Timber frame houses are becoming increasing popular throughout Ireland & Northern Ireland as self-builders & their architects recognise the popularity of this method in similar climates such as Canada, Scandinavia & Scotland. The key reason is that the insulation within a timber frame house is contained in the inner leaf – ensuring that no heat is unnecessarily lost within the block work.

To meet the increasingly stringent energy regulations – self builders choosing block must either full fill their cavity, externally insulate or both. Additional laborious steps are needed to achieve adequate air tightness levels. In comparison, timber frame is simple to insulate & airtight; offering excellent thermal efficiency & low thermal bridging.

Timber frame homes are recognised as the most thermally efficient form of construction. The engineered timber framework allows for high levels of insulation to be fitted, without compromising the breathable cavity. It’s also much easier & cheaper to achieve exceptional air tightness levels with timber frame. Due to it’s low thermal mass, timber frame heats & cools quickly in comparison to block – a factor that is becoming increasingly important in highly insulated homes.

These areas are of particular importance given the introduction of Part L and nZEB (Near Zero Energy) building regulation requirements. A BER rating must also be made visible to prospective buyers or tenants, allowing them to take energy performance into consideration. So along with saving you money, a good BER rating will increase re-sale value & rental yield.

The speed of constructing a timber frame house is accelerated by the ability to maximise off site fabrication, while minimising on site activities. All timber frame components are manufactured off-site prior to delivery, allowing the structural shell to be erected & roofed with speed & efficiency in just a matter of days. Our factory fitted service cavity also allows your first fix trades to get started on erection of the frame.

Typically the timber frame structure including the roof covering can be erected within one week, depending on the size & complexity of the build. Your build can be weather tight in no time – fitted with windows & doors, ready for your finishing trades! For this reason, modern timber frame houses are widely recognised as the answer to the housing crisis; offering a streamlined, speedy solution to housing shortages while at the same time addressing energy efficiency.

Timber frame offers significant cost savings from the speed of construction, reduced costs to follow-on trades such as plumbers & electricians, and improved energy efficiency. The speed of erecting a timber frame house reduces the volume of capital tied up in the project which in turn reduces the interest charges. Build time is reduced by up to 50%.

Savings of up to 30% can be made over the duration of the build in comparison to block. Trades can work within the framing & first floor joists – no need to chase & drill blockwork – and if you’re installing a heat recovery system, this can all be piped within the framing too. It’s easier to insulate & make a timber frame home airtight. Plastering is also much quicker & therefore cheaper. Next time you request a quotation from another trade, mention that your home will be timber frame – you’ll find most follow-on trades will apply a reduction for timber frame as it’s much easier to work with.

Timber frame is completely designed & engineered off-site which means that any potential issues can be rectified & altered at design stage, before becoming a costly onsite issue. The potential for error on site is eliminated through precision engineering & manufacture in a dry, quality controlled environment. All timber is graded & stress tested in compliance with building standards. Timber offers the same strength to weight ratio as steel – the walls are strong, robust & load bearing.

Our approved closed wall panel options are fully packed with insulation, without impacting your internal room dimensions. A further 50mm of PIR insulation is applied to the face of the stud, eliminating cold bridging.

Timber is a renewable & sustainable material; accelerating the transition to zero carbon homes. Traditional block built homes are responsible for an enormous proportion of energy usage, resource consumption & greenhouse gas emissions. In comparison, the growing of timber benefits the environment & its harvesting& production account for significantly less CO2 than other materials such as concrete & steel.

Timber isn’t just low carbon – it’s carbon negative – using 25 times less energy to produce than steel. Timber captures CO2 rather than emitting it as with the cement used in blockwork (a material causing 5% of all global CO2 emissions). As timber is lightweight, less energy is required during construction. For the client, less labour power means lower cost. Waste is also drastically reduced through efficiently controlled manufacturing & the speed of construction means less disruption to your neighbours. Our Eco Package closed panel system is the perfect choice for our more environmentally conscious clients, with 300mm of cellulose insulation pumped within our 300mm split stud design.

Timber frame is one of the most flexible construction methods & preferred by many architect’s for this very reason. Timber frame homes can be designed for a traditional exterior or an exceptionally modern & unique appearance. Once finished, a timber frame house is indistinguishable from a block build. The exterior can be finished with traditional blockwork, cladding or external cement board which can be rendered or plastered & painted to suit. Timber frame can also accommodate stone face veneer & dry built stone. The only difference to it’s masonry counterpart is that due to the thermal responsiveness of timber, offering low thermal mass, your home will be warm in winter & cool in summer.

An overlooked benefit of building with timber frame is that angles are true & edges are straight, resulting in ease of painting, wallpapering, tiling, carpet laying & other internal finishings. A timber frame house is engineered & manufactured under strict conditions & quality controls; ensuring precision & accuracy. As a result, skirting & door frames fit snuggly in place. Contractors & developers report a 75% reduction in call back snag lists when building with timber frame.

As virtually no water is used in the construction of a timber frame home, the lengthy wait time associated with drying out the interior of a block build is avoided. Over 1500 litres of water is typically used in the construction of a standard masonry home, most of which evaporates before reaching stability. This leads to months of tedious & frustrating drying out time along with unsightly dampness within the build. With timber frame, internal finishings & furnishings can begin almost immediately. Your heating system can be switched on earlier & at higher levels. Unsightly settlement cracks associated with attempting to dry out a build too quick are also avoided. Combined with our Passive Insulated Foundation system, which acts as your finished floor with no additional screed needed, the drying out period is completely eliminated.

A critical factor in the approval of schemes & mortgages is the perceived risk during the construction of a new home. This risk is largely based on the time expected to construct your build – the longer the build, the greater the risk & so the less favourable your loan terms will be. In terms of insurance cover, a cleaner & safer site achieved by off-site manufacturing is also considered as reduced risk. Many believe that house insurance is more costly with a timber frame build, however this is not the case. All materials are fire safety tested & stamped. Fire resistance is achieved through protective non-combustible materials & by the thickness of the timber frame construction. Most timber frame houses are clad with a 100mm leaf of external blockwork. Fire break sleeves are installed at each intersection to prevent spread & ensure appropriate safety measures in the event of a fire.