Walked through a 100-year-old barn frame in Ohio and it flipped my thinking on timber framing

I've always been a stick framer, thought timber framing was just for people with too much money. Then I visited this restored bank barn in Holmes County last month, saw how the joints were still holding tight after a century with zero nails. The guy giving the tour pointed out a mortise and tenon that had never been touched since 1922. Any of you timber guys ever switch from conventional framing after seeing something like that?

1 comments

1 Comment

claireg811d ago

My buddy Mike had the exact same thing happen. He was a die hard stick framer for like 15 years, then his uncle took him to see this old tobacco barn in Kentucky. He said the barn was still standing straight as an arrow after 80 years with nothing but wood pegs holding it together. It completely changed how he looked at building, he sold all his nail guns and started learning joinery from an old timer. Now he swears by it for anything custom, says it's not about money it's about building something that lasts longer than you.