A timber frame home starts with a decision about structure. The frame carries every load in the building, so the choice of timber system shapes the whole project, from the foundation to the roofline. Homeowners who understand structural timber engineering options such as sawn lumber, glulam, cross-laminated timber, and heavy timber can pick the system that fits their site, budget, and skill level before a single foundation block is set.
This article follows the story of one couple who built a 3,237-square-foot timber frame home on 35 acres of Colorado countryside in five distinct phases. Their project is a working example of what phased construction looks like: stone foundations, oak timbers, a cathedral great room, and finish work done almost entirely by the owners. The practical lessons apply to any post and beam build, whatever the size.
Choose the Frame System and Learn the Joinery
The couple came to timber framing after remodeling a 1912 Arts and Crafts bungalow in Pasadena, California, and they wanted the same character in Colorado: stone foundations, dark oak, built-ins, and handcrafted detail. That background mattered because timber framing rewards owners who are willing to learn the joinery. Before committing to full-size timbers, many builders practice the connections on a smaller structure; learning to frame garden shed walls with half-lapped 4x4s for a timber frame look is a cheap way to master layout, cutting, and raising before the real frame goes up.
Timber frame homes use heavy posts and beams joined with mortise-and-tenon connections instead of nails and metal plates. The system allows long clear spans, which is why great rooms, kitchens, and lofts stay open without interior bearing walls.
Frame Systems Compared
| System | Typical clear span | Structural members | DIY friendliness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy timber frame | 20 to 30 feet | 6×8 to 10×10 posts, 6×10 and larger beams | Moderate with training |
| Sawn lumber stick frame | 10 to 16 feet | 2×6 and 2×8 studs and joists | High |
| Glulam beams | 30 to 60 feet | Engineered laminated beams | Moderate |
| Cross-laminated timber panels | 15 to 30 feet | Solid CLT wall and roof panels | Low, crane required |
What the Owners Did Themselves
Mary Reamer made the Arts and Crafts style stained-glass windows, and the couple installed virtually all of the interior trimwork themselves. Stained glass, built-ins, and trim are finish-phase skills that a determined homeowner can learn, which is where phased building pays off: the owners save labor on the parts they can do and hire out the parts they cannot.
Phase the Build in Five Stages
The Reamers built their home in five phases, spreading the work and the cost over years rather than one exhausting push. Phasing keeps the budget and the stress manageable and lets the owners live on site while the later stages go in.
- Site and foundation: clear the land, set the stone foundations for the timber supports, and build the floor system
- Frame raising: mill and raise the oak timbers, including the trusses that define the great room
- Envelope: close in the roof and walls so the interior work happens under cover
- Systems: rough in plumbing, electrical, and HVAC before any finish surface goes on
- Interior finish: trim, built-ins, cabinets, and flooring, the phase where the owners’ handiwork shows
The sequence matters more than the timing. Foundations must cure before the frame loads them, the frame must be braced before the roof goes on, and the rough-in must pass inspection before drywall closes the walls. Each phase ends with a checkpoint: pay off the stage, inspect the work, and plan the next one.
Why Five Phases Work
A phased schedule turns one intimidating budget into five achievable ones. It also gives the owners time to make finish decisions with clear heads and to learn the skills each stage requires.
Budgeting Phase by Phase
Assign a share of the total budget to each stage before construction starts. Foundations and the frame typically absorb 30 to 40 percent of the cost, the envelope another 20 to 25 percent, systems 15 to 20 percent, and the interior finish the rest. Knowing those splits in advance keeps any single phase from eating the whole plan.
Save on the Phases You Can Do
The couple did virtually all of the trimwork, one of the most labor-intensive parts of any home. Owners who install their own trim, cabinets, and flooring can save 20 to 40 percent of the total finish budget, and the money saved on labor goes into better materials: white oak, cherry, and maple instead of stock pine.
Raise the Roof: Trusses and Cathedral Ceilings
The great room is the showpiece of most timber frames. In the Reamers’ home, the sitting-room loft offers a close-up view of the white oak timber trusses that mark the cathedral ceiling, and the room itself faces southwest toward Mount Garfield and the Colorado National Monument. A well-designed truss system makes that ceiling possible without interior columns.
Owners who want the timber look without a full timber roof system often combine methods. A timbered ceiling that pairs timber frame aesthetics with stick frame efficiency uses lighter trusses and purlins, costing less while keeping the exposed-wood character of a true frame.
Truss Types for Open Rooms
- King post trusses: simple triangles for shorter spans
- Queen post trusses: medium spans with more headroom
- Scissor trusses: vaulted ceilings with a pitched underside
- Hammer beam trusses: long, dramatic spans in great halls
Ceiling Heights and Sightlines
Decide the ceiling height before the trusses are engineered. The Reamers’ great room reads as one continuous space because the loft overlooks it, so the trusses were designed to be seen from two levels. Work with the structural engineer on truss spacing, typically 4 to 8 feet on center, and on the ridge height that gives the proportions you want.
Arts and Crafts Detail: Curves, Built-Ins, and Trim
The Arts and Crafts movement prized honest joinery and visible construction, which makes it a natural fit for timber frames. The Reamers carried the style through the whole house: frame-and-panel oak wainscoting in the entry, a Greene-and-Greene style hutch in the dining room, and built-in vanities and seating. Builders who want arches and curved rails should study curved timber techniques before the timbers are milled, because curves change how the wood is cut and joined.
The couple made the interior trim from white oak, cherry, and maple, each chosen for its role: oak for doors and casings where durability matters, cherry for the hutch and built-ins where warmth shows, and maple where a lighter, tighter grain fits.
Built-Ins Earn Their Square Footage
Built-in hutches, benches, vanities, and shelving use space that would otherwise sit empty and give the home its handcrafted character. The dining room hutch, the U-shaped granite-topped built-ins in the master bath, and the window seats all came from this approach.
The Trimwork Plan
Doors, casings, baseboards, and window trim should be specified as a set so the profiles match from room to room. The Reamers’ white oak doors and casings match the medicine cabinet, mirror, and vanity, which is why each room reads as one design.
Wood Moisture and Movement
Trim wood should be acclimated to the house before installation. Check moisture content with a meter: below 12 percent for interior trim in most climates, and allow for seasonal movement in wide boards by using a gap at the ends or a floating joint. Skilled trimwork starts with wood that has stopped moving.
Foundations and Load Paths
Every timber frame is only as good as the connection between the posts and the ground. The Reamers’ stone foundations mirror those found on Arts and Crafts bungalows built early in the twentieth century, and the load path runs from the roof down through the posts into those supports. The engineering for supporting timber frame posts on concrete block walls covers the connection design and load transfer that keep the frame stable for decades.
Foundation Options for Timber Frames
- Concrete piers with metal post bases: simple and common
- Continuous concrete footings: even bearing under every post
- Stone or concrete block walls: the classic look, more labor
- Full basements: extra space for a higher cost
What the Engineer Checks
The connection detail at each post base must resist gravity loads, uplift from wind, and lateral forces. Anchor bolts, post bases, and bearing plates transfer the load, and the engineer sizes them from the tributary area each post carries.
Moisture at the Base
Timber posts rot fastest where they meet masonry, so the base detail matters. Stand posts off the concrete on a metal post base, keep the wood at least an inch above finished grade, and slope the concrete away from the foundation. A capillary break between wood and masonry stops the wicking that ruins post bases.
Finish the Interior, Verify the Structure
Before the last coat of paint goes on, walk the structure one more time. Every connection, from the ridge beam down to the supporting timber frame posts, should be checked against the engineer’s drawings, and any shims, wedges, or bolts adjusted during the build should be inspected and tightened.
The Last 10 Percent
The Reamers finished with details that complete the story: a covered porch wrapping two sides of the house, a lighted entry porch, a diagonally laid oak floor inside a walnut border, and a hickory floor set at a 45-degree angle in the loft. These are the touches that turn a framed house into a home.
A phased timber frame build asks for patience and a willingness to learn, and it delivers a structure with clear spans, handcrafted character, and a price the owners control at every stage. Start with the frame system, phase the work, and finish with the details that make the house yours.