Posts categorized as Posts By Sandy
Happy Holidays
Does your workplace decorate for the holidays? We do, it’s fun to be festive! Rick brings in a tree from the Chester Fire Dept., (supporting a great cause). Trimming the tree credit goes to Sue and Derek this year. Great job you guys. Wait a minute, where’s the star? Oh right, […]
October in Vermont
October in Vermont is all about peak foliage, apple picking, cooler temps, parties and getting ready for winter. Who agrees? This time of year is a great time to visit our beautiful state! Peak Foliage It’s hard to know what to expect for weather – this October has been quite […]
Timbers and Stonework
This post covers different ways stone can be incorporated into a timber frame design. First, imagine a fabulous stonework foundation facade that is also incorporated into the post base design. Can you picture it? Viola! The masonry stonework doesn’t actually support the timber posts, but the design makes it look like […]
Timber Truss Designs
Heavy timber trusses are absolutely meant to be seen, and in many cases, they are also holding up the roof! Before we ask you which one is your favorite, let’s explore a few options to find out which structural timber truss design would be best suited for your project. Ready? In […]
The Solar Field
Vermont Timber Works has taken the leap. We went solar! We filed project permits on October 17th and by December 30th we were powered on by the sun. The goal was to become a functioning solar powered timber frame factory by the end of 2014. It happened, thanks to a […]
Timber Frames In The Snow
It’s time to celebrate the winter season in beautiful Vermont! Us Vermonter’s typically don’t complain about the snow. We enjoy it. Who’s with me? I heard the Trapp Family Lodge, pictured above, received the perfect amount of snow – nice! My bet is the folks at the Stowe Mountain Resort were also […]
Steel Joinery For The Fresh Air Fund Timber Frame
What do you imagine when a timber frame with steel joinery is proposed? Sometimes we use steel joinery because the engineering requires it. Sometimes we use steel joinery for the look. Other times, we use steel joinery for both the engineering and the look. If you know that exposed steel […]
Traditionally Crafted Timber Frames
Traditional timber framing is our specialty, and it’s not something all framing companies offer. The men and the women in our shop hand craft every single timber for the frames we raise. If it were just about saving time, we could get a CNC machine. CNC machines can cut simple […]
Custom Timber Frame Home
We build custom timber frame homes that suit the needs of our clients. It’s our speciality. Let’s take a look at an example! The client (let’s call him Todd) wanted a unique timber frame home where he could host parties, brew beer, and have a place to park his cars. […]
Happy Thanksgiving!
It’s good to be thankful for all the wonderful things around you year round, but this time of year, especially, it’s fun to focus on specifics. So here are some things we’re thankful for at Vermont Timber Works! Pretty Landscaping & Flower Beds Once we start the pellet stove, we’ll […]
Residential Construction Methods
This post is going to cover five construction methods common in the New England area: Light Wood Framing, Modular/PreFab, SIPS, and Timber Framing Light Wood Framing Light wood framing, or conventional framing, is the most common construction method. A lot of conventional framing options can be budget friendly, or not, depending on […]
Unique Timber Projects
When you think of a timber frame structure, do you visualize a home? A barn? How about a ski lodge? At Vermont Timber Works, we pride ourselves in offering timber frame structures like these, among others. In this post, I’m going to show you examples of different Vermont Timber Works frames, […]
Decorative Timbers
Decorative timbers added to a conventionally framed home can look amazing! Here are a few examples. Enjoy! Above, are double bottom chords with webs that die into the ceiling. The timbers are reclaimed from Trestlewood, and were also used on the stairs, stringers and the treads in the home. The decorative ceiling […]
Heavy Timber
In the building industry, the word timber alone can mean wood used for dimensional 2″ x 4″ framing. In our industry, timber means “heavy timber” and heavy timbers are wood beams that are larger than 3″. Although, we don’t typically see beams smaller than a 6x. Did you know that […]
Vermont Foliage Pictures
Recently I found an incredible resource for “Vermont” photos and since foliage is arriving (quickly), I had to share them. Let’s celebrate our beautiful Autumn Season! All of these photos and many more can be found on the Very Vermont Community Page. Something about the elevation, the horses and the blue sky […]
Hand Crafted Timber Frames
Vermont Timber Works began focusing on the timber frame specifically in 2000. Before that Dan Kelleher and Doug Friant were known as “Friant and Kelleher Builders, Inc.” They designed and constructed houses from start to finish. The business did 2x framing as well as timber framing. The decision to specialize […]
Design/Build vs. Technical/Complex Construction
Design/Build Construction Design it, build it, done! If it were only that easy. Actually, sometimes it is. Design / Build is a wonderful choice for construction, and at Vermont Timber Works, we excel at it. Let’s check out a residential, design/build timber frame! The Adirondack style home, pictured below, was […]
Timber Frame Engineering
There are endless ways to design a timber frame! For each design, there are certain things an engineer has to think about. Some designs give the engineer A LOT to think about. At Vermont Timber Works, we love a challenge. We design, engineer, evaluate, and detail every timber joint. We […]
Laminated Timber
Laminated? Glue what? But why? Well, let us tell you about laminated timbers. Natural timber can almost always be used in typical residential timber framing. There are wood species available in the sizes needed to pass engineering codes and to get the preferred look. Commercial timber framing with large clear […]
Summertime Fun & Timber Frames in Vermont
Summertime in Vermont is pretty amazing! It’s not too hot (usually). There are beautiful mountains for hiking and lakes for swimming. It’s a wonderful place to visit. Vermonters appreciate the summer season and wish it was longer. Oh wait, that’s just me — not all Vermonters wish summertime lasted longer…but […]
Timber Home Living
Vermont Timber Works is proud to be featured in the August Issue of Timber Home Living! An open plan timber frame home we constructed with Bonin Architects and Fire Town Engineering is featured on page 38! Hard copies of the magazine will be available August 5th, and digital downloads are […]
Hand-Crafting Frames Without A CNC Machine
Some timber framers use a CNC machine to cut their timbers, some do not, and some offer both hand cut timbers and CNC cut timbers. Offering both would seem to give you the most flexibility, but these machines are quite an investment. CNC machines are great for simple timber designs […]
Framing Styles
There are a lot of timber frame styles! If you’re seriously considering purchasing a timber frame, it’s good to keep in mind that the more complicated a frame, the higher the cost tends to be. However, whether you’re looking for a simple or complex frame, we are a custom shop, […]
Wrought-Iron & Timber Horse Barn
Would you build a timber frame horse barn on your property? What if you never planned on owning horses? I would! It would be an investment. Honestly, I don’t think that is what this particular client had in mind, but it makes sense to me. This barn is completely fit up […]
Timber Work In Belize
We were intrigued when the Hamanasi Resort in Belize contacted us about their timber frame project. How fun would it be to create a timber frame and travel down for the raising! Can everyone say vacation? Not so fast. The local craftsman wanted to provide the timbers, cut the joinery, and […]
Timber Frame Base Lodge
There have been so many wonderful VTW projects, and so many “great” great rooms over the years. I’ve been looking through photos and remembering some of the finest, which brought me back to Stowe, Vermont and the Spruce Camp Base Lodge. This building is impressive from the moment you drive […]
4 Steps to Take After Deciding To Build A Timber Frame Home
Fabulous! Let’s get this party started… 1st. Assuming you have already purchased land, it is helpful to get a site review. You’ll also want to decide where to set your home. That means thinking about fun things like where the sun is going to hit in the morning and which […]
Historic and Traditional Barn Frame
We love working on historic projects! They are great fun and can be wonderful learning experiences. Let’s take a look at a timber frame barn we constructed for the Olana Wagon House. But first, it’s worth checking out their website for upcoming events. There are typically activities scheduled for the whole […]
Custom Timber Frame Boathouse
The timber frame boathouse featured in this post is completely custom, and has some really cool details. Do you see those scrolled rafter tails? I bet Kellin was involved. They give the frame a touch of elegance. Here’s another shot, stepping back, so you can appreciate the overall design.The roof […]
Principal Purlins
Timber frames aren’t always designed to have a structural ridge carrying the load of roof rafters. In these cases, the design needs principal purlins to support the rafters. A principal purlin is a beam that runs horizontally from gable to gable and supports roof rafters. In the picture above, and below, the […]
Connecting Timbers With Steel
Today’s post is going to be all about steel connections. Sometimes steel connections are used in timber framing to provide additional structural support, and other times steel is used just because it looks good. It’s all about personal preference. The picture above is of typical steel plates primed with black paint. […]
Octagon Timber Frame Chapel
The Chapel for the Holy Apostles is located in Cromwell, CT. The frame spans 60FT! We are proud to have been chosen to design, engineer, hand cut and also raise this timber frame. We used douglas fir timbers free of heart center to build this frame. There are also douglas […]
Fun Winter Destinations in VT with Timber Frames
In Vermont, we are blessed with some of the best skiing and boarding, so this time of year means it’s time to celebrate the snow! Let’s take a look at a few of the coolest places to visit that also happen to feature timber framing by Vermont Timber Works. Let’s […]
King & Queen Post Trusses
Hail to the King and Queen! 😉 The King Post Truss is straight forward and strong. A king post truss can usually be joined traditionally depending on the span and engineering. In some cases, a king post truss does need to be reinforced with steel plates. The Vermont Teddy Bear […]
Jack, Common, & Hip Rafters
Why are some rafters called Jack and others just called Rafter? Do you know? I do 🙂 At least I think I do, because I asked Rick, but that was a while ago. The jack rafter is shorter than the “common” rafter. Typically, a jack rafter is used because something […]
Raising A Timber Frame
Once timbers have been cut, applied with finish, organized, and packaged up, it’s time to ship them! Where’s the truck? Has anyone heard from Gordon? I’ll call him, let’s get these hemlock timbers loaded and get this show on the road. Now the real fun begins! If you haven’t witnessed […]
Girder Truss Applications
In this post we wanted to talk a little bit more about the Girder Truss, when it’s typically used and what it can be designed for. Girder Trusses have a long, straight design. Primarily, the role of a girder truss is to support other structural elements in the Timber frame, […]
Timber Frame for the Teddy Bear Factory
Although Thanksgiving is just around the corner, many of us are already planning for the Christmas Holiday. Have you started your shopping yet? If you are in the Shelburne, VT area, we recommend a visit to the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. You can check out our timber framing and do […]
Hammer Beam Truss Designs
The traditional hammer beam truss design is open and fabulous. However, structurally, it can be an engineering challenge, which is fine, because Jessie is always up for a challenge! We get a lot of questions about the home pictured above. Who wouldn’t want this hammer beam timber style in their […]
Blogging Team
As a proud member of the Vermont Timber Works blogging team, I thought I would take a moment to introduce the contributing members. Meet Margaux! She not only adds to the blog, she has been instrumental on our website design overall. Depending on how busy she is with the behind […]
Hewing Timbers
At Vermont Timber Works we hand hew timbers for antique, rustic looking beams. We use hand-held tools such as the adze and slick. The process is labor-intensive and time-consuming but creates a unique and beautiful effect on the timber that our clients love in their homes and other buildings. We […]
White Oak Pergola
This is a pergola with hand hewn, white oak timbers. Thank you to Jimmy Dillion from Interstate Workshop who sent us all the pictures. Enjoy! Originally, this pergola was intended to be larger. It was scaled down in size due to the availability of the long white oak timbers. However, it’s […]
Scissor Truss Designs
Beautiful, interesting and often requested by our clients, the scissor truss is a complex and dynamic truss design. While definitely evoking a specific look and style, from an engineering standpoint, the Scissor Truss is not the most efficient truss style, unlike the most efficient King Post truss. So the Scissor […]
Constructing A Dining Hall With New & Reclaimed Timber
Sunny 95 is a dining hall in Arlington, OH. The timber frame for this project was constructed using new timber and reclaimed timber. The new portion of the frame was handcrafted in our shop. We worked with R. W. Setterlin & the Timber Framer’s Guild on this project. Timber Frame Raising The picture […]
Autumn & Public Timber Frames in VT
Listening to the weather forecast this morning, snow flurries? Really? Yes, AND since Killington Mountain is already open for the fabulous skiing season, let’s take a moment to celebrate another wonderful season in Vermont. Autumn or Fall, which do you call it? This tree is so pretty it stops traffic […]
Decorating A Timber Frame Home
You have chosen a timber frame for your new space. Hooray! Now let’s talk about more fun stuff, like decorating your timber frame home. For this post, I’d like to talk about three decor elements: Flooring, Lighting and the Kitchen Cabinetry. Imagine exposed timber beams throughout your home, perhaps an […]
My (Sandy) Favorite Vermont Timber Works Frames
Let’s explore a few of my personal favorite projects, of which I have many. This may need to become a series…we will see. 1st is our Deer Lake Boy Scout Camp. A Traditional Timber Frame Design. My next choice is not so traditional. Night Pasture Farm is a timber frame […]
Elegant Timber Home On The Lake
This project we call House on the Lake. We should have called it House almost IN the Lake, it’s that close! This is one of our most elegant timber frame projects to date. It has graceful glulaminated arches and warm, rich douglas fir timber. Our crew doesn’t alway raise the […]
A Visit to our Veterans Chapel
My family and I recently stopped in for a quick visit at the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery. They say foliage is past it’s peak, but I can tell you it was still quite beautiful. The cemetery grounds are so well kept and the view down into the valley is breathtaking. […]
Hybrid Timber Framing
Sometimes a hybrid timber frame is exactly what a client needs to keep a project in budget. The new Badger factory is a wonderful example of this very situation. Vermont Timber Works provided a douglas fir timber frame that is an addition to the builders conventional framing. The frame creates the […]
