Timber Framers Guild Forums General General Forum Questions Timber Framing in Hawaii

Hello All,

First time in this forum and would gratefully appreciate any information anyone can provide. Recently took a one week timber framing workshop just to get an idea of the techniques used.

What types of issues to consider building a timber frame in a wet, humid, tropical climate (Mold, wood rot, termites, mildew etc) Does it even make sense? It seems historically most Timber Frames were built in temperate to cold regions.

Agit? Hey man, I've never been to Hawaii. Give me a place to sleep and shower and breakfast and lunches and combine your cutting week with a holiday like memorial day, 4th or July, or labor day, and I'll come help cut and raise. I bet you can get some of the other's too. It would be a good excuse to go to Hawaii, do a little work and take some days afterwards to dive, try to surf etc. When and how could we get the cheapest tickets possible? Maybe that's when we should do it? Have you asked Steve about the material the used before in Hawaii? Are there termites in Hawaii or ants that would attach the wood? Sound like on your next trip you should find the county building department and talk to them about your project, the building codes, and things to keep in mind when designing and building there.

I'm up for this trip too, but I'm old, crippled, afraid of heights and lazy. so long as that isn't a problem I'm in. LOL

For those of you that may be interested in Hawaii, this is probably a good time, property prices shot up in 2005 and have come down quite a bit lately in some parts. Below is the link to Hawaii MLS, check out land on the Big Island Puna area. This is rural area, active volcano, earthquakes no white sand beaches and coque frogs ;-).

http://www.hiinfo.com/REsearch/IDX/mlsHawaii/query.asp?CAT=agents&LOC=3&DIST=1

Thanks for the encouraging feedback and suggestions. Here is a link to a guy who built a TF in Kauai, he used Red Wood shipped from the mainland US.

http://www.coffeetimes.com/BlairEstate.htm

I am thinking Red Wood or Western Red Cedar, luckily I haven’t figured out what cost of this type of wood, not to mention the shipping cost. Can anyone recommend mills in the west coast that has this type of timbers?

Dreamer, you might checkout Bear Creek Lumber up in Oregon. They have lot's of nice wr cedar. http://www.bearcreeklumber.com/


I don't know about using redwood though, it's not very structural.

Doug fir would be a very good choice, and Bear Creek has lots of that too.

Joe Wood,

Thanks for the Bear Creek Link. Apparently the owner of the place has built a Timber Frame on the Big Island as well. I emailed him for more information.

BTW checked out your web site http://www.woodsshop.com/. Nice work, my favorite piece is the “Sun Filtered Deck” in the article. Do you build or planing to build timber frames as well?

Dreamer

Wow, I guess I've been away for a while....

We've cut many frames for Hawaii, most from WRC because it can stand up to the humidity and the termites (doesn't need to be treated before shipped) and also a few DF frames, which needed treatment. (It's the Law!)

All are on the Big Island.
Why, I'll be starting another WRC frame next week for Hawaii...

Ahh.... actually Bearcreek is so far "up" in Oregon that it’s in Washington

Somewhere north of Eureka Oregon

Hi Timber Goddess,

Where in Hawaii have you built? For WRC what grade is used? Green or Kiln dried? When cut and shipped, does the wood settle creating problems? If not treated, how are the termites kept away? Does shipping from the mainland cost an arm and leg?

Any information you can provide is appreciated...

Dreamer

See below pictures of a Douglas Fir Frame in Hawaii. The entire frame was cut in Montana if I recall correctly. It was loaded up into shipping containers with a couple of lucky framers who put it up out there. We were expecting a child when framing inspection time came so I didn't get to make the trip. It was there about 4 years ago. I don't know how it's making out with the hawaii termites since then.