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San Juan Timberframes
1) Introduction........................................................................................................................... 5
2) The San Juan Timberframes Advantage............................................................................ 6
3) The San Juan Timberframes Package................................................................................ 7
The Timberframe................................................................................................................... 7
Structural Insulated Panels (SIP)........................................................................................... 8
4) Working with San Juan Timberframes ............................................................................... 9
Getting Started........................................................................................................................ 9
Timing your project................................................................................................................ 10
Engineering options............................................................................................................... 10
The timberframe and SIP raising........................................................................................... 10
Financing............................................................................................................................... 10
5) Timberframe Design Considerations................................................................................ 12
Full Timberframe vs. Timberframe Hybrid............................................................................. 12
Floor plan and post layout..................................................................................................... 12
Floor Systems....................................................................................................................... 12
Drywall and Paneling............................................................................................................. 13
Plumbing............................................................................................................................... 14
Electrical................................................................................................................................ 14
Heating.................................................................................................................................. 15
Roof Pitch and Timberframe Trusses.................................................................................... 15
Exterior Details...................................................................................................................... 16
Foundations........................................................................................................................... 16
6) Typical Timberframe Joinery Details................................................................................ 18
7) Typical Timberframe/SIP Construction Details................................................................ 29
8) Typical Foundation Details................................................................................................ 37
9) Resources........................................................................................................................... 43
1) Introduction
San Juan Timberframes makes it easy to add a cost effective timberframe to your designs. We
specialize in working with architects and designers. You do not need a working knowledge of
timberframe joinery to create stunning timberframe showpieces. You provide the basic design
and vision and we provide the timberframe. We have the production capability to quickly
handle all of your projects from large lodges, churches and executive homes down to small
guest cabins.
Design Flexibility. Our timberframe system is adaptable to almost any style: Park
lodge, Craftsman, Farmhouse, Modern or
Makes Ordinary Homes Extraordinary. Satisfied clients mean better referrals.
Design Collaboration. You design the home and we design the timberframe.
Fast to Design. From initial contact to raised frame in as little as 12 weeks.
Full Support. From full engineered structural drawings to experienced onsite
timberframe raising crews. We strive to make every aspect of your timber project as
seamless and smooth as possible.
No Conflict of Interest. San Juan Timberframes does not provide stock home plans or
provide home design services to end clients. We feel a local architect better serves the
clients needs.
Surprisingly Affordable. Often built for the same or even less cost than conventional
custom building in resort areas.
Highest Quality Canadian materials and European workmanship, built to last.
Super Energy Efficient. Saves up to 50% on heating and cooling costs for the life of
the building.
High Indoor Air Quality. SIP walls lock out moisture and eliminate air pockets in the
walls to help prevent toxic molds and mildews.
Fast to Build. Close in the home in weeks instead of months.
Pride in Ownership. With your help we create timeless one of a kind homes that will
be treasured for generations to come.
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In most cases we offer one free preliminary timberframe design and quote. This is not
just a rough estimate or guess, but a firm quote based on actual timber volume. With
our system your client has a firm idea of costs upfront before needing to commit to an
initial design deposit.
Our timberframes are bid on a board foot basis. The cost is relative to the amount and
size of timber used, not how complex the joinery is. Adding complicated architectural
details and rooflines to your project will not exponentially increase the cost as it would
with most hand crafted timberframes. The timberframes are designed and built by
computer eliminating weeks or even months of expensive shop time.
We use a state of the art German Hundegger K2 milling machine to produce our
timberframes. Large and detailed projects with hundreds of timbers are not a problem.
They are quickly and efficiently produced with extremely precise fully housed dovetail
and oak pegged mortise and tenon joinery. Fully housed joinery is important as it is
much stronger and tighter and conceals timber shrinkage over time.
Our design staff is one of the finest in North America. Combined they have had over 30
years of experience working with and designing for the Hundegger K2 milling machines
in Germany, France, Switzerland and Canada. Our design staff is the heart of the
operation and they are excellent at what they do.
We have our own sawmill and can control the quality and supply of our timbers. All of
our timber is slow growing; very dense, tight grain Douglas fir. Almost 100% of our
timber qualifies as grade #1. A years worth of log inventory is carefully drying in the log
yard. Price fluctuations and lack of quality timber supply do not affect us as they do
other companies.
Microwave kiln drying and historic recycled timber are also available options.
We are fast. Planning and building a timberframe project does not have to take years. It
can be done in weeks. Give us a reasonable lead-time and we can have your
timberframe designed, manufactured and ready when you are.
Our timberframe packages cut weeks or even months off traditional construction
timelines. The exterior shell can be assembled on site and weather tight in as little as
two weeks. Raising your frame in the late fall could still have you weather tight before
winter sets in.
Windows, Doors,
Siding, roofing and t&g
paneling ordered for
delivery immediately
following TF raising.
Local Contractor
prepares foundation
and subfloor if needed.
1st design
1 to 3
weeks
*Depends on # of
changes, size and
complexity
Engineer specializing in
timberframe and SIPs
engineers project.
Contract is finalized
after all changes are in.
Sawmill time
1 to 2
weeks*
Design Time
1 to
6 months*
Production time
1 to 3
weeks
1 1/2 to 3* weeks
to make weather
tight and lockable
*depends on size and
complexity
Time required
depends on local
contractor and
finish choices
Client moves in
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Timber top plates and timber joists are used to support the second floor system and become
the exposed ceilings for the rooms below. The least expensive and quickest way to create
ceiling and floors in second floors is to use 1 t & g spruce, pine, or fir car decking blind
nailed to the timberframe joists. The car decking becomes the ceiling below and is the finished
floor above (or sub floor if carpeting is planned). This can work well for smaller cabins and for
rooms that will have little or quiet use like attics and home offices.
On high-end homes the second and third floors systems are often doubled. A second floor
system of 8, 10, or 12 joists is applied over the timberframe joists and t & g ceiling. This
double floor creates a space for can lighting, wiring, and plumbing and can dramatically reduce
noise and dust migration through the floor. The space can also be used structurally to header
off posts from above that would otherwise land in unacceptable locations in the rooms below.
These hidden headers can be made of timber, gluelam or even steel I beams if necessary.
The double floor system is sometimes added after the timberframe is finished, weathertight
and enclosed with SIP panels. Four-inch wide inch shims are added to the tops of all timber
joists and plates. The TGI joists are installed over the shims with a traditional t & g plywood
subfloor above. The inch shim space leaves room to tuck in 5/8 thick t & g ceiling or
sheetrock after the other trades have finished their electrical and plumbing work. Soundboard
can also be applied between floors to isolate areas of high noise like home theaters
Drywall and Paneling
When designing a timberframe floor plan in CAD it is important to allow for the thickness of the
interior finishes. Both the timberframe and the SIP panels will be precisely manufactured by
computer-controlled machinery based on the CAD drawings. Not allowing space for finishes
can cause problems in the field,
A timberframe home is normally built in the following sequence. The foundation and first floor
deck (or slab) is finished prior to the arrival of the timberframe. Then the timberframe is then
raised with a crane in a few short days. The next step depends on the interior finish and what
sort of weather window is available.
The outer skins of the SIP panels are generally set flush with the outer edge of the concrete
stem wall. This differs from stick frame building where it is the outer stud edge is set flush with
the concrete and the sheathing extends beyond that. The standard SIP walls are exactly
6.5 thick.
When Spruce, Pine, or Cedar tongue and groove interior paneling or ceilings are to be used as
interior finishes they are applied at this stage directly to the timberframe before the SIPs are
installed. To allow for the thickness of the t & g wall paneling (typically 5/8) the exterior face
of the posts and /or rafters are set exactly 5/8 in from the inside face of the SIPs in the CAD
design. From the outside edge of concrete the inset for the timber posts would be 6.5 + 5/8 =
7 1/8
If dry wall or blue board/plaster veneer is to be the interior finish normally the entire
exterior of the frame is furred out with long 4 strips of 5/8 plywood. Then the SIPs are raised
and screwed to the timberframe through the plywood shims. After the home is weather tight (2
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to 7 days depending on complexity) dry wall can be easily slipped into the space behind the
posts and rafters created by the 5/8 shim. This creates a much cleaner look and is much
quicker than trying to custom fit each piece of drywall. For extra tight sheet rock and timber
joints use 1/8 cardboard sheetrock shims on the OSB 1 1/2 out from the posts. The shim
allows the sheetrock to slide in, then pries it tight when the sheet is screwed down. When
designing a home for sheetrock in this way set the exterior face of the posts back from the
outer edge of concrete 6.5 + 5/8 = 7 1/8 the same as above. Add an extra 1/8 for a total of 7
if 5/8 sheet rock is to be used.
A fast alternative for dry weather installations is to either pre-apply the drywall to the SIPs
before they are raised or apply the dry wall to the outside of the timberframe before installing
the Sips. There are two issues with this appealing method. One is rain and the second is
greater care must be taken to insure the joints between SIP panels have been properly
connected. These joints are hidden behind the drywall and must be nailed or screwed together
on the ground before raising the whole wall sections up with a crane. For this method, design
the frame 5/8 in from the inside face of the SIPs so you will still have the options presented
above if it looks more prudent.
Plumbing
The easiest way to plumb a timberframe home is to keep the majority of the supply, waste and vent
lines in interior partition walls. The interior partition walls of a timberframe home are typically framed
conventionally out of 2x6 or 2x4 wet walls. This allows the plumber to run his supply, waste and vent
lines in the traditional manor. If some fixtures (like a kitchen sink) must be placed on an exterior wall
there are alternatives to traditional venting that may be used if your code allows them. If there is no
alternative and traditional vent or supply lines must be placed in the exterior wall the Sip panels can
be custom ordered with precut plumbing chases in the locations where they are needed, generaly at
no additional cost.
Electrical
Like the plumbing, the electric service in the internal partition walls, floors and crawlspace is identical
to traditional built homes. Consider putting the main panel on an internal stud wall that allows easy
access to above and to the crawl space below.
The exterior SIPs walls typically come with 1.5 wire chases built in. Two horizontal chases at outlet
height and switch plate height and run completely around the building on each floor. Vertical chases
connect with the horizontal chases every 4 from the crawl space to the ceiling or at locations you
specified. Wiring chases can be custom made to specific locations for sconces, outdoor lights and
ceiling fans and are included in the cost. A qualified electrician should not have difficulty fishing wires
for these locations. For initial design purposes no special considerations are generally needed.
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Heating
Two heating issues should be noted in the design phase of a SIP enclosed timberframe home. The first
due to the extreme energy efficiency of SIP homes the size (BTU output) of the heating system can
often be reduced. This saves some money up front and the correctly sized heating system runs more
evenly through out the day.
The second issue also stems from the super efficiency of the SIP system. SIP houses are much more
air tight than even the most carefully built conventional home. Mechanical ventilation is required.
Planning to include an air-to-air heat exchanger is a wise and necessary investment.
Roof Pitch and Timberframe Trusses
To have the greatest choice of different timberframe truss styles a minimum roof pitch of 9 in
12 is generally needed. Less steep and flat roofs can also be timberframed but generally need
to use a post and beam and rafter system. Below are a few of the standard truss systems we
can create. The standard trusses can be augmented with curved timbers, curved glue lams, or
extra details like crossed timbers that can make them look very unique while adding very little
to the cost. There are also many carved beam end treatments available if needed.
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Exterior Details
There are many cost effective ways to dress up the exterior of a timberframe building. These
details should hint at what lies inside. These details also give a home its style. Here are some
ideas.
Exposed rafter tails. Instead of cutting notches in the stress skin panel for the true
rafters to stick out, short premilled decorative 6x8 rafter ends are screwed up to the
SIP eave. Construction time is saved and the integrity of the SIP enclosure is preserved
preventing air leaks. When the home is finished no one will know the difference unless
they saw it built.
Gable End Timber Trusses. These are a similar concept to the decorative rafter tails
above. The large gable end trusses actually hang from the SIP eaves or attach with
timber brackets to the exterior face of the SIP panels. The same is true for large beamends that look as if they are protruding through the wall. Again this saves time. The
house is timberframed, and then closed in with precut Sip panels, finally the exterior
details are added only after the main house is dry and secure and available for other
trades.
Porches, Entries, Decks, Stairs and Railings can all be timberframed with hidden or
exposed mortis and tenon joinery. Small trusses mirroring the main house can have a
dramatic effect. These are all added to the exterior after the main house is completed.
Foundations
From an engineers point of view the timberframe and SIP panels work at providing different
functions. The timberframe itself provides support for the live and dead loads of the roof and all
floors of the building. The timberframe also can function as the hold down member of a shear
wall system if they are needed for seismic and wind loads. At the foundation level the post are
held down with straps embedded in concrete footings or hold-downs. Large Simpson straps
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are used to connect posts between floors. The straps are all nailed to the outside of the posts
hidden in the 5/8 space reserved for sheet rock.
The SIP panel is used as the shear panel in conjunction with the strapped down timberframe.
In areas of heavy seismic activity the SIPs can also have double and triple stud hold-downs
incorporated inside them. With tight nailing patterns very high shear ratings can be achieved.
SIP panels have been code approved for all seismic zones. In a timberframe curtain wall
application the SIP wall carries none of the buildings load. However is does need to be
supported. A 20 tall section of wall will weigh in at about 80 lbs per linear foot.
Stem wall foundations
There are a number of different foundations types that will work for timberframe and SIP
construction. The standard is a typical 6 or 8 stem wall and footing system. A traditional tji
joist subfloor is normally platform framed over traditional cripple walls and/or stem walls. The
SIP panels are supported on the tgi floor system with the outer skin of OSB flush with the
outside of the rim joist and concrete stem wall. The stem wall keeps the SIPs and floor system
up out of the ground and also helps put the footing below frost level. However it does not hold
up much of the buildings load. Pressure treated posts secured directly to the footings give
support up through the crawl space and tji joist floor system to the timberframe posts above.
On the perimeter of the building these pressure treated posts extend down directly along side
the stem wall to the footing. The footings are each sized to carry the buildings load. (Note: the
tji floor system can also be cantilevered out over the stem wall the thickness of the panels so
that the timberframes post loads land directly over the stem wall. In some cases 12 wide stem
walls have been used to support both the SIP walls and the timber posts.) See some sample
details at the end of Chapter 8 for foundation options.
Insulated concrete forms (ICFs) are another foundation method that works well when a
heated basement is desired. Typically 13 to 15 ICF foam blocks are use to create 8 to 10
concrete walls. A conventional tji joist floor or timberframe floor system is supported on top of
the ICF walls. The inner concrete core is then centered directly under the timberframe posts
and provides bearing to the foundation. This eliminates the need for pressure treated posts
around the basements perimeter. See the end of chapter 8 for a detail showing a ICF
foundation with cantilever support for the SIP panels.
Concrete Slabs
If your site permits it, concrete slabs can be one of the most cost effective foundation types.
Mono pours combine the footings for the timberframe, the perimeter footing and the slab pour
in one quick step. The bottoms of the timberframe posts can be factory predrilled in the centers
to accept short lengths of #4 rebar to aid positioning. After the slab has cured the post lay out
is chalked on the slab and short corresponding locator holes are drilled in with a rotohammer.
Two layers of 30# tar paper or flashing are used on the bottom of each post to isolate it from
moisture in the concrete. The concrete slab can then be covered and used as a subfloor or
can be acid stained for an inexpensive floor treatment.
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These details are only for example only. An engineer needs to size all structural
components and reinforcements.
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These details are only for example only. An engineer needs to size all structural
components and reinforcements.
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These details are only for example only. An engineer needs to size all structural
components and reinforcements.
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These details are only for example only. An engineer needs to size all structural
components and reinforcements.
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These details are only for example only. An engineer needs to size all structural
components and reinforcements.
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These details are only for example only. An engineer needs to size all structural
components and reinforcements.
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These details are only for example only. An engineer needs to size all structural
components and reinforcements.
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These details are only for example only. An engineer needs to size all structural
components and reinforcements.
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These details are only for example only. An engineer needs to size all structural
components and reinforcements.
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These details and rebar specs are only for example only. An engineer needs to size all
structural components and reinforcements.
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These details and rebar specs are only for example only. An engineer needs to size all
structural components and reinforcements.
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These details and rebar specs are only for example only. An engineer needs to size all
structural components and reinforcements.
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These details and rebar specs are only for example only. An engineer needs to size all
structural components and reinforcements.
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These details and rebar specs are only for example only. An engineer needs to size all
structural components and reinforcements.
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9) Resources
The Timberframe Home
Tedd Benson
Taunton Press, 1997
This is an excellent and highly recommended book giving a good overview of all aspects of
timberframe building. The electrical chapter and SIP chapter however are already somewhat
dated and may not meet the current code. With our package we provide up to date installation
instructions and help on these issues through our SIP manufacturer.
Timberframe
Tedd Benson
Taunton Press, 1999
This is a good coffee table picture book that shows some of the styles possible with
timberframes. There is a small selection of western frames. Most however are on the east
coast.
Building with Structural Insulated Panels
Michael Morley
Taunton Press, 2000
An excellent and recommended primer on building with SIPs, up to date and includes good tips
on wiring and all phases of installation.
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