Im building my first timber frame this summer here in western Massachusetts. Its basically the garden tool shed from Timber Frame Construction by Sobon and Shroeder with a few slight adjustments. A big change I'm doing (which wont affect the frame itself too much) is that I'll be insulating (ie, wrapping) the frame with straw bales to make a genuine non-load-bearing straw bale house. Cool, right?
My question for the day is this: We want a porch on the long wall. What are my best options - timber framed or stick framed - for connecting the porch to that end wall?
Also, as the exterior footprint is larger than the interior by a number of feet because of the bales, the floor system needs to be modified/expanded. Does a deck (stick framed) make the most sense and forgo the sills and just lay the posts on the deck? Or would some sort of funky cantilevered system work better? I guess its important to say the foundation will be 10" piers.
Finally, any thoughts on roof insulation? Not only is insulation something to think about, but strawbales require 3-4' overhangs on all sides, including the gable ends, so I'll need some roof system that can go on top of the rafters and give me my overhang. I know the ISP and TGI joists are options, but I would prefer salvaged materials rather than buying new. Any ideas?
