Westructure Timber Frame Homes



The Environment.

 


Timber Frame dwellings being highly energy efficient not only save on the amount of energy required to heat them, but also use less energy resources during their building. Timber from 'The Stewardship Council' managed forests in Scandinavia is used in their construction and every mature tree that is harvested is replaced with younger specimens to sustain a natural cycle. More trees are planted than are felled so an increase in the overall volume of trees is created.

Our structural framework uses stress graded softwood timber from sustainably managed forests in Scandinavia. The replanting programme in these forests ensures that there are 3 trees planted for every 2 trees cut down, leaving a net growth in the volume of trees every year, with no cost to the environment!

Timber is recognised as the only renewable construction material with the softwoods used in fabrication coming from environmentally sustainable forests. The embodied energy in timber is low, even when taking into account transport and treatment requirements and the processing of timber to the finished state uses over 25% less energy than that required for other construction materials.
 
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Added to this, timber itself has thermal properties and the design of the structural panels means that spaces between studs can be packed with of high levels of insulation material, giving the whole structure a low "U" value. Unlike traditional construction the insulation in a timber frame home is contained inside the inner leaf ensuring that not only little heat is lost but also because of the clear cavity, driving rain cannot pass through to the inner leaf of the structure. With the use of breathable foil or additional insulation, timber frame buildings easily meet and exceed current U values including the new part L regulations introduced in April 2006. Timber frame homes are easy to heat and can deliver savings in heating costs of up to 40%.

Timber frame components are manufactured under strict factory conditions, this improves quality and results in less waste.

The timber frame structural shell can be delivered, erected and roofed with felt and tiling battens within a matter of days which allows internal and external trades to get on with their work simultaneously saving considerable time in the build process.
 

Glazed external windows and doors can be fitted immediately to protect the building. All this means that a house can be completed and ready for occupation in weeks rather than months.
The reasons for the increase in the use of timber frame construction in the UK are many, but the key factor is that timber frame offers a winning solution for all parties.
 
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Timber Frame Information:

Timber framed construction methods.

  1. Cladding to external walls.
    External cladding to the timber frame is frequently brick or blockwork connected to the timber wall panels by flexible stainless steel wall ties. These ties are designed to transfer wind loading on the masonry to the wall panels; they must also allow for any differential vertical movement between the cladding and panels due to shrinkage, settlement and compression of the cross-sectional timber (rails, binders, floor and roof joists) in the construction. It is important that this movement is allowed for in detailing any construction such as roof soffits, verges, window sills and balconies that are attached to the frame but project into or through the masonry cladding. This differential movement becomes even more significant with increasing height of the building. For buildings over three storeys, special consideration will be required to ‘design out’ the movement or to accommodate it in different ways.

  2. There is a wide range of lightweight cladding materials available such as clay tiles, slates, brick slips, timber boarding, cement render or proprietary systems. These are normally supported on preservative-treated softwood battens fixed to the studwork to provide a drained and vented cavity to ensure that any water that penetrates the cladding, or vapour from the building fabric, can diffuse or drain away.
  3. Contact Westructure for all your timber frame building requirements.

  4. Light combustible claddings are permitted where the distance of the cladding from the boundary complies with the unprotected area rule in building regulations. Brick or blockwork provides adequate external fire resistance irrespective of distance from the boundary. Brick or blockwork clad timber frame walls provide similar sound insulation from external noise as masonry cavity walls, but the level of sound insulation will ultimately depend on the acoustic resistance of any openings in the wall.
  5. Internal walls.
    Internal loadbearing and non-loadbearing walls are constructed of timber framing with plasterboard either side. A loadbearing internal wall requires loadbearing lintels over openings, supported on cripple studs and will have to meet the same fire performance as external walls. Where better acoustic performance is required between rooms such as bathrooms and bedrooms, mineral wool is used between the studs and two layers of plasterboard applied to the wall.
  6. Party walls.
    These are normally constructed from two separate timber framed walls with a cavity between. Insulation is fitted to the frames, and plasterboard in two or more layers (with joints staggered) is used to line the room sides of the party wall in order to provide required levels of fire resistance and sound insulation. As for all forms of construction, any space between the underside of roof tiling and the party wall must be fire stopped. Where regulations permit services and electrical wiring in party walls must be detailed so as to maintain fire and acoustic performance.

  7. See a selection of house building, and commercial build projects.