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Reclaimed Timbers Project in Northern Texas

We visited one of our ongoing projects last week and wanted to share some progress images of this impressive residence. Location is in Grayson County, Texas an hour North of Dallas. Scope of work required hundreds of Antique Hand Hewn Mixed Hardwood Timbers.

The majority of timbers were re-sawn at mill on one face to insure a uniform fit against ceilings. Timbers were cleaned to the original patina and fumigated prior to shipping to eliminate any insects, larvae or eggs.

The project also required thousands of square feet of 1″ nominal reclaimed “Brown Board” for use as ceiling paneling. Panel was produced in 5″/7″/9″ widths. Boards were back planed to insure a uniform thickness and square edged to allow for tight joints. This material was also fumigated.

This wonderful home was designed by John Lively & Associates of Plano, Texas. It has been our pleasure to work with the General Contractor: Tim Jackson Custom Homes located in Allen, Texas.

Please call/email Chuck or Daniel with any questions about this project or these materials (or any assistance with your Architectural Wood needs).

The Advantages of Building With Reclaimed Timbers

Antique and distressed building materials can add character and charm to any construction project, whether it be a new home build or a renovation project. These materials not only provide an attractive and unique aesthetic, but they also offer a range of practical benefits.

One benefit of using antique and distressed building materials is that they often have a longer lifespan than newer materials. These materials have already stood the test of time and have proven to be durable and long-lasting. In addition, antique materials are often more sustainably sourced, as they are repurposed from older buildings rather than being harvested or manufactured anew.

Another advantage of using antique and distressed building materials is that they can add value to a property. These materials can be seen as a selling point, as they add a sense of history and authenticity to a space. They can also be a cost-effective option, as they may be less expensive than purchasing brand new materials.

Incorporating antique and distressed building materials into a construction project can also help to preserve the character and charm of an older building or neighborhood. These materials can be used to match the style and architecture of an existing structure, helping to maintain the integrity of the surrounding area.

Another benefit of using antique and distressed building materials is that they offer a wide range of design possibilities. These materials can be used to create a rustic, vintage, or industrial look, depending on the project’s aesthetic goals. They can also be paired with other materials, such as modern finishes or contemporary fixtures, to create a unique and cohesive look.

In addition, antique and distressed building materials can add a sense of warmth and comfort to a space. These materials often have a natural, organic feel, which can create a welcoming and homely atmosphere. They can also be used to create a sense of nostalgia or evoke a specific time period or style.

Using antique and distressed building materials in construction projects can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience for builders and homeowners alike. These materials offer a range of practical and aesthetic benefits that can add value, character, and charm to any project.

Distressed Timbers

We feature our heavy timber truss projects on a regular basis but we also  provide heavy timbers associated with our trusses as well as whole house loose timber and rafter packages.

Many of our customers and their clients desire reclaimed timbers for their  projects but the associated cost, the limitations in available sizes and proportions and the difficulty of assembling consistent groupings in specific rooms make using antique timbers problematic on many jobs.

Fortunately, we now have the capability of applying mechanically distressed finishes to our kiln dried trusses and timbers which successfully replicate century old textures such as axe hewn barn timbers and circular sawn mill timbers. Applied with state of the art machinery, our textures are applied uniformly and at a fraction of the cost of hand applied distressing. We can also supply timbers as planed smooth or hand sanded.

The images below show the range of textures available to include hand hewn, circular sawn, and wire brushed. These finished can be applied in layers such as wire brushing over hewn or circular sawn for no additional cost. We ca also have a rustic adzing applied to corners if requested. Most images are of our Eastern White Pine but Douglas Fir and Alaska Yellow Cedar are options as well.

Hand Hewn with Wire Brushing

Circular Sawn with Wire Brushing

Wire Brushing Only

We would appreciate the opportunity to enhance your project with these unique finishes. Please send us PDF’s of your plans or a material list and we will quickly provide you with a turn-key quote.

Hand Sanded Examples

Truss Installation – Louisiana

Our project in Alexandria, La. is finally complete and installed and we is finally complete and installed and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results. These 40′-0″ long modified king post trusses were fabricated with Vacuum Kiln Dried #1 & Better FOHC Douglas Fir. They have a smooth finish and joinery is a mix of True Mortise and Peg connections and some concealed engineered steel knife plates. The trusses are above a Covered Entry and Outdoor Living Area connecting an existing residence with a new addition. Read the rest here »

Winter 2018 Products Overview

Although we have been producing our E-letters for several years we wanted to provide a general overview of our products. If you have an interest in any specific product types or species, just let us know and we will forward additional information, images, samples, etc.

Just to re-cap our history, we started our business in 2005 with the launch of Texas Architectural Timbers. Creating this company was a result of my frustration as a designer in sourcing better quality and wider varieties of timbers for my residential projects. Apparently other architects and builders felt the same frustration for we have continued to grow and expand both our product offerings and geographical coverage culminating in the creation of our second company, Southern Panel & Decking, in the Summer of 2012.

Over the years our completed project list has grown from only high end residential projects to now include commercial and institutional projects such as lodges, botanical gardens, churches, wedding venues, assisted living complexes, retail centers, office buildings and academic campuses. Read the rest here »

Screened Porch – Fredericksburg

These are some follow-up pictures of our screened porch installation on a new house near Fredericksburg, Texas. We supplied Kiln Dried Clear Mixed Grain Alaska Yellow Cedar for the screen frame assemblies which occur with a steel frame. These images show the results immediately after treatment with weathering salts…this gives a uniform patina to our very durable Alaska Yellow Cedar which is going to be left unfinished. Read the rest here »

Heavy Timber Trusses and Timber Frames Overview

Obviously we are big fans of timber trusses and timber frames as architectural elements and appreciate the impact they can have on our customers’ projects. With a background in Custom Residential Architecture we can also assist in design, detail, joinery solutions and timber proportions if needed.

This article is an attempt to give an overview of facts about timber trusses and timber frames and to recap the choices you have in designs, materials and finishes. 

We are pleased to announce that we now have the capability of fabricating traditional mortised and pegged timber truss and timber frames from antique materials such as hand hewn barn timbers or Long Leaf Pine mill timbers. We are currently in the production phase for an Antique Hewn Oak Timber Frame Dining Hall for a Hunting Ranch west of San Antonio. Renderings are below.

There are two main types of joinery in trusses: the more common steel plated assembly and the traditional mortised and pegged assembly. Most of our truss projects are true mortised or mortised/steel hybrids but we can certainly fabricate traditional steel plated trusses if that is the look that is desired.

While we have the capability of manufacturing complete Residential and Commercial Timber Frame Packages, we also enjoy working with our customers on smaller timber framed structures such as Pavilions, Cabanas, and Pergolas as well as partial timber frame assemblies integrated into traditional stick framed structures.

One common misconception is that timber trusses can only be used as decorative components. Although we supply many projects where our trusses are purely decorative, we have fabricated structural trusses up to 40′-0″ in length with steel plates and up to 32′-0″ in length with mortised connections. Our longest non-structural trusses delivered were 48’-0” in length. These are not maximum possible sizes, just the largest for us to date. Some of our structural trusses are pictured below.

Bark Edge Antique Oak Timbers

The photo above shows a recent installation in one of our ranch projects. These unique timbers were sawn or hewn to function as heavy floor joists in 100 year old barns. Because they were laid flat, only the wide faces were “dressed” leaving the original log surface on the sides. Advantages resulting from their function is that when turned vertically they have virtually no wane and because they were not part of main timber frame they have little or no mortise pocketing. This material lends itself well to “elegant rustic” styles.

A wonderful choice for more informal projects, beams can be used flat as originally intended (at right) or set vertically to play up their irregular appearance as in photo above. Sizes on larger timbers are 8″ (+/-) thick and 12″ up to 14″ wide. Smaller beams are available 8″ (+/-) thick and approx 10″ wide.

The timbers at right are decked with Eastern White Pine slabs which we can provide as straight edge or bark edge in widths up to 24″. It doesn’t get more authentic than that!

As you can see in photos below we have access to a great selection and can satisfy fairly long lengths. Again, these are all 100 year old Oak and are sold pressure washed to patina finish, de-nailed, treated for insects and kiln dried (on lengths up to 20′-0″). Please contact us with any inquiries.

TAT Materials Used In Featured Project

Texas Architectural Timbers supplied Perma-chink siding for an 1850s-era pioneer-style getaway cabin in the Texas hill country. The home was featured in the October 2009 issue of Residential Design & Build magazine.

Read The Article »

The Janka Hardness Scale

The Janka scale rates the relative hardness of wood. We have listed some of the most popular choices in wood flooring and included some more exotic species for your reference and comparison.

The higher the number, the harder the wood. These ratings were determined using the Janka Hardness Test which measures the side hardness measure of the force required to embed a .444 inch steel ball to half its diameter into the wood. This is one of the best measures of the ability of wood species to withstand denting and wear. It is also a good indicator of how hard a species is to saw or nail.

This should only be used as a general guide when comparing various species of wood flooring. Depending on where the wood is harvested the results may vary. Plank construction and finish are also important factors when determining the durability and ease of maintenance of any wood floor.

JANKA RATING – WOOD SPECIES (Hardest to Softest)

3684	Brazilian Walnut /Ipe
2345	Mesquite
1820	Hickory and Pecan
1450	Hard / Sugar Maple
1360	White Oak
1320	White Ash
1300	American Beech
1290	Northern Red Oak
1260	Yellow Birch
1225	Yellow Heart Pine
1010	American Walnut
1000	Teak
950	American  Cherry
900	Cedar
870	Southern Yellow Pine (Longleaf)
860	American Red Elm
770	Sycamore
690	S.Yellow Pine (Loblolly & Shortleaf)
660	Douglas Fir
540	Chestnut
540	Poplar
380	Eastern White Pine