Timber Frame Home, Hybrid input needed.

   / Timber Frame Home, Hybrid input needed. #1  
Samandothers

Samandothers

Platinum Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2007
Messages
511
Location
Charlotte NC
Tractor
Kubota L4240
My wife and I wish to build a retirement/get away home on our land in Virginia. It may be a while before retirement so it will be get away for a while. We really enjoy the rural location and the peaceful lifestyle. The land was my parents and some has been in the family since late 1800痴. We would like to build something that is suitable for the land and will be something there for generations down the road. Oh yea, we need to be able to afford it.

We started out thinking we would like a log cabin. There had been log buildings on the property. While we like log cabins I don稚 care to get into the maintenance other issues. We both really like timber framed homes or hybrid homes as this fits with the land which is primarily wooded and in the mountains. My wife has also been looking at timber accents if we built conventional. We would like to incorporate some of the wood from barns and old houses on the property. This would be some logs we removed from old buildings and aged oak and pine boards from buildings. All this would take place later on.

We are trying to decide on what we may want in the way of a house plan and will review some of the threads here on TBN where folks have posted what are good things to have or place in a home. We are nowhere near setting a date to start. I would like to start on the building in the next 2 to 5 years. We want to pick a plan and start to get some ideas on cost to see if or what we may be able to afford. This coming year I plan to get the road to the house site and maybe check into getting power to the location. I have cleared some of the area with the Kubota and started on a pole barn. Actually I started a couple of years ago. Did I mention I was slow and live away from the property? We currently visit the property and stay in a camper we have on site.

However while we are working on narrowing down from a 100 or so favorite plans to say 5 or so, my question is anybody had experience with building/living in timber frame homes or hybrids? If so can you share some insight or experience? What should we look out for? Is it better just to build conventional (stick built) and accent with timber? I do not plan to act as a contractor as I do not live near the property more like about 180 miles away. I also do not have the skills/insight. I appreciate any thoughts or insight.
 
   / Timber Frame Home, Hybrid input needed. #2  
Stick-built is easier to insulate and finish inside. Timber accents and/or oversize second floor supports look great as well as framing a porch with timbers will look good. Look at any Cabelas or Bass Pro stores...
 
   / Timber Frame Home, Hybrid input needed. #3  
whatever you do.. I wanna see pics! :)

good luck!
 
   / Timber Frame Home, Hybrid input needed.
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Madjack
The stick built would be easier. We were hoping to do something different. We will have to pick a plan or draw out something and take it to a timberframe company. The can give us a price on the creation and setting of the frame. we would then need to get a contractor to help us with the remaining estimate. There are a couple of timberframe design companies within about 20 miles. We would probably get estimates from each. I like dealing local.

Soundguy
I do know how pictures are enjoyed here, myself included. If we do something that has a picture moment then I post it.
 
   / Timber Frame Home, Hybrid input needed. #5  
Here's some shots of our hybrid. The beams are from a barn that was on the property as well as the barn boards on some of the walls. 3 stories. We didn't actually build the house we bought it last year. Put the bar in last year and the deck was this year. The beams carry the weight of the floors but the rest is all stick built. There is a forum called the forestryforum.com which is also an excellent resource.
-matt
 

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   / Timber Frame Home, Hybrid input needed. #6  
Check out this site. I worked with these guys and they are all top notch. They may not ultimately build your house but there are plenty of ideas and pics to dream on.
 
   / Timber Frame Home, Hybrid input needed.
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Matt
that is one big beam and post. Nice place!

Jerry
I like the the radiant heat flloors they had on their site and the ground/closed loop to air heat pump.

These are things I like. Not sure what would be in our place eventually. Purse dictates quite a bit. I had thought about a closed loop heat pump.
 
   / Timber Frame Home, Hybrid input needed. #8  
I'll follow your progress eagerly as we are in a similar position in that we have land (in the family about 110 years) and are planning a timberframe home for our retirement (coincidentally our place is about 50 miles NE of Matt's very nice home). Difference being we already have an old 3-bay English timber frame we purchased a few years ago and had taken down and stacked on our property. It needs a few of the large, longer beams made up but is pretty much complete and come with a really nice set of hand hewn rafters. our current thinking is to utilize SIP's (Structural insulated panels) which can result in a very tight house so we are also investigating methods of introducing fresh air.

The floor plan is pretty much dictated by the layout of the barn (read simple), and we are working on how we want the windows laid out and how we will heat it, choosing between NG, geothermal or wood or some combination. A recent NY times article about a timber frame home in the Catskills is giving us some good ideas about windows and doors since it looks to be almost identical to our frame.

Hopefully we will break ground in a couple of years which gives me time to get the site ready, clearing trees and restoring an old nearby pond dam which has deteriorated due to neglect and abuse (read log being skidded across the dam some years ago.
 
   / Timber Frame Home, Hybrid input needed.
  • Thread Starter
#9  
James,
It will be a while before we start too. It is great you have a frame already. We need to determine a house plan and then get ideas of cost to see if we'll be able to do the timberframe or hybrid. Ironic, I saw that article about a week ago. I liked the sliding door convering the entry, a nice touch. The oak table was really nice too.

We have attended several log and timberframe shows to learn and gather information. One of the Timberframe companies near our place had a house under construction we visited. Blue Ridge Timberwrights Timber Frames and Timber Frame Homes - Christiansburg, Virginia

If we build a timberframe I want to find a contractor with some experience building this type of house. There appears to be a great deal of planning for the wiring and plumbing. I know this goes for conventional construction too. But with timberframes and use of SIPS the rough wiring would need to be planned and installed with SIPs I believe. The company I gave the link to would act as general or supply and raise the frame.
 
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