Martha’s Vineyard Timber Frame Home
We recently installed a timber frame residence on Martha’s Vineyard, MA. The building began as a few sketches from the client, and eventually became a reality. These drawings and sketches helped us visualize the space and put some ideas together for the client. We use a really nice software program […]
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 […]
Douglas fir–a versatile species
Here at Vermont Timber Works we pride ourselves in being able to use any species of wood that is commercially available. Douglas fir is one of the species we use, and is a great species for timber framing. Douglas fir is available in several different finishes: rough sawn, S4S (surfaced […]
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 […]
Understanding The Basics Of Traditional Joinery
Now that I’ve written the dovetail post, it has occurred to me that I may have jumped the gun a little bit. The dovetail is an incredible, beautiful joint, but it’s just one of many. So for this post, I’m going to zoom out and break down the basics of […]
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 […]
The Dovetail Joint: A Traditional Timber Connection
A timber frame can seem complicated, but really it’s just like a big 3 dimensional puzzle with different shaped pieces that fit together. In order to better understand the big puzzle (a timber frame), I thought it might be fun to find out more about its specific parts. The first […]
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 […]
