Post & Beam: Like timber frames, post

and beam structures are constructed with

heavy timber or logs, but are more simple,
using just posts, beams, and rafters.
Timber: A squared off piece of wood that
is used structurally.
Bent: A pre-assembled structural
framework of beams.
Post: The primary vertical timbers in a
timber frame.
Beam: The primary horizontal support
timbers in a timber frame.
Rafters: Series of timbers that are used to
support roofs.
Brace: A diagonal piece of timber used to
support beams.
Joist: Horizontal timbers used to support
floors and ceilings.
Purlin: A horizontal roof beam that
supports rafters and spans the distance
between gable ends.
Chord: The bottom horizontal timber in a
truss.
Gable: The triangular upper part of a wall
that connects to a pitched roof.
Collar Tie: A horizontal beam between
roof rafters that reduces spreading or
sagging of the rafters.
Tension Tie: A tension tie is a steel rod
that acts as the bottom chord for a truss
and allows for large, open, arched truss
designs, because the rod carries structural
loads.
Post Base: The connection between the
bottom of the post and the concrete.

Glulam: Layers of 1 or 1-1/2 inch boards

that are glued together to form a beam.
Hand Hewn: A beam that has been hand
crafted with an adze and a slick to get a
scored, decorative texture.
Rough Hewn: Beams that have been
reclaimed from old mill buildings and
barns.
Rough Sawn: Timber that has not been
sanded or smoothed, but is used as
originally cut.1
Shake: Shake is the separation of the
rings in a piece of wood that occurs as the
wood dries. Usually found in Hemlock.
Checking: Checking is a long crack that
appears as the sap wood of a timber
shrinks around the heart wood over time.
Checking is not a structural problem, and
usually occurs only on one or two sides of
a beam.
Adze: A tool with a long wooden handle
with a steel plate at a right angle used to
make decorative cuts in heavy timber.
Slick: A tool used to clean the surface of
hand hewn beams.
Truss: A structural framework used to
support external loads.
King Post: A truss with a center vertical
beam with an angled support beam on
each side of the vertical beam.
Queen Post: A truss with two vertical
beams that each have an outer angled
support beam.
Scissor: A truss shaped like a scissor with
bottom chords that cross each other.
Hammer Beam: A truss with short
beams that extend from and transfer loads
to the wall and roof. Because the truss

transfers its load to the outer walls and

roof, it is able to have an open, arch
design. The hammer beam truss design
originated in old European cathedrals.
Joinery: Two or more timbers that are
connected. The combined components of a
timber frame.
Mortise: A notch, hole, or cut in a piece
of wood into which a tenon is fit to join
two timbers together. This is the female
part of a joint.
Tenon: The cut end of a timber that fits
into a mortise to join two pieces of timber
together. This is the male part of a joint.
Dovetail: A mortise and tenon joint
shaped like a doves tail.

Gusset: A metal plate attached to one or

both sides of a joint to strengthen the joint