Hickory Circle Construction

  Have you considered enlisting a contractor to build a new barn for you recently? Maybe you need somewhere for storage or livestock, or you are planning on opening a new business venture that needs a large open area. While it may be tempting to build the conventional way, make sure you look into a custom timber frame barn . You might just find that it’s perfect for you! The first advantage of using a timber frame barn is that you have a bevy of options when choosing your wood type. This is because timber frame barns do not require as heavy and dense woods as traditional structures. You may even be surprised to learn that these barns don’t have load-bearing walls. This being said, you are open to a more custom timber frame barn with your choice of wood from our select species. Another great reason to choose a timber frame barn is due to the more extravagant, open-floor plans they give you. With one of these structures, it is possible to have more flexibility in design, thanks large...

      There are many ways that you can insulate your home. You could use structural insulated panels, fiberglass insulation systems, reflective systems, and even loose-fill and blown-in insulation. At Hickory Circle we use styrofoam and spray foam insulation systems to keep your home protected and as cool or as hot as you like it, all year round.           Spray foam is a superior solution to a lot of old systems used when insulating a home and these are some of the reasons why: It deters moisture. Water can easily get into the openings around your pipes and vents putting your home at risk for growth of mold and mildew. Most insulation used needs to be replaced when it gets wet, but not spray foam. It keeps its properties and can push itself into even the smallest cracks, leaving no room for water damage to your home.  It improves comfort. Because spray foam can get into the smallest nooks and crannies, it helps to prevent temperatu...

  Timber vs. Steel          While the material to build your house is chosen mostly out of personal preference, there is no clear answer as to which material is best, timber or steel. There are a lot of things to take into consideration when picking between the two materials, it is not just about how it looks. Speed of construction, environmental impact, sustainability, cost, and your location are all good points to take into consideration. Here we will go through each point to help make your decision easier on you. Speed of Construction:     While both materials are assembled in a similar manner, timber can actually take a shorter time to put up due to steel needing more tools and labor to attach each element together. On top of this, timber frames can be put up by carpenters or even used in DIY situations, and it helps that most professionals have experience with wood more than metal. Steel will always need a steel fabricator to put yo...

If you're considering designing a new home soon, a timber frame structure could be the way to go! There are many advantages to using timber for your building that can help you make the choice of creating your home with a custom timber design from Hickory Circle Construction.  One obvious advantage to using timber for your home is the fact that it is a natural resource, one of the few that is used for building in our modern society. This means that it is non-toxic, safe to handle and also naturally ages with your design. Along with being natural, timber is more sustainable and environmentally friendly than many other building materials. Timber can be grown faster than it is used and in many places in which timber is harvested, the harvesters are then required to plant more trees in the same place to ensure the renewability of the building material.    Timber frame structures have other benefits as well, such as a decreased energy need for the home. Timber is a natural i...

            Congratulations on taking the first step into building your own timber home frame. You have a couple of critical decisions to make in the coming weeks. One of the most important is which species of wood your timber framer will use in the construction of your home. There are an abundance of options available, all with their owns strengths and weaknesses. This important decision may include you looking at the availability, sustainability, cost and suitability of the wood.  The most common types of wood species for timber framing are: white pine, red and white oak, Douglas Fir, hickory and cedar.  Availability       Depending on what part of the country you're in, will largely impact what materials are available to you. It is cost efficient to use local materials as the cost of transporting posts and beams across the country can rack up costs in a hurry. It's unlikely that the area you reside i...

 There are many ways to make your house our own and unique. A great way to help your house stand out is merging styles with timber frames. It can make your perfect project look distinctive and truly capture what you imagined. With Hickory Circle Construction , it becomes a possibility for that dream idea to come to life.     Adding classic style timber frames can be something as simple as having arched frames or as complex as having a distinct design while providing functionality. The styles could be similar to French Colonial, Southern, and Country styles. These styles with timber frames can make a simple project become timeless. On the other end of the spectrum, timber frames can be mixed with modern styles like Industrial and Vintage, by adding the timber frames that are smaller in size and less detailed, it can be used to enhance the rest of the project. It makes the house or building look more formal and professional by adding the details of linear lines and gives ...

  Timber framing and Post and Beam framing are often thought to be the same by the average person, but they are really quite different when it comes down to the details. Both techniques leave the trademark look of fully exposed beams on the inside of the structure.   The main difference between timber framing vs post and beam framing is the way timbers are connected to each other.  Timber framing  uses mortise and tenon joinery along with wooden pegs whereas Post and Beam framing uses half-lap joinery with hidden fasteners, and oftentimes metal bracing. So what does mortise and tenon joinery mean? Let’s break it down. The mortise is the side of the wood with the hole in, the tenon is the side with what is called the tongue tenon on it. The tongue tenon is a section of wood that is cut to lock into the mortise side of the joint. After the joint has been put together, it will be glued, pinned, or wedged to lock it in place. It is one of the oldest, longest used joint m...