Cedar for use in sills?

Doc · March 28, 2005, 04:15:44 PM

I had planned on insulating all of it (roof, and walls). I suppose I will have to draw up something like what I am talking about here so as not to be so confusing.

Down here, with the stick builders, brick is a fascade (sp?). the exterior is skinned in plywood, and the brick is laid up next to the plywood with mortar tags tacked to the plywood skin. I am assuming I will have to do the same thing to the exterior of my frame here as I want the full timbers exposed in the house.

I see the cord-wood pics here, and it would appear that the fill was done right in the frame. I could go this route, but prefer not to. I realize that I am building a second frame around the timbers, but since the second frame will not be structural in nature I am assuming that I will not be held so tightly to the building codes as far as spacing, and the like.

From what I have been able to gather from the books that I do have, the exterior of a timber frame is skinned in sheet-rock or tongue and groove panel boards. I like the panel board appearance better on the inside, but where do I go from there? Do I build out pockets on the outside of this, and fill with insulation, and skin in plywood to be covered in stone?

Lots of things left unanswered by the two books I have, but the ones I have were meant to teach the joinery, and calcs for the framing more so than the finishing of the building. This is where I am left with lots of questions.

Doc

Jim_Rogers · March 28, 2005, 05:13:57 PM

Some years ago I was involved with a project in Maine. It was a timber frame faced with stone and it had a thatch roof.
Here are some pictures of the stone facing:

I sent Frank an email asking him about his methods of facing this frame with stone.
See below:

Frank:
Q:I have a someone that is interested in learning about facing a timber frame with stone, similar to the way you did your "model" home.
Did you insulate behind the stone? Or in a wall inside the frame?
Any detail drawings or any info would be helpful.
Can you tell me of a webpage address or any other info about doing this?

A: It is pretty simple. The timber posts rest on pilasters formed on the inside of the foundation wall. Then I used a 10 inch foundation wall with sips resting on the inside 4 inches and stone on the outside 6 inches. This requires the sips to sit on top of the subfloor rather than being taken down to the sill. I actually stepped down the foundation on the outside so that the stone met the finish grade. The masons used a special fabric between the stone and sip to drain any weep-age.

Frank Purser of Windemere Homes, Saco, Maine.

Doc · March 28, 2005, 05:18:15 PM

Gorgeous house! Perfect Jim! That is what I had in my head, but I am not the best at expressing myself sometimes.

Simply beautiful! Now can you ask him about loading that on a truck and shipping it to me in Alabama.......hahahahaa....

Thanks Jim,

Doc

Jim Haslip · March 28, 2005, 09:22:51 PM

Doc:
If you are going to have a crawl space will it be poured conrete or masonary block?
If so, why not use some cedar boards (2x8's or so) as a plate between the concrete/block and your frame sills of less rot resistant wood. Sort of a double plate with the most resistant wood nearest the wet part.
It isn't uncommon to double plate where I am.
The first plate is usually Pressure Treated Pine and the second plate raises the basement ceiling just enough that the walls can be formed with 8 ft forms and the basement slab gets poured half on top of the footing. Then the walls are still good for a full 8 ft of Drywall. (sorry you call it sheetrock)
If need be, post me a personal email and I'll send a sketch... Jim Haslip