Summary: TF-v-"Conventional"
It’s All in the Walls
- ‘Conventional’ buildings usually have external walls of bricks, blocks, or other ‘wet-build’ materials.
- ‘Conventional’ wall types tend to vary from region to region and with age of building
- Timber Frame buildings (usually) have external walls of composite timber panels
- In Timber Frame structures the timber walls support the building NOT the masonry
- Most domestic masonry buildings also have timber joist floors & timber rafter roofs
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Timber Frame Construction
Durable Long Life
- Scientific research has proved the stability of timber frame up to 6 floors high
- They are extremely stable and perform better than masonry even in earthquakes
- Durable Timber Buildings demonstrably last for hundreds, if not thousands, of years
Rain Proof
- Solid masonry is NOT impervious to water, like driving rain.
- Many pre-war buildings have ‘solid’ external walls that can be damp and ‘leak’ water
- Cavity walls provide a gap to stop this water penetration
- Modern masonry walls have this gap filled with insulation
- Timber frame with integral insulation preserves the cavity to keep the inside dry
Excellent in Fires
- Fire & Building Regulations treat timber frame just the same as masonry buildings
- National Insurers make no difference between timber frame and masonry for fire
- Wood ‘charring’ actually causes timber to go out unless flame & oxygen are applied
- Even forest fires do not burn out some trees
No Drying Out
- ‘Dry’ timber frame has thousands of gallons LESS water than masonry
- Masonry can take years to dry out, with attendant decoration & shrinkage issues
- Timber Frame needs little if any drying out, saving on snagging and maintenance
Most Eco-Friendly
- Timber is perhaps the most environmentally sustainable building material
- It has many times less embodied energy than brocks, blocks, concrete or steel
- Timber needs less energy in the actual construction process than masonry
- Timber framed homes are warmer, dryer, less draughty, more comfortable, use less energy and are cheaper to run than most masonry houses.
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