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.

I don't know how "lucky" they were if they got loaded into shipping containers with the timbers...

Oh, man, I've been away for so long I didn't realise there were pending questions....Sorry about the late response...


* Big Island - Kukio golf course and a few private homes and developments.

* #1

* Green

* The timbers take about 2 wks to get to Hawaii, and we send it immediately after cutting/testfit. A crew follows and installs, occasionally there's some shifting, but for the most part it stays true.

* Cedar is toxic to termites, and many other insects and plants (and people...always use a mask when cutting) This is why people use cedar pillows for their pets, keeps fleas and tics away, cedar sachets in their closets and drawers to keep moths out, and cedar chips in the garden paths to keep weeds down.

* I believe it costs $2000 for a container to Hawaii, not including the shipping to the port or to the site at the other end.


Hope this is helpful...and not too late

$2000? That doesn't sound bad to me to ship your house Then again It may take several containers for other materials depending on how it's done. Stress skin or sips will take up some room IF used. Roofing material? Sheathing? Flooring? Cabinets, sinks, toilets, siding, decking materials etc. Pack those containers full! Looks like it going to be all about organization and coordination. You also need delivery from the Hawaiin port to the jobsite. I wonder if they will deliver the container itself or if it has to be unloaded at the port? Hopfully deliver the container and unload at jobsite.

As far as I know you gotta unload it at the docks onto a flat deck, but you might be able to move the whole container...they're pretty big, though. Think 'train'.
Anything can be done for a price $$$.

Here's some of the homes we've done in Hawaii.
Just click on the last pic in the lineup at the bottom, and scroll thru using the arrow on the right.
They're mostly cedar scissor trusses.

Wow!!! Thanks Timber Goddess and Chris great information and pictures!!! I had trouble imagining what a timber frame in the tropics should look like, these pictures provides the tantalizing possibilities.

Yes bb, cost of shipping and timbers are in the realm of possibilities. I guess the next step to come up with a plan of what to build and figure out the costs.

Thanks
Ajit

Hey Derek, Bamboo and hemp rope sound great, let see some designs/pictures... :-)

Is hemp even legal in the States?

Ahem.

Derek, ya know there is no hard feelings.

I want to timberframe in Hawaii, what trees do you use?

They do build bamboo homes in the Tropics and most probably did use hemp to hold it together... Derek thanks for pushing the issue, interesting stuff.

http://www.bambooliving.com/homes.html
http://www.bambootechnologies.com/

"Bamboo is versatile with a short growth cycle. It can be harvested in 3-5 years versus 10-50 years for most softwoods and hardwoods. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on this planet. It grows one third faster than the fastest growing tree. Some species grow as much as four feet a day. Thanks to its rapid growth, the yield (weight per acreage and year) is up to 25 times higher than that of timber."

Even books on bamboo building...
http://www.amazon.com/New-Bamboo-archite...2133&sr=8-1

Anyone use Wattle and Daub to enclose their Timber Frame? Seem “Wattle and Daub” was historically used for infill and everyone is now using SIPS.

Is “Wattle and Daub” no longer relevant today or is it yet another “forgotten” technique, similar to Timber Framing? I’ve read that this type of infill creates a healthier house since the wall is breathable. However, I’ve also read that it's a poor insulator.

I am thinking that for a tropical climate, it might make sense, since the weather is warm and insulation properties are not a major concern.

I realize that Wattle and Daub is most likely not practical for large frame, but for smaller frames it may be feasible. Any thoughts and suggestions is greatly appreciated.

Below link of a Foxmaple workshop in Costa Rica were “Wattle and Daub” was used...

"The enclosure system was a clay/coffee husk wattle and daub. The wattles were made of split bamboo and daub clay and coffee hisks making a 4 inch thick wall placed between the timbers, leaving the timbers exposed on both the interior and exterior.
Mixing clay with water to a consistency of very thick syrup makes up the clay slip. This slip is then mixed using pitchforks with a cellulose fiber. Traditionally the fiber was straw, but it can be any course fiber, such as coffee husks. The fiber is mixed with only enough clay slip to fully coat the fiber. This may range from equal parts clay slip to fiber to a 1 to 3 ratio of clay to fiber."


http://www.foxmaple.com/CRworkshop.html

Also in Rancho Mastatal in Costa Rica they have done some interesting things with alternative structures including Timber Frame with “Wattle and Daub” infill. Some interesting Bamboo structures as well. (Derek, thanks for the info on Koa)

"Wattle and daub traditionally consists of a woven latticework of flexible wooden or bamboo members called wattles that is daubed with a mixture of mud, clay, animal dung and chopped straw. It is normally whitewashed to increase its resistance to rain. This is a technique that we have been incorporating more and more into our buildings. It is a wonderful system for non-structural walls and goes up relatively quickly. We have been using split bamboo for the wattles and a mixture of clay, manure, sand and wild grasses for the daub. "

http://www.ranchomastatal.com/pages/links/page.php?Grouping=Programs&PageName=build

Found a book on topic (only one)...

http://www.amazon.com/Wattle-Daub-Shire-...4230&sr=8-1