CTF Christmas Awards

This year after suggestions from staff we had the first CTF Employee Choice Christmas Awards. Staff voted across 7 categories for colleagues who they felt represented the values for each of the following awards

• Constant Caution
• Happy Camper
• The Parent
• Rock Star Rookie
• All Day Every Day
• MacGyver
• Prankster

A great initiative and something fun for us to present at last weekends Christmas Party at the Rockwater in Golden. Congratulations to all of the winners and thank you to all staff for a successful 2019.

Constant Caution, For ensuring the safety of the team members, always being careful to avoid problems of danger. Taya Young

Happy Camper, For always being a ray of sunshine, employee who can find humor in almost anything and continues to approach life with energy and zest, for being kind, hopeful and positive. Alex Lathion

The Parent, Employee who displays extraordinary integrity and generosity towards team members, the person you go to with questions or concerns and they’re always there to give a helping hand. Judy Wikman

Rock Star Rookie, Newcomer who is extremely good at what they do, the employee who has risen to the occasion and has been all around wonderful. Leo Mitzel

All Day Every day, the employee who never seems to take a day off, dedicated to a fault. Rick Schacher

MacGyver ,for the employee who is always fixing things in a creative, resourceful improvised way, making use of whatever items are at hand. Cael Bowes

Prankster, employee who is the life of the party, always causing uproarious laughter amongst the team. Adam Morrison

Frosty The Snowman

The 2019 Golden Christmas Parade was held on Saturday and Canadian Timberframes were proud to support the event and spread the Christmas spirit. The theme for this years parade was Christmas Carols and the CTF team decided on Frosty the Snowman for the float and they pulled it off incredibly well. The float, decorations and costumes were awesome! The staff and their kids had a great night.

Special thanks to everyone who helped build the float and who were there on the night to make sure it was an enjoyable evening.

CTF Celebrates Duct Tape Award & Staff 5 Year Anniversary

The Q3 Duct Tape Award was presented to Sales Rep David Gagne at our Quarterly Town Hall in October. David jumped in & took initiative to ensure client satisfaction & quality on our new staining machine. You put work clothes on, got involved with test runs and finishing out first T&G order for your client!

Logistics and Operations Manager Alex Lathion also celebrated 5 years at Canadian Timberframes. Congratulatons to the both of you and thank you for stepping up and embracing the challenges before you.

Fort Collins Timber Frame Featuring Decagon Great Room

This Fort Collins, CO home is 10,228 Sq Ft and Canadian Timbeframes provided the timber frame for the Decagon Great Room & Kitchen. The decagon design of the Great Room allows it to span 55 Ft!

This home was designed by David Hueter and is currently under construction by Province Custom Builders. The production images highlight the team working on the King Post which gives you a perspective on how big the Great Room/ Kitchen is. See more production images and learn about the design features on the project page located here.

Designing for a Happier, Healthier You

Wellness architecture has recently sprung up as a new trend that came out of the sustainable building success of recent years. The trends have moved from: an earth friendly movement; to sustainable design; to designing spaces that are ‘healthier’ for you - that support your life enhancing daily habits and rituals. Wellness architecture impacts where and how you live and focuses on spaces that are designed for your ‘state of wellness & peace of mind’: more light (window walls), better quality of air flow, creating spa like spaces in bedrooms, bathrooms & living outdoor spaces that create wellness as you move throughout your day. This inclusion of nature in design is proven to enhance cognitive performance, cleanse the air, lower stress, reduce toxins and utilize more renewable and sustainable resources in the design & build.

After recently renovating our master bedroom & bathroom – I am transformed by our new space. It does create a sense of wellness for us every moment we are enjoying the space – the 2 walls of windows, opening up to a private patio and timber frame structure off the master – bringing the outdoors in; the quality of air flow; the light; lush forest views along with new design features have definitely added a spa like tranquility we now enjoy.

Here are a few tips to help you maximize this trend whether you are building a new home or renovating your current space:

1. Designing Window walls: think about the kitchen opening up the light – bringing the vistas in.
2. Kitchens & bathrooms that open up to the outdoors: (sliding glass walls, folding glass doors etc) – blurring the lines of inside/outside & increasing your living space.
3. Re-thinking rooms: creating experiences with spaces that support lifestyle choices
4. Plants & nature: Plants are showing up as finishes, edibles and vertical gardens, organic materials to replace synthetics and interior designs that use organic patterns and organic color palettes.
5. Electric fireplaces: are being added into bathrooms to complete the spa like environment – a flicker of light & warmth creating a ambiance.
6. Material awareness: Wood on wood being used in Kitchens, bathrooms & great rooms – a trend toward medium-tone woods rather than super dark or light ones. Wood adds warmth and character and is a sustainable material used in construction; one trend that we are particularly fond of.

Whether you are still dreaming about the home that will come, or you are in the thick of decision making now or at finalizing your design & build team; we want to become a valuable participant in your project. We partner with Builders, Architects & clients on projects, producing high quality timber frames & components in a timely & cost-effective way.

We look forward to fulfilling our promise: delivering world class product with professional service from one of the most inspired teams in the market!

Drop us a line @ sales@canadiantimberframes.com or call 1.877.348.9924- let us know where we can help you out.

Jeff Bowes, President & Owner
CANADIAN TIMBERFRAMES LTD

Why Burn Your Timber Frame? Learn More About Our Rough Sawn Antique Finish

We can provide a range of factory finishes for your timber frame from planed, to antique or distressed. Our rough sawn antique finish is very popular among clients as it gives you a rich rustic look and is also a permanent treatment. It can be finished with any of our stains as showcased on the table below. The Hill Top Retreat project pictured below in Collingwood, ON used our antique finish as to achieve the rural farmhouse style appearance the clients were looking for.

Douglas Fir is great to use as its softer wood burns easily lifting the grain. We use a blowtorch over the rough sawn surface until we get the desired colour and then use a wire brush before staining to give the timber an aged look. This process is also more economical than using reclaimed timber which we can work with but it is hard to source and comes at a premium.

The below video shows Patrick one of our carpenters working on a custom compression ring for an elevator shaft from our Wyoming project. Patrick is using the blowtorch to give the timber its antique finish. After this it will be brushed and taken to the shop floor to be stained.

Contact us to discuss the custom finishes we can provide for your timber frame project.

We go one better in 2019! 2nd place for CTF at the Golden 24

The Golden Two-Four presented by TransRockies Race Series offers 24 hours mountain biking on some of the best trails in BC. The race is held on the mountain shadows trail network at the base of Mount 7. Western Canada’s only 24 hour mountain bike race features a challenging 14.5km course with 550 metres of elevation for the 470 competitors and has different individual and team categories across the 8 and 24 hour races. We entered the corporate category after finishing 3^rd in 2018.

We went one better in 2019! Finishing 2^nd after completing 20 laps in 23 hours 2 minutes . That’s 290km and 11,000m of elevation. Our team of 10 were amazing and we are extremely proud of them. All of their training and commitment was rewarded with a great result.

It is always great to support a local event, thank you to Lupine, TransRockies, The Golden Cycling Club and the community of Golden for making this event such a success. The planning has already begun for 2020! Check out the video highlights of the CTF team in action.

Our Team

Jeff Parker (Captain)

Alex Lathion

Cael Bowes

David Gagne

Joachim Strobel

Logan Winters

Martina Bartol

Matt Pilon

Mike Majkowski

Mike Prete

Kogan Builders are celebrating 20 years in Business

Update: Kogan Builders has become Asher Custom Homes as of 2021! We look forward to continue working with them.

Kogan Builders are based in Durango, CO and are proud to be celebrating their 20^th Anniversary in 2019. They have built a reputation for award winning design and building beautiful homes. Their commitment to clients has resulted in Kogan Builders being the largest and most well known custom home builder in Durango and Southwest Colorado.

They specialise in medium to high end custom homes. Their design-build model with degreed in-house architectural designers and degreed interior designers are able to offer their clients superior design services.  Their construction team then takes over once design is completed in building great homes on budget and on time with superior quality.

President Alix Kogan says it all starts with their employees. “We have built a team of construction professionals in all areas of the business.  From our craftsman who trim out all of our homes to site supervisors each with over 30 years of experience in building homes to our Project Managers. We also differentiated from our competition with award winning design and our design-build model.”

Kogan Builders are currently working with CTF on two projects near Durango, CO. Vesper Ranch and the Durango Timber Frame. They have years of experiencing building beautiful timber frame homes in the mountain landscape Colorado is famous for. “We love incorporating timber framing into our homes as we appreciate seeing the structure exposed, and the beautiful craftsmanship of true timber framing.”

Canadian Timberframes is looking forward to seeing the finished result of our two current projects with Kogan Builders. They have an outstanding team with a deep knowledge of the industry and are highly respected. We can’t wait to work with them on more timber frame homes in the south west of Colorado.

Salvaged Logs Coming into CTF

After two record-breaking wildfire seasons we have started to see burnt logs coming into our yard after being hand selected by our team.

More than 1.35 million hectares burned across British Columbia in 2018, surpassing the previous year’s total by more than 100,000 hectares. Burnt logs can be salvaged and produce exceptional fiber and timber.

CTF is always on the hunt for drier timber so we are known to logging operations as a reliable buyer of dead standing and fire killed timber. This drier material is actually less valuable to plywood and veneer mills as it is too dry to peel so our timber frame requirements help “find homes” for these trees that have met a shorter life span. Learn more about our timber frame process here.

We are hopeful that 2019 won’t see a repeat of the previous 2 summers and we will continue to use salvaged logs where we can and support the sustainable management of British Columbia’s forests.

Lake of Bays Custom Homes creating beautiful homes with CTF in Ontario

Lake of Bays Custom Homes was established in 2009 by Tim Lamb. We have partnered with them on the Lake of Bays Haven and Hidden Ridge Alpine Home projects in Ontario. The Lake of Bays Haven home has also been featured in Timber Home Livings Welcome Home Series. and Hideaways Magazine.

They are based out of Port Sydney in Muskoka and service from Gravenhurst to Burks Falls and Dorset to Lake Muskoka in Ontario. They provide complete project management and quality turnkey custom homes and cottages, striving to offer the best to their customers, something you will quickly realize when you choose to work with them.

Tim and his team take time to do things correctly rather than taking the easy or quicker way of doing things. “I think one thing that makes us stand out is our flexibility. We try to accommodate special requests by our clients and we are always willing to try new products and methods. We have built our customer base through hard work and determination, something which has allowed us to become the company we are today”

The Hidden Alpine Ridge Project gave Tim and his team the first opportunity to work with CTF “The product quality in the entire package was like night and day ahead of others. The fitting of all the timber joinery was amazing. Any product shortages were quickly resolved by their team and any technical issues were clarified and quickly resolved. Team work at its finest.”

 “I enjoy working with the CTF team because everyone wants the same outcome at the end of the project as I do, which is a satisfied customer. After the sale is made their team continues to support me the builder and the customer.” Delivering on projects and seeing the happiness on his client’s faces is what keeps bringing Tim back to timber frame homes. “The thing that I love most about a timber frame designed home is the satisfaction of building something unique and the sense of accomplishment at the end of the project.”

Canadian Timberframes is fortunate to have industry partners like Lake of Bays Custom Homes with the knowledge, skills and integrity to create stunning timber frame homes. Without builders like them  we wouldn’t have the quality homes and projects like we do in Ontario and across North America. We look forward to the next Muskoka project that our teams can work together on.

Guarino Construction have partnered with CTF on projects for over 10 years

Guarino Construction is a family operated business which was founded in 2003 by AJ & Paulette Guarino. Our most recent project with them was the Colorado Springs Timber Frame Home which was completed in July 2018.

Based in Colorado Springs, Guarino Construction are a full service construction and consulting firm with five decades of experience specialize in construction consulting, design/build projects and custom timber frame super insulated homes. They are a full disclosure organization that allows their customers to see all project financials. This builds transparent trust that founder and owner AJ Guarino says is the cornerstone to their business. “This company grew out of the journey and experience of building in different areas of the country and through the diversity of many building economies.  We've learned how important it is to maintain trust, integrity and value while creating quality connective relationships through each project.”

AJ and his team begin each project with the "end in mind".  This level of reflectiveness and vision allows for the challenges to be discovered, discussed and corrected before the build. “Our detailed craftsmanship and quality is the centre of our focus.  Caring about quality, regardless of who's looking...is not something you can train but it is built into the heart of our team.”

The structural strength and beauty of the craftsmanship, along with the feel and warmth created by the openness is what draws AJ to Timber Frame designs. “Words cannot fully capture my love and passion for the pure beauty of an authentic timber frame.  The art of using joinery to blend one timber into another to create one continued structure like they did with the temples in Japan. Ours may be simplified but still built with honor and pride. My team and I are still struck in awe by the rhythmical and harmonious nature of a standing timber frame up against an open sky surrounded by the environment before it gets closed into becoming someone’s home.”

The first project CTF and Guarino Construction partnered on was also in Colorado Springs. The Black Forest Timber Frame Home, which gave AJ and his team a firsthand opportunity to work with our team. “They consistently deliver a unified quality of service throughout their team regardless of what phase you are in your project. They merge professionalism and friendliness like two spiraled trees conceived in one root system. Their 3d conceptual drawings are inspiring and a visual pragmatic dream for me and my customers. Their "service synergy" delivers on the construction site as well, through consistent organized craftsmanship. You get the feeling this team is on site with you, every step of the construction process.”

“Often when I speak about Canadian Timberframes, my enthusiasm for their product, service, and quality is so deep with detail that people mistakenly think I work for them.  In the mid 80's and early 90's we were building timber frame homes by hand. Designing on paper a one dimensional timber frame plan, then laying out all the mortises and tenons for others to rough out so that I could come behind and fit and finish the joinery. My experience has given me a wide perceptive and gratitude for the comprehensive service CTF provides. Working with Canadian Timberframes is like working with a professional supportive friend who stays with you until the homeowner turns the key to their beautiful timber frame masterpiece.”

AJ has witnessed the technological development of the timber frame industry especially the development of wall panel and roof insulation systems which CTF manufactures at our facility “The integration of these systems with a timber frame creates a home where function meets form.  These systems deliver a quieter, better insulated home that profoundly needs fewer resources to heat and cool while exposing the entire beauty of the timber frame. This technology has created an effective answer to the environment and it's extremely efficient to erect with no on-site material waste.”

Canadian Timberframes is proud to have industry partners with the integrity and knowledge of Guarino Construction, without them we would not be able to deliver such a comprehensive product that results in beautiful timber frame homes leaving our clients in Colorado extremely pleased that they spoke to Guarino Construction and Canadian Timberframes. We can’t to start on our next home with them in the United States.

The Top 4%

2019 marks the 20th anniversary of Canadian Timberframes founding!

Did you know that only 4 out of 100 businesses survive past the 10-year mark?

Well, we have certainly made it past this marker & we are proud to be apart of this unique & special 4% group of companies!

This anniversary marks an important milestone for us as we look back on our incredible heritage of talent and accomplishments. We started out with a philosophy to provide our clients with personal timely service, attention to detail, outstanding quality and exceptional value. Our founding beliefs remain our top priority today and I believe because of that - our company remains viable, strong and growing.

A history of the last 20 years in business:

• 1999 CTF wholesaled timber frames to other timber frame companies & remained this way for 12 straight years.
• 2011 after Jeff Bowes arrival, CTF sold direct to clients, builders & architects. They expanded market share to Ontario, Colorado & other mountain states in the US.
• 2012 created an in-house design team and started offering technical design services to our customers; continued to grow market share across the USA.
• 2013 added custom wall panel manufacturing & custom roof systems based upon client/builder demand
• 2014 offered T&G, trim packages & custom finishes; clients/builders want a one stop shopping approach & ability to purchase all the items needed for a dried-in shell.
• 2017 Jeff & Stephanie Bowes purchased the company outright and now own 100% of this great organization.

We continue to respond to market needs & continuously assess product development and expand our market share as well as the value we provide to our industry partners.

CTF believes in re-investing in our company and investing in our employees:

1. We offer a profit-sharing program to all employees
2. New Equipment purchased: 2 Manitou Forklifts; 1 CAT loader, new siding & pre-staining machinery
3. New Infrastructure: new sustainable drying building for our pre-manufactured timbers with in floor radiant heat generated by our wood waste; new clear span building for T&G manufacturing

Are a few examples our commitment to this organization, our employees & a sustainable future.

We would like to thank everyone who has been involved in supporting Canadian Timberframes reaching 20 years of success. Success that has been made possible because of the support of our customers/industry partners and our incredible team who go the extra mile to make sure our customers are well taken care of & help us deliver upon our promise.

Jeff Bowes, President & Owner

Catch up with CTF at the 2019 Calgary Home + Garden Show.

Canadian Timberframes offers decades of experience working with clients throughout North America and we would love to meet up with you between February 28 - March 3 at the BMO Centre & Corral in Stampede Park. 

1. We have built a solid reputation as one of the world's premiere timber frame companies not only because of our quality, precision, and passion but because we truly care about our client’s needs.
 
2. Our Custom wall & roof systems + additional components offer exceptional value during the installation process and provides an efficient & cost effective solution. Offering cost savings to home owners & time savings to builders in various ways.

PS.  We would like to provide you with two complimentary tickets to the show if you are interested in attending, please email us at sales@canadiantimberframes.com 

Here are all the details of the 2019 Calgary Home + Garden Show. We can offer you two complimentary tickets, if you are interested please email us at Sales@canadiantimberframes.com

Canadian Timberframes has built a reputation as the premier design, manufacturer and installer in the timber frame industry by supplying quality product to clients, builders and architects across North America.

We are passionate about our work.  The Canadian Timberframes philosopy has always been to provide our clients with personal timely service, attention to detail, outstanding quality and exceptional value.

Check out range of projects in Alberta.

CTF is Celebrating 20 Years

Kootenay Business featured us on their latest KB Podcast and in their January magazine publication as 2019 sees us celebrate our 20th Anniversary! CTF was founded in 1999 and Jeff became a partner in 2011. Then he and Stephanie became sole owners on January 1, 2017. We are one of Golden's largest employers with 39 employees and the company has experienced significant growth in recent years.

Please have a listen to the podcast below as publisher Keith Powell interviews Jeff & Stephanie to learn more about CTF, the trends and opportunities facing the timber frame industry and the growth we are experiencing.

The full article can be found here on the Kootenay Business website.