Timberframe: The Art and Craft of the Post-and-Beam Home (Hardcover)

by Tedd Benson (Author), Jamie Salomon (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Unlike conventional framing, which is destined to be hidden by other building materials, timberframe homes leave massive beams and smaller supports exposed to be seen and admired as a finished and an architectural element. Tedd Benson divides Timberframe: The Art and Craft of the Post-and-Beam Home into four sections--"In the Country," "On the Water," "In the Mountains," and "In Addition"--to reveal how the proud owners of timberframe dwellings strive to make those architectural elements fit their surroundings. This is not a how-to book--though there are plenty of sketches and even a few simplified plans sprinkled among 400 color photos--as much as an effort to foster appreciation and inspiration of this unique home style. With case-by-case overviews of 29 American homes from coast to coast, Benson explores a craftsmanship that was largely replaced by stud framing in the late 1800s with the development of the wire nail, the circular saw mill, and the need to build houses more quickly. But Benson also calls attention to a renewed interest in timberframe dwellings. Norm Abram, of This Old House fame, not only wrote the foreword to this book but also serves as a case study of someone incorporating this old framing technique into his new house. For Abram, the attraction to timberframing is its sense of durability. "I look at its sturdiness and know it will be standing for many decades, maybe a century or two," he writes. Another sign of timberframing's resurgence is seen in the recent selling off of more than 7 million board feet of old-growth timber from the defunct Long-Bell Lumber mill in Longview, Washington. As Benson tells the story, word about the auction spread quickly among a new breed of timberframers who knew that wood of that size and quantity might never be seen again. The bidding quickly rose above the meager means of the average timberframer, and it was later learned that Bill Gates purchased the timbers for his multimillion-dollar home in Seattle. --John Russell

From Library Journal
Benson is a master of the timberframe craft, in which large structural timbers are left exposed and thus enhance the decoration of a building. His third book on the topic is another classic in its own right. Benson runs a timber framing business from a hamlet in New Hampshire and is regularly featured on PBS, particularly This Old House. His craft is evident here, but his new book presents his art as wellAit is full of magnificent ideas and examples of thoughtful execution. Benson delineates two dozen projects of various sizes and styles. With 400 full-color photographs and dozens of line drawings, images are more prominent than text. The effect is nearly overwhelming, but it is leavened by an introduction from Norm Abram, the master carpenter of This Old House and New Yankee Workshop. Essential for woodworking collections. This may even find a place in art collections. (Index and epilogs not seen.)AAlexander Hartmann, Bloomsburg Univ. Lib., PA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Taunton; illustrated edition edition (September 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561582816
• ISBN-13: 978-1561582815
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #331,996 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Beams and More Beams, June 16, 2000

By	Irvin Kanode (Tempe, AZ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you love beams, and more beams, lots of braces, and complex joints; then this book is for you.

If you prefer a more minimalist approach I'd suggest: "The Timber-Frame Home, Design, Construction, Finishing" by the same author. In that book this author wrote: "...frame design should simplify and reduce whenever possible, The best frames are those with the most economical use of timbers and the least-complicated joinery." I was disappointed that this book ignored that concept.

Most of the houses in this book are above 3500 sq feet with roughly a third at 5000 and up. If you want to see the extremes to which timberframing can be taken, this is the book for you.

43 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very inspiring book, full of great timberframe examples!, September 16, 1999

By A Customer

This great book starts off with a short history of timberframes and then showcases dozens of great timberframe homes. The homes cover all styles and price ranges and the picture quality is superb. This is a must buy for all timberframe home lovers!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beams! BEAMS!!, December 19, 2000

By	pullrich "pullrich" (United States) - See all my reviews

This book is full of stunning photographs of timber frame homes, accompanied by engaging text both technical and philosophical. The book is divided into locations, such as prairie, mountain, and coastal homes. Not a guide to building, this is more like the ultimate coffee-table book.

I don't know one thing about architecture or homebuilding, but I enjoyed this book for its striking photos of awesome homes.