Owner: Post and Beam & Timber Frame Blog URL:http://timberframeblog.blogspot.com Join Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:16:21 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Blog on sustainable living, green building, and green design including timber framing, structural insulated panels, and alternative energy systems, the costs involved, and information on builders and materials. Site statistics:Click here
Don't Miss the Seminar "Designing Your Timber Frame Home" 2008-04-22 13:47:50 Here’s your chance to get timber frame design advice from an expert!Jeremy Bonin, principal architect of Bonin Architects & Associates, will be presenting the educational workshop “Designing
Your Timber Frame
Home” at the Log & Timber Frame Home Show this month in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The show is running for three days, from April 18th to 20th. Jeremy’s seminar is scheduled for Saturday, April 19th at 5:00 PM.If you’re just beginning the design process or are considering building a post and beam or timber frame home in the near future, you don’t want to miss this informative event! Jeremy is a LEED Accredited Professional with a special interest in sustainability in timber frame homes. Whether you just want to save on heating costs or want to go completely off the Read more:Seminar
Thinking About A Solar Energy System? 2008-04-22 13:47:26 Solar energy is gaining popularity as more and more people look to alternative energy systems to replace our dependency on oil. Have you considered a solar energy system in your plans to build an energy efficient home?The advantages of utilizing solar energy in timber frame homes are nearly endless! Here are just a few:1) Solar energy is clean, the power of the sun is free, and unlike gas, coal, and oil, it is sustainable, which helps to protect our environment and does not contribute to global warming, acid rain, or smog.2) Solar energy causes no pollution by releasing carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide or mercury into the atmosphere used by many forms of electrical power generation. Incorporating solar energy into a post and beam, structural insulated panels (SIPs), or susta Read more:Solar
, Energy
, System
The Importance of Ventilation in Structural Insulated Panel Homes 2008-04-22 13:47:06 How important is ventilation in a structural insulated panel (SIPs) home?When considering the use of structural insulated panels (SIPs) for the construction of your new green home, proper mechanical ventilation is required. Ventilation systems provide fresh air circulation throughout the building and exhaust moisture laden and stale air outside.SIPs create an air-tight and extremely energy efficient building insulation system offering a continuous R-Value throughout the building. Air from outside cannot infiltrate the walls of a SIPs home; therefore, reliance on mechanical ventilation is needed in order to ensure a fresh and abundant supply of healthy air. Maintaining appropriate indoor humidity levels, filtering the air for allergens and air humidification/dehumidification is achieved thr Read more:Panel
, Homes
See You At The Timber Frame Home Show! 2008-04-22 13:46:48 We're on our way to the Log & Timber Frame
Home Show in Harrisburg, PA at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center. The show starts tomorrow and is open through Sunday (April 18-20). If your schedule allows, drop by our booth (#525) and say hello! We'd love to talk to you about green building, timber framing, and structural insulated panels.Jeremy is presenting the seminar topic "Designing Your Timber Frame Home" Saturday at 5:00 PM. All seminars are free with show admission! Download and print a coupon for $3 off admission costs at & Timber Frame Home Show Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex2300 N Cameron StreetHarrisburg, PA 17110-9443Friday, April 18th Noon - 7 p.m.Saturday, April 19th 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.Sunday, April 20th 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.Bonin Architects & Associates -
Home From the Log & Timber Home Show 2008-04-22 13:46:28 This morning we returned from a three day Log and Timber Frame Home Show in Harrisburg, PA, where we exhibited with our display booth, samples, and literature. At first, Jeremy and I contemplated a seven hour drive for a timber home show -- would it be worthwhile? We discovered it was a memorable experience for many reasons. The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo center is one of the largest facilities I’ve ever visited as an exhibitor of a timber home show, measuring over 172,000 square feet, and that was only one of eight halls in the complex! There were several other shows scheduled for the same weekend, including a horsemanship show and a craft show, which generated thousands of visitors to the area.Interestingly, as I walked around outside for a few minutes during lunchtime, I
Selecting Your General Contractor 2008-04-18 12:10:01 After years of planning and dreaming about your new timber frame or post and beam home, the time has come to select a contractor. In most instances, you will spend months, even years, working with the same contractor. Here are some important points to ponder before hiring a contractor.If you have not found a contractor and are not sure where to start, ask friends, family, and relatives for suggestions or check with your local home builders association. It is important to make sure that the scope of work is similar. For instance, the contractor used to remodel your neighbor’s kitchen is probably not the same contractor you would hire to build your new post and beam house.Drive around and look for new construction for job signs. Most contractors will place a sign at the base of the drivewa Read more:General
, Contractor
Welcome to our Post and Beam & Timber Frame Homes Blog! 2008-04-18 12:09:34 Welcome to our new timber frame blog! Our goal is to post current articles and discussions on timber framing, post & beam, Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), and sustainable design. Topics to look forward to:•The Overall Project: finding a timber frame builder; budget considerations, timber frame glossary of terms•Design: site analysis, solar considerations, energy conservation•Materials: alternative energy sources & solutions, recycled & reclaimed materials, insulation options•Construction: site preparation, the timber frame raising, SIPs installation, building timeline•News: the latest materials and trends in sustainable livingWe hope you’ll check back and comment often! We’d love to hear from you!Jeremy & Kimberly BoninBonin Architects & Associates, PL Read more:Frame
, Homes
, Welcome
Sustainable Living, Sustainability, "Green", Environmentally Conscious - What Do They Mean? 2008-04-18 12:08:54 Sustainable architecture or building is only a small part of a greater whole. It has been said many times that “sustainability” is a good short term goal. Sustainability
is only equilibrium, a tipping point where we no longer are damaging the planet that we inhabit with the effects of our daily lives - manufacturing, power production, construction, transportation, agriculture and every aspect of our lives that affects our global ecosystem. Author Paul Hawken states, “Today, our continuing progress is restricted not by the number of fishing boats but by the decreasing numbers of fish; not by the power of pumps but by the depletion of aquifers; not by the number of chainsaws but by the disappearance of primary forests.” Sustainability by definition is actually the point where we ceas Read more:Sustainable
, Living
, Green
, Environmentally
Is It Ever Too Early to Start the Design Process? 2008-04-18 12:07:49 I’ve been asked many times over the years by clients, “I don’t own my land yet, but I’d like to begin designing my new timber frame or post and beam house. Is this wise?”The advice I’ve always given is, please wait until you close on your land, because starting the design process too soon could end up costing you more money. For example, the site you decide to purchase may have the potential for a walk-out basement, which could allow for more usable square footage, such as a recreation room or extra bedrooms for guests or children. Items such as these may not have been incorporated into the original design.In contrast, if you design a SIPs or timber frame home prior to the purchase of your land, you may find that the site or local restrictions will not accommodate the size or p Read more:Early
, Start
, Process
The Impact of Building Green 2008-04-18 12:07:11 Every positive action counts. This is the answer I give when someone asks why build green. Many times there is an assumption that if you are going to build green, you must invest your effort and money with abandon; this is not true. From my vantage point, any improvement to any portion of the building process helps the environment. According to the Brookings Institution, within the next 22 years, in the United States, there will be 34 million new housing units constructed and 23 million existing units will be replaced. Imagine the impact on the environment that any small change could make when we consider the construction of 57 million housing units. Now imagine the impact that changes to the amount of energy consumed by those 57 million units during a conservative estimate of a 50 year bu Read more:Green
, Building
Architectural Designer Help Wanted 2008-04-18 12:06:33 We are in need of an ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER / DRAFTSPERSON for our growing company located in Claremont, NH.Architectural drafting and CAD Experience is required and Cadwork experience is preferred.We focus on client satisfaction and attention to detail is a necessity. Our specialty is timber frame designs, structural insulated panel (SIPs) house plans, and sustainable design (green). We offer flexible hours combined with a relaxed and comfortable working environment. Please bring your sense of humor! Some occasional travel may be required.Email resume to jeremy@boninarchitects.com or call 603-504-6009 for further information.Bonin Architects & Associates PLLCwww.boninarchitects.com Read more:Designer
, Help Wanted
Visiting a Timber Frame Home Show 2008-04-18 12:05:50 Would you like to learn more about timber construction and timber framing? This blog will discuss items to think about before and during the timber frame show and one of our future blogs will provide tips about how to interpret the information you’ve received during the show.Where to start? After visiting the scores of manufacturer’s websites and narrowing your list, consider attending a timber frame show in our area where they will all be under one roof. There you’ll be able to meet the timber frame company representatives face-to-face, have your questions answered, attend a free seminar or two on timber framing, and most importantly, start to compare timber frame companies’ products and services.It can be overwhelming to attend a timber frame show. To have a successful visit, kee Read more:Frame
After Attending a Timber Frame Home Show 2008-04-18 12:05:14 How to assimilate all of the information received from the various exhibitors:1) Review your list, notes, and chart again while it’s fresh in your mind. Highlight the top three timber frame companies you think will work well with you on your project. [Remember, Bonin Architects & Associates can help you through the difficult process of choosing the right timber frame company for your project.]2) Make files for your top three choices and put a 1, 2, 3 (in pencil in case the top choices change) on the tab by each timber frame company.3) Sort through the literature and business cards you’ve collected, as well as the other literature received in the past, and put them in the file.4) When you have time, visit each of your top choice timber frame companies’ websites again. Look for ans Read more:Frame
Earth Day 2008 - "A Call for Climate", April 22nd 2008-04-18 12:04:39 Bonin Architects & Associates’ goal in designing timber frame homes for clients is to keep the carbon footprint to a minimum (which is our impact on the environment measured by how much greenhouse gases we produce).So while we focus our attention on new construction with timber framing and structural insulated panels (more on their energy efficiency in a future blog), our overarching concern is for our environment. Sustainability can be achieved, or increased, in several ways – by designing and producing new products and technology to reduce negative impact on our environment, but also by changing the way we use and treat the things around us.It’s a known fact our planet’s health is declining. One need only look around our own neighborhoods to see compromised ecological system Read more:Earth
, Climate
, April
, Earth Day
Why Hire an Architect? 2008-04-11 13:43:46 A common question is what does an Architect
offer to the process and final product of designing my home?Architecture affects people every moment of every day. We reside in homes where we sleep, cook, eat and spend time with our families; we typically travel to a building to work or a school to learn. These buildings, and many others, inhabited during those functions are essential to our lives and our health and Architects are ethically bound to continually better that built environment. The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards defines the role of an Architect in their Mission Statement as, “…the primary building professional qualified to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public through the enhancement of the quality of the built environment and the richness
We've added a Marketing Director! 2008-04-23 13:17:51 A good sign growth is being too busy to handle everything a successful business requires alone. That’s where we find ourselves lately– too busy (thankfully!) to do everything running an architectural office requires, and still have time for our family! We’ve been continually adding new clients (keep your eye on the On The Boards section of our website), hiring new draftsmen, and having just returned from the Harrisburg, PA Log and Timber Frame Home Show and measuring the response to our services, it’s time to add new staff to our growing company. Thank you once again to all of our clients, and for the tremendous support and encouragement we’ve received from colleagues we’ve known during our years of experience within the timber framing, structural insulated panels, and sustain Read more:Marketing
, Director
Earth Day in New Hampshire 2008-04-29 09:47:11 Jeremy and I wanted to involve our children in a family project for Earth
Day this year. Going over a list of things we could do (see our previous blog -day-2008-call-for-climate-april.html), we decided to plant some fruit trees.We planted two semi-dwarf Fuji apple trees and selected a place on our property where the trees would have full southern exposure alongside the driveway. They are about 7-8’ high already and have started to blossom.Our children, ages four, nine, thirteen, and fifteen helped by digging two holes three times the size of the root ball, mixed organic garden soil with the native soil, and planted the trees. They helped build the rock retaining walls and finished by watering the newly planted trees. Local organic fertilizer and mulch will wrap up the project. We expect Read more:Earth Day
, Hampshire
, New Hampshire
Carbon Footprint and Energy Efficiency 2008-05-01 09:09:54 The goal of our blogs is to help diffuse any confusion about sustainable design and building your new green home, whether it is post and beam, timber frame, structural insulated panels, or a conventionally-built energy efficient home and also how we can all be a little greener in our existing homes. You may be building a new green home and want more information on green options available to you (based on your site location, budget, and availability of materials). We also discuss energy systems, how they affect our daily lives, and what decisions you’ll have to make in building a new green home - and also let you know if we find any tax incentives (see our blog on Solar Energy
Systems).Everyone’s going green (even the Oscars, The Superbowl, and the National Football League!) and talking Read more:Carbon
, Footprint
, Efficiency
How To Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your New Green Home 2008-05-05 09:52:39 In building a new green home, minimizing negative impact on the environment and reducing its carbon footprint should be taken into consideration at the outset of the design process. Here are some sustainable design considerations for your green home:1. Site analysis: Evaluations and analysis of access, slope, ledge, soil, bodies of water, and vegetation in order to limit impact on the site environment. This includes the site location (farmland, wetland, protected species habitats) and proximity to public transportation, parks, schools, and stores.2. Size: Sustainable homes are efficiently designed to keep the square footage to a minimum. This reduces the amount of energy to heat and cool the home, lighting, and the quantity of building materials used.3. Solar considerations: Whether or not Read more:Carbon
, Footprint
, Green
Post and Beam and Timber Frame – What’s the difference? 2008-05-08 14:54:42 While there is some confusion and intermingling of terms, there is a difference
between a post and beam and timber frame home, and which you choose to build depends largely on your personal taste. Each building system is structurally sound and equally as beautiful. Wood choices for the two are generally the same – Douglas fir, Eastern White Pine, Oak, Cedar, and Hemlock – although individual manufacturers may prefer one species over another. Both can accommodate an array of architectural styles – from southwestern, colonial, mountain, cabin, or ranch, to name a few. Post and beam and timber frame homes can be enclosed and insulated in a variety of ways, from structural insulated panels (SIPs) to straw bale, or many ways in between.What can and does differ between post and beam and Read more:Frame
The Difference Between Post & Beam and Timber Framing, Part 2 2008-05-14 08:48:53 TIMBER FRAMING is a type of post and beam construction which uses traditional mortise and tenon joinery and wooden pegs to join timbers together instead of metal plates, screws, and brackets. Instead of posts and beams butting to each other, timber frames are designed with timbers that typically span from floor to roof.There are two general types of timber frame systems, each having several variat
Geothermal Energy Systems in your new Green Home 2008-05-19 07:44:27 Thinking of incorporating a geothermal energy system into your conventional, post and beam, timber frame, or structural insulated panel home? Geothermal Heat Pumps, the most common use of geothermal energy systems in homes, use stable ground or water temperatures near the earth’s surface to provide heating, air conditioning, and in most cases, hot water. Because they use the earth's constant tem Read more:Energy
, Systems
, Green
Geothermal Equipment in your Green Home 2008-05-22 07:41:16 Our last blog discussed the kinds of geothermal energy systems available. Whichever system you choose, you will need equipment inside your house, called a "geo-exchange system".A geo-exchange system replaces your furnace and your air conditioner. They are very quiet and compact and are typically installed in the basement. Some are small enough to fit on a closet shelf. The system uses electric com Read more:Equipment
, Green
Solar Energy System in Your New Green Home 2008-05-28 08:21:34 Are you building an energy efficient home? Bonin Architects & Associates can incorporate a solar energy system into most any home, whether it is conventional construction, structural insulated panel, timber frame, or post and beam. Here are the several ways to use solar energy in your new green home:1) Heat the space of your home (passive solar design and/or an active solar heating system);2) Read more:Solar
, Energy
, System
, Green
Incorporating a Solar Energy System into a Green Home (Part 2) 2008-06-03 11:30:37 Our last blog on renewable energy explained how you can heat your green home through passive solar design and/or an active heating system, as well as generate electricity through solar power with a photovoltaic system. You can also heat water for your home or swimming pool. How?Heating your home:Solar
water heaters can be used in any climate. There are two choices for solar water heating systems Read more:Energy
, System
, Green
Incorporating Solar Energy into a Green Home (Part 3) 2008-06-06 11:16:38 Here’s the third blog in our solar series. We’ve already talked about how you can heat the space and heat the water in your home using solar energy. You can also use solar energy to light the inside & outside of your green home through a design technique called daylighting. By using daylighting, you can make the most of the home’s placement on your site as well as the location of skyl Read more:Solar
, Energy
, Green
Tips to Designing a Green Home 2008-06-10 12:54:06 There are almost limitless options, technologies and design techniques in the planning and building of a sustainable home. Here are some things to keep in mind when designing your green home:1. Evaluate the site and surrounding vegetation.Take into consideration nearby bodies of water (lakes, ponds, and streams) as well as parks and protected areas. Site the home to have minimal negative impact on Read more:Designing
, Green
Types of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) Available 2008-06-14 07:11:05 You’ve probably heard that SIPs, as structural insulated panels and stress-skin panels are often called, outperform conventional fiberglass insulation as far as energy efficiency, but did you know there are several types of SIPs to choose from for your green home? Depending on your home’s structural requirements, climate, and budget, there are three common choices: EPS (expanded polystyrene);
Wind Energy is Gaining Popularity! 2008-06-26 16:12:56 Another renewal energy system that is gaining popularity is WIND ENERGY. You might want to consider using this type of system in your energy efficient home. Scientists estimate that wind energy could produce 20% to 30% of the United States’ energy by the year 2030 (Check out the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory website). It is possible to incorporate wind energy into your new green home by i Read more:Gaining
, Popularity
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