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  Wood Finishes | Wood Selection | Timberframing History | Structural Insulated Panels  

Timber Frame Finish Options

Bear Creek Timberwrights offers many choices to our clients on wood finishes and treatments. The treatment varies according to the owners' personal preference and the architectural style of the home and is limited only by the imagination. Choices, which are described below, include S-4-S, Rough sawn, Hand hewn, and wire brushed. Some projects call for different treatments in different areas of the same home. For instance, a formal living room may be best accented with S-4-S timbers that are sanded to a very smooth finish while porch members may call for a more rustic look with rough sawn timbers. The following is a brief explanation of each of these treatments:
S-4-S - This designation is a mill abbreviation which stands for 'surfaced four sides'. The mill, using a large four-sided planer, accurately planes all four sides of a timber before shipment to our shop. The resulting timber has four relatively smooth faces which are square to one another and the timber is typically planed down to 1/2" under stated dimensions. (For instance a timber ordered as an 8"x 8", S-4-S, will typically be received bearing net dimensions of 7 1/2" x 7 1/2".) Because the timber has been accurately sized at the mill, our task in the shop is made simpler as we are working with material that is square, of known dimensions, and whose surfaces are flat.
Rough Sawn - Rough sawn timber, as the name implies, is received by Bear Creek Timberwrights bearing the rough finish from the mill. These timbers are full size, meaning that a timber that is ordered as an 8" x 8" will be of that dimension. Rough sawn timbers are most often used for areas of a home such as porches, for barns, and for outdoor structures such as bridges. Rough sawn timbers are also ordered for projects that call for hand hewn timbers--we hew them here.
Hand Hewn - Many clients desire to capture the rugged look of buildings built before the advent of modern saw mills. The process of reducing a round log to a square timber was accomplished by flattening four faces, square to one another, with a broad axe and cleaning up the broad axed surfaces with an adze (a tool that looks like an axe with a crooked handle with the head mounted like a gardening hoe.) The craftsmen of Bear Creek Timberwrights accomplish this look by starting with rough sawn timber and hewing the surface with an adze. The attractive result is a timber with surfaces both historically and dimensionally accurate.
Wire Brushed - Wire brushing a timber adds visual interest to the surface much like sand blasting. The softer early-growth wood fiber is lightly removed leaving the harder late-growth wood fiber more pronounced. Wire brushing removes most surface splinters from rough sawn timber, gives hand hewn timber a more uniform and aged look, and softens the appearance of rough sawn timbers.
Wood Finishes - Bear Creek Timberwrights will stain our clients' timbers to match virtually any color desired. Care must be taken with the handling of pre-stained timbers however, and oftentimes a better approach is to stain the timber frame after it has been raised on the building site. If pre-staining is desired, we coordinate the color selection by supplying samples to our clients to insure we that get the color just right. If the timber frame is to be stained on site we typically coat the timber with a product called Benite which helps protect the timbers in transit and over which the stain of choice can be applied. The majority of our projects call for a natural oil finish which we accomplish by using an environmentally friendly product called Livos. Livos, which is manufactured in Germany, gives our timbers a natural luster, protects the timbers against dust and grime, yields a breathable finish which eliminates moisture build-up beneath the finish, and is such a healthy product that it is a good choice for finishing the kitchen cutting board.
Finish and treatment choices beyond the above are limited only by your imagination. The craftsmen at Bear Creek Timberwrights are happy to oblige - just let us know how we may best suit your unique tastes.

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Timber Species Selection

Timber species selection for your home is an important aspect that greatly affects your project. Bear Creek Timberwrights has a wide assortment of wood species and specifications to choose from, in order to best suit your personal preferences. Factors that determine a particular wood's suitability include structural properties, dimensional stability, availability, workability, cost, distance from source to shop, appearance, respect for tradition, environmental considerations, compatibility with the architectural design, and most importantly meeting the desires of our client. Each wood species has characteristics that recommend it, so the goal becomes one of selecting the species and grade that yields the best match to the criteria above. The following information focuses on the major wood species used in timber framing in America today as we search for the 'perfect' wood.
Soft Woods ...
Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga Menziesii)
Douglas Fir or Larch: Douglas Fir constitutes a large percentage of the forests in the American Northwest. Throughout its range it is a relatively fast growing and plentiful member of the forest community attaining sizes that rival its neighbors for dominance. Douglas Fir has been used for structural purposes dating back to the continent's earliest inhabitants, continuing through the American settlement of the West, up through the present time. A variety of home products are produced with this beautiful and versatile wood including structural timbers, interior and exterior trim, paneling, plywood, log home components, and window and door parts. It constitutes a large percentage of North America's export market as well. Douglas Fir timbers are readily available in suitable sizes for timber framing, are supremely workable in the shop, accept wood finishes well, have well-established rules for structural grading, and grow conveniently close to Bear Creek Timberwrights. Timber framers and clients have a wide palette of selections within this one species to match their aesthetic, structural, and budgetary goals. Douglas Fir timbers can be dried in a Radio Frequency Kiln to not exceed 15% moisture content.
Boxed Heart Douglas Fir: The term boxed heart refers to the technique used by the sawyer as the timber is sawn from the log in that the center of the log is 'boxed' within the timber. Boxed heart timbers are available in large sizes, make efficient use of the log, and can be structurally graded. They have more knots and more figure within the wood grain than free of heart center (FOHC) timbers and will exhibit heart checks and twisting as the timbers season naturally.
Free of Heart Center (FOHC) Douglas Fir: These timbers are sawn so that the center--pith-- of the log is not included in the sawn timber which means the log itself must be quite large to be able to produce this timber. Logs of sufficient size are generally coastal in origin, thus contributing to an increase in cost. These timbers will have minimal checking and virtually no twisting.
Reclaimed Douglas Fir: Douglas Fir timbers are available re-milled from larger timbers that were used in constructing industrial buildings in the last century. Old, but sound, timbers are de-nailed and re-sawn to desired dimensions that yield a structural timber. Reclaimed Doug Fir timbers typically have a low moisture content as they were originally milled a century earlier and have been drying ever since. This means these timbers will suffer little dimensional change in their new home. Checks will exist from the initial drying process but new checks will be minimal or non-existent. Using these timbers is an environmentally sound practice as no new trees are harvested. So called 'historical characteristics are highly variable and are viewed as beautiful by many but considered less attractive by others. The cost for reclaimed Doug Fir is higher than for new timber owing to the labor intensive process of dismantling the old building, de-nailing, and re-milling these timbers, with the finite source of supply coupled with high demand and competing uses for this wood being contributing factors as well.
Spruce (Sitka or Engleman) (Picea engelmannii or Picea sitchensis)
Engelman Spruce grows at high elevations in the Rocky Mountain region and Sitka Spruce grows along the northwestern coast of North America from California to Alaska. Spruce has been used for structural purposes dating back to the continent's earliest inhabitants, continuing through the American settlement of the West, up through the present time. A variety of home products are produced with this beautiful and versatile wood including structural timbers, interior and exterior trim, paneling, plywood, log home components, and window and door parts. It constitutes a large percentage of North America's export market as well. Spruce timbers are readily available in suitable sizes for timber framing, are supremely workable in the shop, accept wood finishes well and have well-established rules for structural grading.
Reclaimed Spruce: Spruce timbers are available re-milled from larger timbers that were used in constructing industrial buildings in the last century. These timbers are not as commonly available as reclaimed Douglas Fir but are available in many of the same sizes as Douglas Fir. Old, but sound, timbers are de-nailed and re-sawn to desired dimensions that yield a structural timber. Spruce timbers typically have a low moisture content as they were originally milled a century earlier and have been drying ever since. This means these timbers will suffer little dimensional change in their new home. Checks will exist from the initial drying process but new checks will be minimal or non-existent. Using these timbers is an environmentally sound practice as no new trees are harvested. So called 'historical characteristics are highly variable and are viewed as beautiful by many but considered less attractive by others. The cost for reclaimed Spruce is higher than for new timber (but typically lower than re-claimed Douglas Fir) owing to the labor intensive process of dismantling the old building, de-nailing, and re-milling these timbers, with the finite source of supply coupled with high demand and competing uses for this wood being contributing factors as well.
Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
Also referred to as "White Fir" on the East side of the Cascades. Hemlock grows along the Pacific coast of Oregon and Washington and in the Northern Rocky Mountains, north to Canada and Alaska. The heartwood and sapwood of Hemlock are almost white with a purplish tinge. The wood often contains small, sound black knots. Western Hemlock is light in weight and moderate in strength. It is moderate in it's hardness, stiffness and shock resistance. Western Hemlock timbers can be dried in a Radio Frequency Kiln to not exceed 15% moisture content.
Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)
Western Red Cedar sees worthy service in timber frame structures exposed to the elements. Western Red Cedar timber does not have the structural capabilities of many other wood species, is physically soft, but is lightweight and works admirably. As an arbor, gazebo, sunroom, or as porch elements it serves very well. This species is readily available in sufficient sizes and quantities. Western Red Cedar timbers can be dried in a Radio Frequency Kiln to not exceed 15% moisture content.
Alaskan Yellow Cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis)
Also known as Alaska Cypress or Pacific Coast Cypress, Alaska Yellow Cedar grows in the Pacific coast region of North America from southeastern Alaska southward through Washington to southern Oregon. First used by the West Coast Indians for their historic totem poles and war canoes, it's durability and ease of tooling makes it readily adaptable for timber framing. The heart wood is bright, clear yellow. The sapwood is narrow, white to yellowish and hardly distinguishable from the heartwood. The wood is fine textured and generally straight grained.
Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
Redwood is available in a variety of grades and specifications including the occasional source. Beautiful in appearance, weather durable, and taking on an attractive patina with age, Redwood timbers produce a handsome timber frame. Sources for this timber species are diminishing and not likely to improve. It often proves to be a costly timber framing choice.
Hard Woods ...
Oak (Quercus alba or Quercus rubra)
The family of tree species grouped within the Oaks constitutes the largest family of hardwoods. There are two major families of oaks commonly classified as White Oaks and Red Oaks with a multitude of species within each family. Oak is one of the dominant species within the hardwood forests of North America and represent a valuable component of our forest economy. Oak and other hardwood species were used for timbers by our colonial ancestors because of the large sizes attained by the trees, their plentiful supply, and their proximity to the building sites. Timbers of white oak used in producing timber frame members are worked 'green' as the physical properties of oak preclude drying. Consequently, oak timbers are quite heavy owing in large part to their high moisture content. "green" Oak exhibits the major disadvantages of developing large checks and suffering from shrinkage as great as 1/2 " in an 8" in girth, as it dries to its equilibrium moisture content. Red Oak due to a different cell structure than White Oak can be dried using Radio Frequency technology. While checks and other natural characteristics of solid timber are maintained in the RF Kiln Dried Red Oak, the typical shrinkage that can cause objectionable looking and performing joinery is greatly reduced.
Reclaimed Oak: Reclaimed White and Red Oak are available for timbers in much smaller quantities and sizes than reclaimed Douglas Fir or Spruce. Due to it's relatively limited supply, most reclaimed Oak is re-manufactured into flooring or cabinet stock. In general, reclaimed hardwood timbers are salvaged with an original hand hewn finish that most purchasers intend to preserve (not re-saw) The hand hewn finish is factored into the pricing of these timbers.
Other Wood Species Choices:
Virtually any timber species that can be milled into sufficient sizes and obtained in sufficient quantity can be utilized for timber members. Species such as white pine and spruce have seen widespread historical use but can lack many structural properties sufficient for current engineering requirements. First generation Southern Yellow Pine was used extensively in the Atlantic Tidewater region, but is costly to obtain in the Western States as a reclaimed product and like reclaimed Oak it is most often utilized as flooring, interior trim, and in cabinetry. Fresh sawn Yellow pine is available but is generally produced as boxed heart timbers and will exhibit similar characteristics to Boxed Heart Douglas Fir.

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History of Timber Framing

Timber Framing has been an extremely efficient and beautiful form of construction for well over 2000 years. There are temples in Japan that were built in the 6th century and in Europe buildings dating from the 13th century that are still standing and in use today. Proof of how common and enduring timber frame construction is can be seen in the variety of buildings from churches and cathedrals to houses and barns that continue to have occupancy. The craft was brought to America by European settlers, who found an abundance of new and larger species of trees than they had ever seen before.

In the 1800's, people were moving west in massive numbers to the new frontier. Towns practically grew out of the ground overnight, with new buildings and homes needed faster than ever before. A new form of construction was required if they were going to keep up with the demand, and so entered manufactured materials. Stud construction was fast gaining in popularity, with the ability to put up buildings in days instead of months. And so the decline began in fathers passing on to their sons the art of timber framing. Eventually chisels and hand planes were replaced with powers saws and nail guns.

The art of timber framing was not to be forever lost though. In recent years there have been many pioneers in this field who looked back in time and saw that yesterdays method of heavy timber construction was far outlasting the "New and Improved" stick framing. In addition, they could see that the new buildings and homes had lost their connection to the environment and earths elements. So began the revival of this ancient craft of timber framing. But how were they to learn without someone to teach them? Fortunately the master carpenters of old left their textbooks for us to read, not in words, but in what they built, and plenty of them. There were a wealth of old frame buildings still standing, and hidden from most eyes was a higher art form of carpentry, mortise and tenon joinery that was begging to be re-discovered.

Here at Bear Creek Timberwrights, we are using the same joinery methods that were employed by our forefathers hundreds and possibly thousands of years ago. Combined with our modern engineering, design skills, and super insulated panel enclosure systems, we are building homes and buildings that will be used for untold numbers of generations to come.

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Bear Creek Timberwrights, Inc.
1934 Middle Bear Creek Rd.
P.O. Box 335
Victor, MT 59875
(406) 642-6003 ..... (406) 642-6005 (fax)
Send E-Mail to : info@bearcreektimber.com