How to Fix Carpet Fraying

Have you noticed the edges of your carpet starting to thin out and fray? If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to solve this problem, this blog post is for you. 

What causes carpet fraying

The main reasons for carpet fraying include poor installation and friction from dirt and debris working their way into the material. Over time, the fibers wear out and can also unravel. If left in this state, the appearance and structural integrity of your carpet will continue to deteriorate. Source: HomeGuides.SFGate

How to prepare carpet 

Pull away any fibers completely loose from the carpet backing. Clean the carpet and allow it to thoroughly dry before applying the glue. This is especially important if the fraying was caused by pet actions which may also carry moisture and dirt into the carpet. Apply the hot glue and press the fibers into position and allow the glue to dry. This may only take a few minutes depending on the hot glue used. 

How to repair carpet seams

Most carpet fraying problems occur along the seam between two segments of carpet. This can require applying the hot glue to both segments of the carpet and then gluing the two segments together. This can salvage a situation that might require replacing the entire room of carpet at a fraction of the cost. Continue to monitor the repaired area and apply additional glue if any further fraying is noted. Source: Hunker

Which type of carpet is less likely to fray?

To prevent excess fraying and other types of wear, choose a carpet that is durable and more resistant to wear. For this, nylon carpet is your best bet. Nylon is the strongest carpet material, performs better than others in high traffic areas, and is resistant to mold and mildew. Source: UpgradedHome

Carpet fraying is a common issue in most households. The good news is that it’s easy to repair. If you want to save time and effort, let us take on this job for you. Contact us today to set an appointment.

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What is Carpet Pile Reversal?

Have you noticed when you look at your carpet that some areas look darker than others? Find out what causes this problem by reading below:

How does pile reversal look?

Traffic Lanes Gray: The carpet appears to be soiled, but is actually clean.  This is often due to a combination of factors, such as scratches or fiber distortions due to wear, which will cause light to reflect at different angles instead of uniformly. 

Shading, Pooling, or Nap Reversal:  Normal traffic causes the pile of carpet to flatten slightly, resulting in a shaded effect, especially in plush carpet.  Vacuuming the pile in the same direction can temporarily correct this situation.  Source: Cleanlink

Why does it happen?

Most commonly, pile reversal is the result of poor installation. If two pieces of carpet need to be seamed together in a room, the installer must ensure that the direction of the pile is consistent in both pieces. Otherwise, when the two pieces are joined they can actually look like two different carpets.

Less commonly, the pile can actually change direction on a single piece of carpet. This is somewhat of a mystery in the industry. Sometimes, it is evident that the pile direction shifts in the direction of foot traffic. Other times, though, it has no apparent cause.

In rare instances, the carpet comes straight from the manufacturer with the pile reversed on part of the roll. Unfortunately, reverse pile is not considered by carpet manufacturers to be a defect and therefore is not covered by warranty. Source: TheSpruce

Which carpet type is the least prone to

Examine loop-pile carpets such as Berber, which does not show any footprints or marks at all. It makes an ideal choice for dressing all those common areas of your home, and rooms where you may socialize frequently. A loop pile carpet, Berber’s yarns are sewn through the back of the carpet. Multilevel loop rugs offer a dimensional appearance unlike cut carpet, which has as a straight, tufted appearance. When choosing carpet for the high-traffic areas of your home, couple your design perspective with a touch of realism. For example, a multi-level or patterned Berber rug stylishly conceals the appearance of footprints when compared to fancy, thick-pile carpeting. Source: HomeGuides.SFGate

Don’t risk headaches down the line. Make sure only professionals with a proven track record install your carpet. If you need help solving any carpet problem, don’t hesitate to call us!

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7 Considerations for building your timber frame home

Congratulations, you’ve decided to build the timber frame home of your dreams! Now, what can you do to make sure it gets built just right? Here are seven considerations that you can use to ensure your new home is built to match your style, budget, and design needs.

#1 Has your timber frame home been designed properly?

Like every project, building a timber frame home starts on a piece of paper. Make sure your designer/engineer/architect/builder has specific experience building timber frame homes. Their expertise will ensure that your home is properly designed so that it will be strong, beautiful, and will cost less and last longer.

#2 Do you want a full timber frame home or just timber accents?

In a fully timber framed home, the entire structure of the house is built with timbers. This is the strongest way to build your home.  It can cost more than a conventional home since there will be more timbers used. If you’d like to see a breakdown of costs for a Timber Frame visit our “How Much Does a Log Home Cost” page.

If you don’t want a full timber structure, you could also choose to build a conventionally framed house that has some parts built with timbers, either for structural or for aesthetic purposes. For example: You could use conventional framing for all of the bedrooms and use timbers to give living rooms, entrance ways, and trusses the support and beauty of wood accents.

#3 Do you want a timber frame or post and beam frame?

Sometimes the terms timber frame and post and beam are interchanged, so it’s important to be clear on what you’re actually looking for. The most obvious difference between a timber frame and a post and beam home is the type of timbers used. Timber frames cut all the timbers into square posts where as post and beam posts are typically round.

When building a timber frame, parts of the frame are assembled on the ground and then lifted as whole sections (called bents) to be put into place. After the entire timber frame is completed, the walls and roof are built over top of it.

Post and beam homes use timber posts that are set into place first and additional timbers are added one by one due to their weight and size.

Today, home designs are beginning to combine timber frame and post and beam timbers to create a hybrid look.

#4 Which wood will you use to build your timber frame home?

We’ve previously written a detailed article on how to select the best wood for your timber frame home, click here to read it. You’ll want to work with your designer and engineer to ensure you select the best wood species and processing for your home’s style and structure.

In general, you’ll be able to choose:

Your timber species. Oak, pine, spruce, or cedar? There are a number of wood species to choose from depending on the design you want. Their availability and cost will depend on your location. For instance, on the west coast of Canada, Douglas Fir and Red Cedar are the most popular options due to their strength and availability.

Your wood processing method. How timbers are processed impact their strength, look, and longevity. Kiln dried, fully planed, free-of-heart centered timbers are the premium option for building a timber frame home. Rough sawn, green wood, boxed heart timbers are the most economic option available.

As a word of caution, we don’t recommend using “green” wood. This wood is fresh from the forest and has not been dried. Green timbers have a high moisture content that can lead to movement, shifting, and cracking as the home ages.

#5 What joinery will best support your timber frame home?

There’s more than one way to join two timbers. Strength is always priority number one and then your choice comes down to a matter of looks.

Steel joinery and fasteners are always preferred by engineers because they’re stronger and easier to do calculations for. However, wood to wood joinery has proven its strength over hundreds of years of building. Wood to wood joinery means more cost in labour during the timber cutting process but less cost in materials since there are fewer fasteners required.

When it comes to style: Do you prefer the traditional, natural look of wood to wood joinery? Do you like to see a little bit of  the steel connections showing? Or, do you like contrasting the natural wood with steel connectors? You can mix and match your timber frame home joinery depending on your home’s design and budget.

#6 What’s the best framing method for building your home?

There are two different ways that builders can incorporate timbers into a structure.

One is an enclosed timber frame, meaning that the walls are built on the outside surface of the timbers. This way of building highlights the timbers inside the house, keeps them protected from weather exposure, and is easier to insulate and make airtight.

However, it takes away from the outside look of the frame because it’s partially covered. This can be good if you’re building in an area where you have to follow strict regulations to what your home can look like outside, or if you want the look of a traditional home on the outside and a timber frame inside.

The other way is to build walls in between the timbers, which makes them visible from the outside of the home as well. This is perfect if you do want the look and feel of a timber frame inside and out. This style may require larger timbers for framing and insulating.

#7 How can you choose a good builder for your timber frame home?

Make sure the builder who will bring your timber frame home to life meets your budget, needs and requirements. Keep in mind that a very low price could mean that something has been compromised, and that the most expensive option may not necessarily be the best. Check out our full article “6 Key Questions to Ask before Hiring a Home Builder”.

Most importantly, make sure the builder treats your timber frame home as it should be treated, as your dream home coming true.

If you are considering building a timber frame home check out our plans and galleries section to get some ideas and inspiration. As always if you have any questions or want to look at building please feel free to contact us at info@artisanlog.com.

Related Articles

How much does a log home cost?
6 Key Questions to Ask before Hiring a Home Builder
Difference between full scribe, post and beam and timber frame log homes

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How to select the best wood to build your Timber Frame Home

What wood will create the look I want for my timber frame home? Which tree species is most durable to build with? How much will it cost? These are the most common questions we get asked by clients as they decide on the right timber for their home.

We previously wrote an article on the best type of wood to build a log home, you can read the article here. Timber frame and log homes are different, so wood selection may vary for each.  

When it comes to building a timber frame home, you’ll want to consider three things: the type of wood, how the timber is processed, and what finished look you desire.

Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Most common wood species used for building a timber frame home

It all starts with the species of wood you decide to use. Timber frame homes can been made from a variety of wood species. Choosing the right type of wood comes down to personal preference, climate, structure, and price point.

Below is a rundown of the most common wood species used for building timber frames.

Oak:
This is the strongest and hardest species of wood available. It’s commonly used in Europe and eastern Canada for building timber frames as it’s readily available. Oak timbers are becoming used less frequently due to increased difficulty in finding high quality pieces in suitable sizes

Douglas Fir:
This is the most popular species of wood used in timber frame homes due to its strength and beauty. Most timber frames built in western Canada and in B.C. are made with Douglas Fir. This wood gets a high grade for its structural strength, which makes it an engineer’s favourite to build with.

Western Red Cedar: 
This is the premium choice for exposed timber homes since it can handle weather conditions better than any other species. One design consideration: Cedar is a softer and lighter wood, so beam sizes have to be larger compared to other species.

Pine and Spruce:
These are strong softwoods that are mostly used in eastern Canada. The name “softwood” does not mean that the wood is weak. In fact, softwood species (including Douglas Fir) are known for their structural strength and flexibility for design. Pine and spruce are some of the most economical varieties of timber available.

Deciding how the timbers are processed

How wood is processed isn’t actually related to which part of the tree that it comes from. Below are some options that you can mix and match to choose the best timber processing methods for your home’s needs.

Free of heart centers (FOH): 
These timbers come without the center (or heart) of the tree trunk. This makes the timber more stable, straight, and more resilient to cracks, checking and twisting.

Boxed heart:
Boxed heart timbers are sawn or milled so that the center of a tree remains intact. These beams have more movement and are therefore more prone to cracking.

Green timbers: 
When a tree is first cut it’s considered green. The wood has not been dried and its moisture content is high. This means the timbers will shrink over time, causing movement along the way. To ensure your home doesn’t shift or twist in the years to come, we don’t recommend that you use green timbers.

Kiln dried timbers: 
Kiln drying is a process that carefully dries the wood at a very slow rate so that it doesn’t cause damage to the beams. Timbers that undergo kiln drying will typically have a consistent moisture content of 12-16%. The kiln drying process helps make the timber more stable, less likely to crack, and keeps shrinkage to a minimum.

Choosing the right finished look for your timber framed home

There are two main options for the finished look of your home: smooth and rustic. This breakdown will help you decide which finish matches your style.

Smooth finish:
If you want a modern and sleek look for your timber frame, you’ll want a smooth finish. All four sides of each beam will be planed, which results in a consistent size and shape. This is the ideal look that many timber frame home owners want.

A rustic look:
If you are looking for a more natural feel, you might want to consider a rustic look. These timbers are not planed, so they have more character and a more unprocessed appearance. This is also the more economical finishing option.

So, which wood is best for your timber frame home?

At the end of the day, selecting the right wood species, processing, and finishing comes down to your own personal style and budget. We encourage you to discuss these options with your designer or log home company. They may have valuable suggestions based on your location, climate, and the species of wood that they have readily available.  

If you are considering building a timber frame home and are wondering which species of wood are available, please feel free to contact us at info@artisanlog.com

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Best Timber Frame Builders in BC

Looking at building a log and timber home and want to know who the best timber frame builders in B.C. are?

Timber Frame builders in BC are some of the best builders in the world. If you are in the market for building a custom timber frame home chances are you will be looking for a timer frame builder in BC.

It’s important that you do you research and find a company that can provide you the customer service and expertise that you need to build your home. While we build beautiful custom timber frame homes we understand that you may want to explore other options, styles and price points before you make your final decision.

Many people that we talk to ask us to refer some other companies that we might recommend so they can do a bit of research themselves. So here is our list of the best timber frame builders in BC.

British Columbia Timber Frame Co:
Focused on energy efficient homes, British Columbia Timber Frame Co. provides custom timber frame home packages, wall and roof enclosed systems. They also provide specialized timber work if your looking for a custom timber mantel, deck or truss.

Canadian Timber Fames Limited:
Since 1999 Canadian Timber Frames Limited has been services Canada with timber frame products from frames to walls and roof systems; ceilings and wall finishes, trim and exterior siding.

Tamlin Timber Frame Homes:
Located in Langley British Columbia, Tamlin Homes has been around since 1977. They specialize in custom timber frame homes with a west coast feel, providing as much timber feature as you would like.

Purcell Timber Frame Homes:
Situated in the beautiful Kootenay mountains of Nelson B.C., Purcell Timber Frame Homes specializes in luxury timber frame homes. They focus on building natural, healthy and sustainable homes.

Okanagan Log & Timber Frame:
OK Timber Frame is a full service timber frame company located in Salmon Arm B.C. In addition to building traditional timber frame homes they also build hybrid homes, mixing other design elements from other timber home styles.

Whiskey Creek Timber Framing:
Specializing in timber frame homes, cottages and cabins, Whiskey Creek Timber Framing and been building since 1980. Located on Vancouver Island makes them a bit more difficult to get to as you have the ferry or an added plane ticket to incorporate.

Zirnhelt Timber Frames:
Using traditional Swiss and German styles for their Timber Frame designs Zirnhelt Timber Frames not only builds the timber frame shell but offer complete construction services.

In addition to the 7 timber frame builders in BC we listed above there are many other companies. Some specializing in Timber frames and others incorporating other log and timber work into their homes as well.

If you found this article helpful you might want to check these ones out as well:

• Best log home builders in British Columbia
• Best Logs to Build a Custom Log Home
• The Difference Between Full Scribe vs Post and Beam vs Timber Frame
• How Much do Log Homes Cost
• Log Homes 101

As always, if you have any questions regarding timber frame or log homes, feel free to email us at info@artisanlog.com and we would be happy to help.

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Building a Luxury Log Home vs a Custom Log Home

When you start planning and designing your custom log home you are likely to turn to some luxury log home designs and plans for inspiration, but what is the difference between a luxury log home compared to a custom-built log home?

Luxury Log Home

A luxury custom log home is a one of a kind home. A luxury log home tends to not only be a custom design, but every element from the flooring, bathroom faucets and showers to the bedroom closet and kitchen sink are built specifically for this one and only home.
When building a luxury log home you can expect to have a very large budget due to the quality and customization required for each detail in the home. The cost per square foot is significantly higher due to the fact that you are ordering premium products and are unable to order items in bulk. The time frame to complete the project can also be much longer as you have to wait for each item to be built specifically for the project.

If you plan to build a luxury log home you will want to ensure you have the financing to do so. Some financial institutions can make lending a bit difficult because in some cases the value of a luxury log home can depreciate faster then custom built or standard homes.

Custom Log Home

If you don’t have the pocket book to ensure every element of your log home is luxury designed just for you, then a custom log home may be better suited for your needs. A custom log home can give you the benefit of both worlds, designing a home that is custom to you and your family’s needs, while saving some money in the process.

At Artisan, all of our log homes are custom designed to meet your needs. You can look at current designs and plans to get ideas and inspiration but we will always customize the final plans with the details needed to make your home your own. Even if you find a design that is exactly what you want there are always little customizations due to climate, location or species of wood. No two custom log homes are identical. When it comes to materials and amenities feel free to go for the cheapest, middle or top of the line on the things that matter to you.

We all dream of having a luxury log home but for most of us having a custom built log home that we can call our own is really all that we are looking for.

If you would like to explore some of our custom log home plans and log home galleries you can check them out here.

If you would like to know more or have any questions about custom log homes. Please feel free to visit our Log Home 101 section or contact us at info@artisanlog.com.

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Building a Log Home: Contract Types

Advantages and disadvantages of the two most common types of log home builder contracts.

Financing the cost of your log home can be a stressful process for some, but it doesn’t have to be. When entering into a contract with your log home builder there are typically two types of contracts they offer: Cost Plus Contracts and Fixed Rate Contracts.

Cost Plus (Cost+) Contracts

Also known as build plus contracts, cost plus contracts are a great option if you aren’t building on a tight budget and deadline but want to have some flexibility as you build. These contracts start off with a basic design and log shell price. As you start to build and construct your log home, materials and other add-ons are chosen and added to the budget. Your builder can likely provide you with a very rough estimated cost for the overall project but without identifying the exact materials it’s likely that you will exceed your original budget.

Advantages

If you don’t know exactly what type of flooring, cabinets or amenities you want to have in the home and you’re not ready to make those decisions at the design phase, a cost plus contract is a good fit for you. You can confirm material and amenities as the project moves along, giving more flexibility to the entire project. We also find that clients who prefer higher end finishing’s prefer cost plus contracts so they can budget accordingly and ensure the custom work aligns perfectly.

Disadvantage

A proposed budget is often in place but majority of the time you will see project overruns because clients tend to upgrade more often and make last minute changes that can cause revisions to already completed work. Secondly, because materials can’t be purchased at the beginning of the project you may run the risk of having items being slightly more expensive at the time you need to purchase them. Just like any project, when changes occur, timelines need to be adjusted and can extend the project completion dates.

Fixed Rate Contracts

If you are one of those types of people that like to know all of the details, costs and timelines of a project before you start then you will want to have a fixed rate contract. Before the building of your log home starts you will have a detailed budget and timeline for the overall project. It is extremely important that you know what is included in your budget and what isn’t and we also recommend reviewing all of the subcontractor quotes so that you don’t have any surprises.

Advantages

If you have a set budget or timeline for your log home to be completed, fixed rate contracts are more likely to stay on time and on budget. If you have a simple design or know exactly what you are looking for you may even notice some cost savings since your log home builders will already know all of the details for the project before they start so materials can be purchased in bulk or they can identify the best time of year to buy specific materials.

Disadvantages

All of your building and finishing material have to be chosen before the projects start to allow for the project to stay on time and budget. Making all of these decisions at the start of the project can be overwhelming so make sure you talk to your designer, log home builder and other trades to have them answer any questions or concerns you have. If you realize after the fact that you do need to make a change you likely can still do it but it may affect the overall project cost and deadline.

To sum it up, if you have a tight budget, timeframe and know what you’re looking for, a flat rate contract may be best for you. If you aren’t exactly sure what you want all of your finishing’s to look like and are still considering additional add-ons but don’t have a tight budget or deadline ,cost plus may be the best option for you. Regardless of the type of contract you enter into with your log home builder make sure you ask a ton of questions, review all of the quotes, budgets and arrange to have weekly or monthly budget update meetings with your general contractor to ensure there are no last minute surprises.

Have a question or want to learn more? Contact Artisan Log Homes at info@artisanlog.com and we’d be happy to help you out

Related Articles 

• How much does a log home cost?
• Log Homes 101: Everything you need to know about building a custom log home
• What are the best logs for building your log home?

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