A community of timber home enthusiasts and those who love energy-efficient homes

February 2009 Blog Posts (8)

8 Easy Ways to Add Timber Style To Your Home

It was love at first site for Ted and Nancy Brown when they invested in a 200-year-old colonial farmhouse in the historic section of Simsbury, Connecticut. Set on seven and a half acres, the couple’s home offers the kind of old world charm that is in short supply in an era of mass-produced subdivisions of look a-like homes.

“We’re located well off the road, which is great for our peace of mind with two small boys. We’ve got woods all around us, so it offers a lot of privacy. We knew… Continue

Added by Charles Bevier on February 26, 2009 at 7:24pm — No Comments

Looking For Real World Examples of Green Homes? 'Unity House' Earns LEED Platinum Status

Unity: A super efficient, net-zero energy home

Unity House, the second home designed and constructed by longtime timber home producer Bensonwood Homes (Unity, ME) as part of the groundbreaking Open Prototype Initiative (OPI), has achieved LEED Platinum… Continue

Added by Charles Bevier on February 17, 2009 at 2:30pm — No Comments

Got A Room With A View? New Window Wall System Can Bring the Outside In

If you're lucky enough to have a building site with a spectacular view, you may be looking for ways to let the outside in on your new dream timber home. For years, architects have been trying to design projects with large glass walls that completely disappear when open – a seamless transition from inside to outside that is also weather-resistant and easy to operate. Past solutions have had multiple tracks with thick wall requirements, were difficult to operate (since multiple panels were hooked… Continue

Added by Charles Bevier on February 10, 2009 at 2:56pm — No Comments

Designing For Daylight

Adding lots of natural light to your new timber home can improve your mood as well as your energy bills. Have you ever noticed how the newest shopping malls, schools and office buildings incorporate lots of natural daylight in their design? Walls of windows and clerestories (peaked roof sections equipped with windows) bring indirect sunlight deep into these buildings.

That’s because architects, engineers and social scientists have discovered we humans are drawn toward areas… Continue

Added by Charles Bevier on February 9, 2009 at 4:25pm — No Comments

Window Glass That Insulates Like A Wall? Pimp Your New Home's Energy Performance

All this talk of increasing our new home's energy performance runs into a problem when it comes those things we use to look outside--windows. Up till now, the best low-E windows only offered an insulating value of R-4 (think of it as a light sweater, in terms of energy performance).… Continue

Added by Charles Bevier on February 4, 2009 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Adding Timeless Curb Appeal

Timber accents on the exterior of your home can offer visual clues to the graceful symphony of wood inside. Old world timber style homes are easy to spot in Europe. That’s because the craftsmen of yesteryear placed the timber frames on the outside of the structures, announcing to passersby that this home was built to stand the test of time.

But by today’s standards, that’s not an energy efficient way to build. Nor does it protect the timbers from the damaging effects of weather. This… Continue

Added by Charles Bevier on February 3, 2009 at 5:44pm — No Comments

The Pieces of the Puzzle: A Primer on Timber Definitions & Styles

If you’re drawn to the timeless beauty of these homes but are confused by some of the terminology, you’re not alone. When Francine Hemphill first heard her husband Daniel wanted to build a timber home in the Pocono’s, her reaction could best be described as ….Ew.

“I pictured something rustic and dark. I’m not into that,” she says with a laugh. “I wanted something contemporary.”

The couple came to an elegant compromise, however. Their new 3,000-square foot vacation home has the… Continue

Added by Charles Bevier on February 3, 2009 at 5:32pm — No Comments

11 Cost Effective Green Strategies For Your Dream Timber Home

With some careful planning, your new timber home can be good for your family’s health, save money and help the planet.

Since climate change is in the news, you may be considering building “green.” It certainly sounds appealing to construct a dream home that is healthy to live in, affordable to operate and respectful of the earth’s natural resources.

But with the other green—money—always in short supply, what’s the best return on your environmentally friendly investment? We… Continue

Added by Charles Bevier on February 3, 2009 at 5:00pm — No Comments