Vermont Heavy Timber was founded in 2014 by owner Miles Jenness. As the son of a well respected woodworker Miles has been working with wood his whole life and his interest in timber framing was piqued in the early 2000’s. In 2008 he started working for talented timber frame restoration company where he worked until starting VTHT.
Restoration
At VTHT we restore and preserve historic timber framed structures, from small repairs to total disassembly, repair and reassembly, and everything in between. The restoration process is a conversation between the restorers, the building and the original builders. Although there can be many regional and period similarities in their construction each building is unique, a product of the hands that made it, every one with a story to tell. A portion of what makes our job interesting are these differences in method or style, detecting the individuality of the original carpenter. We approach restoration projects with this historical understanding and a respect for buildings we work on with the goal of retaining all of the original work we can. When we do have to replace timbers whenever possible we will do so with the same species and the same style as the original.
During the restoration process we often get to see the whole structure, some of which may not have been visible since it was erected, hidden by siding or buried in a wall. We get to observe the functional parts of a structure that weren’t necessarily meant to be seen; those “hidden” details often speak to the level of craftsmanship in the builder. We use this as a guiding principal in our work, pay attention to craftsmanship at every level in every detail, even if it will be hidden from plain view when our work is done. Traditional timber frames were often exercises in pure function: stand up to the elements, shelter the animals and equipment, and keep the hay dry. The buildings that survive today in the US are the successful experiments in design and engineering, drawing on previous designs from European carpenters. We are inspired by the standout historical buildings, where craftsmanship was executed to such a degree that it becomes something more. In the restorations we perform we try to honor the tradition of timber framing and the buildings we are servicing in the hope of preserving our historic structures.
New Timber Frames
Designing and cutting new Timber Frames is an enjoyable part of what we do. Our experience in restoration gives us a strong understanding of structural and functional components of timber frames that we apply to the new frames we produce. But with that understanding we also have the opportunity to allow formal aesthetics to enter the picture in a way that was a less common in historic timber fames. We work with our clients to design unique buildings to suit their needs, be it a new house, barn, shed or other timber frame structure. When desired/required we can tackle most engineering needs in innovative ways to create both functional and beautiful spaces. Our belief in craftsmanship guides our methodology, precision and attention to detail at every step and ultimately the product of our work represents that. We believe that there is inherent beauty in well-crafted things evident to the trained or untrained eye.
Vermont Heavy Timber 