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About Timber Frame Construction The art of timber frame construction dates back more than 2,000 years. It is a type of post and beam construction that uses traditional joinery methods to connect members. This means that wooden pegs, rather than nails and metal plates, connect beams. Timber frames are the strongest form of construction utilizing natural materials. It is revered not only for its beauty and durability, but also the open, versatile floor plans it yields, and its superb energy efficiency qualities. It is like a fine piece of furniture. It creates a home with strength, character, warmth, and beauty from the start. Here are the highlights of timber frame construction: Design Many timber frame homes, including Bear Paw Lodges, are custom designed. Once the design is complete, the plans are sent to the timberframe company to cut the frame from massive logs. Because these timbers must fit together perfectly, dimensions are calculated within the hundredth of an inch to ensure an exact fit. The timbers are sized on a four-sided planer and then hand-planed for the final finish. Construction
Once the members are all cut, the completed "bents" are test-assembled at the mill to ensure a perfect fit. The timbers are then taken apart, marked and transported to the building site. At the site, the roof structure will be assembled on the ground, and later moved onto the building by crane. Traditional joinery methods are used to connect the timbers. The cut timbers and knee braces are pegged together with wooden pegs to create the bents which form the self-supporting skeleton of the structure. The most commonly used joinery is mortise and tenon, however many other types of traditional joints are used. Because the roof structures of timber frame homes are engineered to be self-supporting, the walls do not need to be load-bearing, but rather merely enclose the home. This lends itself to the flexibility and innovative designs timber frame homes are revered for. As a result, timber frame roofs can be combined with stick frame construction to create homes that have all the strength and beauty of timber frame construction, with the affordability of modern frame construction. Built with Douglas Fir The timber frames of Bear Paw Lodges are crafted from Douglas Fir, the strongest and most coveted of softwoods used in timber frame construction. Cut from BC forests, Douglas Fir is incredibly durable, and will provide hundreds of years of service. Over time, Douglas Fir ages to a rich reddish brown, further highlighting the sculptural qualities of the exposed timber frame roof structure. Insulation Timber frame
roofs have rigid insulation board panels attached to the top of the structure.
It is incredibly efficient because the rigid insulation board forms a
continuous layer of insulation, covered by a waterproof membrane. Combined
with Bear Paw Lodge's in-floor heating, these elements will significantly
reduce the heating costs of these homes. Note: Some features are subject to change at the developer's discretion. |
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