1. What are the advantages of a timber frame home over a log home?

• Less exterior maintenance: Unlike log homes, with a timber frame home, the structure is fully enclosed and never exposed to the elements.
• Better insulation and air infiltration: Log homes are notorious for being poorly insulated and prone to air-leaks. Wood is not a good insulating material and, over time, it shrinks creating gaps around the doors, windows, and chimneys of log homes. Timber frame homes, on the other hand, give you many options on how to finish and insulate your home.
• Greater interior design flexibility: In a log home, the logs also serve as the interior of the home, which can sometimes be dark, overwhelming and limits options for finishing the inside. Timber frame construction gives you the same flexibility as a traditional home. Whether you choose to paint, sheet-rock, or leave the interior rustic, your timber frame home will retain that unique aroma of wood for many after it's built.
• Higher resale value: The limited market for log homes means they often take longer to sell and can't command the same premium prices that timber frame homes do.

2. What is the timeframe to construct a timber frame home?

With a custom home, the design process typically takes at least six months, but for some customers it's a labor of love that takes a number of years to finalize. However, choosing to use or modify an existing SmartWood™ plan can certainly speed up the design process. Lead times for crafting our timber frame packages range from eight weeks for a SmartWood™ design to 12 weeks for a custom home. Once delivery has been made, erecting the timber frame can take from one to six weeks depending on the size and complexity of the design. Finishing the home to move-in condition will typically take a further six months to a year, again depending on the scope of the home.

3. Do I need to hire an architect, contractors, installers?

It is not necessary to hire an outside architect. Woodhouse® offers complete design services and has an experienced team of designers to help design your home. That includes designing the plan for the foundation, too, although we don't do the actual excavation and site work. Once the timber frame has been raised and enclosed, you will need to hire a contractor to do the plumbing and electrical, install the kitchen and finish the home. If you are unfamiliar with building contractors, Woodhouse® can help you find a qualified builder or get in contact with the local inspectors or general contractors in your area.

4. Why should we choose Woodhouse®?
Woodhouse® has over 25 years of experience offering the highest quality timber frame packages, backed by the highest level of professional services available. Quite simply, we make it our business to be the best.

5. Will you build anywhere in the country?
Yes. We have built Woodhouse® homes all across the country and in many foreign countries. No matter where you are, we can provide a Woodhouse® trained crew or TR (Technical Representative) to ensure the construction of your timber frame package meets our rigorous quality standards.

6. How do we get started with Woodhouse®?
Give us a call, come and visit us, and/or arrange to see Woodhouse® model home. No matter where you are planning to build, you will be assigned a personal Woodhouse® representative who will guide you through every step of the process from design to construction.

7. We want Woodhouse® to build our home — how do we begin?
The first step is the design phase, which typically includes a visit to your building site and an in-depth design consultation.

8. Once we get started with Woodhouse®, how long until we can move in?
After the timber frame package has been designed, delivered and erected, the construction process for finishing your home to move-in condition will probably take from six months to a year, but it depends on a few key factors. First and foremost, is the scheduling and coordination of all the trades people. Efficient project management can cut weeks and even months off the construction timetable. Second is the size of your home. The larger the home the longer it usually takes. Third is the detail of the finish. For example, construction of a simple, New-England-style home with minimal trim will typically take less time than one with more ornate finishes and detailing.

9. Who can we talk to at Woodhouse®?
You're welcome to talk to anyone at Woodhouse® at any time. However, depending on where you are building, you will have a regional Woodhouse® sales representative assigned to you. Your representative will be experienced and well versed in all aspects of constructing Woodhouse® timber frame homes, and will make it their mission to provide you with the highest level of professional service.

10. Do you have any references?
Yes. We would be happy to introduce you to satisfied Woodhouse® customers. Your sales representative will provide you with a list of references.

11. Do you have a bank reference?
Yes. We enjoy a long-standing working relationship with an established bank in the Eastern USA, which will furnish a financial reference upon request.

12. Where can we see a Woodhouse®?
Call your local Woodhouse® representative, who will arrange to show you a Woodhouse® timber frame near you. Or, if it's convenient, you're welcome to visit our eastern headquarters and tour our model home here.

13. Can we visit your factory?
Certainly. Our joinery shop is always open for client visits, and our joiners always enjoy showing off their craft..

14. Are you familiar with designing homes for the handicapped or physically impaired?
Yes. We have designed homes for a number of non-ambulatory clients, as well as those who are hearing or sight impaired. As part of the process, we listen to discern the unique needs of each client and then tailor the home design accordingly.

15. How many homes have you built?
Woodhouse® builds up to 75 timber frame projects a year, including homes, additions and various commercial buildings. Since 1980, we have completed over 700 timber frame projects with the same care and attention to detail, and in the process, we've built our reputation one home at a time.

16. What is your warranty?
Woodhous&#reg; is the only company in our industry to provide our clients with a transferable limited lifetime warranty. Please contact us to learn more.

1. Do you offer custom design services?
Yes. Woodhouse® has a full staff of architects and professional designers who are experienced in all aspects of timber frame design.

2. Do you have pre-designed home plans?
Absolutely. Woodhouse® offers a complete line of SmartWood™ pre-designed plans that you can customize to suit your needs. Cost is a significant advantage of a SmartWood™ home package, as they are significantly less expensive than a custom timber frame package.

3. Will Woodhouse® use someone else's plans?
Yes. Assuming that you have purchased the rights to use your plans. This is to protect you and Woodhouse® from infringing on the copyright owned by another company or individual. However, architectural styles cannot be copyrighted and, in many cases, our designers can approximate the "essence" or "feeling" of various home styles without infringing on any copyrights.

4. Will you work with my architect?
Yes. But it works best when both Woodhouse® and the architect work together from the very beginning. Also, be aware that some architects' designs are more adaptable to a timber frame system than others, so it's important that our design team be involved early on.

5. What if I need engineer or architect approved drawings?
Woodhouse® retains an architect and engineer who are licensed in many states. If you prefer, we can work with your local architect or engineer. The cost for these services will vary depending on your location and the requirements of the state in which you are building.

1. Can a timber frame home go on a regular foundation or any site?

Woodhouse® will design a suitable foundation plan based on the specific point loads for each one of the individual posts as well as the timber frame structure as a whole. Once the requirements have been determined, you can choose to have a poured foundation, a crawl space, block foundation, or a full foundation.

2. Do you build timber frame additions?
Yes. Woodhouse® builds everything from additions, one-room cabins, small homes, large homes, churches, restaurants, and just about any structure that is appropriate for a timber frame.

3. Does Woodhouse® erect timber frames?
Absolutely. As part of our service, Woodhouse® can provide a professionally trained crew to raise and enclose all of our timber frame packages. However, our schedule books up quickly, so it is important to reserve your date early in the process to ensure we can accommodate your construction timetable.

4. What is the best way to get my timber frame raised?
This is up to you. You can use a Woodhouse® crew or your local builder. If you choose to use your local builder, we will send a TR (Technical Representative) to supervise the raising and ensure everything goes smoothly. However, there is no reason for concern, even if this happens to be your builder's first timber frame home project. Woodhouse® timber frame packages are designed so that any experienced and competent builder can erect them quickly and easily.

5. How long does it take to raise a timber frame?
It depends on the size and complexity of the timber frame structure. A large home of 5,000 square feet with soaring cathedral ceilings and intricate trusses may take up to two weeks, while raising the frame of a modest New England saltbox usually takes less than a week.

6. How about finishing my home ... can you recommend a builder?
We can certainly provide a recommendation for any builders in your area that have already completed a Woodhouse® timber frame home. However, past experience is not really a prerequisite. Finishing a timber frame home is within the capabilities of any skilled contractor. Some of our local area representatives provide complete construction services, and we also support clients who want to serve as owner-contractors or owner-builders. Sometimes we will raise and enclose the frame and then the owner-builder will finish the roofing, siding and interior. In short, Woodhouse® offers complete flexibility to tailor our services to your needs and level of expertise.

7. What is the best way to insulate a timber frame?
Different timber frame companies offer different ways of enclosing their timber frames. After more than 25 years, we know from experience that structural insulated panels (SIPs), and specifically Murus brand polyurethane panels, are the best system to use. Other companies may offer different types of SIPs, but none compare to the quality of Murus panels. Some companies also sell built-up systems that involve wrapping and strapping insulation to the timber frame. Known as "wrap and strap," these systems may save the supplier money, but they are much more labor-intensive to install and can pose serious issues for infiltration and insulation.

8. What are SIPs?
This is the acronym for "Structural Insulated Panels" and refers to a structural panel where a foam core is bonded between an interior and exterior skin of OSB (oriented strand board). There are numerous types of foam cores and other types of skins available, as well as many different methods for bonding them together.

9. Why do you use Murus panels (SIPs)?
We use Murus SIPs because we believe that they are the very best panels available anywhere at any price! The founder of Woodhouse® founded The Murus Company in 1987 as a result of being dissatisfied with the other types of panels available. Since the outset, Murus has made the very best panels and continues to do so today. Not all panels are created equally and, unfortunately, there is much negative selling about panels in the market. We ask that you address any issues or concerns that you may have regarding panels with your Woodhouse® representative, all of whom are well versed in the specific technical aspects of panels.

10. Do you combine timber frame sections with conventionally built sections of a home?
Yes. We call these homes "hybrids," and it can provide a money saving option for customers who want to create the impression of a timber frame home in certain areas, while also maximizing the cost-efficiency of traditional construction in other parts of the house.

11. What is the difference between timber frame and post and beam?
This depends on with whom you are speaking. At Woodhouse®, we use the term interchangeably. However, some individuals and companies try to make a distinction between the two by implying that post and beam entails less complex joinery as opposed to a fully joined timber frame. In some instances, with some companies, this is true. However, Woodhouse®, whose corporate name is "Woodhouse® Post & Beam Homes, Inc.," we have always crafted fully joined timber frames. In fact, every Woodhouse® timber frame is fully joined using "full housing," mortise and tenon, dovetail and numerous other types of joints. (For details about these terms, please refer to the glossary in the Timber Frame University section of this web site.)

12. What is joinery?
Joinery is the term given to the myriad of different types of connections between timbers. Typically it means that one timber either penetrates or receives the other as, for example, in mortise (hole) and tenon (tongue) all fastened with wooden pegs.

13. Are there different types of joinery?
Yes. The evolution of specific joinery styles can be traced from early European and Eastern traditions right up to today's contemporary American joinery methods. Woodhouse® distinguishes itself with unique and exceptional, tight-fitting joinery that's engineered to last many lifetimes.

14. What are knee braces?
These are the usually smaller diagonal timbers that typically connect a timber post to a beam above. The brace has a tenon on both ends that fits into a corresponding mortise in the post and the beam, where it is pegged in place. Generally, the braces are straight or gently curved, the latter being a style element taken from shipbuilding where a large curved brace afforded more room in the ship's hold. The braces serve to strengthen the timber frame by resisting "racking" (an engineering term for leaning or tilting when a force is exerted against the structure) and by carrying the load from the beam above to the post below.

15. Do I have to have braces in my timber frame?
Technically no. We have designed frames without traditional braces and with shorter keyed braces that are less obtrusive. In every case, the design of each frame takes into consideration the impact that braces will have on living and traffic areas, door and window placement, and other factors.

16. What type of timber do you recommend?
Aside from purely subjective factors like personal preference, there are other issues that can make a specific type of timber better suited for a particular project. For example, the comparative strength of the lumber can impact the design of the timber fame, in terms of the load it needs to support, and the distance of spans, etc. We can help you weigh options and select the ideal timber for your home. No matter what type of wood you choose, Woodhouse® will use the highest grade and specification in the industry, and all of our timbers are custom milled for each individual project.

17. Do you use recycled timbers?
It can be possible. However, there are many factors to consider when using recycled timbers, so please ask your sales representative if this is an important component of your timber frame home.

18. Will recycled timbers check and twist less than newer timbers?
Actually, older timbers are likely to be more stable than new timbers. However, that is not always the case. In fact, we have had the experience of cutting into a two hundred and fifty year old timber only to watch it twist, check and drip sap!

19. How important is the grade of the timber?
Very important. Depending on the species, the grade and specification can be critical. For example, Woodhouse® uses Douglas fir that is only dense growth, free-of-heart center (FOHC), number one or better, and with no bark or wane. The reasons are significant: FOHC Doug fir checks less; dense growth means less checking and twisting; number one or better provides straighter grain and fewer knots resulting in a better appearance; no bark or wane also improves the appearance. Different species of wood have different specifications. For example our red oak timbers are boxed heart to minimize checking. The grade of our red oak is also superior to any and every other oak frame. Every species reacts differently and each requires unique specifications to optimize its distinct characteristics for use as a timber frame.

21. What does the term "housing" refer to and what is the big deal about it?
"Housing," as in "fully housed" refers to timber frame joinery wherein a pocket is created in one timber to contain the entire end of another timber or frame member. "Housing" helps resist the twisting and checking of the housed member and hide gaps that can appear as the timbers shrink.

22. Do all timber frame companies "house" their timbers?
No, most companies do not. It requires quite a lot of extra time in the cutting of a timber frame to create this "housing". Woodhouse® "houses" all timbers whenever it is appropriate to do so, which means throughout most of the timber frame.

23. What is the best heating or cooling system for our timber frame home?
This really depends on your requirements, budget and climate. Because of the superior insulating properties of the Murus SIPs used to enclose all Woodhouse® timber frames, your home will be more easily and evenly heated than any other type of home. Generally it will require about half the BTU required for a conventionally built home of the same size and volume. We've used everything from in-floor and/or below-floor radiant heat, solar heating, wood stove heating, forced hot air, electric radiant baseboard, and hot water baseboard heat. Your Woodhouse® representative is experienced in sorting through these issues and will help you determine what system is best for you.

24. What about air exchangers? What do they do? Why do we need one?
As the name implies, an air exchanger is a system that brings fresh air into the home and exchanges it for the stale inside. As part of the process, the air exchanger captures and retains the heat from the outgoing air to maintain energy efficiency. In older homes, fresh air came in through leaks in the construction. However, SIPs create such a tightly sealed structure, using an air exchanger is necessary to always ensure a healthy flow of freshly filtered, moisture-controlled air to the home's occupants.

25. Is it possible to build a house that is too tight?
Our philosophy is no. At Woodhouse®, we believe it's best to make the home as tight as possible and then install an air exchanger (also known as a heat-recovery ventilator) to control how the house breathes. The old adage that a house has to breath is correct. However, rather than a haphazard approach, we believe it's better to manage air movement efficiently and mechanically using an air exchanger.

1. Is timber frame more expensive than stick built construction?
Typically, a timber frame home costs 15 to 25% more to build than a custom designed, stick-built built home of equal size and with the same quality of finish. That said, the cost depends on the complexity of the design of timber frame. For homes that don't incorporate expansive vaulted or cathedral ceilings, the costs can be much closer to that of a traditional stick-built home.

2. How does the cost of a timber frame compare to a log home?
It all depends on the type of log home you are comparing. The better log home packages can be every bit as expensive as a high-quality timber frame home package. In addition, the quality of products and services being sold in the log home industry varies greatly. Some of the pre-cut, machine-profiled packages may appear to be quite inexpensive, but that can change when finishing costs are taken into consideration. Packages that use western-style, hand-scribed or full-logs are generally more expensive than timber frame packages.

3. What about the resale value of timber frame homes?
The resale value for timber frame homes is very strong. In fact, every Woodhouse® timber frame home that we know of that's been resold, was sold for more than the market price for a similar sized, conventional stick built home in the same area.

4. How does Woodhouse® compare in cost to other timber frame companies?
In our opinion, no other company offers the same quality, service and value as Woodhouse®, and we'd be happy to prove it by helping you make a fair comparison.

5. What will my bank think about this type of house?
Financing is easy and straightforward. Even if your bank is unfamiliar with Woodhouse® and/or log or timber frame home packages, most banks are very willing to provide financing. If necessary, we can put your banker in touch with the bank with which Woodhouse® has doing business for over 15 years. In addition, your Woodhouse® representative is experienced in dealing with banking issues and will be happy to help you secure financing.

6. Does Woodhouse® offer financing?
Although Woodhouse® does not offer financing, we can direct you to a reputable mortgage company that is familiar with how Woodhouse® works, and that has provided financing to other Woodhouse® customers in the past.

7. Is it more expensive to hire a Woodhouse® crew to raise the frame? ?
Whether you choose to use your local contractor, or to use a Woodhouse® crew to raise your frame, the cost is likely to be about the same. In all likelihood, your local contractor won't have the same speed and efficiency as a Woodhouse® trained crew. However, if you opt to use a Woodhouse® crew, we will have to charge you for travel, motel rooms and per diem costs. If you have confidence in your local builder, we are confident that your Woodhouse® TR (Technical Representative) can provide any additional expertise necessary to ensure a successful raising.