Pre-Frame Activities

Prior to the "big event" - raising the timberframe - there was a TON of work to do to prepare the site.

The first step was to have the trees logged where the house would be located. The logs were then sold. Then the land clearing effort (tree tops and brush) could begin.

Next we were ready for Dennis Bish Excavation to perform the stump removal and excavation activities.

We were then ready for Coulter Construction to arrive to pour the foundation.

When building a timberframe, you quickly learn that there are "challenges" that bend the tried-and-true rules of normal home construction. It begins with the foundation.

The foundation of a timberframe home must include "pilasters" on which each post of the frame will be placed. This is because the load of the house is concentrated on a few areas rather than evenly distributed over the foundation via the walls. The great part about this is that it allows for large open spaces (we do not need any load-bearing walls).

For various reasons, we opted to use concrete blocks filled with concrete and reinforcing rods for the pilasters that were located along the foundation walls and have the three center pilasters made of poured concrete. We owe a big thanks to Al and Dave of Thens Construction for the great work they did on the concrete block pilasters.

Then it was time to attaching the sill plate and the floor joists/subfloor (and time for more challenges). The floor joists needed to be offset next to the where the posts of the timberframe would rest, which meant these joists were not placed 16" on center. As a result, the subfloor required some extra planning (and cutting) in order to ensure that the OSB sheets started and ended on the appropriate joist.

Every step takes some extra time, but it is all worth it for a timberframe!