Trumansburg Timber Frame Update

Okay. Okay. I know I've been remiss in updating the blog on the timber frame home that my folks are building on Cayuga Lake. I'm succumbing to the pressure and here are photos and a description of the home which is now, I guess, about 2 or 3 weeks away from completion.

If you were following this blog previously, this should be a familiar shot. Two big differences from the last time: 1) the second garage is now finished forming an "autocourt" in the front of the house and providing dad with four garage stalls to store his toys; 2) the home is painted a sage green which took a bit of getting used to (especially coupled with the cinnamon-colored windows) but is now growing on everyone. Aside from final grading, landscaping, and outdoor items like the fireplace adjacent to the deck, the exterior is funamentally finished.

On the left (north) side of the house is the florida room and one of three large retaining walls that surround the home and help manage the relatively significant water issue. Quite a bit of planning and work went in to managing the water that flows down the twin hogbacks, through a complex culvert system under the house, and out to the lake during a heavy rain.

Remember the photo on the left? The dock was about 100 years old -- and looked it! The photo on the right shows the same dock as it looks today. My kids and I have enjoyed quite a few evenings diving off this new dock this summer! The plan is to build a post and beam beach house and boat lift to the right (south) of the dock next summer.

The orange (actually "warm terra cotta") takes a bit of getting used to but we're convinced the room will feel right when furnished. The doug fir timber frame turned out gorgous after a number of polyurethane coats with 220 grit sandings in between -- it's like furniture! The woodburning fireplace facade is covered with StoneCraft cultured stone and the floor is finished with a custom installed and finished white oak.

The kitchen as dad installs appliances (microwave / range hood sitting on the counter). The floor is a 12x12 tile that looks like slate (but much tougher and easier to keep clean). Cabinets are maple. Counter is granite. The light fixtures over the counter look like they came out of a lighthouse!

This photo is taken standing in the great room and shooting toward the front door which can barely be seen through the treads of the stairs. The timber frame stairs are being finished "as we speak." To the left is the library which boasts gorgeous cherry panelling, a small wood burning fireplace, and a 2-story mezanine. The curved panelling in front of the step ladder hides a dry bar.

The next update should be the finished home.

Woodhouse SmartWood Line Described

This article appears on the Log & Timber Homes website. The August 2008 issue of Timber Homes Illustrated features my home in Cayuga Lake, New York.

Company says timber frames now affordable for the 'average buyer'

SmartWood is a line of pre-designed timber framed homes by Woodhouse. Ranging in size from small cabins to larger homes, they are offered in a variety of architectural styles." "However," says Steve Keller the founder of Woodhouse and a timber framer for almost 30 years, "SmartWood was conceived to make timber frames affordable for the average buyer."

Keller continued by saying, "It is a well established fact that a timber frame home is going to cost more than a conventionally built home and, depending upon the region, as much as 20 to 30% more. At Woodhouse, we knew that a lot of our prospective clients were unable or unwilling to afford a custom timber frame with the quality of a Woodhouse home or other custom designed timber frame. SmartWood addresses that problem."

"SmartWood is exactly what it says – a 'smart' and affordable way to build a timber framed home." Steve elaborated on the precepts of SmartWood. "To reduce the price we did three things:

1. First was to reduce the cost of designing a home. We have more than 50 pre-designed SmartWood homes (adding more every day) that spread the cost of design over 10 or more homes – a very real savings.


2. Next, we optimized the efficiency of the timber frame design, by first engineering the timber frame and only then, integrating the floor plan (opposite to many custom designs where inefficient timber frames are often designed to meet the owner's floor planrequirements) and using simplified, but industry standard or better, joinery (how the timbers inter-connect) to further reduce cost.


3. Finally, we selected the most cost effective but still quality materials: "The 'smart wood' that we use," Keller smiles, "is the common-sense choice of kiln-dried Southern Yellow Pine timbers – strong, beautiful and less expensive than virtually any other species of timber. Plus being plantation grown, they are a very 'green' wood. We then decided on EPS foam-core structural insulating SIPS by Murus – the industry standard and less expensive than the polyurethane foam-core SIPs used by Woodhouse. Lastly, we opted for Anderson brand windows and doors – an efficient and reliable window but less costly window. This combination is impossible to beat – especially in concert with the service and quality of Woodhouse."

Keller continued the story by talking about his business partner's choice of a timber framed home and design. "Pat Seaman, president of Woodhouse came to us with a strong corporate background and quickly learned and applied his skills to the timber framing business. However, he had never actually built a home, his or anyone else's.

"So when it came time for Pat and his wife Tracey to build their timber frame home, SmartWood was a logical choice for a number reasons common to many clientele. Quite simply, the square footage they wanted, the amenities therein and doing it within their budget, was an absolute must. From the SmartWood plan-book Pat and Tracey selected the Mountain View design envisioning it accommodating their beautiful lake side sloping property and lifestyle – a growing family, room for entertaining their friends and families in a casual setting and room for a regulation pool table and media area."

Keller interceded by adding, "Any SmartWood design can be customized, with limitations for cost engineering, and; Pat and Tracey needed some customization of their selection, the Mountain View, which included a walk-out/day-light basement to accommodate the slope of their property and the media and pool table area (a guest bedroom was also added in this lower level), a larger kitchen / dining area and an office over the garage accessible from inside and outside of the house.

"As is often the case, customizations like Pat and Tracey's will lead to a new SmartWood design. In this instance we've added their home, the Lake View, to our SmartWood line of homes and have subsequently built three more across the country."

Keller further observed that, "In the construction of his home, Pat applied his management skills to the building process. He was diligent in obtaining multiple bids for all phases of construction, reviewing the bids in detail with each sub-contractor and consulting with more experienced third parties when warranted and; every day, spending time on the job site reviewing all the work to ensure quality and planning the next work, and very importantly, to enculture good sub-contractor relationships."

"Pat's detailed record keeping attests to the cost effectiveness of building a SmartWood. His completed cost was more than competitive, square foot for square foot, with a custom home in the Finger Lakes region of New York." Keller concluded.

"All too often I have seen owner's dreams for a timber framed home dashed when they over design for their budget." Steve Keller added pensively. "And it can be a real tragedy. To avoid this owners must either, one, hire a designer or architect who has the ability or personality to assiduously adhere to a real budget and is capable of efficiently engineering the timber frame structure to stand as the heart of the home, or two, engage a timber frame company who has the experience and ability to do the same," and Keller added "Shame on us timber framers if we allow or enable a client to over-shoot their budget."

"In the situation where the budget is unrealistic for a custom timber frame, SmartWood is often the answer. Our experience is that we can build a SmartWood at the same price or less than a custom built conventional home. And that is a wonderful thing," said a smiling Steve Keller.

How to Pick a Builder for Your Timber Frame Home Project

In our 30 years of designing and manufacturing timber frame homes around the world, there are a few questions that we've come to expect from a potential client. One of the most common is "How much do your homes cost per square foot?" (Unfortunately, this is like asking how much a car costs per pound). One of the legitimate questions that we are almost always asked somewhere during the client's decision process is: "do you have a builder in my area or can you recommend one for my project?"

The best answer to this question, of course, is "yes, we have a highly experienced timber frame builder, trained in the Woodhouse product, right in the area where you are going to build and we would love to introduce you!" In fact, in many cases we are able to answer this way because of the extensive network of independent builder-dealers that Woodhouse enjoys around the country. These builders are a real asset to our future owners. They are trained, we know them well, and we love to introduce them to prospective clients.

Woodhouse is very focused on extending this network of independent builder-dealers and is always on the lookout for good builders in areas where timber frame building is popular. If you know of one, or are one yourself, please contact us for some very interesting information.

But, this post in particular is for those people building a timber frame home who are not fortunate enough to have a Woodhouse independent builder-dealer in their desired building area. If you are one on them, Don't Worry - there are many talented and honest builders and you can find someone to trust with your dream project. Like almost anything else, the key is to do your homework.

Referrals
There are many sources of builder referrals but some are more helpful than others. Broad sources, such as the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) can help you find builders in your area but their recommendation is relatively unqualified. A bit better are sources such as builder supply houses, realtors, and code enforcement officers. But, the best sources are personal ones. Since you're planning to live (or at least vacation) in the area that you're building, you will be making friends and acquaintances. Ask them for builder references - especially those that have been through a project themselves.

We suggest identifying at least three recommended builders through the use of qualifying questions to help narrow your choices. Some examples might be:

• Do you carry liability (how much), workers comp. and builder's risk insurance?




• Have you had any experience building timber frame and structural insulated panel homes? (Not required but would be useful.)




• Have your subs had any experience with these structures - specifically electrical, HVAC, and foundation subs? (Again, not required but would be useful.)




• Do you quote one price for a turn-key home or do you work on a cost-plus basis?




• How much of the work is done by your own people and what work do you sub out?




• How do you handle changes throughout the project (if turn-key price)?




• Do you mind if the homeowner helps on specific aspects of the build?

Of course this list can go on for a long time but you get the idea. The answers you are looking for will vary depending on what you are comfortable with. For instance, you may want the security of one price no matter what. On the other hand, that price comes with a cost (the builder will have included a contingency for his own security) and you may wish to save this money by working on a cost-plus basis (and assuming the risk of cost increases). The concept is to develop a list of questions with which to vet the builders and narrow down to those that work in a manner consistent with your own project philosophy.

Some questions (like the one about insurance) should just simply be deal-breakers if answered in the negative.

Once through this process, you should ask for references. You should be able to walk through and inspect the builder's work as well as be allowed to interview the reference yourself and in private. Like any reference, the builder is only going to introduce you to those former clients with whom he feels he has a good relationship. The reference can still be valuable however; if you (a) inspect the work carefully, and (b) ask specific questions that will allow the reference to describe how the builder actually works.

When walking through a reference project pay close attention to the following (these are not in any particular order):

• Condition of timbers (if it is a timber frame) - scratches, marring, forklift marks, etc.




• Fit and finish of all trim work;




• Fit and finish of all tile work;




• Look under sinks and in the mechanical room - how neat & organized is the plumbing, electrical, and HVAC work?




• Do all doors, including closets, line up, open and close properly?




• Are drip caps properly installed on all exterior windows, doors, and exposed horizontal surfaces?




• Is siding, trim, and roofing material properly installed?




• Is the finish of the home aesthetically pleasing and coordinated?

When interviewing the reference, make sure to ask open-ended questions that allow the homeowner to express their opinion about the builder's strengths and weaknesses. Questions such as the following can be invaluable:

• Was the builder always easy to communicate with, returned voicemails, showed up on time for appointments, etc.




• Were there any aspects of the project that turned out much better than you expected?




• Were there any aspects of the project with which you were unhappy?




• Was the job completed on time and within your budget?




• What would you consider to be the builder's strengths and weaknesses?




• Was there any contention at any point within the project?




• Could the builder help with design as well as execution?

These are just examples and a good starting point. What is important to you will dictate the kinds of questions you will ask. The concept is to make sure and set up a private interview and ask open-ended questions.

And here's some great news - if you're working with Woodhouse, an experienced regional sales manager can work right along side you throughout this process to help find and qualify the right builder for your timber frame project.

A Timber Frame Home For Everyone: Designing the Perfect House

Wodhouse® is known for designing to specific considerations: maximizing stunning views, the mechanics of the perfect weekend ski retreat for multiple families, the maintenance and water management considerations of a waterfront home, or ensuring a retirement home considers the potential needs as the homeowners age. In our 30 years and over 700 homes designed and built we have come to realize that, with the right mindset and some creative work on the part of our design team and homeowner clients, timber framing can meet almost any requirement.

Consider the design language itself - the architectural "vernacular." We can (and have) designed and built Adirondack cottages, New England saltboxes, California "treehouses," South Pacific island retreats. Even homes to blend with the mid-eighteenth century villages common to the American hometown and their greek & gothic revival designs. The structural insulated panels (SIPs) with which we wrap our frames form a "blank canvas" on which the client and architect can draw whatever dream they share.

Size needn't be a limitation either. Some of the NYS Thruway rest stops that we built as timber frame in the early nineties measure over fifteen thousand square feet. We design and build many homes in the three to eight thousand square foot range every year. At the same time we have built many cottages in the 500 square foot range. In fact, we have designed a beautiful line of timber frame sheds and barns that start at about 150 square feet and utilize the same environmentally friendly frame material as our SmartWood™ timber frame homes but in smaller dimensions consistent with the lighter roof loads.

The breadth of scale and design aesthetic translates to the actual structure of our timber frames as well. A beautifully simple common rafter frame compliments the simplicity of a saltbox. A principal purlin / rafter system adds appeal to the vaulted spaces of a barn home. The soaring arches of a Hammerbeam truss system create the cathedral-like space in a formal Tuscan-styled great room. Low and heavy oak floor beams form a cozy space over an irish cottage kitchen. The use of organic "crook-truss" bents and entire tree posts translate the magic of a treehouse into the reality of a dream home. You get the idea - no-nonsense structural or light and lyrical, a timber frame works.

Instead of design limitations, we tend to work with some clients on budget limitations. A timber frame and SIP home costs more than a traditionally built home. But there are some simple ways to limit the impact of a timber frame project on the pocketbook. Specifically, we ask our potential clients to strongly consider the two highest impact cost reduction techniques: shrinking the footprint / going vertical and SmartWood™.

Consider this fact. It will always cost more for a home design to expand horizontally than for it to expand vertically. This is because for every foot your push a design out, you add a foot of foundation, roofing, excavation, etc. as well as the foot of floor and wall space. Pushing a design up or down, conversely, only adds the wall space (conceptually and in general).

Why is this important?

I would have to guess that about 80 to 90% of the homes we build are situated on a site that accommodates a walkout basement. Even so, our clients tend to put all of their space requirements on the floors above grade. When asked what will go in the lower level, they begin filling this space with afterthought - a rec. room, a bar, a play area for the children, a workshop, etc. We ask our clients to consider putting some of their required space in the lower level allowing for a smaller overall footprint and thereby reducing cost. Some living areas well-suited to the lower level are guest suites, TV rooms, home offices, etc.

One of the other best ways to reduce the cost of a timber frame project is to consider our SmartWood™ series of predesigned homes. These use "industry-standard" materials (expanded polystyrene SIPs instead of polyurethane, Andersen 400 series windows instead of Loewen, etc.) and the initial cost of design is amortized over multiple units. In addition, we use kiln-dried southern yellow pine (environmentally-friendly & the same strength characteristics as douglas fir at about half the cost) and design the structures in dimensions that the most cost efficient. The result is a beautiful timber frame home at a significantly reduced cost.

We believe that, within reason, we can accommodate almost any requirement with a timber frame home. We have designed homes in almost every architectural style, in almost every size and we know how to maximize value for those clients with a more constrained budget. Remain open-minded and flexible and give us a try!

Trumansburg Timber Frame -- Month Seven

Well the timber frame project we've been tracking is shut down for the winter while the folks are in "winter storage" in Florida. The last work was done in early December. Fundamentally, as my last post in November showed, the exterior is complete and the interior is ready for sheetrock and finish. It will get cranked back up in May and should be complete sometime mid-summer. Here's how we left it...

The difference between a log home, a timber frame home, and a post and beam home

So... to keep this blog fresh while we wait for the project to get cranked back up, it has been suggested that I write a bit about the difference between a log home, a timber frame home, and a post and beam home. Here goes...

I have friends who introduce me as a log home builder. This is inaccurate on two counts – I’m neither a builder (I run a manufacturing company) nor do I have anything to do with log homes. But it illustrates the difficulty that many people have differentiating log homes from timber frame homes. Throw in the relatively subtle difference of what people call a post and beam home and it can be confusing.

As you can see from the photo on the left, a log home is built of relatively large pieces of wood stacked horizontally to form walls. Most people would like the pieces of wood to be large and round but they can be sized and shaped in many different ways to simplify the build process and eliminate some of the difficulties inherent in this building system (settling (vertical movement) of the walls as they dry, lack of insulating capability, etc.).

A post and beam home uses relatively large pieces of wood positioned upright (posts) to support horizontal pieces (beams). The posts and beams can be left organically shaped (round) as in a post and beam log home or squared off as in a timber frame home. Additionally, the pieces may be attached to each other in many different ways including metal brackets, plates, bolts, screws, or mortise and tenon joinery.

A timber frame home (shown to the right) is a specific kind of post and beam home that uses mortise and tenon joinery and wooden pegs to hold the squared-off timbers together. A Woodhouse® timber frame home, including our SmartWood™ series of predesigned homes, is a home constructed of a timber frame surrounded by structural insulated panels (SIPs).

What are the advantages of a timber frame home when compared to a log home?

Aesthetics
A log home is a very specific aesthetic. It’s rustic appeal evident in many ways. A timber frame is a much more flexible aesthetic with a broad spectrum of finish from as rustic as a log home to as elegant as a European cathedral. We often hear clients comment that they started looking for a log home but felt that there was “too much wood” and that a timber frame home gave them a similar feel of rustic elegance but with a more varied, less monochromatic, palette on the inside as well as complete freedom on exterior finish.

Maintenance
A log home requires much more maintenance than a timber frame home. Specifically, the exterior must be cleaned and treated on a frequent basis (usually every 2-3 years to maintain the manufacturer’s warranty) and the homeowner must cope with an unsettling degree of settling (as much as 6 inches a story) as the horizontal logs shrink over time. A timber frame home requires no more maintenance than a traditionally constructed home.


Longevity
A timber framer in NY that I know once described the relative longevity of a timber frame and a log home as follows: “You can see many thousand year old timber frame buildings throughout Europe and asia. Try to find a thousand year old log home”

Energy Efficiency
The “R-value” of wood is approximately R-1 for each 1” of wood. A typical log home constructed of 8” logs would have a wall R-value of approximately R-8 (actually less because the chinking between the logs would be of a smaller dimension). A Woodhouse ® timber frame home surrounded by SIPs is one of the most energy efficient building systems available. A typical 4 ½” Murus polyurethane SIP wall has an R-value of 26 and, maybe more importantly, has no opportunity for air leaks resulting in a more energy efficient home than both log or conventionally built homes.

The US log home industry is much bigger than the US timber frame industry but its growth is slowing while timber framing is enjoying accelerating growth throughout the country. Beautiful rustic elegance, little maintenance, the opportunity to leave a tangible legacy for your children and grandchildren, and sustainability are just a few of the differences between the building systems that account for the growing popularity of timber frame homes.

T-Burg Timberframe -- Week 15

It has now been about three and a half months since delivery and the exterior is about 3 days from completion (except for stonework since it's now too cold to lay it). This is the first photos posted of the house from the lakeside -- I'm standing on the beach. From here you can see the large exterior deck with the covered portion toward the right. Behind it and to the right is the florida room. The deck is supported by a white oak timber frame and the newell posts were also supplied by Woodhouse to match all of the exterior timbers. The giant window wall in the center is partially obscured in this photo by a scaffold structure being used by the guys installing the siding (Dave, Peter, and Hossman). You can also see, to the right and below the deck, the giant culvert that carries rain water from the front of the house out to the rear. Someday it will be incorporated into a stone wall to create a nice water feature.

While down here I took this photo of the existing dock. Needs a little work (maybe some paint?). Views are nice though...

Here's a more familiar view of the project! You can see that the cementatious siding is completed on the front and sides of the house as well as the garage. You can also barely see the felt covered chimney right behind the tree. This will be covered with Eldorado Stone. With most of the leaves down, the dramatic position of the home relative to the lake becomes more apparent.

Aside for the "hay loft" door for access to the storage area above the bays, the garage is fundamentally complete, sans paint.

This is a detail shot of the front of the house. By the way, the whitish gray color is the raw color of the cementatious siding and trim. Finished colors will be richer (but have not been really decided upon yet. The Eagle indows were ordered in a cinnamon red color so the fin ished palette will compliment the warmth of the red and also the rich oak. The Eldorado Stone will also have reddish tones within it.

This bracket designed and installed to look like it is holding up the roof over the mud room is a very pretty touch. It is finished with a product made by Sikkens -- a scandinavian producer of wood finishing products that we have had particularly goor results with. This photo also shows the detail in the siding -- clapboard below with shingles in all of the gables. This detail is much more apparent in person.

All the activity is on the rear deck where the guys are finishing the siding.

On the inside, the house is just about ready for sheetrock. The walls are framed and electrical, rough plumbing, and HVAC just about complete.

Even the fireplaces are now installed -- one in the library (shown to the right) and one in the great room.

T-Burg Timber Frame: Weeks 3-7

This is the 3rd in a series of posts about a Woodhouse timber frame project on Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate NY. The photo to the right was taken on the 60th day of the project and shows the big jump in progress that has occurred since the Woodhouse package was completed at the end of week three (I've been traveling, etc. and haven't taken photos since then). Specifically, a 2-car detached garage has taken form on the left of the photo (its twin will be constructed on the far right of the photo creating an auto court and four-car capacity). All windows have been installed. We use 3 different window brands -- this home was designed with Eagle brand windows. The roof of the house has been covered with a product called Triflex 30 which acts like 30# felt but will not rip in the wind. The walls are covered in 15# felt and all of the exterior timbers (in white oak because it can handle weather (it's what barrels are made from)) have been installed. The chimneys are framed (you can see one on the front of the house to the right of the entrance) and exterior trim work has begun.

This is a detail photo of the primary entrance to the house. It is a white oak king post truss porch with curved braces. As you can see, the quality of the white oak is very high and, as with all Woodhouse custom projects, all of the joinery is housed which creates a very tightly fitted timber frame in a beautiful cream color. Above the timbers you can see the fascia trim. All of the exterior trim on this house is made from a product that looks like pressed OSB (oriented strand board) with one side formed to look like rough-sawn cedar. This is a relatively weather resistant product that is being used in conjunction with a cementatious siding.

The piers under the timbers are unfinished concrete block which will be faced with a cultured stone product to match all of the chimneys.

On the left side of the house we have built a "stick-built" florida room which will not be insulated and will essentially be a glass structure with french doors that will open to the deck on the lake side of the home. This is a convenient part of the design process at Woodhouse where we will do the design work for non-Woodhouse portions of a project to ensure a unified design while helping the client to manage cost.

It is difficult to see in this photo but there is another entrance just to the right of the Florida room on the front of the house which enters in to a mud room behind the kitchen. This entrance is nicely set off by a white oak truss which you can barely see under the eave.

Moving to the lake side of the home, this photo shows the deck (supported by a white oak timber frame underneath) made from pressure treated joists being covered by a composite decking (stable, weatherproof, black walnut finish). The newel posts were supplied pre-cut by Woodhouse and, above it all is a white oak timber frame covered deck. This area will have a large harvest table for al fresco dining and, at the very end of the deck, set in to the hill, will be an outdoor kitchen.

On the left of the photo you can see the large window wall facing the lake from the great room inside.

On the inside things are progressing as well. This photo shows the timber frame staircase installed by the Woodhouse crew. Behind it you can see that interior wall framing has begun.

This week, as I write, the roof is being shingled and trim continues to progress while, on the inside, the interior walls are bing finished.