If you are considering building an addition to your home, then several considerations arise. You must consider your new addition’s function and what features you wish to add. Furthermore, your designers or architects must make sure your addition is structurally sound and can be built in an acceptable place on your property.
While any competent builder can satisfy these demands, making your addition seamlessly flow into the existing house is a larger challenge. Some homeowners may wish for their addition to have a radically different style, but usually, homeowners are looking for an addition that adds functionality while maintaining the current style. This requires a skilled design team, and the team at Timberpeg is up to the task. Here are two examples of additions done right.
This first addition is to an existing timber-framed house on Nantucket. While the existing house is quite charming, it was on the small side and in need of an upgrade. Specifically, like many older homes, the master bedroom was quite small and the owners worked with Timberpeg to design and build a master suite addition. From the outside, it is hard to tell which wing of the home was existing and which was new since the style is so consistent. Perhaps the only giveaway is the less-weathered lattice on the addition on the right in the above photo.
Inside, the Timberpeg addition looks like an original component of this post and beam home. The joinery is kept simple, like the public rooms of the house, but the wood stain is a bit lighter leading to a brighter and cheerier bedroom. This home addition greatly expands the home’s function by adding a modern and well-insulated master suite, while maintaining the home’s character.
Addition Built by Ridgeview Construction
It is not necessary to have an existing timber frame home in order to benefit from a timber frame addition. As we covered last week, hybrid homes where the public sections of the home are timber framed while the bedrooms are conventionally constructed, are a popular choice. Similarly, timber frame great room additions are popular choices in existing conventionally built homes. This addition in New Hampshire was built by Timberpeg Independent Representative Ridgeview Construction. From the outside, perhaps the only detail that suggests an addition is a large number of windows on the right wing of the home.
Addition Built by Timberpeg Independent Representative, Ridgeview Construction, http://greenbuildernh.com
Once you step inside this great room, however, the windows are well appreciated! Again, this home uses understated timber frame details, like simple collar ties rather than more elaborate trusses. This design showcases the timber frame construction while keeping the aesthetic close to the original house. The result is an obstruction-free room with plenty of light in the daytime and a great stone fireplace and gathering room at night.
If you’re looking to add a timber-framed addition to your home, whether the existing structure is post and beam or conventional construction, please contact Timberpeg today.