Journal

Notes from the shop.

On real timber, the craft, and the process. Written for the designers, architects, and builders we work with.

What a box beam actually is, how it goes together, and why designers keep specifying it over solid timber.

What each of the three is good at, where each one runs out, and the three questions that decide which a ceiling actually needs.

The five things we need to price a beam accurately, and the drawing notes that save everyone a round of questions.

Nail holes, checks, saw marks, and sun: what the surface of old timber tells you, and how to spec the right amount of character.

Heavy timber looks without the structural load: why the shop exists, and when a hollow beam is the smarter drawing.

Why the beam, the floor, and the trim should be finished as one decision, and how to get there without a matching lottery.

Cedar, white oak, Douglas fir, and poplar: how a species gets chosen, and why the finish follows it.

What a door schedule actually decides, why the hardware belongs on it, and how to hand the whole thing off as one package.

A tongue-and-groove ceiling looks simple from below. The decisions that make it read right happen before the first board goes up.

A mantel is one piece of wood doing a whole room’s worth of work. How to size it, what character to look for, and what to send us.