Depending on your local market, it could either be really expensive… or not. You may also find that someone has a cache of old barn timbers, or is specifically selling them. (This is rare, as many old buildings are typically pushed over, sadly.) You never know. Again, call around to see if anyone in your area has experience taking down old buildings. If you’ve got the experience, you probably aren’t even reading this, but for those that want to consider the recycled timber route, there are some possibilities. Taking down a timber frame barn is serious business, and definitely not for the inexperienced. Some old barns are ripe for deconstruction, and recycling Building material reclamation is becoming increasingly popular, and many individuals are finding a niche market by selling recycled wood. Many are neglected, falling down, or ripe for deconstruction. #2: Reclaim & Recycle Timbers From an Old Barn Oh yea! (That’s my own dream… one day….) That’s a whole (and massive) art unto itself, of course. On a side note, truly ambitious individuals may choose to go the all hand tool route, and after cutting timber, hew the wood with a broad axe. Being able to harvest timbers from your own property also means that you can avoid the transportation cost of hauling material to your building site, too. Call around and see if anyone has the equipment and experience, and you may be able to hire or barter for the milling work. Perhaps you don’t have a portable sawmill yourself, but a neighbor might. With access to timber, you can select and choose exactly the wood you need, and cut it exactly to your own specifications. I personally do not have either, unfortunately, so this scenario does not apply to me, but sawing your own wood can be the most cost-effective, and sustainable way to get materials for your future house. If you have a portable sawmill, you are in even better shape. If you are fortunate to live on land with abundant timber, consider yourself lucky - you may have the ideal scenario. #1: Saw Your Own Timber with a Portable Sawmill Here are a few tips for how you might acquire timbers for building your own timber frame home. The timber frame can be a significant portion of the total expense of construction for an owner-builder, and as always, it is helpful to know how to keep costs manageable. You almost can’t determine this too early, nor start your search too soon. If you want to design and build you own timber frame home, you should be prepared to determine how you will acquire the timbers for your frame. This is the first of many posts where I travel back in time, and fill in missing parts of the Strawtron building timeline with essential information for how we built our timber frame and straw bale home. Figure out how you will acquire your timbers… early!
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