Vermont Timber Works prides itself in working with architects to design timber frames and post & beam projects that are both architecturally beautiful and cost effective. We engineer all of our frames in house and provide stamped shop drawings if required. Please browse through the "For Architects" pages to find specifications, sample shop drawings, information about wood species and finishes, framing styles, choices for interior trusses and designs, and wall types.

Heavy timber commercial architecture work typically falls under division 06130, division 06170 or division 06180. For a more expansive list of the architects and clients we've worked with, go to our Cool Links page. If you would like more information, please call (802) 886-1917 or E-Mail us .

A great resource for timber grading and design values is the Northeast Lumber Manufacturers Association's web page.

Our residential work is all custom designed. We like to work with our clients and their architects to design and pre-engineer post & beam frames and timber trusses for their homes. Some great interior roof truss design ideas are shown below. All of our timber trusses look decorative, but most are structural too. Post and beam frames can be for an entire house, or for just for the ceilings in one or two special rooms in your home. Sometimes we even just send hand hewn beams for a study. No matter where you choose to use timber, we are always happy to send out beam samples to make sure the frame we fabricate matches your interior design perfectly.

This is a king post roof truss dressed up with curved web members. In most residential buildings it can span from 16' to 30'. Click here to see wood species and finishes. It looks great in any post and beam home. It is easy to pre-engineer in all species of timber including pine, douglas fir, hemlock and oak.

The Queen Post Truss is very similar in structure to the king post truss. It can easily span to 30' or more and it has a solid bottom tie at plate level. It is a nice decorative truss in loft areas, because the center space is open.

The True Hammer Beam Truss is a favorite because of its high open space and graceful lines. It originated in cathedrals. For it to work, like cathedral trusses, it needs to be buttressed on the outside to keep from spreading, otherwise it will collapse under load. When properly buttressed the arches make it extremely strong.

A pretty modified hammer beam roof truss can span up to 40 feet, although 26 feet to 36 feet is more common depending on local snow loads. It looks great where architectural details are important, although it is one of the more expensive truss designs. All of our frames are checked by our in-house structural engineer. Often a modified hammer beam is used to span large distances, like over an indoor swimming pool. The larger spans require the use of douglas fir timber, which is the strongest and most beautiful.

The classic scissor roof truss is a favorite for great rooms and kitchens. It looks nice with a decorative steel gusset plate in the center, where all the web members come together. Scissor trusses commonly span from 16 feet to to 36 feet, although we have done a 60' double chorded scissor truss in New York.

The classic king post roof truss is the most versatile and the most economical of all timber trusses. It can easily span 40 feet or more, and is great for almost any application. A king post truss can be made completely out of straight beams, or dressed up with decorative steel plates and curved webs. They look great throughout a home or in one or two rooms.

A modified king post truss gives a room more vertical space than a classic king post truss because the collar tie is raised up a few feet. It is more expensive though since larger roof rafters need to be used. It looks great with curved webs.

Trusses can span very large and still maintain an open feeling when steel ties are used. The truss above, designed for Wakenah Pool House, spans 48 feet.

Information for Architects:

Design Services: We work with builders, owners and their architects to design high quality custom timber frames and post & beam frames for individual projects. We rarely cut the same frame twice, although we often build on ideas that our clients like from previous projects. Our in-house structural engineer evaluates all our frames to make sure they meet all local and national building codes.

Heavy Timber Trusses – Division 06130: We design and pre-engineer heavy timber commercial roof trusses that from the very simple to the most elegant spanning from sixteen to sixty feet. Traditional wood joinery as well as metal plated connections are used. Common roof truss designs include: king post trusses, queen post trusses, hammer beam trusses, scissor trusses, modified trusses, and girder trusses. Click here to see typical truss designs.

Churches, Chapels and Monasteries: We love to timber frame churches and have worked on many church and monastery projects over the years. Often, we can value engineer beautiful frames ranging from simple king post truss designs with curved knee braces to complex scissor truss or hammer beam designs for the most elegant sanctuaries.

Horse Barns & Stables: Post and beam framing is perfect for the spans needed in horse barns and stables. Most barn designs are based on a 10’x12’ or 12’x12’ stall grid with a 10 foot or 12 foot center aisle. We have done rustic frames out of native hemlock for country barns; and elegant stable frames out of smooth and highly finished Douglas fir beams. Hemlock and Douglas fir are the best choices for woods species as they are less prone to rotting and because the horses don’t like to curb on them (horses eat native white pine like candy).

Pre-finish: Most heavy timber framing is done with green timbers before the wood has a chance to dry, twist and crack – it is the best way. Once a frame is put together, the wood and/or steel plate joinery with hold the timbers in place. Checking is minimized by a coat of pre-finish or sealer applied to all surfaces including the insides of the mortise and tenon joints. Over the years, we have found that two coats of finish are even better, and now we offer a second coat of finish as an option. Please click here to find out more information on wood finishes.

Interior Designs: More and more, interior designers are turning to wood beams to add special touches to their projects. Beams can be rough and rustic, have a French country look, blend into a southwestern adobe house, or fit perfectly into an elegant English manor home. An interior design project doesn't have to encompass an entire house or building. Often, we will fabricate custom trusses and ceiling beams for a single room, porch, entry or Porte Cochere. Sometimes an indoor swimming pool is perfect with natural timber beams above it, and sometimes a few posts and beams make a simple living room into a ‘great room’.

Wood Finishes: We pride ourselves on finishing our timbers with the right color stain or paint color for an individual project. We work hard to send out samples and match our clients’ desired finish. Of course, there are natural variations in all beams, which is one of the beauties of timber design.

Dining Halls, Pavilions, State Parks and Camper Cabins: Post and Beam timber framing is great for picnic pavilions, dinning halls, camper cabins, boat houses and state parks.