The Process of Building a Timber Frame

An idea

In our initial meeting with you, we listen to your ideas, dreams and goals, adding our experience and knowledge to develop a mutual vision of what is possible. When you leave our shop after the initial meeting, you have a clear roadmap of what we would be able to create for you within your budget and meeting your goals.

Design

We develop the design in consultation with you, and prepare the house plans and working drawings. Read more about our design process and payment schedule.

Engineering

We work with a local engineering company with a vast knowledge of the joinery. This helps us keep costs down.

Species of wood

We build primarily in white pine because of stability and ease of working the joinery. We also use hemlock for exterior applications. For fences and arbours, juniper and eastern white cedar are common. Red oak is used for hardwood splines and built-in benches. Pegs are of black locust and red oak.

Squaring of timbers

The seasoned, rough timbers are brought into the shop where they are planed square in our large planer.

Layout

Marking where the mortises and tenons will be cut.

Double check layout

The last chance to make sure the joinery is going to be cut properly.

Cut

Mortises and tenons are cut using a combination of modern chain mortisers with traditional hand tools including chisels and planes.

Label

Each cut timber is carefully labelled to ensure that it goes in the right place. Try doing jigsaw puzzels this way and see how much easier it is!

Endseal

A wax base sealer for the timber ends.

Embellishments

See our Embellishments page for ideas!

Prefit

Better to be safe than sorry! This is to ensure that there are no major surprises on site, such as missed pieces, and to keep crane time down to a minimum.

Final planing

To get rid of all the markings from the layout and prepare a fresh surface for the stain.

Oil or staining

Options - see Finishes page

Organize bundles

Getting them ready for trucking.

Ship to site

The timbers are loaded onto the truck with a forklift and securely tied down for the journey to your site.

Prefit bents

Once on your site, the pieces are organized into bents and pegs are driven in so that we are ready for the crane the next day.

Crane raising

The fruition of the team's collaboration to this stage.

Rack and peg

The use of come-a-longs to square up the timber frame.

Hang pine bough

A traditional finish to the raising of a timber frame, to pay hommage to the forest for giving up the trees, and to wish the clients good luck in their future home.

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