Enjoy a West Coast Timberframe Look on a Modest Budget

Hybrid timber construction offers the visual effects of timber framing at a fraction of the cost.

Having elements of timber framing in your home may not be as costly as you might think. In fact, most of the timber framing that you see in modern buildings is blended with conventional framing to show off a west coast style in certain areas of the home, while leaving the rest of the house to less costly construction methods.

Hybrid timber construction works very well in custom home designs and renovations where the main structure of the house is conventionally framed, but the owner decides that certain timber accents would add to the design and feel of the house.

One example of this is a vaulted ceiling with an exposed timber truss system, which is very popular in main living areas, great rooms and master bedrooms. A hybrid approach would employ 2X6 framed walls, engineered to pick up the load of the timber truss system, giving the look of a timber roof structure without the cost of structural timber framed walls.

Post and beam highlights are very cost effective finishing details in a home. Cosmetic finishing beams can be attached to conventional framing to ad warmth and style to any home design.

Exterior highlights are some of the most popular timber applications seen throughout modern neighbourhoods. Covered entries designed in a post and beam style, cosmetic gable trusses and timber braces blend beautifully with west coast-styled rock work and wood-textured siding for a natural finish on a home.

The key to creating a natural looking hybrid timber home is design. If timber highlights are important to the home owner, the design should be based on those elements, rather than adding cosmetic timber as an afterthought. A skilled timber frame designer will be able to help integrate various cosmetic and structural timber elements into a home at the early stages of the design process, while advising on the most efficient and cost effective way to achieve the desired look. The result can be visually comparable to a fully structural timber framed home at a fraction of the cost.