TIMBER FRAME HOME.COM  


 
 
the building process
green building
energy efficiency
exterior panels
wiring & mechanical
financing your home
home
Wiring & Mechanical Timber Frame Home Information
 

Now that you've learned about Structural Insulated Panels, the section of our webiste deals with wiring and other mechanical information for your Timber Frame Home.

With the proper information and adequate planning, wiring a home enclosed with insulated panels can be simpler and quicker than wiring a stick frame house.


Wiring Timber Frame Homes Enclosed
with Insulated Panels

The most common method used in wiring insulated panels is for the manufacturer to create horizontal chases (at two levels that are chosen by the homeowner) through the foam insulation. The electrician then fishes the wires through the chases. These chases save the time normally spent drilling through the 2 X studs of a stick frame house in order to create pathways for the wiring.

An improvement in this method of wiring is offered by certain panel manufacturers. In this option the electrical boxes for the switches and outlets are pre-installed during fabrication. This saves the electrician time (and therefore the homeowner money) and also provides a tighter, better-insulated fit at each electrical box. The fabricator also lines the chases with PVC pipe, which simplifies the wiring process. The wires will not get caught on the foam insulation so they can be pushed, not fished, through the chases. This, once again, saves on the electrician's time.

If it is not possible to make use of the existing chases, alternative methods of wiring can be employed. These methods include running the wiring behind baseboards, chair rails or wainscoting. However, these are options of last resort due to the question of meeting local building codes and the additional costs of material and labor.

The basic method for wiring ceiling fixtures and ceiling fans is to rout out the tops of ceiling beams to create a channel in which to run the wires. This procedure is done in the shop while your frame is being cut or on site after the raising.

The lighting choices available to the timber frame homeowner are the same as those used in conventionally built stick frame houses. There is, however, one important difference to keep in mind when laying out your lighting plan. The posts and beams that give timber frame homes their distinctive character can also cast some big shadows. It is therefore important to decide where you want to accentuate those shadows and where you want to eliminate them. The various lighting fixtures -- surface mount, recessed, track lighting, hanging fixtures, etc. - can be used alone or in conjunction with one another to produce the desired lighting patterns.

Once the wiring method has been chosen it is necessary to develop a detailed wiring plan that includes the path of the wires and the exact location of all switches, outlets and light fixtures. The diagram can be marked on the home plans by the electrical contractor or by the homeowner.

 

Basic Plumbing Procedures

Since it is never advisable to run plumbing in exterior walls (due to the reduction of insulation values and the danger of the pipes freezing) the utilization of insulated panels does not impact a timber frame's plumbing scheme.

Because of their customary open design, however, timber frame homes do present specific difficulties in concealing the pipes. Keeping in mind a few basic rules while laying out your floor plan and plumbing design will eliminate most of these hurdles.

"Wet walls" typically must be constructed of 2 X 6 studs in order to accommodate four and a half inch vent stacks and four inch drains. If, for some reason, the partition walls will not accommodate the required pipes, or the plumbing has to be run on an exterior wall, then a separate plumbing chase (a false wall) can be built to enclose the pipes.

Upper level floors in timber frame homes often consist of 2 X Tongue and Groove (T&G) decking. This method of construction saves money in both material and labor and has the added advantage of creating an aesthetically pleasing finished appearance. However, because the 2 X T&G forms both the flooring of the upper rooms and the ceiling of the lower living spaces it leaves no cavity in which to run horizontal pipe chases. To overcome this issue 1 X Tongue and Groove is placed on top of the beams and a floor system is built up with 2 X material to create a void for wiring, ductwork, and insulation.

Finally, a word of warning. It can not be stressed enough that, under no circumstances, should any timber be cut or drilled through to accommodate the plumbing. To do so would compromise the structural integrity of your timber frame.

Heating And Cooling

The first order of business in assuring year-round comfort in your new timber frame home is to make certain that it is as energy efficient as it is beautiful.

Energy efficiency means savings for the homeowner not only in the long run with lower fuel bills, but also in the purchase and installation of heating and cooling systems. In many locations, a cooling system needs to be nothing more than strategically placed ceiling fans. As for heating the structure, many homeowners will utilize solar energy (active or passive) while others may want to install a wood burning, or pellet, stove. These are excellent options that can save money and be environmentally friendly; however, local building codes (as well as the homeowner's lending institution) will almost certainly require a back up heat source.

A forced air furnace, located in the lowest level, with properly placed registers let into the floor of the main level, should handle the heating requirements for the entire house. The heat simply rises to the upper levels of the timber frame home.

If heat has to be delivered directly to specific areas in the upper levels, a forced air furnace would not be a desirable option. In this case either a whole house hot water system or electric baseboard heaters are better suited for the task. As opposed to the space requirements for forced air ductwork, the pipes used in hydronic systems are generally ¾" and therefore can be easily concealed in partition walls. And finally, while the cost of electric heat per BTU is the highest of any available system, the relative low cost and ease of installation make this an acceptable choice if the heaters are only infrequently needed.

Radiant floor heating is a popular system for heating timber frames. Radiant floor heat provides heat by convection, heating the floor and furniture first. This is a very efficient way to heat a timber frame home.

Ventilation

As mentioned above, stress skin panel enclosure provides an extremely tight and draft-free interior. While optimal in terms of comfort and economy, it may reduce air exchange more than is desirable. For this reason, it is recommended that you have an air exchange system installed along with your heating system.

  
  Copyright 2008 Timber Frame Home. Web Master Tony Angel Media.