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What is the Difference Between a Wood Deck and a Timber Frame Deck?

By |2022-08-01T15:46:33-06:00May 5th, 2022|Timber and Wood|

We all have something we are driven for and are good at. Often those works require particular tools or materials to accomplish that mission. Western Timber Frame specializes in free-of-heart, high-quality timber frame structures. Timber is the backbone of this company, a renewable material that empowers us to create extraordinary environments —where we take pleasure in bringing families closer together, improving their lives and relationships.  As timber and lumber are both wood, you may wonder "When is the wood classed as lumber and when is wood classed as timber? What is the difference?" And most importantly: "Why it is crucial to know?" While on the face of it timber and lumber may seem interchangeable, timber and lumber have distinct characteristics. Both serve different purposes. Wood is the product of trees once it has been felled but there are several factors that [...]

Debunking Myths: Dry Rot, Wet Rot & Wood Destroying Organisms

By |2019-08-08T07:01:37-06:00August 6th, 2019|Timber and Wood|

In Awe of Mother Nature Mass timber is gathering a great deal of attention in the art, work, and business of fabricating and assembling materials into architectural edifices. Although it is recognized as an ancient building material, timber offers unique advantages and exciting new opportunities in modern architectonic applications. Advocates for timber believe it can revolutionize the building industry, and play a supporting role in the solution to climate change. Timber from the Old English initially meant "house" or "building material" and was large, squared cuts from trees. Trees have been used as a building material for all of human history and are one of our greatest natural resources. Nature shows us the wisdom in the use of real wood as one of her most steadfast, reliable materials when we observe the marvelous wonder of trees. Trees supply [...]

36MM Trees Lost in US Yearly – Act Now

By |2019-08-08T07:13:10-06:00July 31st, 2019|Timber and Wood|

The canopy of trees sheltering the United States is disappearing at an alarming rate. Trees are excessively being replaced by exposed surfaces, pavements, and roofs. Fires, droughts, insects, disease, tornadoes, and hurricanes are some of the reasons, but the one-factor humans can control is in sensible planning and construction. More than 80% of the US population lives in urban areas. In a study published by the US Forest Service, our country has declined by 36 million trees per year in urban and rural communities in a span over a five-year period. David Nowak, the co-author of the study, says if this change continues, "cities will become warmer, more polluted and generally more unhealthy for inhabitants." "Every time we put a road down, we put a building and we cut a tree or add a tree, it not [...]

How to Cosmetically Repair Extreme Checking in Heavy Timber

By |2017-05-23T08:50:24-06:00October 28th, 2015|Technical, Timber and Wood|

TIMBER PERGOLA, PAVILIONS, TRELLISES AND ARBORS Hi, I am Mark with Western Timber Frame™. Today, we are going to talk about how to patch extreme checking in timbers when that occurs. This is just a cosmetic fix for checking, if it is an extreme case. When you have checking it can occur over the first year of having your timber product. If that happens you will want to wait for at least a year before applying this technique. The reason why is that when timbers check they dry faster on the outside than they do on the inside and they open up and crack. That is the natural process of timber. As it dries the rest of the way through the center the gap can actually close back up a little [...]

Splitting up, Cracking down: Understanding “Checking”

By |2017-05-23T12:56:41-06:00August 17th, 2015|Technical, Timber and Wood|

Question: Is cracking down or splitting up like this normal? I know this might seem extreme to you if you are not familiar with real wood products. This is why we recommend that you re-stain your pergola within the 1st year so that the wood has time to acclimate to the climate and then stain all the cracks. This is so common in timbers that there is a term for it called “Checking” which can seem to have the appearance of a split or a crack. Checking is a more common trait in Cedar timbers. A few of our clients still prefer Cedar especially in a Natural finish for its inherent beauty with knots. Here are pictures of checking from some of the displays in the show room at Western Timber Frame to show how common this is. Timber is an organic, natural product and “checking” is to [...]

Low Cost, Easy Upkeep Pergola: Aluminum Reinforced Vinyl vs Timber Frame

By |2018-06-14T15:55:59-06:00August 3rd, 2015|Technical, Timber and Wood|

[/fusion_builder_column] We use an innovative massive mortised dovetail joint connection system we call The Dovetail Difference™ throughout our timber construction process, creating very strong rigid joints. On the test pictured above it didn’t give until over 11,000 lbs.! We are often asked about weathering or maintenance on our timber frame pergola, arbor, gazebo and pavilion kits. People want something that easy and stress-free; which is why some have been attracted to vinyl pergolas advertising as a "low cost", "low maintenance" product. Here I will show the veritable costs and upkeep of an aluminum reinforced vinyl pergola kit compared to a solid wood, timber frame pergola kit, a permanent outdoor shade structure from Western Timber Frame™. Our timber frame kits we ship out daily, throughout North America range from 2,500 to 11,000 lbs. (and often larger on commercial or large custom projects). We [...]

Vote for Your Favorite Contemporary Pergola Two-Tone Color Style.

By |2017-05-24T11:05:04-06:00February 23rd, 2015|Timber and Wood, Voting and Feedback|

Poll Results for Contemporary Pergola Lattice Styles.

[/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row] #1 two-tone white posts & beams, & grey rafters & lattice. #1 2 votes #2 - two-tone grey posts & beams, & white rafters & lattice. #2 4 votes #3 - two-tone white posts & beams, & cedar rafters & lattice. #3 3 votes #4 - two-tone cedar posts & beams, & white rafters & lattice. #4 6 votes

Vote for your favorite Contemporary pergola lattice style.

By |2017-05-24T11:01:51-06:00February 21st, 2015|Pergola Kits, Timber and Wood, Voting and Feedback|

Poll Results for Contemporary Pergola Lattice Styles.

[/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row] Contemporary Timber Pergola With Horizontal & Vertical Lattice - Triple Post Design. #1 16 votes Contemporary Timber Pergola With Criss-Cross Lattice - Triple Post Design. #2 2 votes Contemporary Timber Pergola With Metal Wire Lattice - Triple Post Design. #3 3 votes Contemporary Timber Pergola Without Lattice - Triple Post Design. #4 9 votes

Wood Pergola Energy & Heat Transfer

By |2017-05-23T13:49:39-06:00February 18th, 2015|Pergola Kits, Timber and Wood, Timber Pergolas|

A 14x31 over-sized timber framed pergola. Stepping into the shade under a massive solid wood timber framed pergola is a very pleasing experience. The timbers are heavy duty, standing majestically still, and yet I become aware of being re-energized by the timber itself. The earth’s primary source of energy is derived directly or indirectly from the sun. The sunlight warms the earth at an optimal temperature that can sustain life. Sunshine gives us energy and is wonderful, yet too much sun can get uncomfortable and also drain us of energy. Wood is a natural and extremely effective insulator. It retains heat during the daytime and releases heat at night and is four hundred times warmer than steel. Heat is only a shortened way to say heat energy. Energy and matter are the building blocks from which our entire universe is formed. Matter can be seen [...]

New Timber Frame Pergola for Hilgendorf Residence With Night Lights

By |2017-05-19T15:25:30-06:00November 18th, 2014|Pergola Kits, Timber and Wood, Timber Arbors, Timber Pergolas|

A beautiful, new timber frame pergola kit is installed for the Hilgendorf residence with lighting. Pictured here is their new kit being transported on a forklift. Because our kits can weigh thousands of pounds, a forklift is required to load and unload the carrier truck. The kit is shipped to a location with an on-site forklift, such as a business or landscape company. If someone does not have access to a forklift, the kit can be picked up with a flatbed trailer at the nearest Shipping Terminal. The pallet can then be broken down and the kit unloaded from a trailer by hand at the installation site. Seeing how fast these kits go up is amazing! In just a few hours the Hilgendorf family residence is equipped with a beautiful new area to gather comfortably with their family and enjoy the outdoors. If you find that putting a toy [...]

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