Restoration of Post and Beam Buildings and other Timber Frame Structures. Sill Replacement, Barn Restoration

Since 1981, Colonial Restorations has provided structural restoration and repair of historic timber frame buildings as well as other post and beam structures first constructed in the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries.  Whether a country barn, a stately colonial mansion or an older family home, all our work is based on a love of these unique period post and beam buildings.  A family business, Tom (UMass Class of 1973) and Brad Green (Wesleyan University Class of 2000), father and son, perform all work themselves in order to make sure that your historic timber frame project receives all the experience and commitment it requires.  To know these buildings as we do is a privilege. As Pearl Buck once said, "The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it."  And every day we find this to be true. History has a way of repeating itself. In the early-mid 1980s, the savings and loan crisis caused a recession in the building trades. Some builders tried to provide themselves an income by expanding the services that they offered. With no real timber frame experience, they often advertised sill replacement and structural work relating to post and beam buildings. Unfortunately, they often lack the practical experience and love of the antique buildings to do the job successfully. In the past few years, we have worked or done site visits as far away as Kennebunk, ME, northern Vermont, and Buffalo, NY to the north. South of our location, sites include the Hamptons on Long Island, northern New Jersey, and numerous sites all over CT. Of course all of Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the islands, are in our work area. We have been called to consult on houses not only with water and rot damage, but also tornados and even an explosion.

Replacement of structural timbers:  Using full sized beams and traditional joinery wherever possible, our goal is to furnish every timber framed building that comes under our care with the skill and craftsmanship needed to endure another two centuries or more.  The bulk of Colonial Restorations' workload involves the replacement of structural timbers including structural sill replacement, rotted beam repair, complete substructures, posts, top plates, and other structural restoration. While we will at times recommend the repair of existing beams, replacement is often the best or only solution. In the last 26 years, we have personally replaced over five miles of structural timbers.  We also restore substructures and furnish sill replacement for balloon frame buildings. 

Leaning and sagging in historic timber frames:  Slight deviations from straight, level and plumb help to define the charm of an historic old barn or house, but when structural timber frames visibly lean or sag, this is an indication of structural problems that should not be ignored.  Uncorrected, these problems will get progressively worse, placing increasing strain on the weakest parts of the structural frame.  As a timber framed building sags, it causes damage to the joinery, particularly to the diagonal braces. As a beam bends, the wood fibers on the lower half are torn and those on the upper half are compressed. Jacking the center of a beam may take some of the bend out, but may also damage the tenons on each end.  Extreme care and experience are needed when jacking or otherwise reshaping a structural timber frame.  This is one of the most common structural repairs undertaken by Colonial Restorations.

Exterior home and barn restorations:

Repairs to the exterior siding, sheathing and trim are a necessary part of structural timber frame restoration.  After correcting structural problems, Colonial Restorations is often asked to restore or replace the exterior fabric of a home or barn. Over the years, we have developed relationships with other highly qualified preservation specialists to support complete barn restoration and old house restoration projects. Interior projects are considered for winter scheduling.

Antique Structural Frame Consulting and Prepurchase Inspections:

Tom Green is often asked to evaluate the structural frames of post-and-beam buildings. While not a structural engineer, Tom's long experience with these specific structures assures that our reports will be accurate and relevant.  Fees for consultations and prepurchase inspections depend upon the location of the structural restoration or colonial barn restoration projects.

Selecting a contractor:  Caution is warranted when hiring a contractor for structural restoration. Sadly, we have many photos taken of earlier structural repairs done by contractors who didn’t have the patience or the expertise that historic post and beam structures require. We tell clients that we would rather see rotted beams than incompetent “repairs”.  Over the past 26 years we have discovered that there is one absolute, hard and fast rule concerning the construction of early building and that rule is that there is no hard and fast rule. While there is a vast amount of knowledge available in books, it takes experience and a love of older buildings to recognize the sometimes subtle hints available that help the home to tell its story.

Colonial Restorations helps to preserve historic homes and barns throughout the New England states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut.  Tom is always glad to talk about your historic timber framed building and will answer all phone calls promptly.

   We can actually quote a fixed labor price for work described because of our extensive experience. The price may increase if new problems present themselves when the building is opened up. This quoted price approach to structural repairs gives the client a much better idea of costs than 'time and material' contractors.

If for some reason you don't receive a response for an e-mail, please call us. E-mails sometimes mysteriously disappear into cyberspace over which we have no control.

Also, be sure to view the other pages of the website found at the top left of this page. They include barn restoration, sill replacement, and structural inspections.

Below are a couple testimonials from a recent project. For more, please view the testimonials page.

Dear Tom & Brad,

I wanted for write you and formally thank you for the fabulous work you did on our Circa 1682 home in Marlborough, Massachusetts this past month.

When my husband and I came to you in September, we presented quite a challenge with the short timeframe for completion; special requirements on project documentation for legal purposes and then having to coordinate all aspects of the work with the city inspector, the structural engineer --which was further complicated with my crazy business travel schedule.

Your team did an exceptional piece of work on the restoration / repairs of the two main sills, the posts and all the "extra surprises" we hit along the way. Everyone from the structural engineer, the town inspector, our buyers and friends have commented on your team's capabilities and quality workmanship.

But for us, it was not only the fact that you

• were here when you said you would be here
• did what you said you would do
• at the cost you had estimated

--- but more importantly--- went the extra mile by

• adjusting your schedules to "fit us in" so as to complete prior to 10/23/08
• working long days and the weekends to get the job done by the date we needed the work completed
• being so understanding of all the other challenges we had to work through

You are absolutely "tops" in my book and we would be so happy to serve as a reference for you---not that you probably don't have a zillion other fabulous references--- but that we would be honored to do so.

Repairs on a home or this age are very special and require unique skills and training. Your team has all of that, plus extraordinary professionalism and "heart!"

Thanks again for a super job!!

BJ & Larry Bliss