Timber Frame Open Homes in North Carolina, New Hampshire, and New York

There are several Timberpeg Open Homes this Sunday, May 20th. Below are some pictures and details on the homes available to visit.

North Carolina

The two timber frame homes featured below are both located in Boone, North Carolina and are hosted by Timberpeg Independent Representative, Doug McGuire of Mountaineer Timberpeg.

Timberpeg Timber Frame Home Located in Boone, NC

The first home (pictured above) is custom designed and features a beautiful Douglas fir timber frame. The home is approximately 3,600 square feet and has 2 stories, 3 bedrooms, and 3 and a half bathrooms. The first floor includes a large master bedroom suite with a private office, large walk-in closet, fireplace and custom shower. A cathedral great room is open to the kitchen and dining room. The second level includes a bridge that connects two bedrooms on each wing and overlooks the great room. A cozy library is also located on the second floor.  There is also a conventionally framed "bonus room" located over the garage. Let us know you would like to visit this home or view more photos and details here.

Timberpeg Timber Frame Home Located in Boone, NC

The second home located in Boone that is available to see (pictured above) is a custom designed arts & craft / Adirondack style home.  The home is 4,300 square feet with 2 stories, 4 bedrooms and 3-1/2 bathrooms.  The home is framed with Douglas fir and the exterior is beautifully finished with a mixture of cedar shingles, wood siding, stone and stucco.  This home also features an ICF, Polysteel, lower level system, Passive Home design and was built under the Healthy Built Home guidelines. Let us know you would like to visit this home or view more photos and details here.

Timberpeg Timber Frame Home in Black Mountain, North Carolina

Timberpeg Independent Representative, Mountain Architects would like to invite you to see the above timber frame home located in Black Mountain, North Carolina. This home is a mountain retreat, custom designed by Architect Kenneth J. Wertheim, AIA.  This small 1,350 square foot, pine timber framed cabin retreat incorporates many green building products. The home features 2 bedrooms and lots of outdoor living space over looking dramatic mountain scenery. The home is located in a gated community and RSVP is required. Let us know you would like to visit this home or view more details here.

New Hampshire

Sutton, New Hampshire Timberpeg Timber Frame Home

The above home is custom designed and located in Sutton, NH. This home is considered a "hybrid timber frame," meaning part of the home is built using conventional or stick frame construction. In this particular home a spectacular Douglas fir timber frame is featured in the entry, kitchen, great room, dining area, the master suite entry, plus two second floor bedrooms and bathroom. The remainder of the home, including the attached oversized garage, features conventional construction. The timber frame portion of the house was enclosed with structural insulated panels and the roof was insulated using Timberpeg's energy efficient wrap & strap system. The walls and some ceilings were finished in skim coat plaster with tongue and groove spruce ceiling decks in the timber frame areas and in other locations of the home. The main living area is approximately 3,450 square feet plus a walkout basement that is partly finished with an additional bedroom, bathroom and family/recreation area. The home is still under construction but is entirely enclosed. Timberpeg Independent Representative, Old Hampshire Designs would like to invite you to Contact us for more details on this timber frame open home.

New York

Timberpeg Timber Frame Home Located in Stratford, New York

The home pictured above is located in Stratford, NY and is being built by Timberpeg Independent Representative, Marshall Scott. The home will be under construction during the time of the open home but it will be fully enclosed with mechanicals being installed. This home is a custom designed, traditional style home with 1,900 square feet, 2 stories, 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. The home features an eastern white pine timber frame and has has an open kitchen, dining and great room. The master suite is located on the first floor and a second bedroom is located on the second floor as well as a large balcony/loft overlooking the great room. Additional features include a covered porch and a conventionally built mudroom/laundry. Let us know you would like to visit this home or view more details here.

And last, but certainly not least, Timberpeg Independent Representative, John Shafer of Tree House Post & Beam will be hosting an open home located in Wevertown, NY. We hope to have photos of this home soon. You can view a rendering and more details about this home here or let us know you would like to visit this home.

To view the listings of all the Timberpeg homes available to see this spring, visit the Timberpeg Spring Home Tours page. Or you can call us directly at 800-636-2424 or email at info@timberpeg.com.

Timberpeg Home Featured in Annapolis Home Magazine

Timberpeg customer, Dr. Ken Green, was recently featured in Annapolis Home Magazine along with his Timberpeg home, which he has fondly named "GREENNEST." When Dr. Green began his project of designing and building a timber frame home, he wanted it to be as "green" as possibly. He researched his many options for building a sustainable and efficient home. In fact, he is one of the few customers who actually visited the forests where the Forest Stewardship Council Certified wood for the timber frame was originally harvested. Visit the Timberpeg website to read the article, see photos and learn how Dr. Green built a sustainable and energy-efficient timber frame home.

Timberpeg Timber Frame Representative Earned the Certified Green Professional (CGP) Designation

Timberpeg Independent Representative, J. Michael Hill of F.M. Properties, Inc., located in Middletown, Rhode Island, earned the Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation and has been awarded the National Association of REALTORS’ (NAR’s) Green Designation, the only green real estate professional designation, recognized by NAR.

Timberpeg has many local timber frame representatives around the country who are Certified Green Building Professionals. A few of our Independent Representatives are LEED AP and many have various other green building certifications. To learn more about these timber frame experts and view energy efficient timber frame homes, visit our Building Green page.

Mariposa, California Timberpeg Home to Reach Net-Zero

This TIMBERPEG home, located in Jerseydale (Mariposa), California is extremely energy efficient and, combined with the 7 kW solar array north of the house, is well on its way to yielding a net zero energy house.  Or put more simply, no bills for propane or electricity to heat, cool or run the house.

You can visit this this timber frame home THIS Sunday, October 17th from 10:00am-4:00pm. There will also be a free design seminar at noon.

Click Here for More Information on the Home Tour and Photos.

Read more about the energy efficiency of this home below (written by the homeowners):

First, the house was designed for this specific property to maximize not only the view of the ponds on the property and surrounding ridges, but also for energy efficiency though use of materials, orientation and placement on the property.   The timber frame house has an outer envelope of Structural Insulated Panels (“SIPs”) that produce a very well insulated and airtight structure.  Double pane energy efficient windows have been installed and their solar gain characteristics were evaluated and chosen to minimize solar heating on the south and west side of the house during the summer.  A passive solar heated garden room is located on the southern corner of the house with window heights and roof overhangs appropriate to maximize passive solar heating in the winter and minimize solar gain during the summer.

Second, the house is heated and cooled via a geothermal heat pump that uses a 3-acre pond on the property as the heat source (winter) or heat sink (summer).  Measured performance last winter showed that for every 1 kW of electricity used, 6 kW of heat was extracted from the pond and distributed around the house either via radiant floor heating (preferred) or via forced air.   During the summer, heat is pumped from the house into the pond and the cooled air is circulated around the house via forced air ducts.  The house is divided into various zones for heating and cooling and temperatures are controlled using 13 thermostats.  Considerable federal tax credits (30% uncapped) are offered for installation of geothermal heat pumps, as the federal government recognizes geothermal as the most efficient way of heating and cooling a house.

While an airtight house is very good from a heating and cooling efficiency standpoint, air quality can suffer if outside and inside air are not exchanged on a regular basis.  This is the job of our Energy Recovery Ventilation (“ERV”) system that allows exchange of outside and inside air while using a heat (and moisture) exchanger to recover most of the energy used to heat or cool the inside air. 

Third, we have installed energy efficient appliances and lighting, including extensive use of LED lighting fixtures and bulbs (there are no inefficient incandescent light bulbs in the house).  Our cook top is an induction cook top manufactured by Miele.  Not only is an induction cook top the most energy efficient way of cooking, our decision to purchase it eliminated any need for propane in the house.  (We do have propane for our back-up generator.)  All the other kitchen appliances are also produced by Miele, which markets high end products that are relatively energy efficient.

Forth, electricity is generated on-site by a 7 kW solar array.   The house is “all electric” in that there is no other source of heat such as propane or natural gas.  Thus generation of electricity on-site is the other half of the energy efficiency/zero energy bills equation.  The house is “on-grid” and so, during the winter, we do use more electricity than we generate.  Our biggest electricity bill once we had our solar panels and PG&E net metering installed was $165 for February.  We were pretty much breaking even by April and May and generating a $100 plus credit per month during the late spring summer months (June and July) for electricity fed back into the grid. Thus, achieving net zero energy bills for the year seems realistic.

Fifth, the climate at our elevation (3800 feet) means that, while we have some snow in the winter, the summers are relatively cool.  This, combined with the design of the house, minimizes the need for air conditioning.  Thus we are using electricity for heat during the winter months when electricity is less expensive (e.g. <9 cents a kW hour) and putting electricity back into the grid during the summer afternoons when electricity is worth at least 31 cents a kW hour.  

These five factors combine to result in a house that is not only very comfortable, but also very energy efficient and capable of putting energy back into the grid when others need it most.

Executive Council of New Hampshire Recognizes the Lakewood Plan

Timberpeg is honored to have received special recognition by the State of New Hampshire Executive Council for our winning Timber Frame of the Year by the Timber Frame Business Council.

"This award is given in recognition of the commitment and dedication it took to create something so beautiful as the "Lakewood Home" in Newbury, New Hampshire. The staff and employees can take much pride in their efforts, as this home is truly an inspiration to other timber companies around the world," wrote Raymond S. Burton, NH Executive Councilor, District One. View the full letter.

Take a look at the Lakewood timber frame home and design that won.

Timberpeg Timber Frame Independent Rep, Don Walkins on The Morning Blend

Once again, Timberpeg Independent Rep, Don Wolkins of Raven's Nest & Co., Inc. located in Omaha, Nebraska was featured on The Morning Blend. He discussed timber frame homes and working with Timberpeg to build a home in the Raven's Nest community. If you are looking for land or are planning to build in Nebraska, or even if you are just interested in learning more about Timberpeg, take a look at the segment. You'll have a chance to see photos of some of Timberpeg's most beautiful homes as well as pictures of Raven's Nest development located in Nebraska.

Is Making Your House Energy Efficient Worth It?

Timberpeg Independent Representative, Don Wolkins of Raven's Nest & Co., Inc. talks to local television station about the "good and bad" investments that can be made regarding purchasing energy efficient appliances for your home. Watch the story.

Timberpeg Timber Frame Independent Rep, Don Walkins on The Morning Blend

Timberpeg Independent Rep, Don Wolkins of Raven's Nest & Co., Inc. located in Omaha, Nebraska will be featured on The Morning Blend. He will discuss timber frame homes and working with Timberpeg to build a home in the Raven's Nest community. If you live in the area, we hope you can tune in to the program this Friday, April 30 at 9 am CST.

Timber Frame Open Homes

Timberpeg's National Spring Open Home Event Begin's this Sunday!
Check out our website to find one near you.
The timber frame open homes are located all over the country and will be shown this Sunday, April 25th or next Sunday, May 2nd (and some will be shown both Sundays!).

Our website has photos of most of the timber frame homes and many of the homes even have a gallery of the construction process linked.

Energy Efficient Timberpeg Timber Frame Home Just Completed

Timberpeg customer, Dr. Kenneth Green of SusDev Tech, Inc., just completed his home he fondly refers to as "GREENNEST." This home has many energy efficient and sustainable building features. Included in the Timberpeg package, as usual, are FSC certified Douglas fir timbers, Energy Star windows as well as energy efficient wall and roof enclosures and exterior siding materials. The home also features many other sustainable and energy efficient materials. Read more about this timber frame home, GREENNEST, here.  

View more finished photos of this timber frame home.

View photos of this timber frame home under construction.

View Other Timberpeg Timber Frame Homes

Timberpeg and the Savvy Homebuyer

Check out this video on YouTube produced by the award winning television show "The Savvy Homebuyer". Timberpeg Regional Sales Manager, Dave Raabe talks about the process of designing and building a timber frame home. View photos and virtual "tours" of many Timberpeg houses.

Television Show Featuring Timberpeg

Timberpeg and Independent Representative Old Hampshire Designs are excited to announce that we will be featured on the award winning television show The Savvy Homebuyer.

If you are in the greater Boston area, tune in to:
CBS-WBZ Channel 4
Saturday, November 28^th, 2009 at 2:30pm

Click on the image below for a sneak peak on YouTube:

You'll have the chance to hear first hand what it's like to work with a Timberpeg Independent Representative and you'll get to see several beautiful homes, both small and large. You'll also see the reason why so many people choose to build a home in the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee region of New Hampshire.

Timber Frame Open House

November 7th, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: Below Home Located in Purcellville, VA
The Renewable Energy Resources & Timber Framing Seminar that was scheduled for this day has been postponed. The seminar will be rescheduled for some time in January. Stay tuned for the announcement of the new date and times!

You are still free to visit and take a tour of this beautiful timber frame on November 7th. The Kenney's would love to chat with you!

Topics for January Seminar Will Include:

• How to implement solar, wind and water into your Timberpeg^® home.
• Why a Timberpeg^® home is considered "Green" and how the home can save on energy consumption resulting in lower energy bills.
• How to live totally "off the grid", or "grid tied."
• How to sell excess power back to the grid, or back up systems for power outages and short term emergencies.

For more information, please contact:
Steve or Joanne Kenney, Hidden Creek Timber Homes
Phone: (703) 772-9027
Email: info@hiddencreektimberhomes.com
Or
Mike Stoner, Tuscarora Timber Homes
Phone: (877) 379-5647
Email: sales@tuscaroratimberhomes.com

Free Green Home Seminar & Open House Tour October 11, 2009

Timberpeg Independent Representative Old Hampshire Designs and Bonin Architects are hosting a seminar and open house. October is a great time to come visit New England so now you have two reasons to visit us!

Free Seminar on Green Building

Best Western Sunapee Lake Lodge 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

(registration starts at 8:30 AM)

1403 Route 103, Newbury, NH 03255

Seminar topics:

Green Home Design by Jeremy Bonin, AIA NCARB LEED AP

Timber Framing & SIP Panels by Jay Tucker, Old Hampshire Designs

Free Open House Tour of Timberpeg Green Hybrid Home

Lot 22, Summit Road, Sutton, NH 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

(home is under construction)

Seminar pre-registration is requested, but not required.
Register for the event today!

Energy Star Rated Timber Frame Homes

Check out some of the Timberpeg timber frame homes that have received Energy Star Certification.

Glennwood Springs, Colorado - View Energy Audit and More Photos

Cortland, New York - View Energy Audit and More Photos

Hazelhurst, Wisconsin - View Energy Audit and More Photos


Westmoreland, New Hampshire - View Energy Audit and More Photos

Habitat for Humanity Home Receives 5-Star Plus Energy Star Rating

Timberpeg and Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity are proud that the home in Norwich, Vermont has received a 5-Star Plus rating from Energy Star! The goal for this home, and any home provided through Habitat for Humanity, is "to provide simple, decent, affordable home ownership for deserving families in our community who could not otherwise afford to buy a home." Having received a 5-Star Plus rating means that not only is the home affordable, but it will also be sustainable for the family. Energy costs will be far lower than the average home. We're so happy for Brian, Marie and their three children!

Minimizing Our Impact on the Earth's Resources

Jonathan Vincent’s observations about “Green Building” are “right on”. Another aspect of doing our part to minimize our impact on the earth’s resources is to maximize the efficiency of the use of the volume within the structure. More and more folks are backing away from wasteful spaces such as fancy foyers that never get used (everyone comes in the “back door”) and those huge vaulted spaces. (Many folks have said “I’d rather use that space for something more than to just look at.”) We are seeing designs that combine the formal entrance with the so called “service entrance” between the home and the garage, a much more efficient use of space.

We also recognize that one and a half or two level construction is much more cost effective than a sprawling single level building. Why spend money on both a foundation and roof for a single level of living space when stacking the living space could save so much in terms of materials, labor, thus dollars? For folks who are planning for their later years and the potential challenge of negotiating stairs, residential elevators provide a cost effective solution. They design their homes with space allowed for the later addition of an elevator; it serves as stacked closets now and an elevator shaft later. The dollars that they save by going two levels more than covers the cost of the elevator which can be added only if is needed.

Minimizing hall space and dead end spaces has long been recognized as smart planning. We see folks giving serious thought to multi-function spaces such as combining the home office with the guest room. We also see folks taking advantage of that now well insulated, clean, dry basement. Finishing off that basement is much more cost effective than adding another wing to the footprint of the building, particularly if the building site is sloped and can allow for a walk-out basement.

Wrap around porches look great and invoke images of “the good old days” but they are relatively expensive and frankly seldom used, particularly during black fly season. We see many more designs that feature a screen room…that doesn’t block the view out of the entertainment areas of the plan…and can serve as a semi outdoor entertainment area free of the interruption of those pesky flying insects. Some even incorporate glazing to extend the seasonal usefulness of that outdoor space. They also provide for operable ventilation near the peak of the roof so the BBQ grill can be brought into the room and fired up during inclement weather.

All too often we get trapped into old ways of thinking when it comes to designing our dream houses. It really makes sense to consider the impact of our choices, listen to others, and be willing to adjust our choices to better accommodate the realities of today’s energy, building cost, and life style environment as well as do our part for “Mother Earth”.

Timber Frame Assembly and Press Visits

Jackie Bender of WPTZ News Channel 5 / WNNE Local Channel 31 visited our frame raising. Click here to see the news report. We were also excited that a photographer and staff writer, Mark Davis of the Valley News stopped by. Visit http://www.vnews.com/06192008/4903030.htm to read the story.

Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity Teams Up with Timberpeg® and Foard Panel on the “InterFaith House”

The Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity, in conjunction with Timberpeg®, Foard Panel and members of twenty faith communities in the Upper Valley, invite all to break ground for a new, perpetually affordable home on Sunday, May 18. The Upper Valley family that will live in the home has not yet been chosen but will be selected shortly before groundbreaking and will “drive the first peg” of their timber frame home in early June. The "Upper Valley Habitat InterFaith House" will be built in Star Lake Village in Norwich, VT on land provided by Twin Pines Housing Trust of White River Junction and is designed to meet Energy Star® qualifications.

Timberpeg®, a local Upper Valley timber frame company with offices in West Lebanon and Claremont, is donating locally harvested eastern white pine timbers, decking and labor to install the first floor deck and erect the timber frame. Timberpeg® also volunteered their services to help in the design of the new home. “Timberpeg has been pleased to work with Habitat for Humanity in designing and providing a high-quality timber-framed house that will be attractive, affordable and very energy efficient,” says Jonathan Vincent, AIA, Timberpeg® Architect and Director of Design. Vincent worked with Don Derrick, Executive Director at Habitat for Humanity, and Tim McCosker, Designer at Habitat for Humanity, on the design.

Foard Panel, located in West Chesterfield, NH, is donating XPS (extruded polystyrene) structural insulated panels (SIP) to enclose the home. Foard Panel is the only company in America to make this type of SIP. The OSB material included in the SIPs, is being donated by TOLKO Industries, Ltd., located in British Columbia, Canada. The XPS product is produced by DOW and exceeds Energy Star® standards for thermal performance, which will allow the homeowner great savings on their energy bills. Foard Panel and Timberpeg® will provide the labor to attach the panels.

"This is an absolutely wonderful gift by Timberpeg and Foard. The materials are absolutely top rate, and we were so impressed by the way the people in the organizations took hold of the project and designed a home especially for the Habitat ideal of a 'simple, decent home'," says Don Derrick of Habitat for Humanity.

This major contribution by Timberpeg® and Foard Panel will aid the sponsorship by twenty local faith communities. "What a great example of people joining together to use their skills and resources to help each other help their neighbors. The leadership of Timberpeg® and of our twenty Faith Community sponsors is ensuring a safe, secure home for a family in need. This is just what I have come to expect from the people of the Upper Valley. What a great place to live," comments Don Derrick.

If you are interested in volunteering or donating any materials for this project, please call The Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity at (802) 295-1854 or contact via email at uvhfh@sover.net. To learn more about this project and to keep up with its progress visit timberpeg.com/habitat or www.uppervalleyhabitat.org/projects.htm.