The story of your home begins with the selection of the best wood. West Coast Douglas fir is a strong yet durable softwood that allows excellent handcrafting and machining qualities, and provides limitless design choices. We only work with one grade of Douglas fir timbers, known to be the highest grade possible in our industry: this is “Select Structural”. These timbers are the premium choice for structural integrity, outstanding aesthetic, fewer and smaller knots, and minimal checks.

It is a known fact that different climate zones will prove to be more prolific to certain species of trees and plants. As an example, the California Redwoods… even though Redwoods grow here in British Columbia, they do not prosper in the way that they do in California. Douglas-fir proves the same theory with extended longevity and superior growth at the Coast compared to the Interior of the province. Grown on the Coast, Douglas-fir represents a taller and larger tree. Coastal Douglas-fir also has the advantage of a very uniform and rich colour.

So what does access to the best Douglas-fir in the world mean for Squamish-based British Columbia Timberframe Co? It translates to our signature on your home with the highest grade of wood in the world:

• High quality Coastal Douglas-fir timber allows us to work exclusively with timbers that are graded at the top of their scale; Select Structural.
• Larger, high-grade timbers in Coastal Douglas-fir are more readily available thereby eliminating the use of heartwood from the tree. If the trees are too small, the grade is lower because heartwood can lead to significant shrinking, twisting, and checking (cracking).
• Coastal Douglas-fir is more easily treated to preserve a more uniform and natural wood colour, as desired for exposed timber frame homes/buildings.

The finest selection of timber deserves proper treatment for the best outcome over the course of the building project and for the lifetime of the home. We recommend to dry the timbers in our specialty RFK kilns as thorough drying ensures minimal movement in the wood frame. Our stain of choice is a natural product and this is applied to the timbers just before they ship to your building site to enhance colour and to protect the timber from the elements as your home is built.

If your custom home dream includes a healthy environment and energy efficient alternatives, we can help. Natural and renewable materials factor in design and material choices because they add value and improve quality of life. Wood is the material that answers the call for a healthy home and can also play a role in energy efficient choices related to insulation and structural integrity. Our location in Squamish BC allows access to some of the best wood sources in the world and where forestry practices are excellent.

Sustainable building practices are important to us. One of the most redeeming and enduring qualities of these homes is that these magnificent timbers will provide shelter for generations. If protected from the elements, these same timbers could be re-usable in many hundreds of years from the time you will build with them. We have an inherent respect for these remarkable timbers that will become home to your family.