Roof framing has undergone a quiet revolution over the past half century. Trusses are gradually replacing the conventional rafters, to the point that nowadays more than 80 percent of new residential ...

Q How long should an oak beam dry before I can use it for part of a cathedral ceiling I’m building? It’s 4” x 12” and 16 feet long. A Traditional timber framing is done when wood is green and undried.

Typically, we have looked to the floors and walls to define the spaces we live in, to tell us where one room leaves off and another begins. But we may have set our sights too low. In some cases, ...