Equisol protects traditional timber frames around Australia

Traditional Timber Frames and Equisol Professional Woodcare have partnered to protect hardwoods during construction and deliver some unique buildings across Australia.

A stunning example of this partnership is the Tuckomobil barn, built on one of the finest luxury Byron Bay hinterland properties. A build taking nearly 2 years of detailed craftsmanship, requiring frame and all joinery constructed over several months in the workshop and timber yard, which presented unique challenges.

The timber frame here is a premium selection of joinery and Australian Hardwoods, finished with beautiful details, timber windows and doors, copper light fixtures and a range of aesthetic elements.  For an authentic barn, the attention to detail here is a credit to the owners, designers and builders.

These traditional timber frames are primarily constructed using traditional mortice and tenon joinery. They involve months of effort, from design and timber sourcing through to manufacture and installation.

Understanding the in-depth characteristics of each timber species is crucial in this type of work, which typically uses unseasoned F17 NSW hardwoods for the main frame members, along with seasoned Spotted Gum tapered pegs to secure all the connections, without a single steel plate or bolt.

Designed to include some stables for the family horses, workshop space, machinery storage and the option of hosting events, this barn really does have it all.  Landscaping has been completed on site to take full advantage of the views to the east and Lennox Head water views.  This project included 24 cubic metres of locally sourced sustainable hardwood that was handcrafted into a structure that will be admired for hundreds of years.

Preserving craftsmanship from workshop to installation.

“Protecting timber from the elements for projects as large and complex as the Tuckombil barn is vital for complex construction and longevity,” explains Chris Nance of Traditional Timber Frames, “and this is especially the case with handcrafted frames that take a great deal of skilled craftsmanship to construct.

“When building a barn such as the Tuckombil Project,” Chris continues, “the frame and all joinery are often constructed over several months in the workshop and timber yard, which presents unique challenges. The biggest one is the seasoning process of the posts and beams sitting outside in the elements. It’s critical that these timbers don’t weather, warp, or split before reaching the site and this is especially important for the joinery, as checking in the tenons, for example, can significantly weaken the joints.”

This is where Equisol’s environmentally-friendly penetrating oils are essential. The team at Traditional Timber Frames have adapted their procedures around a product that is ideally suited to their needs. Equisol, specifically the ProE365 and Rapid products, have brought a huge positive change for Chris and his team and all the timber frame products they produce.

“By pre-coating all posts and beams directly out of the mill with Equisol, we’ve gained significantly more working time with the timbers and excellent protection while the materials sit in the yard. The timbers stay looking fresh, surface checking and cracks are reduced significantly and the timber colours are retained.”

Peter Sinner of Equisol Professional Woodcare, speaks of the special nature of working with Traditional Timber Frames.

“Every project is unique, so we are always ready with technical information or custom colours to suit Chris’s builds. We recently colour matched hundreds of linear metres of indoor and outdoor timber to create a 1000sqm ranch style home. The result was incredible.”

Setting benchmarks through innovation.

During the construction of the Tuckombil barn, each member was pre-coated with Equisol Rapid as it arrived from the sawmill. The carpenters then completed all the handcrafted joinery, and upon completion, the timbers were coated again prior to transport.  This pre-coating also has the added benefit of protecting against construction marks and weathering, making the final coat of oil at the end of the construction process so much easier.

Chris, who is well known for his specialised training courses in traditional timber craftsmanship and techniques, now recommends this exact process to all his clients and students.

“I cannot recommend highly enough that all timber yards with large-section (often boxed heart) posts and beams in stock, should apply a coat of Equisol. Easy to apply, non-toxic, and visually appealing, the penetrative nature of Equisol oil and its ultra-matte finish suit handcrafted frames perfectly.”

“We all know about oiling our decks (Equisol is great for that too, by the way), but we often overlook the larger timbers.”

Traditional Timber Frames continues to set the benchmark for handcrafted timber construction in Australia, blending time-honoured techniques with a deep respect for the natural beauty and integrity of our native hardwoods. Central to this success is their partnership with Equisol, whose innovative timber protection products have become an integral part of the TTF process. By embracing Equisol’s solutions, Traditional Timber Frames ensures that their craftsmanship is preserved from workshop to installation, allowing each structure to arrive on site looking as good as the day it was milled – and built to last for generations.