Why Timber Frame Construction is better for the
environment than conventional construction
 |
Wood is Green
 |
Wood is a renewable resource, and we use timbers
harvested only from sustainable forests. |
 |
The amount of forested land in North America is
steadily increasing. The main reason is simple economics: there
is a demand for wood, so we keep growing more. |
 |
Forested land fights global warming! Trees
absorb carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas |
 |
Not only do we obtain our timber from
sustainable foresters who replace the trees they harvest, NLTF
replants trees too! Through a partnership with the
National Arbor Day Foundation,
Northern Lights Timber Framing plants a new tree for every tree we use in
our timber frames. We've already replanted almost 1000 trees! |
|
 |
SIPs are Energy Efficient
 |
Most Timber Frame homes are enclosed with
Structural Insulated
Panels (SIPs). The SIPs are installed outside of the Timber
Frame. The frame supports the structure from the inside, thus no studs
are need in the SIP walls. This creates an unbroken blanket of
insulation around the entire building for superior energy efficiency.
|
 |
A 6" SIP panel wall provides a "whole wall" R
value of R24. A 2x6 stick frame wall with typically installed
fiberglass insulation provides only R11. (Source: Oak Ridge National
Laboratory) |
 |
While SIPs do consume fossil fuels in their
manufacture, this is greatly outweighed by the reduction in fossil fuel
consumption required to heat and cool the home over it's lifetime. |
|
 |
Timber Framing is better than stick framing
 |
Timber Frame construction uses a similar amount
of wood as stick frame construction. Compare a stick frame wall using
a 2x6 stud every 16 inches vs a 10x10 post every 14 feet. In fact,
timber frames often use less wood overall. |
 |
Stick frame construction is often referred to as
"disposable housing". Conventional builders are required to meet
building codes, but there is no financial incentive for them to do any
better. In fact, there's a disincentive, as they will appear to be
more expensive than their competitors. But building codes primarily
address safety, not longevity. |
 |
Timber Frame homes are designed to last for
generations. So even if a similar amount of material is used in the
two styles of construction, the one that lasts many times longer is clearly
superior. And who would want to tear down a beautiful timber
frame? |
 |
Stick frame lumber generates more waste during
milling. Both timbers and 2x6 studs are planed down 1/2" from their
rough sawn dimensions. But because a single timber replaces so many
studs, 3 times more waste is generated by planing the smaller studs. |
 |
Stick frame lumber is kiln dried, which consumes
even more energy. In timber frame construction, green (undried)
timbers are usually used. |
|
 |
Even Greener
 |
There are more options to make timber framing
even greener! One is to use reclaimed timbers. These are timbers
that have been salvaged from old factories and warehouses built a century or
more ago. Geothermal and solar energy are also great complimentary
technologies to SIP-enclosed buildings. |
|


|