With this design, post and beam homes use whole logs as a structural support. This will provide the owner a natural log surface outside and inside their home. When looking at the beginning of construction you will see many vertical log posts that carry big horizontal logs on top. Once the frame is finished then they are filled in with conventional framed 2 x 6 walls. The vertical logs are placed approximately eight feet apart. Then they are connected to one another to develop the frame.
It is the most flexible style when discussing construction and design. Where you build your new pole and beam home will influence the logs used and the design. For example, if you were building your new home in an area that is known for wood-boring insects or in a damp environment the best logs would be western red cedar.
Advantages
• Very energy efficient
• You have flexible design options
• Most houses "settle" over time but with post and beam homes there are no settling issues
• Easy to frame and wire the home
• There is less maintenance
• Depending on the design a post and beam home can take from one to four months to build
• They cost less per square foot to build
• You can have claimed ceilings
Disadvantages
• It costs more to build a post and beam home because they require larger pieces of high quality timber that is cut from large trees. This timber is then moved into place using some form of crane. Because the construction relations on fewer structural elements, the placement of the timber must be precise. Ones with the expertise in this type of construction are hard to find so their time can be expensive.
Benefits
• Strength-this is one of the strongest building methods available today. It is resistant to blizzards, heavy snows, and wind. It can also offer durability. Post and beam homes are known to withstand "the test of time."
• Aesthetic appeal-all homes constructed from post and beam frames feature exposed heavy timbers that look marvelously on the inside of the home. This also gives you a sense of warmth and safekeeping.
• The beams hold up the roof and not the walls. This means that pole and beam homes can be a big house without many walls. This is great for homeowners that like an open floor plan. For spectacular views, you can choose large windows because the heavy beams are able to support these types of windows.
• Pole and beam homes are more fire resistant because the timber that is used in the construction of these homes are stronger and denser. The wood is usually Type IV, which is more fire resistant.