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McMinnville-based contractor Winsome Construction announced Tuesday it will work with Woodhouse, one of the leading timber-frame manufacturers in the United States, to build timber-frame homes in Oregon.

Winsome handles both residential and commercial construction, including custom designs. For its part, Woodhouse has provided timber-frame packages and design services for homes since 1979.

Now, the two companies are joining forces to meld the old with the new. It’s a big expansion for Winsome, which will now be building custom homes using Woodhouse designs and technology.

鈥淲e found a real alignment with the two companies,鈥� said Wendy Stassens, one of three Winsome Construction partners and co-owners. 鈥淭here just seemed to be a real match there.鈥�

Woodhouse has a track record of working with other contractors through its independent selling partner program. In this way, the firm is able to offer its designs, prefabricated frames and more through a nationwide network of partners.

鈥淲oodhouse has always had a strong belief and vision to partner with successful custom homebuilders,鈥� said Craig Johnson, the firm’s vice president of sales and marketing. 鈥淣ot only is Oregon one of the top markets for timber-frame homes, but (partner Shan Stassens) and the team at Winsome Construction are one of the top builders in the area.鈥�

Timber-frame construction is a traditional method featuring heavy wood beams and intricate joinery rather than slender lumber.聽Walls are almost always positioned outside of timber frames, leaving large support timbers exposed for a striking visual effect.

鈥淚t’s an ancient form of carpentry that they’ve basically been able to modernize,鈥� said Shan Stassens, who has worked as a licensed commercial and residential contractor in Oregon since 1990.

The joinery also is different. Instead of closely spaced lumber that is butt-joined and nailed together, the custom timber frame uses large timbers that are squared off and spaced farther apart. These heavy timbers are carefully fitted and joined together with mortises and tenons, and then secured with wooden pegs.

Because of heavy timbers’ supporting strength, timber-framed homes don’t require interior load-bearing walls.聽This creates design opportunities and durability not possible with other construction methods.

One of those opportunities is an expanded use of prefabrication.

鈥淧ackages are designed through CAD systems,鈥� Shan Stassens said. 鈥淭he machine does the vast majority of the milling. You do need craftsmen to clean it up with chisels and do the finishes on it, but the majority of it is done with a machine now.鈥�

Woodhouse has decades of experience building this way, he added. Further, the company’s headquarters in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, is located adjacent to a manufacturer of polyurethane structural insulating panels (SIP). The technology is used in conjunction with timber-framed buildings.

鈥淭hey’ve been working hand in hand for 40 years on a system where the timber frames are built and (contractors follow) with the structural panels,鈥� he said.

The time savings are notable. Installation of framing and insulating panels on a new home built this way can take as little as two weeks for smaller designs.

鈥淲e’re a general contractor, we build homes, and the timber-frame component is just one part of the house,鈥� Shan Stassens said. 鈥淏ut we’re integrating everything into this assembly, from structural to mechanical and aesthetics, and I feel that’s something that’s unique.鈥�