Westructure Timber Frame Homes



Frequently Asked Questions.

 

Questions often asked about timber frame kits:

- Question: Are timber frame kits quick to erect?

- Answer: Yes, timber frame kits are very quick to site erect. If it is a timber frame kit house, it will normally be erected on site in 2-4 weeks. Timber frame kits for schools and timber frame flats or timber frame apartments take a little longer.

- Question: Do we sell Oak timber frames?

- Answer: Yes we do sell Oak timber frames through our partners at "The Timber Frame Company" based in Somerton, Somerset.

- Question: Do we deal with insulation for timber frame buildings?

- Answer: Yes we do deal with insulation for timber frame buildings with Excel Industries who supply Warmcel Insulation which gets pumped or sprayed into the timber frame panelised construction.

- Question: Do we have a large timber frame manufacturing facility?

- Answer: Yes we do have a large timber frame manufacturing facility based in Water Lane, Exeter. We have factory fabricated over 1000 timber frame kits from this offsite manufacture facility.

- Question: Is your timber from renewable or sustainable resources?

- Answer: Yes our timber is from renewable or sustainable resources and full chain of custody data is available. All of the timber / lumber used in the timber frame construction comes from registered sustainable timber suppliers.

- Question: Do we do timber frame extensions?

- Answer: We do timber frame extensions but normally it is only cost efficient for the larger projects. However sometimes the Clients Architect will specify timber frame in the cases where they are constructing first floor extensions. Timber frame construction is very favourable because it will be a light weight solution.

- Question: Is a timber frame building strong enough?

- Answer: Timber frame buildings are very strong because the timber frame components connect together very efficiently and the total construction works together as an engineered structure. The timber frame components used range from plywood and glulam to steel. These are all very robust timber products.

- Question: Do you supply anything other than the timber frame kit?

- Answer: We feel that we are best suited to adhering to what we do best which is the supply of good quality timber frame kits.

- Question: Can you erect your timber frame kits?

- Answer: Yes we can supply a team of highly skilled erectors to erect your timber frame kit.

- Question: Do you supply timber frame structures to self builders?

- Answer: Self builders or self erectors form a larger part or our Client base. We are happy to supply the timber frame materials or timber frame components necessary to construct a timber frame house or timber frame flats. We are also happy to deliver timber frame kits or self assembly kits to self builders. Often self build project managers will manage the erection of the timber frame kit.

- Question: How big does the access have to be to get a timber frame package delivered?

- Answer: We pride ourselves on being able to deliver timber frame kits or timber frame components whether it is a timber frame house or a timber frame bungalow or a timber frame block of flats to most locations. We use small lorries with hiab offload facility so the timber frame package always gets onto site.

- Question: Has Westructure Timber Frame Ltd ever featured on television erecting one of your timber frame kits?

- Answer: Yes, we were featured on the programme 'Grand Designs' on Channel 4 screened on January 30th 2008. This is a particularly modern design for a contemporary timber frame house and the timber frame package erected in 2006/2007.

 
 

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Timber Frame Information:

Timber frame manufacturing methods.

  1. Other structural elements.
    Floors and roofs in timber frame construction are similar to those used in masonry construction. Ground floors are either an insulated concrete slab or suspended types - either precast concrete or timber. Intermediate floors are either prefabricated floor cassettes or site-built floors. Floor joists are normally at 400, 480 or 600 mm centres, and are of a constant depth to allow wall panels to be all the same height. In platform frame, the floor joists are supported directly on the top plate of the wall panels or on a head binder. Head binders are used to connect wall panels together and to support floor joists that are not coincident with stud positions. An additional header joist is used around the perimeter of the building to support the upper wall panels and at party walls also to maintain fire and acoustic performance.

  2. Trussed rafter roofs should comply with BS 5268 - 3. They are fixed directly to the wall panels, or to head binders if the trusses do not coincide with stud positions.
    Party floors are constructed with timber providing the structural element and various combinations of ancillary components contributing to the required fire and acoustic performance.

  3. Timber frame buildings fire resistance.


  4. Services.
    The provision for services is particularly simple in timber frame construction, because they can be run in the cavity between the studs of the wall panel. If wet services are run in the external wall, they should be on the warm side of the insulation to avoid condensation from the pipes in the external wall. Care must be taken to seal the vapour control layer around penetrations. If there is a high degree of servicing required in an external wall (or party wall), the provision of a service cavity formed by using battens fixed to the studs between the vapour control layer and the plasterboard lining may be considered.
    Guidance on services in timber frame is given in Services in timber frame construction - Guidance for a defect-free interface, prepared jointly by TRADA Technology and BSRIA.
  5. Preservative treatment.
    The need for preservative treatment depends on the durability of the timber used and an assessment of the risk of decay or insect attack. In timber frame this can be divided into two basic categories:
    Treatment essential:
    Sole plates
    Bottom members of loadbearing wall frames or joinery resting directly on the dpc
    Timber cavity barriers in external cavity walls(also to be protected by separate dpc)
    Timber in cold design flat roofs
    Cladding fixing battens
    Tiling battens.

    Treatment recommended as insurance:
    Joists in suspended timber ground floors
    Load bearing timber external wall frames.

  6. The recommendation in the Building Regulations (England and Wales) that material exposed to and likely to be adversely affected by moisture implies that cladding with slightly durable (or not durable) species of wood requires preservative treatment.

  7. Visit the mis-spelt site for the interesting front page.

  8. Treatment of individual members in the manufactured components listed above is most often carried out using micro-emulsion based wood preservatives. These formulations are applied using low pressure treatment methods and have largely replaced ‘traditional’ light organic solvent preservative formulations. If timber treated at source by the boron diffusion process is available this may alternatively be specified. Sole plates, however are commonly treated with copper containing preservatives.
  9. The housing warranty organisations have specific requirements for preservative treatment of timber components.