Hello World! Welcome Friends! A lot of homes in North America are utilizing timber frames in domestic or commercial building projects. Box beams are one of these timber frames that are popular because of how practical they are. Here is a quick guide on box beams and their efficiency in construction.
What are the advantages of timber frames?
Why should you consider timber frames over steel or concrete? Timber frames are lighter and are easy to work with. Your construction project moves faster and stays within schedule. You do not need sophisticated equipment to get the job done either.
Timber frames are easy to carry to the construction site. Contractors can mold timber into various geometric shapes to suit specific construction needs. Timber is a flexible building material as well. You can fuse it with steel or concrete to achieve a tougher frame foundation.
Wooden frames add a natural look to your home interior. They would also be a nice place to hang other fixtures like medieval chandeliers adding to your décor’s rustic touch. Timber frames add interesting visual lines on walls and ceilings. They also complement interior colors as well.
What are timber frames used for?
Timber frames come in handy in any construction job. They help conceal elements such as steel or electrical wiring in a house. Contractors use Timber frames in homes to hide wires or plumbing setups.
These Timber frames are handy in providing support to the foundation of a house. Contractors install them on basement walls to provide support to the upper part of a house. This can be of benefit when remodeling a house.
Wood frames also form part of a house foundation. Installing these frames in your home foundation will result in a stronger house. You also do not have to use a lot of resources in constructing a strong foundation.
Box Beams Styles
1. Hand Hewn Box Beams
There are two types of Hand Hewn box beams: hand hewn barn or hand hewn fir box beams. This type of box beam uses solid hardwoods that are at least a decade old. A lot of craftsman goes into achieving the unique appearance of hand hewn beams.
The hand hewn fir beams have a special texture on them. One can achieve this special texture by first removing the paint or patina on the wood surface. The wooden planks go through a sanding machine to get rid of splinters and achieve that unique silky finish.
It is possible to add more appeal to the hand hewn beams once installed. Contractors advise adding colored wax onto the raw hand hewn beams to achieve a smooth texture. This wax also adds a glossy touch to the finished look.
2. Sanded Box Beams
Sanded box beams are very economical in any construction project. These beams have a 14×14 inch dimension and can be 30 inches long. Contractors glue several planks together to achieve one long and wide beam. It is advisable to have the planks assembled on site to maintain the integrity of the planks. Sanded box beams are ideal for commercial or domestic projects where the spaces are wide.
3. Ground Finish
Ground finish box beams are like sanded beams because of the polished glossy finish. The only difference is that ground finish beams have a worn appearance as well. They are also produced in 14 inch by 14 inch size and can be up to 30 inches long.
5. Reclaimed
All box beam styles utilize refurbished wood. What makes this particular box beam unique is that it comes from driftwood planks. Reclaimed box beams are ideal if you want to achieve a weathered wooden look in your interior. Standard reclaimed box beams are 10 by 10 by 15.5inches in size. You may also cut these beams on site to maintain wood integrity.
Reclaimed box beams also come in a redwood hue. They have a clean look and bring out that rough and rustic touch more. The surface has tight hearted grains with minimal knots. Redwood reclaimed box beams measure 16 by 16 by 20 inches.
6. Gray Board
Gray board box beams have a weather look with a gray hue. If you wish to have a weather grey or silver interior. Gray board box beams measure 10 by 10 by 15.5 inches long. Wooden planks are glued up side by side to achieve the gray board experience.
Installing Box Beams
For a successful timber frame construction project, the contractor must decide how many beams are needed. Number of beams to have will depend on the size of the room. Another thing to consider is how spaced the beams will be. This also determines how many beams you are going to use. To be safe, always have extra beams for the project.
The contractor then marks ceiling joint locations where he will install the beams. If there is an existing ceiling, a stud finder helps in find the joist for the beam installation. Joist are spaced 16 inches to 24 inches apart. Once you find one, the rest are easy to locate.
Contractors then install ceiling boards before the beams. Some beams come ready to install with a polished glossy finish. Other beams may need some extra polishing or glossing before installing them. The contractor may stain the beams to add a woody element to the beams. They do this using red oak and classic gray colors.
Other Things to Consider
You need to decide if box beams are an ideal addition in your homes. Box beams can make low ceilings look even lower. If your ceiling is less than 10 feet high, it is best not to install the beams. If you still wish to have box beams, then consider installing narrow ones. Ideal box beam sizes for low ceilings are 1 by 4 inches and 1 by 6 inches.
Consider getting your box beams from a local supplier. This helps cut the cost of transporting the beams and also maintain the integrity of the beams.
Conclusion
Box beams are ideal for improving the structure and appearance of a building. Box Beams by Big Timberworks is a great place to consult when you need your first set of beams installed.
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Toodles,
Gorgeous! I would love to live in a house as pretty as this!
I found you on the Simple Homestead Hop and would love to have you share your posts on Farm Fresh Tuesdays!
Very informative and I do like the elegance that beams add to a home. It’s been on my wish list for a long time now. Thanks for sharing your post with us at #omhgww