Hello. I've been reading these forums for over a year now, and would like to thank all of the experts who have posted information here. I have found it extremely useful for my own timber framing project. The archived issues of the tfg newsletter (sold elsewhere on this website) were especially helpful at filling in the missing pieces of information that I couldn't find in books or on the web.

I am over one year into building my own timberframe house with trees from an ice storm that struck our property. (you can read about it on my web site ) I hope to keep updating the web site (or blog if you will) as the house progresses. It struck me that other people reading this board and considering tackling a do-it-yourself timberframe project for the first time might be interested in my experiences.

Right now, my blog is mostly an incomplete journal with pictures of our progress (for an intended audience of "family and friends"), but eventually I hope to add information to my website that you can't presently find in timberframe books... like more information on bug treatment (I had mixed results with Boracare after spending over $1,000 on the stuff), termite flashing to cap a timberframe foundation (egads, ever try welding thin stainless steel?), getting really square timbers with your badsaw sawmill (we kept a framing square at the saw mill), tools you might not have considered for timberframing (my sawz-all... gasp... and unlimited rebate electric planer have been immensely helpful), more info on older cranes (I bought one for $7,000 and yes it works!), etc.

And in any case, even if I never get time to post all of this information to my blog, I'd be glad to share it with anyone interested.

-Thomas

Where in Kentucky have you built this structure? Thanks for sharing your experience with those of us still trying.

I'm about halfway between Maysville, KY and Ashland, KY. I'm willing to gives tours of the _uncompleted_ structure. Visit for more than an hour though and we'll put you to work.

-Thomas

Hello Thomas

Where between Ashland and Maysville? I have a farm in Grayson.
snapfish.com, sign in is darinalexander@bellsouth.net
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I hope to built there one day but for now I live in S. Fl.( more than past time to leave here)

I wasn't able to find a email address so I'm posting here. Loved your website ( hammer beam truss). I know what I want to do but what I will be able to do may not be the same.

Next time I come up to the farm I would love to take a tour of your home. If I happen to stay more than one hour you can gladly put me to work.

Now about that crane and sawmill?

Darin

Your farm looks like a great timber-frame site!
I'm not far from Grayson - I'll send you an email.

Thomas,

Thank you for posting about your experiences and for including plenty of pictures! Reading about your experiences definitely makes the process less intimidating for me.

I was also happy to see that there are still a few counties that don't want to be involved in every step of the process. Alas, that's not the case where I'll be building my house.

From what I've read on your blog, it seems like you may have had the cash on hand for the entire project (I don't recall any mention of a construction loan). If you did get a construction loan, did you learn any lessons that you wished you'd known before embarking on that process?

My situation is a little trickier than normal because my wife has wanted a strawbale house for years, so we'll be wrapping the first floor's frame with plastered bales.

Here's what I've learned from our owner built timber frame and construction loans; Cut the entire frame, if at all possible, before you get the loan, if not possible do it anyway.

In NY construction loans are six months plus one six month extension, this is also true of the building permits (with a second fee for the extension).

In CT the loans are 12 months and building permits are open ended (but very expensive). I've managed to get one six month extension on the loan and am running out of time again. The bank and insurance company expect a CO in seven weeks and I'm still cutting joinery.

The biggest hassle is the insurance company, their accumulated data says that a project unfinished after 12 months isn't going to be finished. We had to go through hoops to keep our insurance company from dropping us and will be uninsured on May 1st.

Puget Sound,

I think that the only codes in our county are ones that involve septic and electric (if we were going to hook up to the grid). Yes, the lack of bureacracy is refreshing and enabling, but I sense zoning and building codes coming down the line eventually. These are the good old days here. I've heard that Mark Twain said he wanted to be in KY when the world ended, since everything happens 10 years later in KY.

We did not take out a loan for the house. We had the good fortune to buy a stick house in southern NH and watch the value double in seven years. We sold that house (~2400 ft2) and moved into a small double-wide mobile home (~900 ft2) on our farm in KY. There are 6 in our family, but everyone is understanding and tolerant (or in the case of the younger kids - completely unaware) of our tight situation until we finish the new house. And everytime I trip over something in our mobile home, I'm really "incentivized" to go outside and work on the real house!

I'm not entirely sold myself on SIPS, although I've decided to use them for our walls. If I had time to learn another building technology, I would seriously consider straw bales. (I already raise hay!)

As for insurance, we have none right now for the frame. I guess a bank would need that and it could become an real issue if the building process took as long as ours. We'll look into insurance as we get closer to finishing the house I suppose. In the mean time, a catastrophe would mean I get to start over with all the same tools, a lot more experience, a foundation, and some "salvaged" timbers.

I like Raphael's advice to cut the frame first.

-Thomas

the latest progress

Raphael,

Thank you for that important piece of information. I hadn't considered the challenges of insuring a work in progress because I initally had planned on paying as we go like Thomas is doing. How did you go about finding an insurer?

I think I'll follow your advice to start cutting before we get the loan. Unfortunately, we can't so much as role our fifth wheel onto the property until the building plans are approved, so we will have to delay our mortgage until the plans are approved and we're on the property with a septic and power to go with our well...

Fortunately, are build permit process is semi-open ended. Our permit remains active as long as we have an inspection every six months.

Thomas,

I'm also going to take the full time route. I'm going to be a stay at home dad for the next few years which should provide me with plenty of time to cut the frame. I just wish I had your collection of tools to simplify the process!

How long has the farmland been in your family? Building my house wouldn't have been even a remote possibility if my parents hadn't recently bought 18 acres to retire on. They generously gave my wife and I one of the parcels (5.5 acres) to build on. While the center of the property was clearcut prior to the purchase, the land is probably worth twice as much as they paid just two years ago (7k/acre).

Going from ~2400 to ~900 sq ft is a big change, especially for a family of six. My wife and I continue to confound my parents and siblings as we moved from a 600 sq ft rental in Seattle to a 350 sq ft fifth wheel. Unfortunately, we made the move earlier than planned--we discovered the day after the purchase that we couldn't place the RV on our land, not even to store it!

Our house's final square footage will top out 1200 to 1300 which will feel like a mansion after the RV (which has just enough space for my wife and I, our son, and a dog).

As far as the straw bales go, they really are quite simple to work with when you're enclosing a single story home. Using bales on upper floors is possible, but would take up quite a bit of space. You'd probably be better served with a straw/clay mixture like Laporte's econests if you have any energy left after finishing your house. You could always build a small workshop, playhouse, or cabin with your hay and a few more trees.

-Aaron