Stress Skins

On the garages, all of the timber frame has been completed, and the roof sheathing done.  So the next step has been to cover it all with what we used to call stress-skins, and are now called Structural Insulated Panels or SIPs.

SIPs are a pretty wild and innovative concept in building.  They consist of a wall “frame” built in a factory of OSB (similar to plywood) integral 2×4’s, and insulation all in one made to assemble on site.  You can build a whole building from them without any other structural components.  In a lot of ways it’s overkill on a timberframe where you already have an incredibly resilient structure in place.  But SIPs are also wonderfully convenient for this kind of building.  They come pre-made with door and window cut-outs, as well as electric and plumbing chases to order.  The walls for the timberframe are “simply” assembled on site and attached to the timberframe.

Well, maybe not quite so simply.  Some of them can weigh a couple of thousand pounds, and you need expensive equipment to move them in place.  Rather than continually renting equipment for this kind of job, I bit the bullet and bought a skid- steer and fork-truck (shown below), which have already paid themselves off in spades helping with this and other kind of work.

Installing Structural Insulated Panels

More frame raising

Well, the snow (causing about a week delay) finally melted and the crew was able to get back to work this week raising the other garage.  As Bruce says -  today was a “G-e-e-r-e-a-a-t” day! with getting a lot of the second garage put together.

2nd Garage

Almost Done

The SIPS (Stuctural Insulated Panels) that will cover the building have been custom-made with the window and door cut-outs, electrical and plumbing conduits installed, etc, and should be delivered on-site in about a week.  Sounds like perfect timing.

Timberframe Raising

Well, today was the big day – starting to raise the timberframe garages.  A pretty big deal – the culmination of months and months of work by good friends at Healing Harvest who harvested the trees using eco-friendly and sustainable approaches, Bob Gill, who sawed the wood, Blue Ridge Timberframe who planed it, my good friends at Streamline Timberworks who designed and built the frame, and my buddy Bruce and his very fine crew from Sticks and Stones.  And Roy, the most excellent crane operator.  It’s been so rewarding to me to be able to work with such good and talented friends.

And they did darn good today.  Got much of the first frame up.

Timberframe raising

Preparations

We now have almost all of the timberframe on site, and work commenced today towards putting the pieces together.

Below are the hammer-frame trusses, which will support the 28′ span of the larger garage. This basic hammer-frame design has been used for centuries – Notre Dame Cathedral uses hammer-frame to support it’s roof, but it would seem that structural engineers still don’t quite understand how it works. Having been trained as a structural engineer myself, I kinda like that.

Hammer Trusses

Y’all have heard of the bigger hammer theory, where every intractable problem just needs a bigger hammer? Well, below Brad from Sticks and Stones Construction proves that is just the case to get a recalcitrant beam in place:

Bigger Hammer

The crane will arrive tomorrow early am to start lifting these into place. This is where the rubber really meets the road. Months and months of design, planning, fabrication, and preparation all culminates in the couple days of frame raising, and it’s an exciting time for all involved.

More Timberframe

The timberframe craftsmen at Streamline are working exceptionally hard, while pretty much all other farmwork has had to stop for the winter.  The previous pictures show them using modern power tools, but that belies the essential nature of their precision work which relies primarily on  ancient techniques and methods and hand tools.  There is still plenty of hand work to be done, and these guys are true craftsmen of their trade in the large and historical context of the word.  Trish and I feel very blessed that these folks are right here in our community – most folks have to look very far and wide for these rare, archaic,  anachronistic, and valuable skills.

Hand Cutting

Hand Tools

Garages

Timberframe garages

Thought I would post a sketch of the timberframe garages – the intended result of all this cutting, sawing, burning, etc….