Visit Two Timber Frame Homes in Nebraska

Are you ready to start seriously thinking about building your timber frame home and think you might be near Ashland, Nebraska in the next month or so? If so, Timberpeg Independent Representative and Architect, Kurtis Suhr, would be  happy to schedule a time to meet with you to visit two beautiful Timberpeg homes in this area. Let us know you would like to visit one of these homes or call Kurtis directly at (402) 580-2312 to schedule a time to visit.

The first home (above) is a custom designed, hybrid timberframe featuring a lovely Douglas fir timber frame in the great room, kitchen and loft, with the balance of the home conventionally built.  The structure was enclosed with SIP’s panels, and the house features a main level master suite, second floor office/loft, and guest space in the fully finished basement. To view more pictures of the interior of the home, read an article featured in Omaha Magazine. The article starts on "spread" 68/69 (which is also page H28).

The second home (above) is a custom designed lakeside home that was originally based on the Timberpeg Lassen/Quechee floor plans and modified to include a three story octagon to capture the panoramic lake view.  With 5,450 square feet, the home has 2 stories, 4 bedrooms and 5 and 1 half bathrooms.  The home has an open floor plan on the main level. The kitchen, formal dining room, screened-in porch and covered deck surround the two story vaulted great room with a stone fireplace, which is overlooked by the second floor loft/study. The master bedroom suite with private deck is located on the main floor and the second floor has two bedrooms and two bathrooms with vaulted ceilings while the walk-out basement houses the office, exercise room, media room, recreation room and a bath. The fourth bedroom is placed in the bonus space above the garage. This home also includes 2 covered decks, front entry porch, walk-out basement and attached garage.   

Again, you can either fill out the form at the following link to let us know you would like to visit one of these homes or call Kurtis directly at (402) 580-2312 to schedule a time to visit. If you would like to find another Timberpeg timber frame open home, visit the Timberpeg Spring Home Tours page.

Tour a Timber Frame Home For Sale

This Saturday,  March 31 from 11:00a - 4:00p Timberpeg Independent Representative, Jerry Hollis of Southern Post & Beam will open up his own timber frame home in Jackson's Gap, Alabama for all to visit. Located on beautiful Lake Martin, this Timberpeg timber frame is also for sale.

Front exterior of home

Back Exterior View From the Lake

The home has 4 bedrooms and 4 and half bathrooms. Views of the lake can be seen from every room. The main level of the home has an open kitchen/dining/sun-room. The laundry is also located on the main level.

Open Kitchen/Dining/Sunroom

The main level also includes a more formal living room with vaulted ceiling and a beautiful fireplace.

Formal Living Room with Views to Lake

The second level includes a large bedroom, full bathroom and a balcony, which could function as an office or cozy library, overlooking the vaulted room below.  The lower level includes a second master bedroom suite with a large walk-in closet and also has office, den, media room, screened porch and deck.

View from Loft Down to Dining Room and Sun-room

A timber framed carport with covered boardwalk to the entry of the home is another unique feature of this Timberpeg.

Timber Framed Carport with Queen Post Truss

If you would like to see more about this event visit: timberpeg.com/news/openHomes#Alabama or let us know you'd like to visit this home by filling out the form here and someone will be in touch with you shortly. You can also contact the host, Timberpeg Independent Representative, Jerry Hollis, directly at (256) 825-2572 or via email at tghollis@charter.net.

The Marriage of Post-and-Beam Homes with Precast Concrete Foundations

Timberpeg Independent Representative and Architect, Ken Wertheim, talks about using Precast Concrete Foundations in his Timberpeg homes in the below article. All photos featured in this post are of homes that were designed by Kenneth J. Wertheim, AIA.

Architect Ken Wertheim places a high priority on enriching mountain settings with his custom home designs. Once completed, his popular timber-framed homes serve as landscape accents to their natural surroundings.

Timber frame home featuring Superior Walls® foundation.

"My home designs primarily feature timber frame designs that complement their western North Carolina locations," says Wertheim, AIA and principal of his practice in Asheville, N.C. "I specialize in Timberpeg® projects that feature authentic timber framing on both the interior and exterior of the home, using mortise and tenon joinery. Timberpeg packages provide a weather-tight shell, including the timber frame structure, SIPS (structural insulated panel) wall and roof systems, as well as exterior finish materials."

This timber frame home is 1600 sq. ft. with 2 bedrooms.

Wertheim has married many of his post-and-beam homes with precast concrete foundation systems that also provide weather-tight packages. To achieve optimum energy-efficiency benefits, he starts by specifying Superior Walls® XiTM wall panels for his foundations.

"The 5,000 psi concrete strength of these wall systems is amazing," says Wertheim. "The walls come pre-insulated, so they provide the homeowners with an energy-efficient basement. And, the builders appreciate using them because they install in less than a day. That means a builder can start the construction process the day after the foundation system is installed."

Top-of-the-line Superior Walls Xi wall panels feature steel reinforced concrete and 2-1/2-inches of DOW® StyrofoamTM insulation. The panels are custom designed and constructed in a factory-controlled setting. Unique features of the Xi wall panels include:

- 5,000+ PSI concrete
- Steel-reinforced top bond beams, concrete studs and footer beams
- Horizontal steel rebar inside top and bottom beams
- Vertical steel rebar inside each stud
- Access holes for ease in wiring and plumbing
- Galvanized steel stud facing ready for drywall finishing
- Insulated corners, studs and bond beams

"Superior Walls products are resource efficient, using up to 70 percent less concrete in a new home than conventional foundations," says Dave Varner, president of Superior Walls of North Carolina. "Stud facings eliminate the need for additional wood framing prior to interior finishing. Using fewer materials helps reduce the carbon footprint of the new home's construction process."

Wertheim has specified Superior Walls systems for several dozen of his home projects over the past 12 years. One of his most recent home designs, in Black Mountain, N. C., used the Xi system as the foundation for the 2,800-square foot timberframe home.

2,800 sq. ft. timber frame home in Black Mountain, North Carolina, featuring Superior Walls® foundation.

"The family in this home enjoys the sense of ‘connection' with the mountain setting," says Wertheim. "Part of that connection is a sense of stability and security that comes from having a precast concrete foundation. The systems available from Superior Walls of North Carolina complement my overall home designs and bring long-lasting energy-efficiency benefits to the homeowners."

The Superior Walls insulated precast concrete wall systems specified by Wertheim in his projects have earned the Green Approved Product designation by the NAHB Research Center. Builders choosing to use Xi and R-5 foundations can earn up to 13 points on a project toward a National Green Building Certification.

The Green Approved Products Certificate #00071 provides builders the following points for the use of Superior Walls foundation systems:
• Practice 601.2 - 3 points - Structural systems/advanced framing techniques optimize material usage.
• Practice 601.5 (1-3) - 4 points - Precut/preassembled components, panelized, or precast assemblies are utilized for a minimum of 90% of floor, wall, and/or roof system.
• Practice 607.1 - 3 points - Products containing fewer materials are used to achieve the same end-use requirements as conventional products.
• Practice 701.4.3.1 (1) - Mandatory - Insulation is installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions or local code. Mandatory for certification.
• Practice 903.2.2 - 3 points - Capillary break is added on footing.

For additional details on Superior Walls products, visit www.superiorwalls.com or www.superiorwallsnc.com. For information on Mountain Architecture by Ken Wertheim, visit http://www.mtnarc.com/. 

A Great Timber Frame House for Gathering

With Thanksgiving in just two days and Christmas right around the corner, large gatherings of family and friends are on most everyone's mind. We thought we would take this time to feature a Timberpeg home that is perfectly suited to host a large group for any feast.

 

This mountain-top home welcomes guests with the engraved rock "Beam on the Rocks" that has a double meaning; the post and "beam" home sits atop a "rocky" mountain and the homeowner also worked for Jim "Beam," which of course he enjoys "on the rocks." 

As visitors continue down the driveway they are then greeted with an amazing panoramic view of a New Hampshire vista. 

The views continue to be breathtaking as you enter the front door. The hammer beam trusses and large windows in this home frame the fall foliage outside.

To the right of the entry the kitchen and dining area are open to the great room but the space is more intimate with a low timber frame ceiling.  The kitchen layout is great for the cook who wants space but likes to feel part of the conversation. The breakfast bar and large dining table invite guests to sit and chat without creating chaos in the kitchen.

Just off the kitchen and dining room is a conventionally frame sun-room which creates the perfect space to expand a much longer dinner table that's often needed during the holidays. There's nothing simpler than decorating a Thanksgiving table using the fall foliage just outside your door.

 After everyone has likely overeaten the delicious meal, there is plenty of space to spread out and relax (or recover) in the great room. There's nothing like gathering around a cozy fireplace and playing a board game or just sharing memories of past holidays spent together. 

To see more photos of this home visit Timberpeg's Mountain Homes page. If you're interested in learning more about this floor plan please feel free to contact us.

Timber Frame Home In Omaha Nebraska

A Timberpeg home that was built in Omaha, Nebraska was recently featured in Omaha Magazine in a special Omaha Home section of the publication. The home was designed by architect Kurt Suhr of Lincoln, NE and built by Mark Bohn of Ashland, NE. The interior design of the home was done by Diane Luxford of Omaha. Read the article on this timber frame home. You can also read other articles featuring Timberpeg timber frame projects by visiting the Timberpeg website directly at www.timberpeg.com/asSeenIn.

Lake Norman Timber Frame Company Owner/Designer Wins Top Design Award

Timberpeg Independent Representative, Bruce Hafley, president and chief designer for Timberframe Carolina, Inc. was recently honored by the Lake Norman Home Builders Association (LNHBA) with a home design award in conjunction with its Best of the Lake design competition. Timberframe Carolina was honored with a first-place award among 44 entries judged by a panel of independent industry experts.

The new custom timber frame home located on Lake Wylie was designed by Timberframe Carolina with Hafley as its chief designer. The first-place award was given in the category for a new custom home valued between $700,000 and $1 million. The Craftsman Style home blended with its setting by incorporating warm natural materials such as field stone and cedar siding.  On the inside, a superior hand crafted feel was created by the warm and clean lines of the timber frame.  The casually elegant atmosphere is a great setting for the family to gather.  The judges comments included: “Warm and consistent use of theme materials.” and  “Thoughtful planning for site and customer use.”

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.

New Photos Added to the Timberpeg Website

 

View More Photos of this Home

As you drive towards the cul-de-sac where Beth and Don’s home is situated, your eyes are immediately drawn to the pristine stained glass window arched above the impressive Douglas fir timbered entrance. One of two stained glass windows from a 19th century church in South Carolina, these one-of-a-kind finds discovered by Beth more than 30 years ago had been stored for safe-keeping until she and husband, Don, could bring them back to glory in their retirement home.

View More Photos of this Home

Like many couples, Beth and Don wanted to build a special home on their waterfront lot of 30 years … a lot they had hand-picked from among the first available along Lake Norman. The home had to be designed just for them, combining special memories of many years together with special finds and their dream of what their retirement home should be.  Their love of the mountains influenced the look they wanted for their home. However, the rustic look of many homes didn't depict the casual elegance they also desired. While Don liked the log appearance, Beth was concerned about the interior and didn't want to lose the appeal that a traditional influence brings.

After extensive research, a friend suggested that a timber framed home might be the way to achieve their desire. Upon their friend's referral, they visited a TIMBERPEG^® home constructed in the area. Seeing first-hand how easily the home combined the warmth and grandeur of natural woods with more traditional fixtures, materials, and design convinced them that achieving a casual elegance in a mountainesque home on the lake was indeed possible.

View More Photos of this Home

To make their home a reality, Beth and Don quickly engaged Bruce Hafley of Timberframe Carolina to begin the design process.  “We started from just an exterior photograph of a log home they found attractive,” says Hafley, "and then adapted it with Don's desires for the exterior and Beth's concern for the interior characteristics."

Then Beth and Don chose cedar and redwood-colored semi-transparent stains to enhance and protect the natural wood grain of the siding and trim. By pre-staining the siding material before attaching it to the home, maintenance issues were minimized, which was important for the couple, as they wanted to enjoy their retirement with low exterior maintenance.

View More Photos of this Home

Beth desired that the interior of the home maintain openness while still offering an intimate, comfortable feel. She was excited about the flexibility of interior options a Timberpeg design offers.  She found the timber posts and beams added visual depth and character to the interior surroundings, while not producing an overwhelming rustic look.  To compliment the posts and beams, she elected to use a combination of Timberpeg’s white pine T&G paneling with painted sheetrock in select areas.  To keep the rooms light and airy, window treatments were not used. “With the timbers framing the windows, there’s no need for window treatments” states Beth.



Natural light was identified early in the design process as being important to Beth.  Since the timber posts support the weight of the structure, greater flexibility was available for the placement of windows in a multiple design to fully capture the stunning lake view.  An entire wall became windows - a view to the world.  Windows were selectively placed to take advantage of the directional sun-light and their spectacular long water views across the lake.  For example, when looking out their great room windows at the lake, the vertical timbers separating these windows mimic the trees thus enhancing the effect of bringing the outdoors inside. In addition, the incoming natural light blending with the multiple wood tones inside further enhances the ambiance of each room.

In the end, Beth and Don’s home is a shining example of marrying rustic appeal with casual elegance.  “We are so glad we didn’t go with log construction.  The post and beam timber framing construction gave us the flexibility and diversity for each of us to get what we wanted.” Now, they are enjoying their little piece of heaven on the lake.

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.

Timberpeg Timber Frame Home Tour Event

Come Tour a Timberpeg Timber Frame Home! This weekend kicks off the event. There are many timber frame homes to see across the country in addition to the ones you see below. Check out the full listing on our website.

FIND A TIMBERPEG HOME TOUR NEAR YOU

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 Regional Sales Manager, Roy Conant, 40 Year Anniversary

Congratulations, Roy! On July 6, 1970 Roy Conant of Timberpeg® began working with our sister company, Real Log Homes and was there when our first timber frame was cut and raised 1972 - back when Timberpeg® was known as Cluster Shed.

He is one of the most knowledgeable employees at Timberpeg and we are proud he is still as enthusiastic as that first day! If you have been a customer of Roy's, have worked with him or even just know him, you will agree, he deserves a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS! Thanks for everything you've done, Roy!  

Send Roy and email to congratulate him.

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.

Great Timber Frame Floor Plans for Entertaining During a Long Holiday Weekend

Even though it's still spring, the long weekend that celebrates Memorial Day seems to be the kick-off for summer. This may be the weekend you take to go open your camp and get it ready for summer visitors. Or maybe you already did that so you could take this time to get together with family and friends and enjoy the beautiful long weekend.

It may also be the time that you notice all the things you would love to update or change about your vacation home. Maybe you want to open up your floor plan to allow more room for those large crowds. Or, you want more windows so you can see that beautiful view from EVERY room. Perhaps you want to add an addition to the home so you can comfortably fit all those summer guests. Whatever it is you want, Timberpeg has a timber frame floor plan to fit your needs. The below home is a great example but visit our Featured Timber Frame Floor Plans page to find more.

Lake Anna

Timber Frame Home Recently Completed in Oregon

We just posted a new photo gallery of a Timberpeg home that was recently completed in Oregon. The homeowners were kind enough to send us photos of their new timber frame house! They haven't moved in furniture yet but the pictures are still great! What a beauty!

Check out more photos of this custom designed home.

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.

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.

Barn Style Timber Frame Home

 
Take a look at this barn style Timberpeg home located in NY. We just added a photo gallery of the home. The homeowners were kind enough to share them with us!