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We pride ourselves in working with owners and architects
to design timber frames that are elegant and functional—like the
modified king post truss shown to the left.The timber frame was
built for a hotel lobby using exposed douglas fir beams, hardwood pegs
and curved braces.
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This beautiful hammer beam truss is for the
main house in a private estate.Our network of timber suppliers can
provide us with custom wood beam orders of Douglas Fir, Western Red
Cedar, Port Orford Cedar, Native Hemlock, Native White Pine, Red Oak,
White Oak, Southern Yellow Pine, Custom Curved Glulam Beams and more.
All the timber we ship is green, S4S or rough sawn. Sizes range from
4x6’s, 6x8’s, 8x10’s, 8x12’s, and up.
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The project shown on the left is a reconstruction of an historic timber frame in Navasota Texas
that was lost in a fire, and rebuilt by Vermont Timber Works. It is
historically reproduced to today's demanding building codes using
wooden beams made to look exactly the same as the originals..
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Hand hewn wooden beams look great in this kitchen and dining area.
We shy away from building standard post and beam kits,
instead we match each clients' need with a timber frame custom designed
for them, then ship the timber frame as a kit for the owner or our crew
to assemble and
raise.
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Architects:
We pride ourselves in working with architects to make their timber
framing design ideas work. The project to the left used antique timber
that the owner had from an old barn.
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The use of old weathered wood is a feature used in many
interior designs. This
timberframe barn is actually made of new native hemlock timber that
was naturally weathered in our yard for several months. It is
beautifully antiqued. Our craftsmen turned each beam weekly to weather
each side.
Click here for more barn ideas.
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Our
in-house structural engineer evaluates all our frames to make sure
they meet all local and national building codes. Located in New
England, we are experts in designing for heavy snow loads. Having
shipped our frames to the gulf coast and beyond, we also design for
hurricanes and earthquakes.
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Along with wooden timber-frame homes, we build dining
halls, pavilions for state parks and camper cabins: post and
beam framing is a great form of construction for picnic shelters,
boat houses, company gathering areas and state parks.
The Project shown on the left is a dining hall frame for
the Fresh Air Fund in Fishkill, NY.
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Church
Walkway with Wood Ceiling Beams
We provide timber frame design Services for architects. Often architects
will design a great space, like a great room, hotel lobby or sanctuary,
and then come to us for timber truss design
ideas for the exposed wood ceiling beams.
We also work with builders, home owners and builders to
design high quality custom timber frames and post & beam frames for
individual houses, homes and commercial construction projects.
The project to the left is Christ
Episcopal Church in Springfield, MO.
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Fancy
Arched Beams Made From Douglas Fir Wood
Fancy arched beams can really dress up an interior
design that features natural wood. This project was for the guest house
at an estate where the owner wanted a special look with exposed wood
beams.
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We pride ourselves on finishing our timbers with the
right color stain or paint 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. With the right finish, the posts & beams can be
made to look like they came straight from an antique New England barn.
Pre-finish:
Most post and beam 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 with hardwood pegs, the wood and/or steel plate joinery
will 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.
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We cut our timber-frames the old fashioned way: by hand.
While many other timber framers have started using automated equipment,
we have found that it is still better, and more accurate, to use hand tools. To the left, a
timber is being rough hewn with a slick.
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Razor sharp chisels are used to shape the custom
joinery. We use sophisticated design software, and precision
mortising machines, drill stands, band saws, and beam saws to make many
of the complicated cuts that the automated equipment can't.
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To the left is a hand hewn hammer beam bent for a great
room. The rough hewn beams and arches add a special touch to the
interior design.
Learn more about timber frames and timber framing on Wikipedia's Timber
Framing Page.
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Log Homes & Timber Trusses:
Timber trusses add great accents to log homes, log houses, log cabins
and log buildings. Timber trusses can span over 40 feet, and look great
in luxury log homes with natural log walls. Timber Framing the roof
trusses can really dress up the great room of a log house.
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This bath house in Katonah, NY used an open truss
design and log posts. It is the pavilion next to the town pool and
housed a snack bar, bathrooms and changing rooms and an office.
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Our post and beam houses
are all unique, beautiful, and interesting - whether we are the
supplier of an entire timber frame, a single timber truss or a post and
beam entry way or foyer. Almost
any floor plan and elevation design will work for us - as long as we
can make the structural
engineering work.
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Interior
Designs: More and more, interior home designers and builders are
turning to wood beams to add special touches to their house design
projects. Exposed ceiling beams can be
rough and rustic, have a French country look, blend into a southwestern
adobe post & beam home, or fit
perfectly into an elegant English manor home. An interior design
doesn’t have to encompass an entire house or building.
This frame was rough sawn and finished with a driftwood
gray stain.
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Structural
Engineers Designing Timber Frames and Post & Beam Projects:
With 20 years of experience designing complex residential and
commercial heavy timber projects, our company is an excellent resource
for structural engineers looking for timber design solutions.
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Heavy
Timber Trusses – Division 06130: We design, pre-engineer and
manufacture heavy timber commercial trusses that range from the very
simple to the most elegant spanning from sixteen to sixty feet.
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Often we can help find simple solutions for complex
design problems, and are happy to help. Many times, joints that appear
to require steel gusset plates can be done with traditional timber joinery
and hardwood pegs. Or, an architect, builder or owner will prefer metal
plate connections, that we are happy to help design. Please give us a
call or send us an e-mail.
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On most commercial jobs we work as a subcontractor to
the general contractor, but sometimes we work directly for the owner or
architect.
This barn project was done in Grafton, MA for a
non-profit organization called "Food for the Needy, Inc.".
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Churches, Chapels and
Monasteries: We love to timber-frame churches and have worked on
many post and beam 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.
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Horse Barns &
Stables: Post and beam framing is perfect for the spans needed in
horse barns and stables. We have manufactured rustic frames out of native
hemlock beams for country barns; and elegant stable frames
out of smooth and highly finished Douglas fir
wood beams. Hemlock and Douglas fir are the best choices for wood
species as they are less prone to rotting and because the horses don’t
like to crib on them (horses eat native white
pine like candy).
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Exposed timber girder trusses
with steel rods support for this chapel's roof. It was built for the Vermont
Veteran's Memorial Chapel in Randolph, VT.
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This is one of our favorite projects - a sixty foot free
standing octagon timber frame for the Chapel for Holy Apostles.
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Arched
Ceiling Truss for a Timber
Frame Church
A graceful arched timber truss with a steel tie rod for Christ Episcopal Church
in Springfield, Missouri is shown to the left. There are very few
visible steel gusset plates in this design.
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Timber
Frame
Hammer Beam Bents Ready to Erect
Before a timber frame is erected,
the bents, or main carrying sections, are assembled and stacked on the
ground. A crane then lifts them up and our skilled craftspeople secure
them in place.
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Maple Beams, antique brick and an old coal stove were
used for the interior design of this timber
frame great room. The exposed beams are rock maple with a
semi-sanded rough sawn surface finished with danish oil.
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Southeastern Vermont
Welcome Center on Route 91 North is shown on the left. It is a
beautiful rest area and local museum built by the State of Vermont and
proudly framed by Vermont Timber Works. It uses large native white pine
and oak timber with a rough hewn natural finish.The Welcome Center was built with federal highway funds.
Vermont Timber Works is a CCR and Orca Certified Contractor. |
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This porte cochere was built for Founders Lodge
at Stratton Mountain in Vermont.
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A 40' Modified Hammer Beam Truss
being lifted by a crane.
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Wood
Ceiling Beams: Using real natural wood ceiling beams is a great and
inexpensive way to dress up living rooms, dining rooms, entryways,
foyers, great rooms and more. We are happy to supply wood accents for
any house, home or project. Antique barn beams also look great. Why use
faux wood beams when you can have the real thing?
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Pergolas are built for shade and beauty. This one,
at Lake Taghkanic State Park, used douglas fir timbers and glulam beams. The parts can be sent as a pergola kit for the owner to assemble.
Vermont Timber Works is a CCR registered and ORCA
Certified Contractor and complies with all federal labor laws.
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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 a few posts
and beams make a simple living
room into a home's ‘great room’.
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A simple exposed wood scissor
truss can be used in a great room, or any open space, to dress up a
ceiling on a budget. A truss kit can be sent if the client would like to assemble and erect it.
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Traditional
wood joinery as well as metal plated connections are used. Common
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.
We are also a Heavy Timber Supplier: From time to time,
our clients need some beams for their projects that they plan to
fabricate and install themselves. Please give our sales team a call for
more information, and keep in mind that all our orders are custom so
please allow for 4-6 weeks delivery time. A completely pre-fabricated
timber frame will take 10 to 12 weeks to deliver after shop drawings
have been approved.
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Flicker
Slide Show - Post and Beam Brochure Collection
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Timber Frame Homes, Houses, Barns & Churches by
Vermont Timber Works
Post & Beam
Timber Truss
Beautiful Heavy Timber Construction
Custom
Timber Frames by Vermont Timber Works, Inc.
Post and Beam Timber Frames
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Custom
Post and Beam
Timber Frame Home
Stylish Holmes Quest for a Beautiful Home
The Timber Frame Experience
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