Zirnhelt Timber Frames, "From Forest to Final Product"

Zirnhelt Timber Frames hand crafts every building using traditional mortise and tenon joints secured with hand-made oak dowels. This method limits the need for metal plates and fasteners. Using routers and other hand tools, we detail our posts and beams to make them both functional and aesthetically-pleasing.  Each building we create with our clients is unique and represents a long-lasting expression of the client’s vision and our craftsmanship.
Unlike many other timber frame buildings, our frames are visible from both the inside and outside. Locally-grown Douglas Fir is generally used for the posts and beams and Lodgepole Pine for the infill timbers (this contrast accentuates the timber structure). Most of our homes are sold with solid "square timber infill” which makes up the wall panels between the posts (see details below). The timber infill system is a variation of the log infill system originally developed in Northern Europe and brought to North America by the French.
The infill timbers are generally cut from trees killed by the Mountain Pine Beetle which has spread through out much of northern and central British Columbia. Using salvaged Mountain Pine Beetle wood to make the walls is one way we maximize the use of local, natural materials, while reducing the use of processed, and sometimes environmentally unfriendly materials.
Our timber frame buildings also have elements of traditional Swiss and German style, including large roof overhangs, which is one of the best ways to make a sustainable building that lasts for centuries. Given the feedback from our customers, we are confident in the strength, beauty, and sustainability of our building style.
Some Zirnhelt Timber Frame customers prefer less wood and choose conventional framing and insulation between the posts. There are environmentally-friendly insulation products available for this application. Either way, our buildings provide a unique and affordable alternative to log and conventional timber frame construction, combining many of the best qualities of both building systems.