First Place Northeast Region 
David Babson
Island Pond, Vermont
Porch with a View
A partner in Old School Builders, David Babson,
used his company’s Wood-Mizer sawmill to cut cedar
and tamarack for a 10x32 foot roofed deck on a
customer’s house near Kirby, Vermont. The porch is at
the second story height of a contemporary three-story
cedar cape home and opens to the sunrise over the
White Mountains.
“It is not only the most beautiful porch I have built,
but the most sectacular to walk upon,” says David.
David says to match the timber framed interior,
the deck is framed with 8’x8’ cedar posts and tamarack
plates with mortise and tenon joinery. Hemlock joists
and cedar decking and railings match the spruce and
fir rafters.
“All of these dimensional timbers were milled
quickly and efficiently with the Wood-Mizer,” David
notes. The Wood-Mizer helped him save $2,000,
he says.
David says that wood is his most important
material and his three major concerns are: “using
local sources, ensuring high quality and making a
unique product.” David calls his company’s Wood-
Mizer “the most valuable tool” for assuring that those
criteria are met. |
