Questions & Answers What is post & beam construction? Post and beam construction, or timber framing, is a centuries old building technique. The framing of the home is crafted from solid timbers which are connected by mortise and tenon joints and secured together with oak pegs. Often compared to fine furniture, the beams are fully exposed to the inside, giving the home the reassuring warmth and ambience of wood. Design flexibility is the hallmark of a post & beam structure. Since the walls are not load bearing the possibilities are limitless. Whether you're looking for something intimate and cozy - or you want to "pull out all the stops" with an open floor plan, large window walls and soaring cathedral ceilings - it's all here. What do you provide in your "package"? Mill Creek will vary products and services to accommodate the desires of our clients. Typically, we provide: custom design service precut post & beam structure delivered to the site with timbers labeled, ready for assembly insulated enclosure system tongue and groove pine decking for ceiling areas on site supervisor or frame raising crew available What type of wood do you use? Mill Creek preferred species is eastern white pine selected from slower growing New England forests. It is easy to work, structurally stable and has remarkable aesthetic character. What type of enclosure system do you use? Most of our frames are enclosed with stress skin panels (sometime called structural insulated panels or SIPs). Stress skins are composed of a rigid foam core laminated between two sheets of orientated strand board (OSB). The thickness of the expanded poly-styrene (EPS) foam core will determine the R-value of the wall and roof systems. Panels measure 4' wide X 8' or longer and are spiked to the outside of the frame. Once installed the panels provide superior insulation along with an interior and exterior nail base. How long does it take to assemble the frame and panel package? Mill Creek's frame is pre-cut and labeled for efficient assembly. Site and weather conditions aside, a four man crew can typically assemble a 1,500 sq.ft. frame in three days. Allow an additional two weeks to complete the wall and roof panel installation. How much does a Mill Creek home cost? A Mill Creek home represents a sound investment. An aesthetically beautiful, exceptionally energy efficient, durable structure. The type of home which will outlive many of its contemporary counterparts by centuries. The square foot cost of a Mill Creek home can vary greatly according to the level of appointment. Construction costs will be affected by the region which you will be building in and the average local cost per square foot. Home cost should not be based on square foot cost. The complexity of design and material finishes vary greatly from design to design. The best way to analyze cost is to price out the design selected and have competitive bids from several building contractors. When you stop to consider the benefits, we think you'll agree a Mill Creek home is an outstanding value. How does the design and construction process work? After our introduction we'll have a dialogue to establish your perceived needs for space, style of architecture and budget. You'll be encouraged to collect and share information, which will assist us in the development of your design. If you already have plans we will do a study to explore how we may incorporate timbers into design. Timber frame design creates some unique opportunities - if done well. We strive to help you understand the use of scale volume and variety to create the types of spaces that you desire. We believe the design process represents time well spent, an investment that will pay you back with years of pride and satisfaction. At Mill Creek our design group is placed on retainer with a design deposit. This is in essence earnest money, which ultimately will apply to the package price. Our design agreement is a simple, one page, easy to understand document, which outlines the design process and how deposit monies are treated. The preliminary drawing phase may start with sketches, or when ideas are defined, we may go directly to 1/4" scale drawings. These drawings are sent to you for your review and preliminary budgeting assessment with your contractor. When you receive your plans from us, note desired changes and feel free of course to call us for any clarifications. The house is for you and it will require a team effort and possibly a few revisions to get it just right. How long does it take? Typically our design schedule allows us to get drawings to you in about 3 - 6 weeks. The turn around time for revisions may be as short as one week. Once we have a completed design and you are ready to place your order we will enter a production agreement. It is typically 6 - 10 weeks from the time we receive a signed production agreement and deposit, until frame delivery. Where are you located, how long have you been in business? Mill Creek Post & Beam has been creating timber frames since 1984. We are located 30 miles south of Asheville, NC just off interstate 26 at the crossroads of the eastern US and within a day's drive of more than half of the country's population. Do you have a catalogue? Many people find that looking at our library of floor plans is helpful as they consider their design options and budget concerns. Perhaps there is a design that's just right for you. More likely, you'll want to customize to some degree - each site is unique and every family brings its own array of needs and desires to the drawing board. You can order our Design Portfolio online. How do I learn more? We invite you to visit our timber model/design studio near the historic town of Saluda, NC. Please call ahead for a personal appointment. Whether you're coming here specifically or just passing through the area we look forward to your visit. Consider making us part of a vacation to Western North Carolina, a place of natural wonders and historical interest. We are near the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and The Biltmore House. (a "must see" constructed by George Vanderbilt at the turn of the century, with over 4 acres of floor space it is renowned as America's largest private residence). The list of destinations and things to do is a long one. Beautiful year round, vacationers are warned that once you visit our area you may never want to leave. If a visit is impractical then we would suggest you Contact Us with questions. We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your interest. Return to the top [ Home ]  [ Introduction ]  [ Articles ]  [ Questions & Answers ]  [ Photo Album ] [ Mill Creek Tour ]  [ Design Portfolio ]  [ Contact Us ]  [ Send Email ] Mill Creek Post & Beam Company Inc. 1970 Holbert Cove Road, Saluda, NC 28773 828-749-8000   Fax 828-749-8001   Email: e@millcreekinfo.com Copyright © 2001 Mill Creek Post & Beam Co., Inc. 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