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Frame Design Basics

The function of a timber frame house, its cost, and the satisfaction people get from it start with the design. With a good initial design concept, the whole building process goes more smoothly.

With the initial design, in most cases, several people work together to achieve the best design. One person might work on the frame, and other people might work on the cabinets and windows. We undertake the frame design.

Sound structure

A structure needs to be strong enough. It needs to carry the load and distribute it to the ground. Each member needs to be strong to do the work.

Beautiful shape

A good frame design shows a nice flow of member lines while achieving its structural demands.

If a frame is structurally strong but looks weak, it does not look good. We build timber frames not only because they are strong, but also because they are beautiful. We need to put good consideration into forming beautiful frames.

People often say that a frame is the most beautiful right after it is set and the whole frame can be seen. After the finishing work is applied, some frames lose their visual effect when they are covered with walls, or if posts or beams are hidden. An important design issue is to consider how the frame will look after the house is finished.

Efficient construction

There are two styles of frames. One is bent style frames, and the other is post and beam style.

Post and beam style frames are popular in Japan. They can contain a long roof overhang. A characteristic of this frame is that the corner post goes from the bottom to the top plate. The top beam is also one solid piece. Sometimes a splice joint is used to connect the two pieces together.

Bent style is more popular in North America. Each bent is framed as a solid component, which means that the outside post is one piece and the principal rafter is connected to this post. This is a very efficient way of raising a frame. It is designed to cover the exterior, and often people use an SIP panel to maximize the insulation value. That is why houses built with timber frames can be top quality houses. However, mixing these two concepts without careful thought can cause difficulty in assembling.

Secure joinery

When engineers face structural difficulties, it is easy to turn to steel connections to achieve the required strength. Before deciding on steel, we see what we can do to make the structure work with wood joinery first. Most buildings built in the past few centuries were built this way, and many of them are still standing — and in good shape.

When wood shrinks, wood joinery often works better as some joints become tighter. Steel connections, on the other hand, become loose after wood shrinkage. Wood-to-wood connections work well because they allow for movement.

Pegs and splines

Using pegs to secure the wood joinery is what makes timber frames unique. Using oak splines to connect bents is also unique. These connections require strength. If they are not strong, they will break.

We use oak for this work. The tenons and mortises are as secure as we can make them with these oak pegs. Understanding how these pegs work is important in building timber frames.