Our approach to building is fundamentally conservative. Our work is part of the long tradition of timber framing; our use of materials, plans, and designs rooted in vernacular practices. Much of our knowledge of what has worked in the past and what needs to be improved on in the future has come from repairing, restoring and renovating timber frame houses and barns here on the coast of Maine.
In many ways, the
restoration of an 18th- or 19th-century building is more
ecologically sound than building new. All of the necessary
infrastructure is already in place: driveway, well, electric,
plumbing. The materials and original construction represent a
significant amount of embodied energy. If we can rebuild, update,
repair or replace what is already there, our energy and resource
savings will be considerable. In addition, the siting of the
building usually makes a certain intuitive sense with respect to
the lay of the land, settlement patterns, natural transportation
routes, and seasonal weather patterns. This is in marked contrast
to our modern practice of scattering buildings haphazardly across
the landscape wherever cars can reach.
But
updating these older buildings to modern standards is not without
challenges. In many ways, the energy economy of earlier centuries
was even more reckless than our own. Most older timber frame homes
were barely insulated or not at all. A typical farmhouse would burn
fifteen to twenty cords of wood each winter for heat. Not
surprisingly, these were the centuries when the forests of Maine
were cut the most aggressively. Trying to super-insulate these
buildings can mean using the least natural insulations or having to
build out the frame, since the wall cavities were often only four
inches. Another issue that almost always needs to be addressed in
these centuries-old homes and barns is structural rot. Sills and
tie beams are particularly vulnerable, particularly on the gable
walls, where roof overhangs are often minimal. Unless the
generations of homeowners have been particularly vigilant about
flashings and siding maintenance, water is almost certain to have
found its way inside the walls. Our experience repairing these
rotten members in building after building is one of the reasons we
favor wide roof overhangs in our designs of new
buildings.
Despite these and other
challenges, the preservation of historic timber frame buildings is
a more than worthwhile endeavor. Not only are these buildings
central to Maine's architectural heritage, they often have deep
sentimental value to the families that have called them home for
generations. And even for homeowners whose personal history with
these buildings is brief, restoring and maintaining them is more
often than not a labor of love. If you own an older timber frame
house or barn, or are considering buying one, we'd be happy to give
you an evaluation of the overall soundness of your building and
what might be done to improve its energy efficiency or ensure its
long-term integrity. Our renovations all begin with a basic respect
for the design and craftsmanship of the original building; most of
the materials and techniques we use would be instantly recognizable
to the carpenters of the 18th and 19th centuries.
