This old timber-frame was very rare.
The vast majority of old frames that I encounter, whether a house frame, or a barn frame, have a rotted floor system. When we rebuild those homes we start the home with a new floor system and from there we start putting up the vintage timbered walls.
But not here.
This incredible floor system was still intact, gorgeous to look at, and as strong as the day she was built.
I could hardly contain my eagerness in building this feature… I’m not certain my client ever fully appreciated my enthusiasm. After all, when is the last time you were excited about your floor system?
This was better than Christmas morning as a child.
This timbers were handmade,
with an axe,
using the best trees from a virgin forest,
two hundred years ago.
Here we see in this photo that the main front-to-back timbers are now in place. These timber’s tenons are now pegged in place to the rear sill timber, and the other ends are supported on the front using temporary cinder blocks.
All we have do now is slide the front timber into those tenons… that should be easy… it’s not like these things are heavy.
Originally posted 2015-04-09 14:22:03.