A True Handcrafted Company
www.HomesteadTimberFrames.com
Homestead Timber Frames
Our Company
Bruce Gardner – Co-Owner
Erik Toplis - Designer
Homestead Crew –
(Left to Right)
Andy Pierson – Shop Foreman
Jon Wilkins – Joinery/Layout
Cyndy Gardner – Co-Owner
Dee Kistner – Joiner
Adam Jones – Joiner
Jason Simpson - Joiner
The City of Dresden
Farmers Market Pavilion Rendering
Our Joiners in Action
Shipping our Timber Frames
Our timbers are bunked – strapped – and
have corner protectors applied before
being loaded onto a ‘curtain side’ flat bed
truck. At the site, a forklift will be ready
to unload the bunks neatly for the HTF
crew to break apart and sort.
Crane at a Raising
Cranes in Action
Cranes and Forklifts
Extendable Boom Forklift
Homestead Timber Frames uses Cranes
sized to pick the loads created for each
project. The Farmers Market timber
frame has six bents each weighing in at
roughly 8,000 lbs. This will require a 40
Ton Crane.
We also use Forklifts as pictured above to
move the timbers around on the site.
How We Anchor Pavilion Posts to the Ground
A steel Threaded rod is imbedded
in concrete and a Timberlinx
connector is attached. A Plexiglas
plate is placed between the
bottom of the post and the
concrete to prevent moisture
from wicking to the wood. The
post with the same sized drilled
hole is set down on top of this
assembly.
A Timberlinx cross bolt is inserted through
the side of the post and into the connector.
An Allen wrench
tightens the Timberlinx
cross bolt, locking the
entire assembly together.
The hole in the post is
then filled with a
wooden peg for a
handsome installation.
Trial Fitting in our Shop
Once we finish the joinery on the timber frame project, we trial fit each bent
assembly on saw horses in the shop. This allows us to pre drill peg holes for
the raising as well as correct the occasional math error.
After the timbers are trial fitted and peg
holes are drilled, pictures like these are
taken for the client. Then within minutes,
the test pegs are removed, the members are
taken apart and put back on the saw horses
for final sanding. Decorative beveled
timber edges called chamfers are also added
at this time. Finish is applied to the oak.
Our cypress projects are left natural.
Photo Gallery of Past Projects
A Great Room Addition to an existing cabin on the river.
Our Clients enjoy using the
mallet to drive in the last
wooden peg. Some even come
work on their timbers with the
joiners in our shop!
The Finished Interior of the Addition to the
Cabin on the River.
A White Oak Gambrel Barn and
the finished interior of the ‘Hay
Loft’ above as Guest Quarters.
Bedroom and Bath are located
behind the Kitchen.
Exterior
view of the
Barn after
completion.
One shed is
used as a
front porch –
the back
shed is for
the tractor.
Hip Roofed Cypress Pavilion
16’ x 48’ Cypress Pavilion for Pool Side Dining and Relaxing – Kentucky - 2013
Raising a Timber Frame
Timbers are unloaded
and Bents are assembled
on the deck or prepared
slab. The full bents are
stacked in the order of
the raising sequence.
Crane Day!
The Crane is called on site after all
the bents are assembled and the
raising begins. Bent One is raised
first – tied off – then Bent Two is
raised. After it is secured, the
connecting girts are placed along
with the braces. Once the two
bents are stable, the crane will
raise the third and fourth bents
accordingly.
The Crane continues
dropping connecting girts
with braces attached for
the crew to place and peg.
We’re almost done and
this four bent two and a
half story full timber
frame home was raised in
three days.
Driving Pegs through the
splines that connect the post
to the connecting girt.
Setting the Ridge
Completed Timber Frame
Homestead Timber Frames – Crossville, Tennessee – A True Handcrafted Company