Timber fame homes are very popular in New Hampshire and it is easy to see why.  Timber framing is one of the oldest wood working crafts in the world. Archeologists are finding evidence of oak frames in England dating back thousands of years. Utilizing heavy timbers that are joined together utilizing mortise and tenon joints, a timber frame is much like a huge piece of furniture.

Log home construction utilizes horizontally stacked logs, which are either round or squared off, to create the walls.

Post and Beam home construction utilizes upright posts to support horizontal beams that can be joined with traditional joinery or use metal brackets to secure the frame.

What are the benefits of Timber Frame Home building?

Energy Efficiency: Most often, timber frames are completely enclosed in an envelope of insulated panels creating an extremely efficient enclosure. These panel systems acheive High R (insulation rating) values and little to no air infiltration.

Flexibility: A timber frame home structure provides an open space with no interior load bearing walls This allows for an open, flexible floor plan and for significant ceiling heights.

Longevity: Timber frame homes that were built hundreds of years ago remain active and stable to this day.

Many have survived major natural disasters, including hurricanes and earthquakes, in very good condition.

Do you offer a design service to help me with my plans?

Initial Consultation: New England Cedar Homes offers a complimentary initial design consultation. Once we receive your initial design sketches and some details about your project we will work with you to develop an initial design for your frame. You can Email or fax your project ideas including: size, location, wood species, time frame, and budget. We will call you to further discuss your project. This initial consultation is of no cost to you. From this process you will receive a base budget for your frame and panel system to work from.

Design Consulation: We are available to review site conditions and design concepts to determine the project's feasibility and to produce concept drawings. This is a fee based service.

Design: To ensure design integrity, we prefer to be involved from design concept. Working directly with either your Architect or our Design Team we provide structural timber frame drawings to create a seamless construction package. Our focus is on strong comunication between all parties. The fee for this service is applied to the timber framing contract.

How much do Timber Frames cost per square foot?

This question is similar to asking, How much does a new car cost? The answer is, It depends. There are so many variable influencing this cost that until you have a basic floor plan and rough frame design, and some ideas about the choices of wood and degree of finish and embellishment you are interested in, you will not get a very useful estimate. It can be stated, however, that the cost of a timber frame is comparable to a well-built custom home with extensive cathedral ceilings and open space with comparable finishes.

Some builders will give a range of cost per square footage, but it is in your best interest to really understand what affects this range. Also, keep in mind that how square footage is calculated directly affects any estimate given in terms of square footage. Including porches, garage, etc. in the square footage of the home will of course skew the price from a quote that includes heated space only. If you are comparing estimates, make sure the square footage is calculated on the same basis in each case.
The price of a timber frame varies according to how many pieces are in it, what species and quality of wood is chosen, how the timbers are finished, what embellishments are added, and any exceptional site requirements.

Efficiency of frame design: In the same floor plan, you could add a bent or two and have 20% to 30% more timber in the project which will clearly completely change the cost per square foot.

Wood selection: Quality. (Dryness & growth pattern). You have choices ranging from green wood, which could be either old growth or second growth, to kiln dried or recycled wood. Each of these can markedly affect the price of the frame. Basically, the more stable the wood (drier, denser) the less the joinery will open over time, and the less checking you will see. In a well-built timber frame, these two issues (shrinkage and checking) do not tend to be structural, so this decision is based on aesthetics vs. cost.

Species: There are many species that can be used in a timber frame home. Individual builders tend to have a few choices of wood species that they work with, and they can tell you the pros and cons of each choice. Some are available in longer lengths, some offer greater strength in a smaller dimension, some are considered prettier or more interesting.