A few weeks ago, timber frame expert Arron Sturgis and his crew dismantled the 300-year-old timber frame ell and took the pieces back to his shop to be repaired and refurbished. The pieces have been brought back to the site to be reassembled and tied into the house. Tom Silva assists Arron and his crew with the construction.
Inside the gambrel portion of the house, the old Ben Franklin-style fireplace has been demoed, a new clay flue has been installed, and now Kevin O’Connor and Mark McCullough begin assembling the walls of the new Rumford-style fireplace that Mark pre-constructed off site.
The timber frame ell has been constructed back to a single-story structure that will have an exposed wood cathedral ceiling using the original wood framing members and boards, though neither the timber frame nor the exposed wood will provide structural support. To provide structural support, a 35′ long steel ridge beam and posts are carefully craned into place to carry the weight of the roof and to keep the walls from bowing out.
As the house takes shape, interior finishes are considered. Homeowner Helen and kitchen designer Karen Swanson meet at a local stone warehouse to shop for the kitchen countertop. To aid in their decision-making, warehouse owner Al Coelho educates them on various stones’ responsiveness to stains.
Original Air Date: Apr 27, 2023, Season 44; Ep. 20 23:42
Products and Resources from this Episode
- Timber frame expert: Preservation Timber Framing
- Crane operator: Quinn Brothers
- Framing contractor: TJ Berky Builders
- Side trips:
CBS Exotic Stones, Inc.
Stone Surfaces, Inc.