Construction Systems: Building with Timber Frame

ABOVE: Typical timber frame construction; 1. Wall structure and membrane - 2. First floor joists - 3. Roof joists go in - 4. Roof trusses on

The Rise (and Rise) of Timber

In recent history the dominant form of housebuilding in the UK has been masonry blockwork — but there’s no doubt that concrete’s dominance has in the past decade or so come under threat significantly from the rising popularity of timber frame construction. In 1998, according to the NHBC, it accounted for 7% of new homes built in Britain, yet by 2007 this had increased threefold to 21%. The figures do hide strong regional variations, with 74% of homes built in Scotland using this method, compared to 15% in England.

Building with Timber Frame

The key difference between timber frame and masonry isn’t so much the materials used to make the walls, but the fact that timber frame is usually made in a factory and delivered to site on a lorry. This takes away a lot of the graft and simplifies the process from the builder’s point of view.

There are many technical differences as well. The outer skin can be built from any materials, just as with masonry builds, but the inner skin is made up of panels of timber studwork, locked together with sheets of plywood or similar. The hollow areas between the timber studs are filled with insulation before being covered over with plasterboard and a vapour barrier. The cavity detail between the inner (timber) skin and the outer skin remains, but unlike traditional blockwork builds, it’s left empty, as the insulation is fitted into the (now usually 140mm) timber frame itself.

Green Oak

A much older version of timber frame existed in Tudor times, based on building structures with massive oak timber posts and beams. There has been a revival in this type of building and now you can use oak as the basis for new homes, both traditional and contemporary in style. There is a small but thriving niche of businesses specialising in green oak builds, and they are very much focussed on self-build as their key market.

Further reading:

• Construction Systems: Building with Masonry
• Construction Systems: Masonry vs Timber
• Construction Systems: The Alternatives
• Construction Systems: Package Building
• Why we chose our construction method

Return to 'The 12 Steps of Self Build: Construction Systems'