If you have decided to build a new home and want to build a Timber Frame home, there are a few things that you need to have before you invest funds and start the design process.
You have or are in the process of acquiring land
You have ideas on style and layout
You have decided what size your home will be (Square footage)
You have set a budget after talking with financial professionals
You have an idea of when you want to move into your new home
Try to start the design process one year before you intend to break ground on your project.
Manufacturers and builders may be booked for 3-12 months or more. The actual building of your new home
should take around five to six months if you hire a general contractor or builder.
Timber frame homes at this time can have completed costs (depending on the local economy) ranging from under $150 to over $200 per square foot.
If you plan on hiring a local general contractor, interview three to five contractors and ask them all what local conventional construction costs are per square foot.
Timber frame homes may cost 5%-10% more then conventionally constructed homes.
Remember that timber frame homes are built to be lived in for hundreds of years, not dozens.
Design
Probably the most important decision is going to be your first decision,
Who is going to design your home? Architects are fine, but tend to be a lot more expensive and most are not familiar with timber framing and need to be educated.
Even though most timber frame companies have in-house design services, you may be working with a person who is not an Architectural Designer.
They may be a “Salesperson”, “Project coordinator”, “Project manager”, “Draftsman”, etc. It is preferable to team up with an experienced designer.
Hampshire Timber Frame has an experienced Architectural Designer on staff: Dana Roberts.
Dana has designed over 320 timber frame homes in the last 22 years, works one on one with clients and makes their ideas work.
Dana has a reputation for taking on projects no one else will, and has been the first choice for hundreds of home owners.
Dana also specializes in downsizing and retirement home design.
He can help you get the most out of every square foot and will always keep your wants, needs and ideas in the forefront.
Timber Frame Companies
Every Timber Frame company says that they have the best products and services and that you should pick them to work with
So how do you choose your Timber Frame company? There are phone calls to make, emails to send, meetings to have and maybe some homes to visit.
A few good places to start gathering information are in the trade magazines (Timber Home Living & Timber Home Illustrated),
the internet and at log home and timber frame trade shows. These resources will help you develop a list of potential companies to work with.
You should contact each company and talk with whomever you will be working with throughout the project.
This will give you a sense if they are “on the same page” as you, have the knowledge and experience you require, and will be pleasant to work with.
After talking with many companies, you should be getting pretty good at the interview process.
You may want to call more than once with questions, concerns, and to ascertain if they are truly interested in your project.
Please check out their policies, products and timber frame joinery details/quality completely.
Ask what makes their company better than all the other companies. If you have sketches or are considering one of their standard designs,
ask them to provide a quote. Inform them of the specifications you require that apply to the products that are included in their standard package.
Reviewing the companies’ quotes will give you a good idea of their pricing as well as their organization. A well written quote should define each option completely,
be well organized, easy to read, and have a fair price. Estimated costs for installation and trucking should also be included.
After interacting with timber frame companies and evaluating their quality, prices and value, one company will stand out as being right for you.
We hope that company is Hampshire Timber Frame.
Timber Frame Options
You should have choices of timber species, such as Douglas fir, Eastern White Pine, Hemlock or Oak and choices of timber surface finishes like rough sawn,
hand hewn, or plained smooth to be coated with tung oil, stained to your liking or left to finish yourself.
You should also have choices of timber edge finishes (chamfered edge). You may prefer a straight edge or a flat 45, or a 3/8” or 3/4” rounded bead chamfer,
a hand drawn edge or a custom edge.
What about the design of the timber frame itself? Most of the time, the layout of the home will indicate what frame design works best.
You should have the option of incorporating custom frame designs into your home.
Please take the time to learn all you can about what it is that you are buying and are eventually going to live in.
These options will define the look and feel of your timber frame and your home. Your architectural designer should be able to explain what works and what doesn’t and why.
The more you understand, the more comfortable you will feel and the closer the project will come to fulfilling your vision.
Interior Options
Most of the interior material options will be reviewed and supplied by your general contractor.
Floor and wall finishes, moldings, stairways, cabinets and fixtures, doors and hardware are some of them.
Some of the big ticket items like the heating/cooling system, plumbing and the electrical layout will need more attention.
Since most timber frames are built with stress skin panel walls and roof, they tend to be very air tight, energy efficient homes.
Therefore the heating/cooling system needs to be adjusted for a structure where the only thermal breaks tend to be windows and doors.
An air exchanger system is also highly recommended.
A humidifying system may also be needed for a few reasons. Humidity control will make the home more comfortable, healthier and will save you money on heating and cooling.
Humidity control will also assist in the slow drying of the timbers.
It is a good idea to review the electrical, telecommunications and audio/video wire layouts for every room of the home.
The kitchen may be the most important electrical layout in the home since lighting and appliance locations help create a safe, efficient and enjoyable kitchen.
Exterior Options
The outside of your home will create the first impression for you each time you return home and for visitors.
It is very important for you to have options of different sidings, trim, windows and roofing, in both material and style so you can create this first impression.
The appearance of these options on your house can be presented on the drawings, but any maintenance they may require cannot.
Therefore, learning about the warranties and the maintenance required on all your choices is necessary.
Hampshire Timber Frame offers real cedar, hemlock or pine siding and trim, unfinished or pre-stained to your liking with Cabot Stain which features a fifteen year warranty.
We offer all siding styles such as clapboards, shingles, vertical tongue & groove, shiplap and board & batten siding.
We also offer cement siding for humid climates in many different styles.
Choosing a General Contractor (builder)
If you decide to hire a contractor, you should obtain at least three estimates for your project.
Contractors will require sets of plans for any in-depth project discussions and to develop the price estimates for you.
Their enthusiasm and confidence of being involved in the construction of a timber frame structure is important.
Try to hire a contractor who is a member of the National Association of Home Builders, is insured, has a stable business record,
supplies you with a competitive bid, guarantees their work will be completed in a timely,
efficient manner and who offers a warranty on both their building materials and craftsmanship.
Try to review samples of their work and interview past clients to assess their level of satisfaction.
Questions you may want to ask references include: Did they finish within budget and on time? Were there any surprises?
How did they handle changes? Were they easy to work with? Would you use them again? Did they hire subcontractors? What didn’t you like about them?
Scheduling may be an issue, so discuss it with all parties involved.
Engineering Stamps and Local Building Departments
Contact your local building department and let them know your plans. Early contact will help keep the building process smooth and avoid surprises.
They should inform you about all the code restrictions and ordinances you will have to comply with such as needing a registered structural engineer stamp
on your drawings, property/lot setbacks, height restrictions, road closings, bridge weight loads. Review the building permit application for requirements,
conditions and expiration. Ask what conditions need to be met to receive a certificate of occupancy as you may want to move in as soon as possible and perform
some finishing labor yourself.
Questions
Please contact Dana with any questions or concerns about any aspect of building your new home.
Probably the most important decision is going to be your first decision,
Who is going to design your home? Architects are fine, but tend to be a lot more expensive and most are not familiar with timber framing and need to be educated.
Even though most timber frame companies have in-house design services, you may be working with a person who is not an Architectural Designer.
They may be a “Salesperson”, “Project coordinator”, “Project manager”, “Draftsman”, etc. It is preferable to team up with an experienced designer.
Every Timber Frame company says that they have the best products and services and that you should pick them to work with
So how do you choose your Timber Frame company? There are phone calls to make, emails to send, meetings to have and maybe some homes to visit.
A few good places to start gathering information are in the trade magazines (Timber Home Living & Timber Home Illustrated),
the internet and at log home and timber frame trade shows. These resources will help you develop a list of potential companies to work with.
You should contact each company and talk with whomever you will be working with throughout the project.
This will give you a sense if they are “on the same page” as you, have the knowledge and experience you require, and will be pleasant to work with.
You should have choices of timber species, such as Douglas fir, Eastern White Pine, Hemlock or Oak and choices of timber surface finishes like rough sawn,
hand hewn, or plained smooth to be coated with tung oil, stained to your liking or left to finish yourself.
Most of the interior material options will be reviewed and supplied by your general contractor.
Floor and wall finishes, moldings, stairways, cabinets and fixtures, doors and hardware are some of them.
Some of the big ticket items like the heating/cooling system, plumbing and the electrical layout will need more attention.
Since most timber frames are built with stress skin panel walls and roof, they tend to be very air tight, energy efficient homes.
Therefore the heating/cooling system needs to be adjusted for a structure where the only thermal breaks tend to be windows and doors.
An air exchanger system is also highly recommended.
The outside of your home will create the first impression for you each time you return home and for visitors.
It is very important for you to have options of different sidings, trim, windows and roofing, in both material and style so you can create this first impression.
The appearance of these options on your house can be presented on the drawings, but any maintenance they may require cannot.
Therefore, learning about the warranties and the maintenance required on all your choices is necessary.