Timber Frame Mountain Homes

The Bad:

Mountain Construction Costs

The cost. For a myriad of reasons, building costs more in the mountains. Some of it is just a factor of choices. Some mountain towns have one choice for a concrete guy, or an electrician, or one hardware/lumber yard and its 45 minutes away. Couple that with an abbreviated building season, because of the advent of a looming winter, and some of these tradesman are trying to do 12 months of work in 9 months. It can really jam up a raising schedule for timber when a coordination of logistics is key. Our timberframe members are always bigger in the mountains. The increased snow loads cause our timbers to grow in size to pick up that extra loading. This is also a factor for increased cost. 

The Ugly:

Engineering for Extreme Topography

The ground. Its rocky, steep, unforgiving, and does not care! Seriously...the topography of the mountains is what makes these timberframe builds challenging. The roads getting there are steep, switch-backy (is that a word?) and wreak havoc on the big equipment needed to raise a frame. Semi-trucks, cranes, hot shot trailers, etc-etc, all have to navigate their way to that jobsite. Often times, timbers need to be unloaded off-site somewhere and then transported up the hill to the jobsite by alternate means. Once all the timber is there, it needs to be placed in a manner that doesn't result in finished timbers rolling down the hill. Also, the raising equipment (crane, telehandler, scissor lifts, etc) has to wiggle into the jobsite as well. It boils down to one thing...room. Getting the room we need to do the job is always a fight. But...it gets done!

Mountain Timber Frame Home Gallery

The mountain timber frame homes built by Clydesdales Frames don't just make pretty pictures. They're proof that despite rocky terrain, sketchy access roads, and short building windows that exceptional timber frame homes get built when you combine the right expertise with mountain-high determination. Notice how each frame works with - not against - its dramatic mountain setting. These frames capture what draws people to build at elevation: the pristine air, the majestic views, and the peaceful solitude.

From Breckenridge to Bozeman, building in the mountains may not be easy, but as these photos prove, the results are worth every challenge.

Design Your Dream Mountain Home with Clydesdale Frames

In Summary...'Mountain Views' are amazing. If you have that opportunity, by all means, secure the property. Some things are worth the fight to get there. We have always been able to overcome the obstacles 'Mountain Views' presents. Good communication, work ethic, and experienced problem solving will win the day every time. Our dads used to say "Solving problems builds character". Well...Clydesdale Frames has 'character' in spades!