What Are The Benefits of Roundwood Timber Framing?

Round wood timber framing offers several advantages over traditional wood framing that rely on milled wood such as 2x4s, 6x8s, or other standard rectangular dimensions used in modern-day construction.

• Less waste. To get a 6x8 piece of lumber, the diameter of the tree has to be more significant. Thus, milling wood to get a squared or rectangular piece of lumber will waste a large part of the timber. Mills will often utilize the waste in other ways, such as selling it to use as fuel or paper pulp. The beauty of timber framing is that you use the entire log.
• Stronger structure. Round wood timbers are much stronger than rectangular wood used for framing. The continuous wood fibers are not interrupted through milling, meaning there is protection for potential weak spots such as knots and other anomalies within the round pole. There is much less chance that round wood timbers will bend or twist when drying, as often happens with milled wood.
• Ability to use smaller trees. Because round wood timbers are stronger than square wood, it is possible to use smaller diameter timber. It allows the builder to more efficiently and sustainably source the round wood poles.
• Less energy used. The milling process relies on vast amounts of power to transport the wood to a factory, cut it to the correct dimensions, and then ship it around the world. In many parts of the developing world, the waste wood burns in open-air pits that further contributes to the carbon emissions associated with milling lumber.
• More aesthetically pleasing. Homes that incorporate a round wood timber frame offer a unique aesthetic quality. Instead of hiding the framework of the house behind drab walls and ceilings made of drywall, expose round wood timber frames. This exposure is so you can see, touch, and even smell the natural world in your own home.