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Hand-Hewn Sleepers
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Hand-Hewn Sleepers - Product Info
Hand Hewn Sleepers are logs which are hewn on two opposing faces. The other two sides are left rounded. Sleepers are also sometimes called "half-rounds". Sleepers were the main floor joist in many old barns. Also available in oak.
| Introduction | When the first settlers moved into new regions of our expanding nation, they cleared small plots of ground for subsistence farming and used the felled trees for logs and timbers to construct homes for themselves and barns for their livestock. Because these resourceful settlers had to use what was available to them, they often did not discriminate among wood species--if the trees they felled were solid and durable they were used in the needed structures. It is in that same spirit of resourcefulness, economy and good stewardship that Trestlewood offers Authentic Hand Hewn Weathered Sleepers. Rest assured that the timbers you purchase will be the same mix of hearty North American species as was used by our great, great grandfathers more than a century ago. |
| Species | Mixed Species. May include Oak, Elm, Hickory, Ash, Maple, Beech, Poplar, Pine, Fir, Spruce, Cedar, others. |
| Source | Barns, corncribs, stables, mills, homes and other buildings and agricultural/industrial structures from different locations in North America |
| HC/FOHC | Authentic Hand Hewn sleepers are almost exclusively heart center timbers; usually moderate to very tight growth rings. |
| Metal | Nails, bolts and other fasteners are removed or occasionally cut flush or broken off inside the beam. Staining around nail and bolt holes is common. |
| Mortise Pockets/Notches/Holes | Mortise pockets and notches from the original joinery are allowed, but are less common than in 4-sided hewn timbers. Nail, bolt, peg and other fastener holes are allowed. The quantity and size of mortise pockets and holes can vary widely from sleeper to sleeper, with most timbers containing very few and others containing frequent mortise pockets, notches, peg holes and nail holes. |
| Checking/Cracks | Authentic Hand Hewn sleepers generally have checking from the heart center to one of the faces of the timber. In addition, timbers can have surface checking and cracks, moderate butt checking and minor end splitting. |
| Moisture Content/Stability | Authentic Hand Hewn sleepers are generally very dry and seasoned, and are much more stable and less prone to shrinkage than are green timbers. |
| Surfacing | Weathered (degree of weathering varies); original sleeper surface was hewn by broad axe or adze, and has been weathered and worn over time (2 sides were left round); Surface degradation (water damage or surface rot or "punkiness") is common. Authentic Hand Hewn sleeper colors vary -- common colors include browns (common for interior weathered sleepers), grays (common for exterior weathered sleepers) and combinations of browns and grays. |
| Standard Dimensions | a) Cross-sections: to 8x10; b) Lengths: to 16'; c) Authentic Hand Hewn sleeper dimensions are generally in the vicinity of 8x10 hand hewn sleepers which are significantly different from 8x10 are difficult to come by; d) Size Flexibility: The more latitude the customer can provide in acceptable sleeper sizes, the better able Trestlewood is to meet the customer's timber needs in an economical and timely manner; e) Manner of Measurement: i) Thickness: Trestlewood rounds thickness dimensions to the nearest whole inch in tallying board footages (for example, a sleeper measuring 8.25" thick would be tallied as 8"). ii) Width: Trestlewood measures the widest point of the width and rounds down one inch to determine width (for example, a sleeper which measures 11.25" at its widest width would be rounded down to 10.25" ==> tallied as 10") Where sleepers vary in dimension at different points along a given piece, Trestlewood will use its best efforts to average cross-section measurements to arrive at an equitable count. Lengths are billed on actual length shipped. |
| Available Dimensions | a) Cross-sections: depending on inventory in stock (sizes available in the past include 10x12, 10x14 others); b) Lengths: depending on inventory in stock. Please contact your Trestlewood representative for available sizes. |
| Weight | Depending on species mix. Typically, approximately 3.5 pounds per board foot |
| Color/Appearance | Hand-Hewn timber colors vary -- common colors include browns (common for interior weathered timbers), grays (common for exterior weathered timbers) and combinations of browns and grays. Any sort for colors has to involve a range of acceptable colors as consistent coloration is not a feature of this product. |
| Appearance Variation | Weathered timbers will generally vary in appearance from piece to piece and even within a piece. The weathering (amount, mix of colors, etc) and other characteristics of one face can be substantially different than the weathering and other characteristics of another face. Some weathered timbers are cut from larger weathered timbers, giving them one or more fresh-sawn faces. Trestlewood sometimes uses one or more "juicing" processes to help fresh-sawn and/or less weathered/aged faces blend in with weathered/aged faces. All else being equal, juicing is more likely to be used in situations where (a) timbers are cut from larger timbers (thereby creating fresh-cut faces); (b) Buyer wants all (or most) faces to look weathered/aged; and/or (c) Buyer desires to increase the consistency of the weathered/aged look from face to face. |