Quote:
Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams
They are supposed to be dry before you start, basic premise of any building. Shrinkage is not to be toyed with.
Grizz
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Most timber framers do not dry there timbers before starting, as this has been the way for 1000years, they dry naturally and shrink naturally. Same with building a log home, if the timbers are cut at the correct time of year(sap down) you of course get shinkage, and have to know have to do your joint work because of it, it actually gets tighter as they dry.
There are alot of fantastic resources mostly out of the states and europe but this is the way it is done. Kiln dried timbers don't work well for timber frame buildings.
Most civil engineers have no clue about timber frames. There are a few out of the states that specialize in timber construction, and I have been in contact with one of them on proper joint work for the long timbers, and how large of timbers needed for spans, and how big the scarf joints need to be.