Marks Lumber is your choice for sustainable forest products, including circle sawn timbers, flooring, siding, and rough sawn lumber. In addition to being a manufacturer and retailer, Marks Lumber is also a premium supplier of custom timber frame homes. We can help you plan, design, build, and assemble your dream timber frame or post and beam structure. 

Marks Lumber Timber Frame is a full-service timber shop. We help homeowners and builders alike, performing projects of all different sizes and specifications. With hundreds of projects under our belt, we understand that it can be challenging to figure out where to start when looking into timber frame construction. To help you along the way, we’ve put together a short list of things to keep in mind when trying to turn your timber frame home into a reality. 

Getting Started

Timber frame construction is all about communication. Timberframing is a detailed and intricate process, so it’s important that everyone - including the homeowner, builder, architect, and engineer - are on the same page. 

At Marks Lumber, we find it helpful first to determine if we are looking at a “full timber frame” or a “post and beam” structure. We consider a timber frame to be any structural frame where the bents are made from traditional wooden joints. A post and beam structure, on the other hand, can be built with numerous different techniques, giving the builder a great deal of design flexibility. Post and beam structures can be anything from full-frame to entryways, pole barns, lofts, and much more.

Once we determine the type of construction you are looking at, it’s time to talk design. Odds are, if you have seen something that you love, we can probably build it. Our expert timber framers have worked on hundreds of unique projects and love using their knowledge and experience to make ideas come to life. 

Budgeting

It is important to come into the initial design phase with a budget. Having some kind of budget in mind will help us guide you on what is possible and where we may be able to help you save on cost. It is very difficult to try to estimate the cost of a timber frame structure without knowing all the details, so keep this in mind when going into the process. 

Typically timber frames are more expensive than traditional construction. On average, experts say to figure about 15% more than a traditional home of the same size. However, it is not uncommon for that number to go up to about 20-25% more than traditional construction costs. 

Timber Frame Construction Process

Once we have a budget laid out and the design is finished up, it is time to start ordering materials. Timber frame structures require quality timbers, which is important to consider when thinking about the timeframe for your project. Depending on exactly what you're looking for, it can take months to source or manufacture timbers. 

After timbers have been delivered, all timber members are then manufactured. This includes cutting timbers to size and completing joinery. We will then complete a preliminary and final assembly, which helps ensure the sizing is correct and the quality is impeccable. Materials are then packaged and delivered to the site, and site assembly begins. 

Services Marks Lumber Provides

Specific services Marks Lumber provides will vary by situation and requirements of each project and structure. Some of what Marks Lumber Timber Frame offers includes:

• High-level guidance on effective scale and size for timber structures
• Details on joinery
• Approximate cost differences between design approaches
• How to add a frame or post and beam structure to existing plans
• Manufacturing difficult timber components
• Raise complete frames

Contact Marks Lumber today for more information on our timber framing services or to get a quote on your circle sawn timber needs!