The nonprofit organization mindful MATERIALS manages CMF and focuses on five key impact areas: human health, social equity, ecosystem health, climate health, and circularity. The CMF is primarily accessible through the mindful MATERIALS website, which allows users to search for building products based on their sustainability performance within the framework.

Go to mindfulmaterials.com/a-common-language to learn more.

CERC Certification

By heightening our awareness of environmental dangers, we can all do our part to protect the planet and safeguard employees and visitors on our work sites. The Certified Environmentally Responsible Contractor (CERC) certification from Environmental Risk Professionals sets your organization apart from others by signaling that all of your employees are trained in best practices to prevent pollution incidents and mitigate environmental hazards.

CERC certification involves an evaluation of a contractor’s pollution liability coverage, which must meet standards set forth by the program. Benefits include digital marketing templates, PR and community engagement ideas, and an exclusive company spotlight article on LinkedIn written by Environmental Risk Professionals.

Mid-Atlantic Timberframes is proud to have achieved CERC status in 2021.

For more information, go to c-e-r-c.com.

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What was once a “future” goal has become a virtual requirement for many companies.

In Silicon Valley, Google has built a 1.1-million-square-foot all-electric building that is an example of tomorrow’s office buildings. It is net water positive, meaning all its non-potable water comes from waterreused on-site, and it embraces biophilic building practices with its focus on natural light, indoor air quality, and thermal comfort from newly developed scale-like solar panels and one of the world’s largest geothermalsystems. The building, and all Google campuses, will operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030.

In speaking about the design and intention of Walmart’s new campus in Bentonville, Arkansas, their Executive VP of Corporate Affairs Dan Bartlett has said, “The buildings themselves (will have) solar panels atop parking decks, energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems, and regionally sourced building materials, including mass timber construction. We’ve been working for years to be a more sustainable company, and we want our new home to reflect that.”

In many cases, government incentives are offered to push for the completion of green buildings, helpingto offset their costs. Mandatory and voluntary construction codes are in effect throughout the country tovarying degrees, and they are having an impact on the green-focused mindset of corporate campus planning. The International Code Council’s 2012 International Green Construction Code (IgCC), for example, containsmandatory minimum requirements for efficiencies in environmental and health performance. Likewise, LEED is a voluntary series of rating systems builders can follow, meant to increase the environmentaland health performance for the design, construction, and operation of all building types.

Sustainability planning for corporate campuses has become expected now, rather than in the future. The construction industry will have to rise to meet these demands while finding innovative ways and materials to satisfy building regulations.

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1. Take in air, use the carbon dioxide, then emit oxygen back into the atmosphere.
2. Filter air pollutants in urban areas.
3. Improve water and soil quality.
4. Help stop ground erosion with their deep, thick roots.
5. Provide shade and homes to small animals.

All of those things are good, right? So cutting down trees to use in construction — isn’t that bad? Not necessarily. At Mid-Atlantic Timberframes, we make sure our timber construction helps to preserve forests, not destroy them.

Reforestation: The Key to Timber’s Sustainability

Forestry in the United States has come a long way in the last fifty years. Where large swaths of trees were once permanently removed, today many foresters around the country are dedicated to reforestation — the natural or intentional restocking of forests and woodlands that have been depleted.

This benefits humans, animals, the climate, and the environment in all the ways listed above and more. But this responsible forest management also benefits private forest managers economically, as it keeps a continuous supply of timber available for them to utilize and sell — and therefore, a supply of timber for manufacturers to buy to make wood products such as lumber, paper, pencils, furniture, and so much more.

Reforestation makes building with timber a very sustainable practice. Timber is a renewable resource, and, if sourced from these responsibly managed forests, its harvesting doesn’t contribute to deforestation. Mid-Atlantic Timberframes sources and harvests all of our timber from responsibly managed forests in the United States, and for each tree our suppliers cut down, they plant as many as ten in its place.

Standards for Responsible Forest Management

The Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC® C164575) is an independent international organization devoted to setting standards for protecting the world’s forests. More than 550 million acres of forest are certified under their system — including 155 million acres in the United States and Canada alone.

Mid-Atlantic Timberframes is proud to be FSC^® certified. We feel it’s important to support an organization like FSC^® because of our shared goal of protecting forests, a natural resource we cannot afford to deplete. Thanks to their efforts, forests will remain viable for generations to come.

Doing Our Part

Mid-Atlantic Timberframes is committed to usung sustainable practices in our business every day (we even recycle the timber waste produced in our manufacturing process). It’s our way of doing our part to combat deforestation and preserve Earth’s natural resources. Have questions? Contact us to learn more.

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There is waste in every manufacturing process, and timber manufacturing is no exception. In order to achieve large, square, solid timber beams and posts, some wood needs to be sawn from the edges of even larger trees. So what happens to the wood we saw off in our manufacturing process? Thankfully, we’re able to recycle our timber waste and give it new life.

In our workshop, all the sawdust produced in the timber manufacturing process is collected by a state-of-the-art collection system. This keeps the dust from collecting in our equipment, which can damage it and shorten its life cycle. It also protects our employees from breathing the sawdust in. Collected sawdust is used by some manufacturers to make particleboard, while others may use it as a fuel source. Our sawdust and wood shavings are used for an altogether different purpose.

Larger wood blocks and cutoffs produced in our manufacturing process are fed into a chipper/grinder, which grinds the wood blocks into shavings. The sawdust and shavings  — about 500 to 600 cubic yards each month — are then sold to a shavings broker, who sells them to local dairy and chicken farmers for bedding. The bedding keeps farm animals warm and comfortable and also absorbs their waste. This rich combination of animal waste and raw wood is later spread on farm fields as fertilizer, enriching the soil to help provide healthy crops. Through this method of timber waste recycling, our trees go full circle — they start in the ground and go back to the ground!

At Mid-Atlantic Timberframes, we pride ourselves on having zero timber waste. When you work with us, you can feel good knowing you’re taking part in a sustainable building process.

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Let Us Explain…

There are many reasons building with timber is considered “green” and helps keep climate change at bay — whether it be traditional heavy timber or innovative mass timber. For one, timber structures are more energy efficient than conventionally built structures because they utilize SIPs (structural insulated panels). These panels are adhered around the structure, as opposed to stick-built structures, where insulation goes in between each structural element. Building with timber is also green because the timbers are prefabricated to specifications and then easily assembled on-site, reducing waste.

The biggest green benefit of building with timber, however, is that it cuts down on carbon emissions. Trees naturally absorb carbon dioxide from the environment. Unlike building materials like steel, which emit quite a bit of carbon dioxide just during the production process, the timber derived from trees stores carbon dioxide even after it is harvested, fabricated, and used for construction. That carbon remains in the timber for the lifetime of the structure. So, not only does timber absorb excess carbon during its lifetime, but it also does NOT emit carbon while being processed and used in the structure built from it.

But is Timber Construction Sustainable?

Building with timber is also a very sustainable practice. Timber is a renewable resource, and, if sourced from responsibly managed forests, it cuts down on deforestation and aids in proper forestry management. Mid-Atlantic Timberframes sources and harvests all of our timber from the United States. For every tree our supplier cuts down, they plant ten. Forestry has come a long way in the last fifty years. Foresters are no longer permanently removing large swaths of trees, but are renewing them for future generations and future use. This benefits humans and animals, which, in turn, benefits the environment and climate too.

Interested in Learning More?

Between forestry management and lowering carbon dioxide emissions, timber construction is the perfect way to build sustainably and stave off climate change. For more information on how to build using sustainable timber, contact Mid-Atlantic Timberframes today!

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Achieve your “green” timber frame home goals with SIPs.

One of the many things that makes a timber frame home appealing to the modern homeowner is the sustainability and energy efficiency that timber framing affords. Green building practices and the use of structural insulated panels (SIPs) offer maximum energy efficiency and added strength by providing a tight building envelope that works well with timber frame materials.

Mid-Atlantic Timberframes, located in Paradise, Penn., utilizes SIPs for the walls and roofs of its timber frame homes. “A SIPs panel is a structural insulated panel that consists of three to six inches of polyurethane foam insulation sandwiched between a half inch of oriented strand board (OSB) on either side,” explains Sam Ebersol, general manager of Mid-Atlantic Timberframes. “This creates a rigid wall panel that is as strong as—or stronger than—a conventionally framed wall, and creates a sealed envelope around the frame. Conventionally framed walls generally have two-by-six studs positioned at 16-inch intervals, and each stud creates a thermal break in the consistency of the insulation.”

“In addition to securing our timber from well-managed forests, we use passive design techniques to take advantage of the natural climate in order to maintain thermal comfort,” Ebersol says.

To read the full article, continue on by clicking here:

http://www.customhomeonline.com/products/green-products/build-an-energy-efficient-timber-frame-home-with-sustainability-in-mind

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To learn more about it, let’s look at a few of the most popular timber frame questions we hear from our clients and build partners.

What Is Timber Framing?

Timber framing is a building method that has been around a very long time. Its methods date as far back as the Neolithic period and have been used throughout the world—including in Japan, England, Germany, the US, and other regions.

In timber frame construction, a structure is framed with timber frames instead of the more conventional slender, dimensional lumber. Structures that are commonly called “stick-built” use this slender, dimensional lumber. It’s typically found precut and is readily available at lumberyards.

What Makes Up Timber Frame Homes?

There are many elements that make up a timber frame home. Let’s look at a few:

Timbers are the wooden beams that create the home’s frame. The upright timbers are called the posts. A timber frame home is fully constructed of the upright/vertical posts and horizontal beams. At Mid-Atlantic Timberframes, our timber frames are constructed mainly from Douglas fir, eastern white pine, red cedar, and oak.

Crossbeams connect the post beams together and give the structure stability. The location where two beams come together is called a joint.

In true timber frame homes, the timbers are cut to fit into each other at the joints. Those joints are connected with mortise and tenons and secured with wooden pegs. There are many kinds of joints, ranging from simple to complex. Common ones include lap joints, mortise-and-tenon joints, and dovetailed and pegged joints.

Trusses are a rigid triangle of timbers. A truss provides support for the roof but also allows for column-free floor space, typically on the top floor of a structure.

Timber Frame Home vs. Log Home: What’s the Difference?

One of the most common questions we hear is, How do timber frame homes differ from log homes? The biggest difference is how the wood is used.

Log homes are built by simply stacking logs horizontally. This creates the walls—and a very distinct look. The look of timber frame homes might not be as easily recognizable because different exterior materials might be used, giving it a different profile compared to the interior. In a log home, however, the look of the home’s interior is the same as the look of the exterior.

Why Timber Frames?

There are many advantages to choosing custom timber framing. Timber framing is suitable for just about any style and shape of building. Its versatile open-air design makes it ideal for large spaces like a public library or riding arena. And the warmth of natural wood makes it a great choice for more private, personal spaces like a spa or restaurant.

Timber framing also offers the flexibility of customization. From a grand, formal look to a modern, chic vibe, there’s truly no limit to what you can design and build.

Timber framing is friendly to the environment. Timber is a natural, renewable resource, and our suppliers plant as many as 10 times the number of trees they cut down. A timber frame home paired with structural insulated panels (SIPs) is energy efficient. Unlike in a standard framed or stick-built home, SIPs don’t have the thermal breaks created by studs as 16-inch centers. This allows for reduced energy costs.

Last but certainly not least, timber frame construction is low maintenance. Even 100 years later, you’ll have a beautiful, structurally sound, and energy efficient structure.

If you have more questions about custom timber framing, connect with our expert team. We’re here to share our knowledge and help you take the next step in your timber frame construction journey!

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