargain. Besides reducing the quantity of timber frame joints required for any project, the hybrid approach also eliminates the need to raise large, pre-assembled frames (called ‘bents’ in the timber trade) using a crane or big crew. Two carpenters can easily put up a hybrid frame home all by themselves without the need for heavy equipment. All it takes is some unusual understanding and a bit of timber framing skill.
The first issue is the correct sizing of timbers. The same engineering calculations required to determine post and beam sizes for a traditional timber frame are required for timber sections of hybrid designs. This is straightforward enough, until you get to the intersection points between the stud frame and the timbers. Here is where you’ll find concentrated point loads that need to be dealt with properly.
The simplest way to proceed safely is to incorporate multiple studs side-by-side directly underneath locations where timber frame beams end. Extend these ‘composite posts’ all the way down to the foundation within stud walls. You’ll find 10- and 12-inch spikes essential for making connections where timber beams meet stud frame walls on top. Predrill at least part way through the timbers to get the spikes going straight while whomping them in with a 6 lbs. sledge. One of the easiest options for installing timbers in a hybrid frame is as exposed floor joints.
Every year manufacturers around the globe invent new hardware that allows timbers to be joined without the need for mortises, tenons, dovetails and other traditional features. And one of the leading options currently available is also Canadian. It’s called Timberlinx and it uses a system of hollow metal tubes and expanding metal pins that offers an alternative for all the traditional timber frame joinery. A boring guide controls the critical placement of intersecting holes that house the connection tubes and expanding metal components
Sometimes the most daunting part of the timber framing challenge isn’t just the joinery. Finding a good supply of timbers is getting more difficult, and raising them can be a challenge, especially on heavily treed or sloped sites. This is the situation where composite timber framing shines
Well-chosen 2x10 and 2x12 planks can be bolted together in place, piece-by-piece, forming super-looking beams as long as you take care in three key areas. First, choose good wood for those parts of the beam that will remain fully visible on the sides. Sand all exposed areas as if you were building furniture. A 6-inch diameter random orbit sander spinning an 80-grit disk does a great job for the first pass. Switch to 120-grit for a second pass.
Next, use a small router to prepare chamfers along the outside edges of composite beams and the edges where boards meet. This small step makes the beams look terrific – much better than you’d ever imagine four 2x12s could possible look.
And finally, use galvanized carriage bolts to fasten the beams together. These resist staining much better than bare or electro-plated bolts ever could. Even though composite beams should only be used in sheltered locations that stay dry, bolt stains can appear after just one rain during construction.
Mortises are easy to create with the composite beam approach, too. Simply stop the inner beam layers where they meet tenons extending upwards from posts, then continue these inner layers as the beam extends past the other side of the post. By making the outer beam layers, a mortise is automatically created wherever the inner layers are left out.
Alternatives to traditional timber framing offer more than just steel plates bolted to the outside faces of posts and beams. With a little creativity and finesse, you can have most of the appeal of an old fashioned timber frame while staying within a bungalow budget.
