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| Timber framing for the economy |
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2006/11/6
TENNESSEE PASS - Not only is timber framing a sustainable way to build, its increased popularity would be ecologically and economically beneficial, said Greg Dennis, a timber-frame builder and owner of Fiddler Creek Co.
Because timber framing needs old-growth trees, as more and more people employ this technique, it will encourage good forestry because people want to buy the old trees, Dennis said. It will also encourage people to grow forests that have trees of different ages to create forests that are more resilient against attacks from fire and bugs.
These old trees are also worth more. A timber-frame home costs about 30 percent more than a conventional home, Dennis said. But it's worth it.
"The affluence of nature - it's beautiful, it's wealthy, it's rich," he said. "It's a good way for wealthy people to support the wealth in the forest."
However, modest timber-frame houses can be built more cheaply. And large or small, the old logs used are more resistant to fire and heavy snows, saving on repairs and rebuilds.
Combined with sustainable insulation, a timber frame house will immediately save on heating bills. But living off the grid has other costs, including batteries for solar panels, and at the end of the day, power is cheaper on the grid for now.
"If you look at grid power, it's hard to justify (solar power) economically, but you have to look at it globally," Dennis said.
Dennis can be contacted at 390-7700.
Staff Writer Nicole Frey can be reached at 748-2927 or nfrey@vaildaily.com.
Vail, Colorado
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| Source:Vail Daily |
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