Innholdsfortegnelse for December/Timber Home Buyer's Guide 2026 i Log and Timber Home Living

LIKE ANY GOOD NATIVE of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I’m a football fan. As if it wasn’t already infused in our DNA (which it is), from a very young age the city grooms us to revere the Black-and-Gold. I still can recall, with vivid clarity, the Friday-afternoon Steelers pizza parties we’d have in kindergarten and getting the Monday following the Super-bowl off from school when the team made it all the way … which, in the 1970s and ’80s, happened a lot. As I was editing our 2026 Timber Home Buyer’s Guide issue, it struck me that there are a lot of similarities between owning a timber home and a football team — or any sports club for that matter. In the pre-season (the dream phase), the anticipation about this new beginning…

It’s not hard to get swept away by a majestic mountain vista or a sparkling lakeside lot. A beautiful timber home needs a location to match. But when it comes to buying land, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Purchasing a piece of undeveloped land is a task most people have not taken on before, and there are key questions you should ask to ensure you can build what you want. 1 Will a land transaction interfere with your construction loan? Often, it’s advisable to have land in hand—perhaps even holding a free-and-clear title—before you apply for financing. You even may be able to use it as collateral on your home. 2 Will your home’s design fit within the lot’s size, shape and topography? The more you change…

Kingpost with Struts • A cost-effective choice • Offers a strong, sturdy appearance • Creates a cozy, casual feeling Scissor • Ideal for steep roof pitches • Perfect for those seeking something unique • Can create a cottage-like atmosphere Queen Post • Can span distances of 30 feet or more • Offers an open area in the center of the truss • Visually lowers the ceiling height for an intimate feel Hammerbeam • Creates vaulted spaces • Achieves a cathedral quality • Can be enhanced with embellishments TIMBER FRAME STYLES The gambrel frame offers lots of headroom in the upper stories, making it ideal for storage. With pitched roofs on two sides that form an overhang, it’s practical and charming. Designed to direct northern winds over the roof while maximizing…

Some homes seem to sport an ineffable appeal. It’s not by happenstance. Pleasing lines, attractive materials, a sense of provenance and place—these all add up to an overall aesthetic that’s greater than the sum of its parts. These elements have been the foundation for good design, functionally and aesthetically, for decades (and in some cases, centuries). It’s these same features that define the design genres you’ll want to know to communicate the desired look for your future home. Do want the nostalgic Americana evoked by farmhouse style? The Old World elegance of modern-rustic design? The forward-thinking freshness of contemporary architecture? These classifications not only empower you to craft a timeless home but they also offer a spring-board for customization. You can mix and match to your heart’s content, resulting in…

Finding the balance between building the home you really want and doing it within your budget is a battle nearly every buyer wages throughout the custom-home building process. Everyone, no matter how small or large their budget is, enjoys getting a good deal, but we often find compromise and making concessions to be hurdles that are hard to clear. What many people don’t realize is that one of the best times in the process to take control of your building costs actually begins in the design phase — not once you’ve broken ground and your house is starting to take shape. And in an unexpected twist, your builder can be a great design resource, which is why it’s important to involve him/her early on. Heed this sage builder advice while…

Much like windows, doors contribute to both the functionality and personality of your home. On the exterior, doors can provide a preview of what’s inside or completely contrast the interiors; however, they should be somewhat consistent with the exterior design, particularly in the front. Inside and out, style decisions include everything from panel design to wood species and stain to windows. Details like tempered glass inserts, sidelights and custom carvings add character. Door Styles Slider/Bypass Doors Slide on a track system, bypassing another door or a wall, for access. Usually glass. French Double doors that often incorporate inset glass panels and can swing in or out. Pivot This trending, statement-making door style pivots from points at the top and bottom of the door, not traditional side hinges. Dutch The top…

Roofs shield interior spaces, and their pitches give a house curb appeal. Despite that, we often don’t consider roofing material until our design team or builder brings it up. In actuality, your roof should be on the short list of decisions to make during the planning phase. But roofing options (just like many finishes for the home) can be overwhelming. To get started, check out online photo galleries, clip pictures from magazines and envision the roof you’d like to have for your future home. In addition to looks, consider the characteristics and benefits of each material. A closer look at four of the top roofing options may reveal what’s right for you. Asphalt Shingles Asphalt shingles are the most common material used on roofs today, primarily because they are affordable…

Owning a timber home is more than just having a roof over your head; it’s an investment in exceptional craftsmanship, engineering ingenuity and a functional piece of art. And like fine art, each home is unique—the combined vision of artist and owner. Before you choose your team of talented craftspeople and commission your home, you have to sort through your options. From choosing a picture-perfect piece of land to drawing the plans to selecting materials and furnishings, there are a lot of decisions to be made. This issue will guide you along that path, ensuring no detail is overlooked. Together, we can achieve the Mona Lisa of living quarters. KNOW THE TERMS Every timber home has one thing in common—it showcases the incredible natural beauty of wood by allowing it…

When it comes to floor plan design, there’s one element that matters just as much as the rooms you choose to include: the “flow.” It’s likely you’ve experienced the benefits of good spatial arrangement, such as a dining space that sets you at ease, as well as the consequences of poor design, like a powder room that feels anything but private. The orientation of each space—both to what’s outside the home as well as the other spaces within it—will dramatically affect how you and your guests experience your home. Use these five points to craft a layout that will set you up for success now and keep you comfortable for years to come. 1 SET THE SIGHT LINE The best designs center on a key focal point and then encourage…

Timber frame homes are typically built with longevity in mind, and for good reason. Their architectural flavor and brawny durability have proven they can withstand almost any test — including time. So if you have “forever” in mind, a timber home is a natural fit. To ensure your house doesn’t just endure but is functional as long as you need it to be, the principles of universal design will fortify your plans for the long run. These five ideas from the AARP (aarp.org) are a great place to start. 1 Make spaces easier to navigate with mobility aids. Entry doors should be at least 36 inches wide, while interior-door widths can range from 34 to 36 inches. Hallways should be 42 inches across at a minimum. 2 By positioning at…

In the timber framing realm, it’s easy to get a little confused about who does what. Logic will make you assume that because the timber framer is cutting and assembling the frame itself, these also will be the “builders” who will construct the entire house. And in some cases, that may be true. But more often than not, the timber frame company cuts the frame, delivers and raises it on your job site and then turns it over to a general contractor’s crew to finish it. A builder doesn’t need to have experience finishing a timber home, although it certainly helps. Two of the main differences between completing a conventional house and a timber home that a builder will encounter are knowing where and how to hide the electrical wiring…

Landscaping Often, timber homes are built in rural, wooded areas. Although the idea of a house nestled in the trees is romantic, it may not be the smartest position to protect your home from damage and reduce time spent maintaining it. Trees close to a house can cause a number of potential hazards, including twig, leaf and branch debris, sap accumulation and downed limbs (or whole trees) caused by storms — not to mention the threat of fire if your home is located in a wildfire-prone area. To mitigate these risks and boost your home’s longevity, create a tree-free perimeter around your home that’s at least 20 feet in diameter. Keep other organic landscaping material, like shrubs, bushes and even mulch, a minimum of 3 feet from the home. This…

Countertops Granite and other natural stones have been the countertop material of choice for a decade, but it’s no longer the final word in durability. Quartz has usurped granite’s throne, thanks to exquisite color options and extreme resistance to scratches, stains and scorching, as well as its low-maintenance practicality Marble offers a luxe, timeless look. Its distinctive veining mixes well with both traditional and contemporary designs. It’s costly, however, and is susceptible to stains and scratches Soapstone has a silky texture, and its deep shade of bluish gray pairs well with wood. It shares the same downsides as marble. Concrete is clean-lined, non-fussy and fits nicely into rustic, modern or industrial design schemes. But forget the idea of dull gray expanses. Available in a nearly unlimited array of textures, colors and…

About an hour south of Nashville sits a tiny hamlet with a population of just over 300. It’s sometimes referred to as a one-horse town, but nothing could be further from the truth. Beyond the smattering of shops and local eateries in the town center, main roads give way to narrow lanes edged by split-rail fences and fields of rolling green. Dotted across the pastures are lazily-grazing horses of every variety: American Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, Arabians—even specialty breeds imported from Europe. In fact, the town’s equine population may just outnumber its human residents. Larry Atema, the owner of Saddle Ridge—a timber frame hybrid ranch set within 14 acres of the picturesque equestrian community—says that arriving for the weekend feels like stepping back in time to the 19th-century English countryside. He…

Ask any timber homeowner what’s so special about his or her house and you’re likely to get a different answer each time. For some, it’s the pure beauty of exposed wood on full display, not buried behind layers of drywall. For others, it’s the exceptional craftsmanship and care taken to fashion tree trunks into gorgeous posts and beams. Some owners appreciate the incredible level of engineering that goes into these designs, while for others it’s all about the environment, as timber homes clad in structural insulated panels are among the most energy efficient dwellings on the plant. Yet for all these benefits, stylistically versatile timber frame homes still remain a bit of a mystery to a lot of potential homebuyers. The lingo is quite unique among architectural terms, and while…

Ask: Do you provide free preliminary estimates? Why: Precise cost figures may require blueprints, which carry a fee. This design fee is often applied against the cost of the package when you commit to a timber provider. However most providers can give you a ballpark cost estimate to help you plan. Ask: What is included in the price? Why: Every project is unique, and price quotes should reflect the cost of exactly what’s needed to build the home. The quotes you receive should contain information on the payment schedule, delivery cost, service policies, warranties and any special charges in designing and building your home. Price quotes also should include a complete bill of materials, including specifications for the quality or grade of materials. Ask: When do you need a deposit? Why: Before working…

Structural insulated panels (SIPs) and timber frame homes are a bit of a power couple — the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce of the construction world, if you will. They reinforce each other’s strengths: the beauty of the wood is on full display while the thermal blanket provided by the SIPs makes for an extremely fast build and an energy-efficient, comfortable living environment. What are SIPs made of that makes them such a winner? The actual composition varies by manufacturer, but generally, a SIP is a solid core of insulation sandwiched between two layers of oriented strand board (OSB). Other materials used in SIPs include plywood or sheet metal, mainly in commercial applications. The white core is often expanded polystyrene (most common), Styrofoam or polyurethane — the same durable-yet-lightweight foams used in…

THE WAY WE LIVE HAS CHANGED. In the past five years, home design has gotten more creative than ever before. Mudrooms have become dog spas, lofts have been reimagined into work-from-home headquarters and basements have been transformed into luxurious wellness hubs. Head to timberhomeliving.com/pastimes to see innovative floor plans that put the fun in functional and help homeowners embrace their unique lifestyles. This combined mudroom and laundry room also serves as a dog-grooming station.…

Often referred to as “the birthplace of the American vacation,” the Adirondacks are home to a special kind of magic. So it was only right that when Larry Brown and his wife, Kristen, decided to build a home along the shores of Lake George, their house would be equal parts laid-back and impressive. Timber framing is the ideal construction method to accomplish both. “They wanted their home to reflect the flavor of the dacks,” share Ty Allen, the project’s design-build manager for New Energy Works. The goal was to marry timber framing with the history and vernacular of the region, which is exactly what they achieved. Plenty of outdoor decks, patios and porches gave it the timeless lake house look, while the Douglas fir king-post trusses with gently curved bottom…

Your new timber frame home will be more than just a pretty face. Materials, finishes and furnishings make a home lovely, but it‘s the inner workings — the connections behind the walls — that make it livable. Different homes and locations have varying requirements, but when it comes electrical and plumbing, these are the basics you should know. ELECTRICAL A licensed electrician should be involved early on — preferably someone who has worked with structural insulated panels (SIPs), as the wall systems used to enclose timber frames present some situations not typical in conventional construction. As you review the plans, identify where fixtures and outlets will be placed so everyone is on the same page. If possible, locate fixtures, outlet boxes, switch boxes and wiring in interior walls. Why? The…

COMPONENTS INCLUDE…

When choosing a stain for your timber frame, nothing says you have to select a shade of brown. As you’re shopping, you’ll find a plethora of pigments from which to choose, and as long as you love it, there is no wrong answer when it comes to color. However, there are a few things to keep in mind while researching the type of stain you buy. There are two major varieties in the timber home stain and sealant world: water-based and oil-based. Each has its pros and cons. Water-based stains are generally odorless, less labor-intensive to apply and easy to clean up with soap and water. Water-based stains and sealants also dry quickly when applied, which seems like a good thing unless you have to walk away from the project…

Twenty years ago, Roger Dunteman and his family purchased a weekend cabin with 400 feet of waterfront on the pristine Blackfoot River in western Montana. They enjoyed lazy summer days filled with fly fishing, tubing and various other outdoor escapades. When it came time to head back to their main residence in Idaho, they hated to go, but the simple cabin, built in the 1960s, made it impossible to extend their visits into the colder months. So Roger began making plans to build a year-round retreat. “Something more comfortable and permanent,” he says. Yet their well-meaning intentions went awry. Work, school and sports obligations consumed the family’s days, putting the plan to build on hold indefinitely. Years passed, and only once the kids were done with college did Roger find…