If you want a wrapped post, don't call it Timberframe. I've always considered that the lazy man's way to get "exposed beams" which are nothing more than decoration and pretty easy to see exactly what they are.
If you want a true Timberframe entry, you can get it in any wood you want if you have the deep pockets for it, but Doug Fir has always been the preferred material cut FOHC (Free of Heart Center) and closely followed by Southern Yellow Pine, which closely follows Doug fir for dimensional strength and stability. I sold Timberframe homes for a while and erected several so I know a little bit about them....
Most Timberframe homes use an oil over the wood to seal it and reapply every few years to keep them sealed. One I remember being most popular was Deck Pro Oil and you can just spray it on with a garden sprayer if you like. Keep in mind no matter what you use, unless you get RF Dried Timbers you are probably going to get some checking over time. This is usually not a problem and is considered normal to the aging process. If it is a true Timberframe with mortise and tenon joints and dowels, the frame itself will remain strong and stable for longer than you will be alive.. To keep the checking to a minimum, try to get your frame cut and installed during low humidity swing times of year. Winter or early Spring are best... Also, be sure to contract with a company that sources their logs from very large old growth Doug fir. These will tend to check and twist much less but very few mills these days are set up to cut large logs any more.
Do some research and check out Timberframe companies before committing to a frame of any type would be my best recommendation...
Good points... but is there still a source for FOHC? That would take about a 30" log minimum and be inefficient. I bet that would be pricey!
