Elegance And Energy Efficiency Under One Roof

When you look at many of the newest versions of timber frame homes and commercial construction

, you find that the designs are wild, and unique, and are obviously built for user comfort. They certainly show creativity, and a modern elegance that works for people of all incomes and statures. There is more going on than what meets the eye in modern custom homes, and timber frame construction offers some of the best opportunities to maximize energy efficiency.

Theres a big benefit, when building a structure such as this, to getting a contractor that understands what your ultimate goals are. Ultimately, you want to have a home that gives you the utmost comfort and the least amount of additional cost. The technology and designs are already available and can be bought and redesigned to the specifications a customer might need. When hiring local subcontractors, you need someone experienced in timber frame homes and building for maximum energy efficiency. It will be crucial in finding the right materials, scheduling deliveries in a timely manner, and to coordinate so that the building schedule doesn't waste time, materials or money.

Elegance and energy efficiency are not, as many people may think, mutually exclusive. Often, when you look at the features of a modern home that give it an atmosphere of elegance, you find that they are also functioning pieces of a passive solar energy /thermal mass system. One of the key ingredients is an aperture or way to let the sun in. This is one of the things that timber frame construction provides a lot of. With the post and beam nature of timber frame, there can be a lot of openings that lend themselves to windows. This provides endless opportunities for natural lighting as well as portals for heating up a thermal mass.

A thermal mass collects heat during the day and releases it at night. This also makes a natural air flow with the movement of warm and cold air. Modern timber frame homes are ideal in that they lend themselves to more open spaces, big windows, and they look good with dark heat absorbing surfaces. For example, picture a sun room with a lot of glass and a dark marble tiled floor. It will collect and then release the heat in the evening, and if the house is designed for optimal air flow, it can move on to heat other parts of the house. With a room to catch the morning sun, and another to catch some evening rays, you can be very creative in your usage.

Another feature that is common in timber frame homes is the window and door jambs. They are usually made with real wood and are much bigger than common window casings. Both inside and outside on the exterior trim. Some would say more flamboyant, other would say it gives a homey or lodge type of feel. Regardless, these are much more efficient ways to wrap windows than using drywall or sometimes just caulking. If you add these too many other more common energy efficiency methods, you can start being energy efficient and environmentally responsible from the very design of your home.

by: Patrick Thompson

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