Material

We cut frames from a variety of timber species from both local forest and afar. For many, the choice here is one of aesthetics and the character that the species will bring to the living spaces in the home. For others, the choice is guided by unique joinery and design demands of the frame.

Finish

At MRP+B, we have been using Heritage Natural Finishes for years. Heritage is passionate about the history of wood finishing. Their product brings together tradition with a consideration for the modern timber frame’s needs. Their Original Finish offers protection and resilience while highlighting the natural beauty of the timbers.

As a blend of all-natural ingredients, it’s the only suitable choice to cover an all-natural timber frame. The finish is a blend of tung oil, linseed oil, beeswax, citrus solvent and pine rosin, all pure. It’s completely safe for us to work with and safe for you to live with. It’s free of petroleum products and metallic driers typically found in modern wood finishes.

Every interior frame we cut is hand finished with this oil. Oiling our frames assists the timbers in the drying process, which begins the moment your frame is enclosed. It’s natural. It’s safe. It simply works.

Color

an eloquent barn charmed by the rustic tint on hemlock timbers.

We can tint the frame finish to achieve a custom look that suits your taste. We will work with you while fine-tuning the stain to achieve the impact you desire. The resultant impression can be dramatic or subtle, moody or calm.

After years of searching, we’ve landed on a set of pigments that pair well with our oil and allow for a plethora of color options.

We at Mad River Post + Beam believe in celebrating the material. We’ve found pigments that pair well with our oil and allow for color on the frame without hiding the natural beauty of the wood.

Have a look at our projects to sample the variety of finishes we’ve achieved with past clients.

Details

Details of the timbers within the frame is where our team of craftsmen get to exercise their talents.

A cathedral great room sporting striking contrast of cherry braces.

Years of timber framing have given us the vocabulary of craftsmanship to offer a wide selection of styles. The overall tone of your frame is largely influenced through the details of the timbers that make up the frame.

Below are a few of the embellishments that can be leveraged to a desired impact within the frame.

  • Chamfer, round-over or other profile on timber edges

  • Knee braces can receive a variety of treatments:

    • Curved profile cut into underside of brace

    • Straight braces

    • Chamfer, round-over or other profile on brace edges

    • Uniquely angled brace

  • Reductions cut in horizontal timbers

  • Through-tenons on horizontal framing members

  • Embellished cuts on exposed timber ends

The craft is old and the craftsman imaginative. If you’ve seen something unique that you’d like to incorporate into your project, reach out for a chat.

Layout

A bathroom space enrichened by the timbered eave ceiling.

The design of your floor plan lends the a lot of influence to the feeling of your home. While the frame is the focus of our craft, it’s the space between the wood that is enjoyed and lived in.

Open floor plans can lend to a very modern interior design, while traditional fragmentation of living spaces harkens to a nostalgic comfort.

A unique advantage of timber-frame construction is its ability to support openness between your living spaces. Whereas conventional framing relies on bearing walls, a timber frame provides all the structural support a house needs. The result is limitless possibilities for layout of the living space within, as divided or airy as you desire.

Location

Mad River Post + Beam has delivered frames across the country. All of our frames are cut by hand in our shop, nestled near home in the Mad River Valley of Vermont.

We have worked with general contractors far and wide to provide timber frames and timber-framed elements for building projects. We have a handful of truckers we trust with shipping our completed frames to their destination.

Our team of craftsmen travel to your building site to ensure the raising of your frame goes smoothly, efficiently and with the necessary care to provide the impeccably tight joinery we are known for.

In short, we can bring our craft to you, wherever you are.