The Wow Factor
by Susan McLaughlin
from "Close to Home" magazine, November 2003
Once a lost art, timberframe construction is enjoying a revival, thanks to dedicated craftspeople and committed homeowners. As recently as 150 years ago, every wood-framed building in Maine and New Hampshire was built as a timberframe structure—that is, vertical posts and horizontal beams joined together, without nails, in various traditional methods that had been in use for thousands of years.
“A hundred years ago, there was another term in use to describe the method we now know as timberframing,” said Joel McCarty, executive director of the Timberframers Guild of North America. “It was called building.” Of course, it wasn't only in New England that timberframe construction was the norm. In fact, McCarty knows of a monastery on the Sinai Peninsula whose timberframe roof dates to 564. There is a timberframe temple in Japan that dates to 710. “Half-timbered” houses, so evocative of the Elizabethan era, were timberframe buildings and were scattered across France and Germany as well.
Naturally, the European settlers in North America employed the vast timber resources at their disposal when they needed to provide their families and livestock with shelter. Many regional methods sprang up, all of which used some combination of mortise and tenon or dovetail joinery.
The structures that were raised in this communal and traditional way were finished differently, depending upon their intended use. A Cape-style home, for example, might have had its downstairs planked over, its outside clapboarded, and its inside plastered. A barn, on the other hand, was crudely finished with its frame left completely exposed.
But the timberframe's status rapidly degraded from ubiquitous to extinct in the first 50 years of the 20th century. In fact, according to McCarty, the art of timberframing had virtually died out everywhere except Pennsylvania, where the Amish had quietly kept it alive. Of course, many of those old timberframe structures are still standing today, a testament to their solidity and resilience. The frames themselves have a trustworthy kind of appeal—somehow you never think about the four or five tons of pine hovering overhead, with no nails or screws involved, when you are inside an old barn. We instinctively trust this method of pinning timbers to the earth, passed on as it has been from master to apprentice for thousands of years.
So it's really not surprising that a huge resurgence in interest came with the back-to-the-land movement in the 1960’s. Not only were these old buildings truly handcrafted, they had a muscular, simple beauty. Contributing to their appeal was the fact that they were built communally. For young people trying to find ways to live closer to the land, more in sync with nature, the timberframe was more than a building; it was an icon.
“the young guy on the crew.”
Builder Richard Krouse of Arundel has been timberframing for 20 years. [Editorial Note: this article was written in 2003. Richard Krouse has been building timber frames since 1983.] He was in college and living on the beach in Biddeford when he found a lost dog and a career all at once.
“I had this golden retriever—this dog was my best friend; we were like the bachelors on the beach,” he said. “Well, the dog got lost and it was missing for something like two months. Long story short, the family that found the dog on Goose Rocks Beach was building a timberframe home at the time and the builder offered me a job. That was it. I was the young guy on the crew but I loved it.”
Krouse ended up buying the business from his boss, a self-described “old hippie,” some years later. Now he stays as busy as he wants to be, designing and putting up handcrafted homes, stores, schools, and soon, a restaurant. He and his small but highly skilled crew still begin these homes by cutting and matching all the timbers in the shop prior to raising the frame on-site. Krouse has seen ups and downs in his business; people do not arrive at the decision to build a timberframe home lightly. The added time and expense probably rule out this construction method for many homeowners. Krouse readily acknowledges that. But he is committed to the time-honored method he is using, and he has found that, over the years, the more homes he puts up, the more business he has.
“What happens is, people walk into one of these houses and they are wowed. It really gives you a good feeling to see the handwork that goes into one of these buildings.”
saving trees by using trees.
Certain advances in insulation technology began happening concurrently with the renewed interest in timberframing during the 1970’s. Krouse credits structural insulated panels with making his work possible.
“The reason the frame can be exposed on the interior now is that all the insulation is put on the exterior. These panels are a really good product and a really good match for timberframing.”
The exposed frame then offers the aesthetic difference that really sets this method apart from stick-built homes, and there are no compromises when it comes to energy efficiency. “The real difference with a timber frame home is that you don't have framing every 16–24 inches, with insulation just placed between the boards. That creates a huge thermal break. In our buildings, the panels basically wrap them like a huge Coleman cooler. A typical frame house has an R-value of 19 in the roof and 28 in the walls. Ours average R-28 in the walls and R-40 in the roof.” Besides the energy savings, timberframes have another appeal that seems a bit counterintuitive. Considering that most people opt for timberframing because they like looking at wood, it may come as a surprise to learn that this type of home actually uses far LESS wood than a house that is framed using two-by-fours.
“So much wood goes into houses today,” said Krouse. “It's such a waste. If you stacked all the framing up in your house it would be something like 40 feet thick.”
Timberframers manage to meet codes and build a house to last using a fraction of that amount, Krouse said, in a classic example of “quality over quantity.”
investing in quality construction.
Surprisingly, it isn't just the most discerning homeowners who seek out timberframers to build their shelters; business owners are sometimes able to factor in the “coziness quotient” when they contemplate moving into newer, better quarters.
Krouse has a simple explanation for why businesses take the plunge and go with the more expensive yet more attractive design.
“I think you feel more comfortable in a timberframe. You feel more comfortable, you spend more.”
Farmer Kathy Brown of Middleton, Massachusetts, wagered that her customers would feel that way about a Krouse timberframe when she and her husband started plans to build their “dream farm stand” seven years ago. They put up a 65-foot by 120-foot structure, with each post milled from an entire tree. Now shoppers seek out alllocal produce, from beans and pumpkins to honey, under a lofty timbered ceiling built from Maine pine.
“We hang bunches of corn and dried flowers from the rafters,” she said. “People love the openness, too. The kitchen is completely open, so people can see how clean it is.”
Brown also marvels at the warmth. The first time they turned the heat on (only because the automatic door was stuck in the open position), the fire department had to come because the dust that had accumulated in the vents set off the alarm! “So the three furnaces the plumber told us we had to put in to handle this size building turned out to be a complete waste,” she said. “I told them to consider the R value, but they wouldn't listen.”
One couple for whom Krouse built a living room/kitchen wing was so enthusiastic about that part of their house that they are now getting plans underway to build a restaurant using timberframe. “I think they kind of regretted not building the whole house with timberframe,” said Krouse of the Saunders, whose home sits at the edge of Sebago Lake. “The restaurant is going to be out of this world.”
Linda Laguerre of Pineapple Perfection in Yarmouth was handed the Saunders job in its entirety when Tom and Pam Saunders decided to build. After specifying all the interior treatments—floors, walls, ceilings, bathrooms—and completing the interior decoration, she found that working with a timberframe home is not limiting at all. The choice that makes the biggest impact in this home is the use of plaster walls to set the frame and provide a palette to indulge the owners’ desire for color. Linda found that the wood of the frame provided a neutral jumping off point and added warmth in the main family areas of the home. She steered clear of a cloying country look to provide this family-oriented couple with a sophisticated, eclectic look.
“I felt that I could do anything,” said Laguerre, who was given free rein by homeowners who needed to replace all their existing furnishings because the new house was a complete departure from the old one, also in southern Maine. “I think you could even do something very elegant with a home like this, which would be very fun. It’s the contrast that appeals to me.”
Still, many of the finish treatments echo the homeowners’ first choice—the timberframe.
“We used a lot of natural elements in the lower level,” she said. “The tumbled rock floor is especially wonderful.” The vaulting frame allows the couple all the space they need to entertain their extended family. Linda calls the 11-foot, boat topped cherry table in the dining area “gorgeous,” and a perfect fit with the natural cherry of the kitchen cabinets. So satisfied were the Saunders with Laguerre’s work that she is just now completing a project for one of their married daughters—another home within the compound.
new tools help an old craft to survive.
Traditional timberframing is hugely labor-intensive; what's more, it requires skilled labor. I wondered, since all contractors in this area seem to be having trouble keeping crews together, if it was even more challenging for Krouse to find good help.
“It is really hard,” he said. “It will be difficult for me to really grow this business beyond where it is now and still keep the handcrafted quality. But I have figured out what I like about this work and it's that I am physically there the whole process, from designing to building these houses. I also find that it's a huge selling point for people.”
Krouse has maxed out his small crew's potential by employing as much laborsaving technology as possible. In this respect, he is similar to most of the members of the Timberframers Guild, according to McCarty.
“Our members run the continuum, from guys who will not use any contemporary power tools to those who are using computer-aided machines to mill the timbers in the shop,” he said.
old-fashioned barn raising.
Raising the frame is a big deal to these guys (and women—more and more are joining the guild) and can be done in different ways, including the old-fashioned community barn raising. The guild hosts many projects for both its members and the public to get involved in, and where, as McCarty says, one of the goals is to get as many hands involved as possible. He loves seeing community groups like youth centers getting involved. “Spiritually, it says, 'this is our building. We helped put it up, we're going to help take care of it.' “
But raising the frame with a crew of three or four is infinitely more possible with a crane, Krouse's preferred method. “Equipment has helped this industry hugely,” said Krouse. “These timbers weigh hundreds of pounds apiece. With a crane, I can do it with three guys.”
Technology has helped the preconstruction process, as well. Krouse, who does virtually all his own designing, has seen his horizons expand considerably thanks to computer-aided design (CAD). “The thing that has really opened up my design ability is CAD,” said Krouse. “It lets me experiment, with confidence, on paper before the thing goes up. I designed a huge house in Colorado and believe me, you just don't want to get that far away from home and discover a mistake.”
building acceptance.
The Timberframers Guild started in the mid-1980’s and has 1900 members. Joel McCarty has counted himself one since 1984; he has been on staff since 1998. The guild helps the sometimes far-flung practitioners of the craft stay in touch with others who are bucking the trend of instant gratification.
“Our members are busy,” said McCarty, who lives in western New Hampshire. They are busy with community service as well as their construction businesses, if the guild's web site is any indication. There are “rendezvous” planned for locations all over the U.S. and Europe at which guild members get together to work on various building projects. Recently, the guild completed a timberframe visitors center in the White Mountain National Forest along the Kancamagus Highway; other projects have included an orphanage and covered bridges.
“We develop our community service projects to serve as educational platforms for our members, to bring our apprentices along, and to just make timberframing seem more accessible and viable to the public. Lots of times, community members show up to help. We are interested in involving as many hands as possible.”
The guild encourages travel by its members; Maine timberframer John Connolly was in France two years ago, where he visited a timberframe open market building that has been standing since 1200—a unique way to put your life's work into perspective.
“I've seen much greater acceptance of timberframing in the last few years,” said Connolly. “A real boon is that it's being accepted more in the architect's office. It has stood the test of time, and in a beautiful way.”
R. A. Krouse Takes Timber Framing Talents on the Road
by Nancy McCallum
from the "Tourist News" June 8, 2000
When Richard Krouse left for work on Thursday, April 20, he had a bit of a drive ahead of him. The Arundel timber framer was headed to Ridgway, Colorado, with three of his crew and a 32-foot trailer in tow. They arrived four days later on Easter Sunday and often working from sunrise to sunset, erected the frame of a two-story, 38' by 60' house by mid-May.
Richard and Toni Krouse live and work on a two-acre lot in Arundel.
For Krouse, who, with his wife Toni, owns Timber Frames by R. A. Krouse, a long "commute" is just one of the adjustments you make when you're in demand. And on this job, the wood was also highly prized: So Krouse milled the Maine pine and oak at his workshop, made the cuts and shipped them westward.
Timber framing is often compared to the arts of fine furniture making and boat building. The art lies in the joining timbers with carefully made mortises and tenons- in laymen's terms, cutting cavities and projections out of timbers, to interlock them. No nails are required. The result is a self-supporting structure. (Post and beam structures are similar, but the cuts are factory made.)
Richard Krouse's expertise caught the attention of a New Jersey couple who had attended a home show in Worcester, Massachusetts, two years ago. "He's a true artist and craftsman," says Michael Badai, who selected Krouse's company out of 12 others at the show. Badai and his wife Virginia Bellows are retiring to Colorado from New Jersey.
Badai says their initial plans were to construct a log home, but they realized that the interior would have "more wood than we wanted." It also would not have offered the best backdrop for the couple's art collection.
They then opted for timber frame construction, to keep the natural wood aesthetic, but when they began to scout for timber framers in Colorado, they were told "you gotta go to New England," Badai recalls.
That's because timber framing is very much a part of New England's heritage. The colonists brought the technique here when they built their first barns and houses, yet Toni Krouse notes the craft can be traced as far back as King Tut (circa 1350 B.C.), as some pieces of timber framed joinery were found in his tomb.
Richard Krouse also brings some history to his profession. A New Jersey native, he is descended from several generations of house builders. He came to Maine in the 1970s to study biology at St. Francis College(now the University of New England). He supported himself with carpentry jobs in the Biddeford Pool area. When the college's biology department "fell apart" as he puts it, he attended Southern Maine Technical College to study building.
Toni says that when Richard read a pamphlet about timber framing it clicked for him, and "he was gone." He then spent four years with a Kennebunkport timber framing company and in 1985, he started his own business.
With timber framing enjoy a renaissance over the past 30 years, and because of his reputation, Krouse frequently has clients out-of-state, although, until this April, those jobs were mostly in New England. The Krouses attract customers through referrals, by attending several home shows every year and with their Web site www.mainetimberframes.com .
Recently, the Krouses have added another hands-on touch to their business by milling timbers- usually white pine and red oak- at the workshop beside their home, on a wooded two-acre lot not far from Kennebunk and Kennebunkport.
As Toni Krouse points out, it may not be the first time huge timbers have been planed on this land, as the property was once home to the Titcombs, early boat builders. Richard Krouse says milling their own wood makes for a "much smoother operation. It means we're in control of the whole project."
It makes customers happy, too, especially those who prize the tall, straight Eastern pines and hearty oaks. It's difficult to find such quality wood in the West, says Michael Badai, and he was delighted that the wood for his home was all hand-selected. Richard notes, "There wasn't a knot in the whole frame."
Krouse milled 30,000 board feet of timber, from 45,000 feet of logs. Badai says that although it was an added expense to have it trucked out, it was worth it, because of the quality.
It will be awhile before Badai and Bellows can move into their 4600-square-foot home, because the finish work will take until at least Thanksgiving, Badai says. But they're off to a good start, with their Maine frame. "It's just incredible," Badai said. "He surpassed our expectations."
Timber-frame building makes comeback
by Nancy McCallum
from the "Portland Press Herald" July 14, 2000
When the colonist came to New England in the 17th century, among the crafts they brought with them was the art of timber framing.
With roots that may go further back than 1350 B.C., this form of construction has not only endured over the centuries, it has also seen a renaissance of sorts over the past 30 years. Homeowners are drawn to it for several reasons: its historical cachet, the aesthetics of the craft and the sturdiness.
Timber framing is often compared to the arts of fine furniture-making and boatbuilding. The art lies in joining timbers with carefully made mortises and tenons - in laymen's terms, cutting cavities and projections out of timbers, to interlock them. No nails are required. (Post and beam structures are similar, but the cuts are factory-made.) The result is a self-supporting structure that does not require interior load-bearing walls.
The resulting open floor concept is one of the pluses for those who choose a timber-framed home, says builder Stephen Cote of Kennebunkport. (About half of Cote's customers choose timber-frame construction.)
Another reason they go with timber framing - which Cote estimates can cost about 10 percent to 15 percent more than a stick-built home - is that the building is "aesthetically pleasing." Besides the open rooms, the interiors lend themselves to cathedral ceilings. Also, the hand-cut New England timbers are exposed, giving a woody feeling that many prefer.
Charles "Chick" Millian of Kennebunkport says that openness appealed to him and his wife, Nancy, when they were making plans to build two years ago.
They also liked timber framing because "it's different" from the standard stick-built house, he says, and "I think the construction is more solid than a stick-built house." Their house was built by Cote.
The woodiness of the exposed beams also pleases the Millians, who favored Maine pine for the interior finish work. Details such as a kitchen island trimmed in wood and a cabinet enclosing the refrigerator are highlighted in this airy space.
That look also appeals to Marilyn and Bill Bradlee of Kennebunk Beach. Bill Bradlee says the timbers, treated linseed oil, have a "rich patina" that gets richer over time.
The Bradlees also had other reasons to choose timber framing when they built their house four years ago. "We picked it mostly because we could build it on land we bought," says Bradlee. Because their lot had peat beneath it, they needed to build on a slab; timber framing gave them the stability they wanted.
Yet another benefit of the timber framing process they have enjoyed is the warm home, thanks to the insulated panels used in framing. The panels have a high insulation value, and, as a result, "We don't use heat on the third floor," Bradlee says. And when it came to building a barn, timber framing was the answer for Nick and Sarah Armentrout of Lyman. Nick Armentrout says his upbringing, which included appreciation for historical architecture, as well as his former work in the architectural salvage field, gave him an appreciation for timber framing.
"It's something that will stand the test of time and is aesthetically pleasing," he says.
Armentrout notes that although the structure is true to the craft, it's even sturdier than its predecessors.
"I could park a dump truck on the second floor," he says.
He says that while building a timber-frame structure may cost more initially, it's more cost-effective because of its longevity.
"It's just never going to crumble," he says.
Armentrout and Bradlee both hired Richard Krouse of Arundel, who specializes in timber-frame construction. Both the demand for that type of home and his own interest in the craft led Krouse to specialize.
Today Krouse receives calls from all over the country. This spring, he erected a two-story, 38- by 60-foot home in Colorado.
His customers, recent retirees, went to a home show in Massachusetts two years ago to look for a timber-framer. The couple, Michael Badai and Virginia Bellows, discovered that timber framing is a regional specialty. As they scouted for timber framers in Colorado they were told "you gotta go to New England," says Badai.
Recently Krouse added another element of purism to his work when he began milling the timbers at his workshop beside his home. The white pine and red oak used in the Colorado project were among the first milled there. They were then notched and carved and shipped west.
There's another element to timber framing that its admirers express, almost a quality of aliveness to the wood. Krouse's wife, Toni, a partner in the business, describes a project and says, "It's going to be like a heart pulsating when it's done." Millian and Bradlee note the breathing and settling of the frame as it settles in with the land.
"What's nice about it, every now and then, you hear it cracking," says Millian.
Bradlee notes that it's an observable phenomenon. "You are going to see checking," he says. "That's just the natural beauty of the wood."
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