hey,
New on here, looking to build a 20x30 (dimensions might change) with timber frame with metal brackets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEPJ7GyDsKo&feature=player_embedded#!

I know it's not the "traditional way" of doing it, but seems a lot easier to me, and I got access to metal equipment pretty easily.
I'm thinking I will need an engineer plan to get a building permit.
Any idea where I could get this? I can probebly get blueprints drawn, but would need someone to tell me the timber size and probebly have some kind of engineered stamp on it?
I'm in eastern Canada.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If you go to the site http://www.timberframeengineeringcouncil.org/index.html and click on "find and engineer" you can click on your province and see who is listed with the council for your area.

Also, in NS there are others, they maybe able to get licensed in your area if they aren't already.

Good luck with your research.

Jim Rogers

Using metal brackets is typically called Post&Beam, whereas Timberframe is typically all wood mortise and tenon joints with pegs.

We've had discussions on the time/difficulty between the two methods and in general I think we came to the conclusion that if you include all the making of the brackets, the fit-up etc, you'll have just as much work/complexity to do it well. You don't get a significant savings over timberframe.

I'd say it depends on how basic and ugly you're willing to go with your post and beam. The first modern 'engineered' P&B structure I met was king post garage done in generic nailing grids, it's what I picture to remember a king post is in tension.