Island man designs timber-frame home of his childhood memories
By Diance C. Lore
Staten Island Advance
August 2006 |
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When he was a little boy Mark Russo remembers visiting country homes in Pennsylvania and New England with his family, and looking up at the exposed timber ceiling beams.
The ceiling beams made the room seem enormous to the boy. But the exposed wood gave an aura of comfort to the room that somehow made the child feel safe and secure, as if he were in a church, or toasty-warm ski lodge in winter. It was a feeling he never forgot.
So when Russo and his wife, Debbie, decided to build their family "dream house," he knew instinctively they would build a timber-frame house with exposed wood ceilings and beams.
Timber framing is a specific type of post-and-beam construction made popular in parts of New England and Pennsylvania.
Instead of the traditional rough-hewed two by four frame house that's fastened together with nails and covered with drywall, a timber frame home is done in finished wood, often Douglas fir or white pine.
Wooden pegs are used, rather than nails, to hold the timber beams in place. The frame is exposed on the inside of the structure, defining the space and the aesthetics of the home.
The principles of timber frame construction, whose technique derives from the 19th century, are similar to those used in crafting and finishing wood furniture. Curved braces, chamfered edges and a clear tung oil finish to preserve the natural beauty of the wood, are the signature features of a timber frame home.
The walls, ceilings and roof, and other areas of the home where the wood beams are not exposed are covered by structural insulated panels, or SIPS. These are pre-cut panels "sandwiched" with beads of insulation.
In traditional home construction, soft insulation batting would normally be stuffed between the wood studs of the frame and walls. The SIPS are designed to be super energy-efficient, to keep heat, cold and moisture from damaging the exposed timber beams and wood over the life of the house.
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The great room in the future home of Mark Russo in Egbertville
will include exposed Douglas fir beams.
(Staten Island Advance Photos/Irving Silverstein)
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YEARS OF RESEARCH
Russo and his wife spent six years researching timber frame homes. They read articles on the Internet, looked at photographs in magazines and even drove out to look at homes under construction in Pennsylvania and New England. Then they sat down and put together their own wish list for their home now under construction on Nevada Avenue in Egbertville.
The Russos selected Davis Frame Co. (www.davisframe.com), based in Claremont, N.H., to custom cut and make the timber beams and materials according to the architectural plans. Green Mountain Timber Framing of Birdsboro, Pa. (www.gmtimberframe.com) is doing the work putting up the frame and panels.
Jackie Lampiasi, marketing director for Davis Frame Co., said timber frame homes experienced a revival in the 1970s and since then have been gaining in popularity. "Timber framing appeals to people who want more in a home than just a place of shelter from the elements. They want a place of security, comfort and one that fulfills their aesthetic needs," she said. "Timber framing is a responsible, energy-efficient, safe and comfortable, and above all, beautiful, method of construction."
Fortunately, the location of the Russo house, a half-acre site at the edge of High Rock Park in the Greenbelt, lends itself to the couple's vision. Surrounded by woods and trails, the lot was the site of a remodeled Army barracks building. The couple had the building leveled and a new foundation poured before the timber beams could be raised. Construction began about 18 months ago, but was delayed because of weather conditions and problems with the site that have been since corrected.
"The location naturally lends itself to wide-open spaces," said Russo, 39, who is president of Russo-Picciurro, Maloy Insurance Agency in Bloomfield.
Mark Russo, left, goes over plans with his foreman, Jim Mulutzie, inside the timber-frame home Russo is building in Egbertville.
Dowels are used in place of nails and screws in the Nevada Avenue home.
(Staten Island Advance Photos/Irving Silverstein)
| 'GREAT ROOM'
Rampulla Associates, New Dorp, designed the 4,500 square foot, two-story home, which will have 5 bedrooms, 1-and-a-half baths, a family room, and separate "play room" for the couple's children, Samantha 6, and Christian, 3.
Chris Bilotti of Sunnyside, is the general contractor for the project. Russo and Bilotti are childhood friends, Russo explained. "He (Bilotti) has known all about my fascination with timber frames ever since we were kids," he said.
But the centerpiece of the home will be what Russo calls "the great room." The room will feature a cathedral ceiling with exposed Douglas fir timber beams, a wood burning fireplace set into a field stone and cultured stone wall, and hardwood flooring. Russo said he plans on installing a home theatre system, track lighting and a bar to complete the décor.
"I can see myself gravitating there to relax and looking up at the ceiling beams," Russo said. "All that wood is going to give the house a nice, warm feeling. It's going to be a whole different look, something you just can't get with all that granite and marble that's so popular in new homes today," he observed.
The exposed wood also will be evident in other rooms of the house, including the kitchen, dining room and upstairs bedrooms, whose ceilings will be finished in exposed white pine.
If all goes well the Russos, who are presently living in Grymes Hill, hope to be able to move into their dream home in time for Christmas.
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