Timber Frame Gallery
Timber Frame Joinery Gallery — Craft Detail & Hand-Cut Connections
Precision craftsmanship of timber frame joinery, up close. Mortise-and-tenon connections, hand-cut pegs, and the Douglas Fir and White Oak detail work that defines a real timber frame — as opposed to a bolt-and-bracket post-and-beam or a kit assembly. Every connection Hearthstone Design Build ships is hand-cut by our specialty timber fabrication partners, not machine-milled at scale.
What This Gallery Documents
- Mortise-and-tenon — the primary structural connection — a shaped tenon locked into a matching mortise, secured with a hardwood peg.
- Scarf joints — end-to-end timber splices used on long runs and continuous plates.
- Braces & struts — knee braces and diagonal struts that give the frame its lateral rigidity and its aesthetic rhythm.
- Pegged connections — hand-driven hardwood pegs — no metal fasteners in the primary structural joinery.
- Species detail — grain, color, and joinery character across Douglas Fir, White Oak, and reclaimed antique.
How Hearthstone Frames Are Built
Every timber frame Hearthstone Design Build delivers is custom-engineered and hand-cut in mortise-and-tenon joinery by our specialty timber fabrication partners. Douglas Fir is our structural default; White Oak and reclaimed antique timbers are specified when the architecture calls for them. Enclosure is typically SIP (structural insulated panels) for a continuous thermal envelope, though conventional framing over timber is used on hybrid projects. Raising day is the moment the frame becomes the finished architecture — cranes, crews, and precision coordination in three to five days on most residential frames.
Related Timber Frame Resources
Frequently Asked
- Can I tour a completed timber frame?
- Private tours of select recent builds are arranged for serious prospective clients after a discovery call and owner permission. Most timber frame residences are private homes; commercial timber frame work at wineries, breweries, and community amenities is generally more accessible.
- Do you build outside Loudoun County?
- Yes — Hearthstone operates across Loudoun, Fauquier, Clarke, and Albemarle counties, with select projects across Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley.
- What wood species do you use?
- Douglas Fir baseline; White Oak +$25/sq ft; reclaimed antique +$40/sq ft. Species selection happens during schematic design alongside joinery and enclosure decisions.