Timber frame construction has been around in the UK since Roman times. Falling out of favour due to the rise in popularity of brick in the Georgian era, timber is back thanks to a raft of benefits. In fact, a quarter of all new-builds are timber-framed, while three-quarters of self-builds favour this traditional yet contemporary material.
Premium Performance
Timber is a breathable material that is naturally insulating thanks to its cellular structure. Supplemented with additional insulation, a well-made timber frame structure offers premium energy-efficiency. This in turn means that a timber-framed structure can have thinner walls than a brick or concrete construction, saving valuable building space.
Timber is also hygroscopic, which means it can improve indoor air quality by continuously modifying the internal humidity. Not only will you experience comfortable living, but your treasured items can be safely stored. And the natural levels of insulation drive down energy usage by keeping your property cool in summer and warm in winter.
Speed and Flexibility
Talk to any timber frame construction company and they’ll tell you that one of the great benefits of using timber is the speed of construction. Matched with the cost-effectiveness of using such a naturally sustainable material, builders of timber frame properties can usually budget for large expanses of glass that reduce lighting costs and have lower labour costs thanks to the speed of construction. It is still a good idea with all the construction work going on to keep an eye on the air qulaity with a Dust Monitor from websites such as mattsmonitors.co.uk/construction-dust-monitors.html. It is important to keep your workers breathing in quality air so they stay fit and healthy.
Timber is traditionally a lower-cost option than concrete or brick, and the reduction in time spent on site reduces disruption to neighbours. And because it can be engineered to outperform the strength of steel and concrete, whilst remaining comparatively light, the strength-to-weight ratio allows for far greater diversity of design, from the traditional to the contemporary.
Environmental Sustainability
It goes without saying that timber has excellent sustainability. Timber from managed forests produces four tonnes less carbon dioxide per 100 sq m than brick does, and it’s estimated that by switching to timber the construction industry could cut its carbon emissions by 31%. Durable and beautiful, timber has a life expectancy of hundreds of years and is entirely carbon-neutral. In fact, timber actually banks C02 and could store 3.8 million tonnes in the UK alone.
With so much in its favour, this building material from the past may have a very bright future.
