Green Building

Timber Frames are inherently green structures in themselves. As trees grow, they naturally sequester carbon in their trunks and in the soil around them. Once harvested and used in a timber frame, that carbon stays locked up in the wood for the life of the structure. The majority of our timbers are proudly sourced locally in the Northeastern US where species like Eastern White Pine and Hemlock are abundant and sustainably harvested from carefully maintained stands of local forest. Our business supports a local supply chain of landowners, loggers, truckers, and multigenerational family mills.

We use OSB as the facings for our standard structural insulated panel (SIPs) because it is environmentally friendly. These OSB SIPs are environmentally friendly because they typically contain softwoods such as poplar and aspen, which are fast-growing trees harvested on a tree farm when they are young. This is important in a green society because the emphasis is on newer and faster-producing trees which protect the old-growth forests. As a result of this protection towards old-growth hardwoods, OSB is generally referred to as a sustainable and renewable natural resource.

One of the major concerns for any homeowner is the inability to control rising energy costs. Recently, there have been spikes in propane, heating oil, electricity, and even the labor associated with felling, splitting, and drying wood for home heating. However, SIPs offer a window of hope; SIPs are virtually airtight due to the nature of their fabrication and installation, and they form a continuous layer of thick insulation completely around the timber frame structure. As a result, the occupants have much more control over their interior environment, especially when paired with recommended energy recovery ventilation. This helps make timber frame and SIP homes extremely energy efficient, saving costs over time and reducing the total amount of heating and cooling energy needed for the lifetime of the structure.