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Timber Frame Glossary


A

Adze: An axelike tool with its blade at right angles to its handle, used to shape or dress timbers
Anchor Beam: Major tying beam. Joined to post with shouldered through-tenon, wedged from the opposite side
Anchor Bolt: A bolt protruding from the top of the foundation onto which the sill plate is fastened with a nut.

B

Backfilling: Replacing excavated soil around a foundation.
Bay: Space between two bents.
Beam: A main horizontal member in a building's frame.
Beetle: A large wooden mallet typically weighing fifteen to twenty pounds.
Bent: Structural network of timbers or a truss that makes up one cross-sectional piece of the frame.
Bird's Mouth: A V-shaped notch that resembles a bird's open beak. It is cut into the base of a rafter and received by the plate.
Bressumer: English term for a beam supporting an upper wall of timber framing.

C


Cantilever Beam: A projecting timber that supports an overhang. Carrying Sticks: Sticks placed under a timber to provide an easy hand hold for carrying. Typically, two carrying sticks and four people are needed to carry a timber in this way. Chamfer: A simple bevel done for embellishment of a timber. Check: Separation of wood fibers following the direction of the rays. Caused by the tension of uneven drying.
Collar Purlin: Horizontal longitudinal beam supporting collar ties.
Collar Tie: Horizontal connector between a pair of rafters used to reduce sagging or spreading of rafters.
Combination Square: A tool that can be used to lay out 45-degree and 90-degree angles. The stop is adjustable along the blade for use as a depth gauge.
Come-Along: A hand operated ratchet winch. Used for pulling joints together, as a safety tie when raising a bent, and for pulling the frame together during the raising.
Common Rafters: Closely and regularly spaced inclined timbers that support the roof covering. Independent of the bent system. Corner Chisel: A heavy duty L-shaped chisel struck with a mallet. Used for cleaning out corners of a mortise. Crown Post: Central vertical post of a roof truss that connects the bent plate or girt to the collar tie or collar purlin. Cruck: Primitive truss formed by two main timbers, usually curved, set up as an arch or inverted V. Each half of the cruck is called a blade, and a pair is often cut from the same tree.

D

Dead Load: Weight of building. (roof, floors, walls, etc.)
Depth: The vertical thickness of a beam.
Diagonal Grain: Grain that is other than parallel to the length of a timber. This will greatly reduce the strength of a timber.
Dovetail: A tenon that is shaped like a dove's spread tail to fit into a corresponding mortise.
Draw Knife: A knife blade with handles on both ends so that the knife can be pulled by both hands toward the user.
Drift Pin: Used to pin joints temporarily when test assembling a frame.
Drop: Ornamental pendant. The tear-shaped termination to the lower ends of the second-story post of a framed overhang. Also known as a Pendill.
Dutchman (also, inlay): A timber 'patch' to cover defect, previous joinery, or other blemish or error. Color and grain matching make them hard to find.

F

Framing Chisel: A heavy duty chisel typically with one-and-one-half to two-inch-wide blade. Designed to be used with a mallet.

G

Gable Roof: A double sloping roof that forms an A-shape.
Gambrel Roof: A double pitched roof with the lower slope steeper than the upper slope.
Girder: Major timber that spans between sills.
Girt: Major horizontal timber that connects posts.
Green Wood: Wood freshly cut that is not dried or seasoned.
Gunstock Post: A post wider at the top than the bottom. The wider portion provides more wood for intersecting joinery.

H

Half Dovetail: A dovetail tapered only on one side.
Half Lap: A joint in which the two timbers are lapped or let-in to each other.
Half-timbered Frame: An ancient building system in which the space between the timbers is filled with brick, plaster or wattle and daub, so that the timbers are revealed to the exterior and interior of the building.
Halving: The removal of half the depth of two timbers in order that they may cross each other. A half lap.
Hammer Beam: A roof bracket projecting from the top of the wall that supports a roof truss. The design creates a large roof span with relatively short timbers.
Hardwood: Wood of certain deciduous trees, e.g., oak, maple, ash, etc.
Housing: The shallow mortise or cavity for receiving the major part of a timber end. Usually coupled with a smaller deep mortise to receive a tenon for tying the joint.

J

Joinery: The art or craft of connecting timbers using wood working joints.
Joint: The connection of two or more timbers.
Joists: Small, parallel timbers that complete the floor frame.

K

Kerfing: Either a series of cuts with a circular saw set at a desired depth to remove a section of wood or the hand-sawing along the shoulder of an assembled joint to improve the fit of the joint.
Keyway: A joint between the footing and foundation wall.
King Post: A central, vertical post extending from the bent plate or girt to the junction of the rafters.
Knee Brace: A small timber that is framed diagonally between a post and a beam.

L

Lean-To: A shed section of a building that is framed into the main frame.

M

Mortise: A groove or slot into which or through which a tenon is inserted.
Mortise-and-Tenon Joint: Any joint in which a projection on one end of a timber is inserted into a groove or slot in another timber.

O

Overall Length: Total length of timber including length of tenons on either end.
Overhang: Projection of second story beyond the first.

P

Peg: A wooden dowel one to one and one-half inches in diameter, usually of oak or locust.
Pike Pole: A long pole pointed with a sharpened spike used for raising frames. These tools were known as early as the fifteenth century, when they were called "butters".
Plates: Major horizontal timbers that support the base of the rafters.
Post: Vertical or upright timber.
Principal Rafters: A pair of inclined timbers that are framed into a bent.
Purlins: Horizontal timbers that connect rafter trusses.

Q

Queen Post: A pair of vertical posts of a roof truss standing on the bent plate or girt and supporting the rafters or collar tie.

R

Rack: The action of straining or winching a frame to bring it into square or plumb.
Rafter Feet: The lower ends of the rafters that are framed into the plate.
Rafter Peak: The point where the tops of the rafters meet.
Raising the Frame: Erecting the bents and roof trusses and joining and pegging the other timbers to the frame.
Rearing the Frame: English term equivalent to "Raisng The Frame."
Ridge Pole: A horizontal timber at the peak of the roof to which the rafters are attached.
Rip Saw: Saw designed to cut parallel to grain.
Roof Pitch: Inches of rise per foot of run. For example, a 45-degree roof has twelve inches of rise for each foot of run and is therefore called a "twelve pitch" roof.
Roof Truss: A structural network of timbers that form a rigid structure to support the roof.

S

Scarf: A joint for splicing two members, end to end.
Sheathing: The covering of boards or of waterproof material on the outside wall of a house or on a roof.
Shed Roof: A roof sloping in one direction.
Shim: Thin tapered pieces of material such as a shingle. Used for leveling timbers.
Shoulder of Timber: Point of intersection at the joint of two assembled timbers. Refers to timber with tenon.
Sill Timbers: Horizontal timbers that rest upon the foundation.
Slick: A chisel with a blade two and one-half or more inches in width. It is pushed by the hands instead of being struck with a mallet.
Soffit: The underside part of a building such as under a roof overhang.
Softwood: Wood primarily of a conifer or evergreen, e.g., pine, spruce, douglas fir, etc.
Span: The shoulder-to-shoulder distance.
Stress-skin Panels: A sandwich of materials, containing two skins, one inside and one outside, and a core of insulation.
Strut: A short timber placed in a structure either diagonally or vertically, designed to act in compression along the direction of its lengths.
Stub Tenon: Tenon that stops within the timber it joins.
Summer Beam: Major timber that spans between girts or plates.

T

Tenon: The projecting end of a timber that is inserted into a mortise.
Through Tenon: A tenon that passes through the timber it joins. It may extend past the mortise and be wedged from the opposite side.
Tongue and Fork: A type of joint in which one timber has the shape of a two prong fork and the other a central tongue that fits between the prongs.
Trunnel or Treenail: A peg. Sometimes refers to an extra-large peg.
Truss: Assemblage of timbers forming a rigid framework. Example: A bent.

W

Walking Beams: Two parallel beams laid on the ground used to assist moving timbers with a pivoting action

Timber Frame info -

A timber frame house is long lasting and compares well with all other standard forms of construction. Grounded in ancient tradition, timber-frame construction is admirably suited to fulfill today's need for durable, energy-efficient housing and other building needs. Explore all of the basic elements of timber frame construction and take home a hand-crafted building.

As with all standard forms of modern construction, Timber Frame easily complies with the 60-year lifespan required by banks and building societies. Probably the best quality of timber frame construction is the aesthetic look of the timbers and the joinery used. While cranes and power equipment make much of the process easier, timber frame construction remains a craft.

With the widespread adoption of modern building techniques in the 19th century, timber-frame construction, often seen in old barns, fell by the wayside. The timber frame construction also facilitated opening more windows building projections and wide eaves. Knowledge of the building industry with particular regard to trusses rafter roofs and timber frame construction would be an advantage but not essential. These can be an exact replica of an existing building; a fully researched and authentic reconstruction or a purpose designed new timber frame building.

In post and beam construction, metal spikes, braces and metal connectors are used to join the timber frames. While I use timber frame construction synonymously with post and beam, there are differences. Capable of complex roof joinery, and working with any style of timber, the timber framers are ready for any construction challenge.

In timber frame construction the internal structure is a wooden frame which has been designed to support the structure of the house.

The craft of timber-frame construction did not disappear entirely, however. All of Normerica's unique post and beam structures use energy-efficient timberframe construction techniques. This is why a factory based system such as timber frame has advantages over site based construction systems. "It's official - modern methods of construction like timber frame can deliver at least as good quality as masonry techniques. Careful planning is the key for successful Timber frame construction. Surprisingly timber frame construction is, in some ways, stronger than masonry built homes. With the mechanized production of iron nails, this new method of wood-framed construction essentially replaced the traditional heavy timber frame.

Self-builders are attracted to the timber frame method because of speed of construction, high energy efficiency and flexibility. Nonetheless, the results indicate that using timber-frame construction will ensure that predicted savings will be achieved in practice. In practice, timber-framed panels are an extension of existing timber-frame construction with an expected life of over 60 years. While over 90% of pre Reformation buildings which survive today were built using timber frame construction. The two most important advancements in timber frame construction were the invention of large pre designed frame units and the introduction of energy efficiency. The type of framing can range from large, widely spaced timbers to the closely spaced light timbers commonly seen in stud frame construction. With the widespread adoption of modern building techniques in the 19th century, timber-frame construction, often seen in old barns, fell by the wayside. The timber frame construction also facilitated opening more windows building projections and wide eaves. The earth-sheltered home features timber frame construction, straw bale infill, solar hot water, and passive solar and geothermal heat. A timber frame construction (or steel or concrete) can use bales as infill. Our architecture is rooted in the long standing tradition of timber frame construction, utilizing traditional methods proven over time. Grounded in ancient tradition, timber-frame construction is admirably suited to fulfill today's need for durable, energy-efficient housing and other building needs. The extension is a light and airy modern timber framed construction with exposed softwood floor and roof beams. It features timber frame/plank construction, local wood, strawbale/concrete foundation, wood heat and cookstove, gas lights, rainwater collection, gravity-feed water, and a full-time pottery studio. The first film concentrated on the evolution, design and construction of traditional timber framed buildings. Wood-stud wall construction, still used by most home builders today, soon eclipsed the timber frame. Wall Construction: The internal skin of the building is a load bearing timber frame construction, with a high level of yellow glass wool insulation. Capable of complex roof joinery, and working with any style of timber, the timber framers are ready for any construction challenge. This is likely to result in the increased specification and use of timber and steel frame construction techniques. It may be due to this fact that the timber frame construction system was devised and widely used. By the 17th century settlers erected simple one room houses using timber frame construction. This option provides added space and the beauty of timber frame construction where a family has outgrown their home. Heavy-timber frames, with or without infilling, are more resistant to trauma from earthquakes, wind uplift and heavy snow load than light-frame construction. In terms of strength and durability, timber frame is the most tried and tested form of construction in the world. The market can also be divided into 3 generic construction methods - timber frame housing, traditional brick and block, and other new construction materials. The ident had to reflect the solidity and ecological benefit of timber frame construction. Lower maintenance: There is lower maintenance on a timber frame home in the first year after construction. One reason they would choose timber frame over other forms of construction is the positive environmental impact of timber over other construction materials. Since timber frame construction utilizes primarily green lumber, there will always be some shrinkage and checking as the timbers dry. During the colonial period, carpenters simplified the timber frame to allow for rapid construction with standardized materials. The results of this work indicate that the EU Directive would favour timber- frame construction. Mortgage lenders like timber frame construction - it satisfies all their key concerns about saleability, marketability and asset value. Because of long spans, timber framed covered bridges present construction challenges beyond most historic structures. Insurance and financial institutions do not differentiate between timber frame and masonary construction. As Steve explains, "What is really great about timber frame construction is the relationship that develops between the builder and the wood. There is not an aspect of timber frame construction that has not been tested. Since the 1970s the timber frame house has grown in favor following a revival of interest in traditional methods of construction. Remember that timber frame construction allows any exterior walls between the posts to be easily removed, making way for outside doors or complete additions. In the social housing sector, non-timber frame construction declined by almost 18% last year. The design of timber-frame construction does not lend itself to meeting the thermal envelope standards of contemporary housing and buildings codes. Shows how to adapt traditional timber frame construction to the needs of modern life.

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