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Frequently Asked Questions
Do you build the entire home - from foundation to finished product?
Moonstone Timber Frame's specialty is the "frame" - either timber frame, dovetail or full scribe log home. We can recommend high quality custom subcontractors and work with them as consultants to produce the final product or work with a general contractor and subtrades of your choice. Moonstone Timber Frame constructs your home at our building site, then the materials are disassembled, transported to your lot and re-assembled and erected there.
 
I'm an American. Why should I buy from a Canadian company rather than from a local builder?
Canadian homes are built for a harsher climate with only the highest quality materials used in order to stand up to the elements. Moonstone Timber Frame commonly uses high quality eastern white pine grown right here in northern Ontario. Plus, here in Canada, your American dollar will buy you more home for your money.
 
What can I expect to pay for a log shell or a timber frame?
Log shells are $35 to $75 per square foot depending on the building complexity and number of components (i.e. roof system, staircase, log railings). Timber frames cost between $30 to $45 per square foot depending on the building size and complexity.
 
Don't timber frame homes waste an important resource - our trees?
Timber frame homes actually use less lumber than most conventional homes, making them a wise choice environmentally. Because the timber frame is the structural component of the home, it eliminates the need for the many conventional roof trusses as are typically found in most homes.
 
What type of wood do you use?
Moonstone Timber Frame prefers to use eastern white pine for both timber frame and log structures. These trees grow in tall straight stands with long lengths of clear wood, The eastern pine of Northen Ontario is slow growing and very strong, unlike its soft and fast growing cousin in Michigan and Ohio. White pine is extremely stable and has a low tendency for twisting and checking unlike woods such as douglas fir, spruce, or oak. Eastern pine is one of the best building woods in the world.
 
Is a special type of foundation needed for a timber frame/log home?
No. Conventional foundations like concrete block, poured concrete, slab or concrete piers are all acceptable choices.
 
Do you offer a variety of design options?
We can work from standard conventional designs modified to suit your own personal tastes. We offer in-house design options or can work with an architect of your choice. The possibilities are endless - limited only by your imagination!
 
Aren't log homes less durable than conventional homes?
Log homes built in Europe centuries ago are still standing and look magnificent. Log homes are no more prone to rot than today's conventional homes built with modern materials. Timber frame and full scribe log homes have lasting value that will stand up to the elements. Log homes are a natural living space and provide a much healthier living environment than conventional homes using plastic vapour barriers.
 
How does the R-value of a timber frame/log home compare to a conventionally built home?
Timber frame homes are insulated and finished like conventional homes so R-values are identical. Log homes' energy-conservation benefits are known as "thermal mass". R-value measures a material's resistance to the transfer of heat from one side to another. Logs have a relatively low resistance to heat transfer, making a log home's thermal mass as energy efficient as a well-insulated frame wall. This is especially important in northern Canadian climates.
 
How far will you travel to build your timber frame/log homes?
There is no limit to the distance we would travel to build you your dream home. Moonstone Timber Frame's people have built custom handcrafted homes worldwide.
 
 
International Log Builders' Association   The Timber Framers Guild
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