New Heritage Woodworking

Timber Frame Home Tour in One Week

Our shop and timber frame home tour is just one week away. For anyone around or near the Syracuse NY area interested in timber framing and green building we encourage you to join us.

Details:
When: February 19^th

10am – 2pm

Where: 7022 Bush Road

Jamesville NY 13078

Home Tour Highlights

Timbers harvested from the owners woodlot used for the frame, flooring and millwork
Timber framed house, garage, porch and entrance
Rainwater Catchment
Solar Panels
Masonry Heater
Radiant Heat
Passive Solar Design
Structural insulated Panels

[singlepic id=81 w=460 h=500 float=right ]

More details and updates for this event will be located online at:
newheritagewoodworking.com/event/timber-frame-home

If you would like to tour one of our other ongoing-projects contact us and we will happily make arrangements. For future events visit us online at: newheritagewoodworking.com/events or subscribe to our site for future events and other updates.

Timber Frames and Masonry Heaters, A Perfect Match

Masonry Heater

One of the many questions we are asked is “how to heat a timber frame home?” The short answer …. “Easily.” Since your frame will likely be wrapped in Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) the building envelop will be extra tight and efficient. (Read more about Structural Insulated Panels in an upcoming article). While any type of heating system can be integrated into your timber framed home we recommend some type of radiant heat. The added comfort provided by an efficient enclosure system is easily enhanced with our favorite type of heat; radiant heat. See the “Why Radiant heat section below”

What is a Masonry Heater?

Sometimes referred to as Russian or Finnish stoves/fireplaces, masonry heaters have a long standing tradition as the favorite heat source in some of Europe’s more frigid countries. The principles behind masonry heaters are quite simple and include; high temperature combustion for increased efficiency, and large thermal mass for heat storage and continuous radiation. A small hot fire is burned once or twice a day and hot gases are directed through channels which allow the gas’s heat to be absorbed by the surrounding masonry. The masonry then radiates heat evenly and continuously for 12-24 hours into the surrounding space. With this system combustion efficiency approaches 90% resulting in drastically less pollution such as tar or creosote; this also means virtually no risk of chimney fires and means maintenance such as chimney cleaning is rarely needed. Since most of the heat is absorbed by the masonry fuel efficiency is also increased requiring far less fuel during a heating season. A recently complete project will require between 1-2 full cords of wood to fully heat a home. One popular addition to many masonry heaters, is integrating a bake oven into the heater.
Continue reading “Timber Frames and Masonry Heaters, A Perfect Match” »

Support your local Economy and Build a Timber Frame

Lately the Green Movement has gone mainstream and while this is certainly a measure of progress it falls short of the much greater goal of being sustainable. In addition to environmental consideration, the sustainability movement also accounts for the community and business interests as well. Perhaps the most over looked aspect of this formula is that no particular leg takes precedence over another. They all carry equal weight and each supports the other. Too much of one and the others suffer. On the other hand if each is fostered they build a synergy that helps each grow faster.

Local Business and Sustainability

One of the most effective ways to promote and foster the sustainability movement is to buy from and support local businesses. Not convinced consider the following. A study in Chicago found, for every $100 spent at a local business $68 stays in the community while the same $100 spent at a chain business only leaves $43 dollars in the community. This is a stunning statistic that revels how chain stores are essentially funnels that suck money out of the local community.

Timber Framing is Local

Continue reading “Support your local Economy and Build a Timber Frame” »

New Timber Frame Raising Video

By popular request we have added videos to the site. Many clients have expressed that pictures can not quite capture the warmth, comfort and overall feel of a timber frame and to really understand the appeal you have to experience them. Hopefully by adding videos to the site we will bring you one step closer to that unique experience. In that vain one of the most dramatic moments in a timber frame’s life cycle, is raising day. So for our first video we have featured one of our raisings and expect to add more raising and informative videos on our new YouTube channel. Enough talk on with the show…

Continue reading “New Timber Frame Raising Video” »

Two simple tools to kick start your timber frame project

Sample Floor Plan

Finished Project

Where to start?

One of the most daunting tasks about beginning your custom timber frame project, is knowing exactly where to start. Should you start designing your dream and consider the budget afterwards? Or should you start with the budget and work backwards? Do you start with the timber frame or the floor plan? In a floor plan, do you start with personal space and then move on to public space? How about indoor vs outdoor and even transitional space? Do you design the frame and then integrate mechanicals or the other way around? How will the enclosure system affect the frame, mechanicals, and windows?
Continue reading “Two simple tools to kick start your timber frame project” »

Timber Frame Lesson 2 : Rules to Learn

[singlepic id=90 w=320 h=240 float=left]

In Mort’s last lesson he learned the most basic of timber frame joints; the Mortise and Tenon. But wait we got ahead of ourselves a bit since before any dog can learn his tricks (or any timber framer can cut their joinery) they must learn the rules first. So to draw the analogy out a bit, a puppy must learn the rules of the house such as; when and where to do their business, where they can and perhaps more importantly can’t sleep, and/or where they get their food (ie not off of our plates but in their bowl). Before the tricks can be taught, the rules have to be established so that all members of the houshold can get along and do as expected. In the timber frame world, the rules dictate how timbers will join to one-another and how the framer or joiner can layout and accomplish this. Rough sawn timbers are an unruly and untamed lot in the yard. Timbers come in varying dimensions; e.g. an 8 x 8 can vary plus or minus a 1/4 of an inch in the best of circumstances. Additionally timbers have troublesome attributes such as crown, bow, sweep and twist.
Continue reading “Timber Frame Lesson 2 : Rules to Learn” »

Timber Frame Home Tour | Jamesville NY

Details:
When: February 19^th

10am – 2pm

Where: 7022 Bush Road

Jamesville NY 13078

[singlepic id=79 w=460 h=200 float=right ]

Many of our customers say that a timber frame cannot truly be appreciated by looking solely at pictures. Rather they must be experienced so you can really feel the warmth and beauty of a finely crafted frame. On February 19^th we will be offering a tour of our shop as well as one of our completed projects so that you can see what they are talking about. Each frame has its own character and you will be able to see two different timber framing styles. In addition to the gorgeous timber frame the completed house features many green techniques/technologies and offers a unique opportunity to see so many special systems tied together.

Continue reading “Timber Frame Home Tour | Jamesville NY” »

Timber Frame Mascot

Announcing our new timber framing mascot:

[singlepic id=97 w=320 h=240 float=left]

Mortise Barktoven (aka Mort)

Mort is our new Mascot. Beside learning the art of sitting and fetching things other than dirty socks he is learning the art and craft of timber framing. As such he will have to learn the terminology. Like many timber frame novices, one of the very first terms that is taught is coincidentally his name sake; mortise.
Continue reading “Timber Frame Mascot” »

Facebook

New Heritage Woodworking is now on Facebook. Like Twitterwe have discovered that facebook is an excellent way to stay in touch and collaborate with clients and fans of timber framing. We hope you will visit our facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/NewHeritageWoodworking

With all these new platforms to stay in touch we hope that you bear with us while we get a handle on everything and visit/follow us however you like. We also have an RSS feed and a email subscription if you would rather be updated with those services. Links to our social pages as well as the RSS feed are now located in the upper right of the pages and don’t forget to share any content/pages you like with the share this buttons in the bottom right.

Twitter

New Heritage Woodworking is now on twitter. We have decided twitter is a great way to stay in touch with our clients, to keep people updated about timber framing, to notify people about changes on our website. To follow us on twitter look for our username newheritagewood or use this link. If you are on twitter we would love to keep update about you so let us know your username and we will gladly reciprocate.