If you are planning to build a new home, then there are several excellent reasons to consider using timber framing in Georgia. If you have already contacted a contractor, then chances are he has recommended using platform framing, also known as stick construction or stud walls. This is a reasonable strategy and is the most common method of framing homes today. This is because platform framing takes advantage of the most modern techniques of processing timber into standard widths and lengths. This makes construction more accurate and quicker, costing fewer man-hours of construction. Before advanced saw mills were in existence, timber framing in Georgia had been in use for centuries. They made best advantage of almost raw timber and some of the homes constructed in this way have lasted over 500 years. Today, timber framing is generally reserved for barns, sheds, and the like.
However, one of the reasons timber framing in Georgia is popular for barns is a good reason to use it for homes as well. A barn must be raised and be sturdy without the addition of stabilizing walls. With platform framing, the initial frames are not sufficiently sturdy on their own, until the walls are also installed. Part of the stability of platform framing in homes is the additional support added by load bearing walls interior to the structure. This severely limits the flexibility of any future changes to the home that may be desired. Of course, barns must be stable without interior load bearing walls. In addition, it is often multi-story in height. And finally, many barns are built in high snowfall areas, and must support a roof covered with the weight of 4 feet of snow (or more, depending on the roof slant.) Many homeowners desire this type of stability for their homes as well, particularly those in areas with high snowfall. These homeowners can also design without the necessity of interior load bearing walls. Rooms can be as high and as open as desired. Any material, including glass, can be used for interior walls.
Many homeowners choose timber framing in Georgia because of its distinctive look. It’s very easy to identify. It’s the look you will see in homes and ski lodges in high altitudes or mountainous areas. The look has a hint of rustic, but is predominantly modern; it’s a combination that looks very inviting. It combines the looks of back-woods comfort with affluence.
Are you looking for timber framing in Georgia? Cabin Creek Timber Frames will design a beautiful, comfortable timber frame home that can last for centuries.
