Research

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BibliographyLiterature on many aspects of timber framing can be found in the MOT library. Separate publications can be found on specific techniques such as squaring beams or splitting shingles. Much has been written about the work of the carpenter, both in recent and less recent times. It is difficult to give a quick overview of this. We therefore limit ourselves below to works that specifically deal with timber framing in Flanders. The literature on craftsmanship in our surrounding countries and elsewhere is too extensive to discuss here. This list serves as an introduction to the literature on Flemish half-timbered construction. For more specific questions you can always contact the MOT. (Tel.: +32 2 270 81 11 - info@mot.be)  ARENDZEN G. en VRIEND J.J., Bouwkunde. Hand- en studieboek voor den bouwkundige en den timmerman. Deel I, Kosmos, Amsterdam, 1941. BAERT G.P., Lemen wanden II in Ons Heem, 19 (1965) 3, p 108. BEERTEN S., Onderzoek naar het vakwerkgebouw van de abdij van Herkenrode,...

Haf-timbered barn at the Tommenmolen Since when was there a barn on this spot? The mill building dates from the 16th century, but we do not know exactly when the first barn was built. The Ferraris map (late 18th century) shows for the first time a building on the exact site of the current barn. The barn is clearly depicted on maps and land register plans of the 19th century. What did the original barn look like? We know this thanks to paintings, etchings and photographs from the first half of the 20th century. It was a half-timbered barn with a thatched or straw roof. However, that barn has disappeared, perhaps in the late 1940s, early 1950s, presumably after a fire. Current half-timbered barn Until 1977, the current barn stood on a yard on Veldkant street, about 500 meters from the Tommenmolen. At the initiative of the municipal council of Grimbergen and with the help of the Bokrijk open-air museum, the barn was fully measured, photographed and dismantled. The wooden framework went to...

Bee hall at the Liermolen

Winnowing barn at the Liermolen

Timber selection There are several factors involved when choosing construction wood:  the application (the nature of the construction and location of the specific part in that construction) the properties of the sort of wood  the availability

Creating a design