Following is an overview of the step-by-step process for designing and building a custom Woodhouse® timber frame home. You can also download a catalogue highlighting Woodhouse® custom timber frame homes.
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CUSTOM-DESIGNED—Woodhouse® has an experienced design and drafting staff to help create an individual, custom-designed, timber frame or post and beam home that's tailored to your property and to your needs.
We invite and encourage unique design. We have a highly responsive design team that uses CAD (computer aided design) technology for all aspects of design with the possible exception of preliminary sketching. We fax, e-mail, and/or overnight timber frame home design plans for your review.
If you prefer, we are happy to work with your own private architects. A very satisfactory relationship can be created when Woodhouse® is involved as a third party early in the design process. The involvement of Woodhouse® is important to ensure that a suitable timber frame structural system is developed in the initial stages of design.
Woodhouse® provides post and beam custom home design from the foundation up as part of our package, and this usually begins with a visit to your building site.
DESIGN AGREEMENT—Our straightforward Design Agreement is written in plain English, and outlines the process of designing your new timber frame home.
We begin by collecting all the information about the many features and details for your new wood frame custom home. From that point we create preliminary plans that are ultimately evolved into construction drawings.
The fee for the design process is $4,250 for up to 2,500 square feet of living space and an additional $1.75 per square foot for anything over that. The $4,250 base deposit is part of your timber frame package and will be deducted from your last payment. If for some reason you do not buy a package, Woodhouse® retains your entire deposit.
DESIGN PROCESS—The design process begins with your Woodhouse® representative meeting with you to see your building site, to review the many features and details you will want included in your new post and beam home, and to discuss your construction budget.
Next, we develop preliminary timber frame design drawings. These plans include floor plans and elevations and will enable you to evolve your timber frame home design through a systematic review with successive changes.
Upon completion of your preliminary plans, we will create scale drawings of floor plans, elevations and details that will enable you to obtain building permits and completed construction costs.
YOUR TIMBER FRAME PACKAGE—During the architectural process, and in consultation with your Woodhouse® representative, you will be making decisions about the cost and components of your package.
Specifically, you will be selecting the type and species of timbers and the style of joinery, the various floor system options, your insulating wall and roof panels (SIPs), wall and ceiling finishes, exterior siding, trim, and roofing options and colors, window styles and colors, and deciding which Woodhouse® labor services you want to use.
Many of these selections will become part of your Woodhouse® Package. Based on your choices and options, you will receive a Package Quotation detailing the components and specifications of all of the materials and for the services for the Woodhouse® portion of the construction of your home.
Next, we create a Package Purchase Agreement that's written in plain English, and gives the date of delivery, details the components, and spells out the costs and payment schedule for your timber frame package. It also defines some of the responsibilities of Woodhouse® and for you, the owner.
PAYMENT FOR YOUR TIMBER FRAME PACKAGE—Your Package Purchase Agreement spells out the price and payment schedule for your package.
With a 10% package deposit, we reserve a tentative slot in our schedule for delivering your package. With a 40% deposit (total package deposit is now at 50%) we will order the materials such as timbers, panels, windows and doors, etc. that are part of your package. Delivery is scheduled within twelve (12) weeks of receipt of this deposit. The delivery of a package can require up to twelve weeks although we can sometimes deliver in less time. Upon delivery, the balance of the package less your $4,250 design deposit is due.
YOUR DELIVERY DATE—Your construction timetable is crucial to the entire project. Together with your Woodhouse® representative, we will establish a target delivery date.
Everyone at Woodhouse® will tailor his or her services to meet your schedule as much as possible. Clients with a tight schedule will be "fast tracked" whenever possible to accommodate your schedule. However, Woodhouse® operates on a first deposit basis. This means that the client who places a package deposit of 10% can reserve a delivery date. Within 12 weeks of delivery, if a slot is available, a 50% package deposit with completed and signed architectural plans is required.
MANUFACTURING/CRAFTING YOUR PACKAGE—Every timber for every Woodhouse® is crafted to order.
Woodhouse® draws on more than 150 man-years of experience joining timbers. We craft our timbers on a state-of-the-art computer numeric controlled (CNC) joinery machine. This machine precisely cuts the timbers according to our design department's computer program. Our machine operators, with years of experience cutting and building timber frames, select each timber for its use and location in your home.
We finish the machine cuts by hand, creating unique fully housed joinery of the highest standard. Each piece is hand chamfered, if you have chosen this option, and then hand-planed for the smoothest surface possible. Next they are stacked with stickers for optimum air circulation and prior to loading for shipping they are wrapped with special timber wrap paper.
Meanwhile all the other components of your package are gathered for shipping. Your SIPs will have been manufactured and pre-cut by The Murus Company. Your floor system joists and other materials are collected; your Loewen door and windows are delivered to Woodhouse®. All of the wooden pegs, nails, adhesive have been counted and are ready for shipment. All of the materials are then loaded onto tractor-trailers for delivery to your building site.
DELIVERY & CONSTRUCTION—Your foundation has been built according to the specifications provided with your Woodhouse® plans. You are ready for delivery of your Woodhouse® package.
In our desire to provide the highest quality timber frame package, Woodhouse® gives you the option of using our own labor service. This unique service gives you the benefit of having an experienced crew who will not only raise your timber frame, but also take your home to the point of being a weather-tight structure with windows and doors installed and felt on the roof. However, please be aware that you will need to plan ahead and book the Woodhouse® crew far in advance if you would like to take advantage of this service.
Should your construction timetable not allow you to use a Woodhouse® timber frame crew, or if you prefer to use your own contractor, that's not a problem. In this case, we will provide a Woodhouse® TR (Technical Representative) who will work with your builder or contractor and provide the specialized expertise and any additional guidance necessary to ensure that your Woodhouse® timber frame package is erected correctly.
If you opt to use a Woodhouse® trained crew, know that they are responsible for off-loading your materials. You will be asked to provide either an all-terrain forklift and/or a crane suitable for off-loading and raising your timber frame. Woodhouse® will advise you about the specifications for this equipment.
FLOOR JOIST SYSTEM & WALKOUT BASEMENTS—Your Woodhouse® crew will determine the level of the foundation and adjust accordingly.
Typically the first floor is conventionally built. First, the insect shield, sill seal and sill plate will be installed. Any interior columns and support beams are then installed followed by the wood "I" joists, rim joists and required headers. Next the laminated veneer lumber blocking located beneath the timber posts is installed followed by the plywood sub-floor, which is glued and nailed in place.
If you have a sloping lot and a walkout level basement, the exposed wall is usually included with your package and installed at this time using SIPs.
RAISING YOUR TIMBER FRAME—We will raise your timber frame at this point. Your timber frame bents are assembled and raised into place with a crane.
After your frame is raised, some fine tuning will occur when we "true-up" all of the timbers to ensure that they are level and plumb. The frame will then be secured by drilling and pegging the mortise and tenon joinery with wooden oak pegs. During this process, we will also clean any major blemishes that result from the raising. Some cleaning or sanding by your builder will be required, however, during the finishing process.
BLESSING YOUR HOME—We encourage you to participate in this tradition with the assistance of our crew.
This is the time to recognize the trees from which your home has come to be a timber frame. Woodhouse® honors this tradition by placing a small bough of a tree at the highest peak of your newly raised timber frame.
SIP APPLICATION—At this point your frame is ready for enclosure with structural insulated panels (SIPs).
First, either plasterboard or tongue and groove boards are applied to the walls of the timber frame. The Murus wall panels are cam-locked together with spray foam in all panel seams. As the walls are completed, we repeat the process on the roof, installing the plasterboard or tongue and groove boards, followed by the roof panels. A crane is used to install the roof panels.
Next we apply a roofing underlayment which provides temporary protection for the panels from weather while waiting for the finished roofing system to be applied. Different underlayment materials are used depending on local climate.
INSTALLATION OF EXTERIOR WINDOWS & DOORS—It is important to Woodhouse® that the windows and doors that we include in our package are installed correctly whether we are doing the work or providing a TR.
This is part of the continuity of responsibility that we provide to you assuring that everything fits correctly. We begin by installing window and door nailers and sealing beneath and behind them with spray foam. Next, we install the windows and doors ensuring that they are level and plumb. We also apply a sticky tape to the exterior of the nailing flange to help prevent potential air and water leaks.
Our installation of doors and windows is a "rough set" and does not include the finish work of shimming between the interior jambs and nailer nor installing non-expanding foam insulation between the window or door and the jamb. This job is necessarily left to your finish carpenters.
WALK THROUGH INSPECTION—As the Woodhouse® crew nears completion of our work, your crew chief and Woodhouse® representative will conduct a walk-through inspection to ensure that all the work has been completed in a satisfactory manner. During this inspection you will have further opportunity to learn about the details of completing your home. From this point forth, your local builder will complete the construction of your home.
