Classic Sugarhouse Floor Plan Feature

The traditional sugar house was a small cabin where spring-time sap was collected from sugar maple trees and then boiled into maple syrup. These buildings were recognizable by the typically rectangular vented cupola that allowed the release of steam, and an attached shed roof for the storage of firewood. Traditionally, these modest buildings included bunks for catching intervals of sleep during the round-the-clock work of “sugaring”.

Here at Davis Frame timber frame we have borrowed from this charming architectural form with its humble origins to create bright and comfortable homes.

The Classic Sugar Houses are contemporary reflections of the traditional, functional design--rectangular in plan and a simple timber frame. Although modest in size, these sugar house models would be perfect for a small getaway cabin or a small timber frame home.

Classic Sugarhouse 1 features a shed porch at the front leads directly to the entry foyer and the open first floor that includes an open kitchen, dining room and cathedral-ceiling great room. A mudroom and a half also are located on the first floor.


A spacious loft overlooking the great room is illuminated by the large cupola, creating a perfect area for reading. The remainder of the second floor houses the master bedroom and a full bath


Call us today at 800.636.0993 to discuss your plans to build a timber frame home, timber frame addition or panelized home!

Why Now is the Time to Build Your Dream Home!

Have you been dreaming about building a new home? Well now is the time to make that dream a reality! Although the economy is in an uproar, this provides a great opportunity for many of us to buy homes and land at a lower than market value price. Better yet this provides an opportunity to save tens of thousands of dollars on building your dream home. If you can afford to build, now is the time!

This economy has forced banks and mortgage lenders to slash their interest rates and has resulted in historical low mortgage rates! You can easily shop around to find a mortgage rate for around 5% or in some places for even less which is a huge savings in the amount of interest you will have to pay back to the bank. The costs of construction materials have also hit an all time low making this the perfect time to build your new home. From general contractors to subcontractors to kitchen and bath companies, you can get competitive bids to find a contractor that meets your budget. If you looking to build in a timely manner, you can easily find a builder and contractor that can most likely meet your building deadlines.

Land is also selling at a lower market value then it was a few years ago. I spoke with a prospective customer just the other day who mentioned that she may get to buy her dream home lot at a significantly lower price from what the price was a couple of years ago. The seller has been sitting on the land for too long and wants to sell it immediately. This is not unheard of and all across the nation land is being sold at below market value. Buying land is often one of the priciest components of building a new home, sometimes the most depending on the lot size and where your land is located.

A few tips you should know before you build your timber frame home or energy efficient panelized home. Before you decide what size home to build and design your home, get pre-approved from a bank or mortgage lender. This will help you find out what you really can afford and help you design and build a home that meets your budget.

Also, make sure you do set a realistic budget. Often homes get over designed that later homeowners realize they cannot afford. The shape of you new home and materials can have a great influence on how to set your budget. Figure out what is a priority for your new home and what you can live without to also help keep within your budget.


Building a timber frame home in this economy is a great option that will help build a great future for you and your family and create a return on your investment. With our energy efficient materials (timber framing, SIP panels, energy efficient windows, etc...) you will save energy and money on your utility bills. With the cost of utilities on a steady incline, why not invest in green building options? If you don't wish to build a timber frame home but would still like an energy efficient and cost effective option, check out our SIP panel home kits by eSIPS!

How we can help

Let Davis Frame Company design your timber frame home. Our in-house design services can save you money! You don't need an architect to design your home, our design staff has the knowledge and experience to design exactly what you want. Architect fees can often result in a cost of 20% of what the total building value of your house will be.

We also have a standard line of barn style homes with over 25 pre-designed floor plans to choose from! Our Classic Barn Home line provides floor plans for traditional style homes and since they are pre-designed will result in a lower cost to build your timber frame home! When compared to building a custom designed timber frame home, our Classic Barn Homes can save you up to 15-20% of the cost of a full custom designed timber frame home.

All of our floor plans can also be used for our line of eSIPS homes which can result in up to a 30% savings compared to a full timber frame home. Many of our eSIPS homes still include timber frame accents to give you the timber frame look without the full cost of a full timber frame! If you are working with an architect already, our design staff can work seamlessly with them to build your timber frame home or eSIPS home.

Contact Davis Frame today at 800.636.0993 to start designing your timber frame or eSIPS panelized home! If you already have a design for your dream home, send us your plans!

*Some of the tips provided were based off an article provided by CNN.

How to Run Electrical Wiring and Mechanicals in a Timber Frame Home

Here are some of the most common questions we hear from almost everyone we talk to that is interested in building a new timber frame home.  How do you run electrical wiring in a timber frame and SIPs home?   How is the plumbing run?   How do you heat and cool a timber frame home?  Are there any special concerns?

The mechanical systems in your home are like the internal workings of the body, if you compare the analogy of the timber frame being the skeleton and the structural insulated panels like the skin. You need heat, you need plumbing, and you need to breath. Same for your new timber frame home!

Heating a timber frame home is the same as a conventional home, except that you won’t need as large of a furnace or boiler.  Since timber frame homes are more efficient and better insulated than traditional construction, the days of large, dirty furnaces in the basement are long gone; and since you don’t need as large of a unit, you will be burning less fuel and saving money in heating bills!   Many of our clients choose to install radiant in-floor heat, which is a great option for a timber frame home.  With radiant heat you have the option of using a “staple-up” installation, specially designed subfloor sheathing systems, or lightweight concrete to run your heating tubes in.   Depending on the type of distribution system you use will affect the overall design of the floor framing system (lightweight concrete is still concrete and is still heavy!), and is something we need to take into consideration in the design process.  Other methods of transferring heat are also used, such as hot water baseboard and forced hot air, which is popular when used in combination with air conditioning.  Since our homes are very similar in construction to regular homes in the interior, your plumber and heating contractor should have no problem working on your new Davis Frame Co. timber frame home.

Electrical installation for a timber frame occurs as you would normally expect, with the exception of the exterior structural wall panel and if you are interested in having a ceiling fan mounted in the peak of your new timber frame great room.  For the fan installation, it is essential that the electrician be available while the timber frame is being erected so that any wiring can be accomplished at the opportune times.  Once the frame and panels are assembled, it is tougher to go back and install those fixtures.  The wiring along the exterior walls can happen in a few different ways; one option we like is to hold the drywall up off the subfloor about 3 inches so wires can be run behind the baseboard. The same idea can be used and a built out baseboard or modular baseboard that is removable can be used to run wires and install outlets in.  Additional wiring can be run in the first floor framing (in the basement) and brought up into the walls only at needed locations.  All other areas of the timber frame home are wired the same as a conventionally framed home, usually in interior partition walls. This is also something we are able to work with you and your contractors both in the design phase and later on when construction is happening.

Somewhat new to the construction industry and home heating circles is a heat recovery ventilator, or HRV unit. This is an air exchanger that exhausts interior air and replaces it with fresh outside air. The exchange occurs through a heat exchanger so that you don’t lose all the heat you supplied to the interior air and get a blast of cold air in return. Typically the unit draws in air from areas like the kitchen to exhaust cooking smells and the bathrooms to remove moisture laden air and the returns are typically located in common areas like the living room.  The units are small and can be installed by any qualified HVAC contractor. It hasn't happened yet, but soon building codes will require these units.

Make sure to see the next issue of Timber Home Living to read an article/interview given by Design Supervisor, Chris Timberlake regarding many of these same issues.

This is only a brief discussion of these topics, if you have more questions please Contact us via our website, or call now at (800) 636-0993 to talk to one of our project coordinators who are knowledgeable and willing to help!

Timber Frame Floor Plan Feature: Classic Homestead 2

This floor plan we originally called Carpenter's Cottage was designed for a client who was building a small vacation home on a lake several years ago. With a demand for smaller sized homes, we added this home to our pre-designed line of Classic Barn Homes. We gave the floor plan its permanent name, Classic Homestead 2. This floor plan would make a perfect lakeside cottage, retreat in the woods or a modest sized home.

Classic Homestead 2 features 1,664 sq. ft of living space and 2 bedrooms and 1.2 baths. This energy efficient timber frame floor plan has a welcoming timber framed front porch and a well-designed interior living space.

The first floor plan includes an open and spacious layout with a living room, kitchen and dining room all designed to flow into one. A half bathroom and a good sized den are also on the first floor.

The second floor has a spacious master bedroom, full bath as well as an additional bedroom.

If you are looking to build an energy efficient timber frame home, modest sized home or small vacation home, the Classic Homestead 2 may be the right floor plan for you! Contact us today at 800.636.0993 to get started on your dream timber frame home, timber frame addition, barn style home or panelized home!

Timber Frame Home Design

What are you looking for in your new timber frame or barn style home?     I draw attention to the word “you and your” to emphasize the fact that the new home you are planning to build, will be where YOU live! Not only are you planning to reside in this new home, but it will be a source of pride, enjoyment and equity for you and your family for years to come. The point I am trying to make is that no matter what floor plan or design you decide upon for your new timber frame home, there is a lot of thought that needs to go into how you will live in this new home.

Are you planning to build a retirement castle, a second vacation home, or a primary residence for you and your family?   Often we see a master bedroom suite on the first floor as people plan for the retirement years. Vacation homes often have special purpose rooms (ski storage, special access to the beach, bunk rooms) that need to be incorporated into the design to maximize usefulness. If you plan to live in the new home with your family, how many bedrooms do you need? How large a kitchen will be required to feed your growing clan? Is a separate family room desirable as a gathering area to watch television away from a more formal sitting area?

The answers to these questions (and many, many more) are the foundation of every Davis Frame Co. design. With our in-house design staff and years of experience designing timber frame, post and beam, and structural insulated panel homes, we are continually successful at developing timber frame homes all across the United States that satisfy all of your needs.

Along with the space requirements for your home, you are going to be concerned with the construction of this new home. You want; rather need a home that will last for generations. Why go through the trouble and expense of designing and building a home that won’t perform the way you need it too. With the current emphasis on energy efficiency and renewable building, our timber frame homes are at the cutting edge of these recent trends. By utilizing our timber frames (from managed forests) with structural insulated panels (which provide the highest insulation and lowest air transmission of current building methods) you can build a home with lower heating and cooling costs, that is beautiful as an added bonus! You can contact us now.

At Davis Frame Co. we don’t stop at just the timber frame, wall and roof panels, we also provide many more of the highest quality materials. By incorporating high quality materials into the design we can help you achieve quality from early in the building process. We provide pre-finished ceiling boards (no finishing on site!), engineered I-joists for the floor framing, lifetime warranty asphalt roof shingles, Energy Star® rated aluminum or fiberglass clad windows and doors, pre-finished siding and exterior trim just to get started. We have the capability to procure many different building materials and offer many options on each of them.

Contact us today to learn more about how Davis Frame Co. can work with you to design the new timber frame home that meets all of your needs! Call (800) 636-0993 to speak to one of our project coordinators and learn more about how to get started.