Episode 9: Your Questions Answered – Schools, Pegs, Boxed Heart, Remodeling

In this episode we take sometime to answer some of the questions that you have been asking on the site.  Topics range from remodeling, pegs, what school to go to and whether boxed heart timbers are ok to use.  At the end of the show, I talk a little bit about the SE Regional Timber Framers Guild Meeting.  Enjoy.

Gary – Asks

I’d like to know if you have any recommendations on schools or instruction on learning timber framing.

• Reached out to schools and compiled them on the site…head to https://timberframehq.com/timber-framing-101/schools/
• All are great schools, some factors to consider…
  • Distance
  • Focus of school

Russ – Asks

Would very much like more detail on the pegs.

• Hard wood
• Oak and Locust but can be others depending on strength needed
• 1” is the common size
• Straight grained #1 or better…no knots
• Octagonal, round or tapered
• Tapered for draw boring

George Day – Asks

I am considering remodeling my 1976 ranch style house and would like to incorporate some timber frame features into the addition. Any advice on tying in the timber frame to the existing traditionally built structure?

Structural or non structural

• Structural
  • Hold up the floor system or the roof
  • Needs to be engineered
  • Often makes the most sense to save cost
  • Timbers can sit on the conventional framed wall with blocking down to sill plates or a reinforced header or have posts that are supported by the foundation
  • Non-Structural
    • Cosmetic
    • Extra blocking or structure maybe needed to support them

Think through the options and make sure the timber are supported correctly.  Timbers are not light things and it often makes more sense to make them structural.  Especially in the roof system creating trusses, while they maybe for show they make be imparting loads on your framing.

James – Asks

Hey Brice. I hope your day is going well. In response to the question, the best way I know to answer that would be in a story. Remember, you asked….

A long story short, boxed out hearts for timbers, will it work as I think it will?

• Absolutely
• If you are on the east coast most of the timber are boxed heart.
• On the west coast with the larger Doug fir they can get FOHC wood.  FOHC wood is more stable because the heart is not there but it does come with a high cost per board foot.
• 95% of the timbers in my home are boxed heart timbers.

Review of the SE Guild Timber Framers Meet up on November 1^st.  See post on the happenings at https://timberframehq.com/blog/take-2014-se-timber-framers-guild-meetup/

• Head to tfguild.org for more info about the conference and meetups.

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