Douglas fir, hemlock, white and yellow pine (including heart pine), fir, cedar, and others are viable wood frame options. They are usually more abundant, check less and give off a pleasant scent for years. Considered “soft woods”, the name should not imply weakness. Other woods can be used in the construction of timber-framed houses, and each has its own characteristics.
Southern yellow pine, fir, and cedar are also good choices for your home, depending on your location and the features you want in your building material. Oak, the strongest and hardest wood option, is an extremely popular type of wood for constructing wooden frames in new construction. Both red and white oak grow rapidly and are relatively abundant in North America, making them easily accessible in these areas. White oak is more resistant to decay than red oak, but has a higher shrinkage rate that can contribute to difficulties when used to build a wooden structure.
Pine is a very strong soft wood known for its flexibility and versatility. It is abundant in much of the United States and is more affordable than oak, making it a good choice for budget-constrained construction. Pine wood ranges from light to knotty and has a blond appearance with darker veins. It may be more susceptible to cracking than other woods, which means that the grain separates and gives it a different appearance.
Softwoods are also often easy to work with in new construction, as they provide flexibility and structural strength. Perhaps, just as important, you will learn to specify the other important characteristics of wood for a wood structure, such as wood grade, moisture content, heart content, and surface texture. Both air-drying and kiln drying are used to prepare freshly harvested wood for the construction of wooden structures. You've decided to build a classic, luxurious and energy-efficient timber-framed house, but now important decisions need to be made.
It has a high strength capacity, right after Douglas fir, which makes a fir wood frame extremely durable. A professional timber frame home builder like Hamill Creek, with many years of experience, can provide you with valuable information to help you make the smartest decisions for your new wooden home. Talk to your wooden home builder about the wood species that are native to your area and ask them how wood is sourced. Heart-free wood is less prone to cracking and is more stable than wood that does have heartwood.
Another way to keep the cost of wood framing low is to buy a wood-framed home kit and choose a simpler style. Reclaimed wood is basically used wood taken from vacant houses, unused barns, and other old structures. Therefore, here in one place, it is exactly how to select a wood species from the most common woods used in wooden frames. One thing to keep in mind with all engineered wood products in homes is that there is a greater risk of moisture damage than solid wood used for frames and structural elements, for example, polyethylene vapor barriers in combination with OSB & air conditioning in homes can rot walls.
Learn more here. On the question of sustainability, the best type of sawn timber will largely depend on your timber frame home builder and how your timber is obtained.
Leave a Comment