What is the difference between timber framing and post and beam construction?
Timber framing, originating in Asia, was the most dominant building method until the late 19th century in the United States, when 2x dimensional lumber could be mass-produced and the wire nail was invented. Timber framing features mortise and tenon joinery, which is the traditional method of interlocking timbers, as well as wooden pegs, to fasten and secure timbers which create the load-bearing structural skeleton of the building, whether it be a home, addition, barn, or commercial structure (click for a photo of mortise and tenon joinery). In addition, timber braces are used to provide structural support to the timber frame. As a result, one timber runs continuously from floor to ridge, providing vertical and lateral support to the building. Timber frame bents, or wall systems, are assembled on the ground and then raised into place, as in old-fashioned barn raisings (visit our Job Sites for photos of timber frame raisings). The unique structural integrity of the timber frame system al
