Timber Frame is the success story of the building industry.

In recent years, while the housing industry as a whole has struggled to meet demand, the Timber Frame sector has shown consistent growth. In the USA and Canada, 90% of low rise buildings are of timber frame construction. In Scotland 50% of new houses are built this way.

Off-site fabrication is now widely accepted as the best way of meeting the country’s present and future needs for affordable housing. Instead of spiralling subcontractor costs, Timber Frame offers a fixed price, fixed term solution for the supply and erection of the building structure.

Benefiting the Environment.

• Wood is the definitive renewable material, making it the most environmentally-friendly way to build.
• European softwood plantations are currently in surplus production with standing stocks of timber increasing annually by 252million m3.
• Wood is effectively a carbon neutral material.
• Growing trees absorb carbon and produce oxygen. The carbon is stored for the life of the tree and the building. At the end of its usable life the wood can be burned for energy as a substitute for fossil fuel.
• Wood has low embodied energy. This means that, strength for strength, wood is produced using 5 times less energy than concrete and 6 times less energy than steel. This low embodied energy, plus wood’s excellent insulation properties, helps reduce CO2 emissions throughout the life of the building.

Benefiting Builders

• Reduced project cost - greater predictability, better control, faster pace leading to lower project cost.
• Faster build - 30% shorter construction time than brick and block.
• Faster return on investment.

Flexible design. Suitable for many different building types and layouts, the timber frame method accommodates a wide range of external finishes and claddings. Minimal neighbourhood disruption. Not weather dependent - a typical house can be weather tight in less than 5 days. Brickwork is removed from the critical path - other trades will be working before the brickwork is complete.

• Reduced drying-out time - internal finishing can be completed sooner.
• Better build quality - each unit is an engineered solution with the consistency and accuracy of CAD/CAM factory technology - less dependency on site skills - lower call back costs.
• Improved safety on site, from reduced handling.
• Reduced waste. Structural materials are factory prepared so there is less need for excess material on site, reducing waste and loss through theft and creating a tidier, safer site.

Benefiting Home Owners

• Owners benefit from a house which, externally, looks like any other but which feels warmer and comes with lower heating bills and less maintenance.
• Timber Frame houses are quiet. They conform to or exceed current Building Regulations.

There are no problems getting mortgages for timber frame homes. Most lenders do not differentiate between timber frame or any other standard form of modern property construction. DIY is a doddle! Pictures and shelves can be hung using plasterboard fixings. Heavier items can be supported by fixing into the studs.

• Timber Frame houses meet all current fire regulations. Independent fire tests have shown that timber performs better than other structural materials like steel or concrete which tend to buckle and collapse. Timber, however, chars predictably, giving a slow and controlled loss of structural integrity.
• Timber Frame is recognised by the NHBC and Zurich Municipal for guarantee purposes. Insurance companies generally draw no distinction between timber frame and brick and block construction provided the external roof covering is also of tiles, natural or mineral slates or concrete.
• Timber frame houses are durable. Softwood timber frame houses built in the 19th century are still going strong. There is no reason why they will not last as long as any other type of housing.