Can you picture the early residents of planet earth dragging a few fallen over poles together, binding them up with crude ropes made from vines and then stretching some animal hides over the rustic frame? That was ‘home’ for our ancestors and one of the first uses of wood as a structural framing material. Timber was the predominant building material in Europe during the middle ages. The early architecture of the New England states are evidence of that method of construction transferred to North America by European settlers. Stick frame construction (aptly named) quickly became the new method of constructing homes at a rapid pace in order to accommodate the surge in North American population during the late 1800’s and it is the most common form of residential construction into the present time. For a few years, Timber frame construction became a relic of the past although suitable for barn building. The past three decades has brought a resurgence of Log and Timber construction back into the marketplace as the populace is rediscovering the beauty, comfort and longevity of solid timber homes. I can’t count the number of people that have told me that they dream of living in a Timber Home. We have helped many folks realize their dream and enjoy being a part of their lives for a season or years afterwords in some cases. Timber homes are no longer only affordable by the wealthy but are proving to have slightly higher input costs with long term savings because of the advent of new construction materials like SIPS , infloor heating fueled by geothermal heat pumps and passive solar design. Resale value is typically higher on a well crafted timber home as well. Which brings me to the reason for my ramble, Timber framing ~ construction business or craft? Most timber framers would say craft. Obviously it is a form of construction but the main reason that this method of construction has gained popularity is because of the dedicated craftspersons that have invested years of training to produce outstanding works of art with timber. Keep in mind that most timber framers are not businessmen, nor did they intend to create a MacTimbers franchise. Most of them are artists and are highly skilled in their craft. Artists and builders actually, as they also must be knowledgeable in all of the principal components of home construction, from the foundation to the roof. Give them a choice though, between whittlin’ on timbers or going to a meeting with the accountant and the banker ~ and I’ll bet that they choose whittlin’. The last I heard, there are about 400 Log/Timber companies to choose from to build your Timber home. As a potential Timber home owner you have the choice of supporting an artist in wood or MacTimbers NCR machine produced homes. Business or craft? - I say craft.
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Tags: timber framing, wood art