Log Home and Timber Frame Expo

I'm back from Sacramento, site of the Log Home and Timber Frame Expo! After a full day of seminars and exhibits, I know a lot more about these building methods than I did before. I watched them build a small log cabin right there at the show! Having everything pre-cut at the factory sure makes the building go up fast on the site. I just finished building a garage using standard construction methods, and it was measure, cut, nail, measure, cut, nail, every single piece of the garage. This log frame was more like assembling a puzzle, except each piece was labelled so you knew where it went. A few splines, drive in some screws with a screw gun, and the building is up!

Timber framing is another method of building that has been around for centuries. In this technique, large timbers provide the basic structure of the building. The latest innovation is to attach Structural Integrated Panels (SIPs) to the frame. A SIP is a 8 by 24 foot piece of rigid foam insulation sandwiched between two pieces of plywood (actually OSB, but let's call it plywood). All window and door openings are cut out by computers at the factory. Your interior and exterior finishes are then attached to the SIPs. In the picture below, tongue and groove pine was used as the finish material.

This type of house uses less wood than a convention stick-built home, and costs 50% less energy to heat it. The frame and panels can go up fast, giving you a completed shell in a matter of days. While the large timbers seem to fit the style of mountain homes, soon you will be seeing timber framing used in tract homes.

This is the method we will use on our future place in Idyllwild. We'll also be using PEX plumbing, another innovation that's just starting to go mainstream. Del Webb is using PEX in their new homes in Hemet.

And then of course the furniture dealers we there! Here's an awesome bed with built-in lamps made of Aspen trees from Colorado. What makes the logs unique is that elk have chewed on the Aspens, causing the trees to grow around the injury and creating this unique look. If you have an extra $6500 for a bed, you can check it out at http://www.tmoriginals.com/.