As a business owner and craftsman, I think Traditional Timber Frames are awesome! Everyone should have one right?! As an apprentice carpenter in the 2000’s I stumbled into “Green Oak” framing in the UK and have spent the next 15 years absolutely dedicated to this craft, not just as a business, but as a passion.
There are so many elements that drew me in, and every year that goes by it seems to evolve further. The things that appealed to me as a carpenter are probably different to the things that appeal to me as a businessperson and property owner, but they still keep me going, day after day.
I’m going to talk through some of my thoughts on the advantages and appeal of a Traditional Timber Frame not just from a salesman’s view but from a person who has seen these frames for years from all sorts of builders around the world. As a kid, an apprentice, and a builder I’ve worked on a whole heap of different buildings and styles, but I can’t be more honest when I say now that any home I live in from now on will have to have a Traditional Timber Frame.
Table of Contents
1. Customisable Designs to Suit Every Style
One of the things I love most about a traditional timber frame is how adaptable the frame can be for the individual client. Whether you’re building a humble cottage, or an expansive, modern, open-plan home; we can design something to suit your needs.
We offer options for a full post and beam frame home construction, as well as “showcase” projects such as feature trusses. The custom nature of the manufacture of the framing makes it simple to adapt to the design, aesthetics and budgets of our clients. Our frames can be designed in-house, or built to architect specifications – either way, we will ensure that the frame fits your project and chosen style.
So if you love traditional or rustic, then maybe you’ll want a Tudor style look. If you prefer something more modern, then you might love craftsman style – charming simplicity, with beautifully crafted details. In our harsh Australian climate, Homestead style homes are very appropriate, and Barn style living is becoming increasingly more popular for both modern and traditional style homes
If you can dream it, we can build it.
2. Charm, Character, and Exclusive Craftsmanship on Display
Here at TTF, we can help make your dream home a reality.
We can access a broad variety of wood species, colours and grains making your timber frame as unique as you are. This beautiful, natural product can be rough sawn for that rustic look, or milled and finished for something more polished. We can even source recycled timber for extra character and style.
Your home’s internal and external timber features will bring that wow factor to your project, showcasing gorgeous exposed posts, beams and trusses that will leave a lasting impression.
Combining elegant design and beautiful materials with the most exclusive hand skills and techniques, we create exposed timber framing that is unrivalled in its character, quality and beauty.
3. Strength and Durability to Last for Generations
For centuries, timber has been prized as a renewable, recyclable natural resource that is beautiful, versatile and characteristic of the land that produces it.
With proper construction and maintenance, timber products can provide a long and useful service life.
Our heavy, large dimension timbers are handcrafted by master craftsmen, to last hundreds of years. Mechanical fasteners and glues can become points of failure, so we use only traditional joinery methods proven to withstand the test of time.
The natural attributes of wood make timber building products very strong. In comparison to steel and concrete, plantation pine structural timber, for example, has a strength to weight ratio 20 percent higher than structural steel and four to five times higher than non-reinforced concrete in compression.
4. Chemical Free Fire, Rot, and Pest Resistance
Australia has one of the harshest environments on Earth, and our timber meets the challenge head on. Naturally fire, rot and pest resistant, our all-natural product is also better for your health, better for our environment, and better for your peace of mind.
Certain species of wood are naturally resistant due to complex chemical compounds that they evolved to protect themselves – ask us for a discussion of the best species to meet your needs.
Good design also ensures that wood materials last and weather well in various climates, including those with high humidity, frequent sun, and heavy rain.
5. Excellent Insulation Properties for Energy Efficiency
The inherent properties of timber make it an energy-efficient choice for construction. The energy consumed in producing timber (known as embodied energy) is very low when compared to other materials that society consumes. It generally requires around 19 times more energy to make a product from steel rather than kiln-dried hardwood; 45 times more to make a plastic product; and 85 times more energy to make a comparable aluminium product.
Timber has low thermal conductivity, making it a great insulator, which also simplifies passive solar and airflow objectives.
6. Environmentally Friendly and Sustainable
At TTF we only use renewable and sustainably sourced timber. We can source recycled materials to use in construction, and anything we’ve crafted can, in turn, be recycled in years to come.
Timber has the lowest carbon footprint of all building materials, due to its long-term carbon storage and simplicity of manufacture. Our timber frames and structures are built to be long-lasting, and you won’t need to replace them.
Best of all, our frames and trusses are perfect to use for eco-home construction – whether you’re using hay bales, loose straw, rammed earth…
7. Added Value to Your Property
The uniqueness and the wow factor of exposed timber framing are equally appealing to live in as it is on the market. We’ve now seen time and time again, that the prices homes or properties with our frames in them sell for are significantly more than the build costs.
Our timber frames and trusses allow you to incorporate highly desirable features into your new construction or renovation project. Features such as exposed beam ceilings can not only add character and luxury but also significantly increase your home’s appeal and therefore value when it comes time to sell.
Exposed timber framing is particularly appealing in open plan design, bringing a new unique aspect to your modern home and ensuring it stands out from the crowd on inspection day.
Built to look great and built to last, our craftsmen maintain the highest quality standards, ensuring your home retains and even improves it value into the future.
Learn more about the cost vs return of a traditional timber frame
8. Frame Raising is Fast and Efficient
Our timber might last a lifetime, but it won’t take that long to install. Our frames, trusses and beams are pre-fitted and assembled during manufacture, so there’s no hiccups or delays at your site after delivery.
Our expert and highly experienced team will attend to professionally install your project, and then vanish from site. We aim to minimise build time, and reduce the complexity of so many tradespeople on site.
9. Cost-Effective and Easy to Maintain
For such a spectacular, and long lasting product, our timber requires surprisingly little maintenance. Components may be replaced easily if needed, and all materials are readily available and easy to work with. Owners and Building Inspectors love how easy it is to view and check the exposed beams and structural pieces without crawling through the roof or walls.
10. Keeping Traditional Practices of Quality and Craftsmanship Alive
While our products and methods are definitely not “new”, they’re still bucking today’s trends of poor quality, and throw away culture. We work using traditions and methods that have been passed down for thousands of years, using a beautiful, natural product that will create history, and leave a legacy for future generations to cherish.
About the author
Chris Nance is known as a man with a passion for timber craftsmanship and making beautiful things. After extensive training in the art of traditional timber framing under Alan Ritchie in the United Kingdom, Chris returned to Australia and founded Traditional Timber Frames in 2009. Chris has since offered traditional framing courses and trained multiple craftsmen, establishing a team of dedicated and highly skilled professionals.
