Jump to content

Building with wood!


joe90

Recommended Posts

Found this on the BBC website.....

 

Wood for good

Wooden house interior with large windowsIMAGE COPYRIGHTGETTY IMAGES

Every seven seconds the sustainable forests of Europe yield enough wood to build a four-person family home. Carbon is absorbed by the growing trunk, locked up in the house and then trees are replanted.

Wooden construction also lessens the enormous carbon impacts of using concrete and steel. Cross Laminated Timber - like a super-thick plywood - enables the use of wood for large areas of floors and walls. 

The French government has ruled that all new public buildings must be made from at least 50% timber and a 'plyscraper' race is under way with the 18-storey Mjosa Tower in Brumunddal, Norway the current winner. 

Around the world taller buildings are on the drawing board but in the UK, building regulation changes in response to the Grenfell Tower fire might limit the use of wood in tall buildings.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, joe90 said:

The French government has ruled that all new public buildings must be made from at least 50% timber and a 'plyscraper' race is under way with the 18-storey Mjosa Tower in Brumunddal, Norway the current winner. 

Scary idea! Concrete and steel towers burn well enough as it is!

 

Although I do like the idea of a timber framed house next. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Gav_P said:

Scary idea! Concrete and steel towers burn well enough as it is!

It is not the burning that is the problem with steel framed buildings, is is the manner in which they fail.

This is why the Twin Towers collapsed, the steel frame twisted as it got hot.

Also why asbestos was used to cover the steelwork.

 

I would like to know where the 'every seven seconds' comes from.

And is there a large gap between the windows and the opening.

Edited by SteamyTea
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

And is there a large gap between the windows and the opening.


Yes, Methinks the cills and skirting not finished yet (but if it was done by one of us that would have been foamed in ?).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Timber houses will only become mainstream when mortgage lenders stop thinking of them as "sub standard" or at least "non standard construction"

 

Same with insurers.  What's that standard question "is it brick or block construction with a tile or slate roof!?  Erm no.  So £££ to insure.

 

At the moment timber houses are popular with self builders, but I am willing to bet if you try and sell one at say 30 years old, you might have problems.  We took the decision to go all timber on the basis it was our retirement house and selling is not on the agenda, but if we ever did, I suspect it would be valued less than an equivalent brick house.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think there would be an issue with fire as the section sizes look too big.  As long as surface spread of flame is limited, via a simple coating, the rest would be fine.  A bit like trying to start a fire using a big log v. kindling.

 

It won't look so pretty after first fixing!

 

I think cost is the biggest issue with CLT and it still needs protection from the elements so is just a structural inner leaf which still need insulation and rainscreen.

 

Probably quite easy to find a fixing or 2 for cladding though!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Big Jimbo said:

I totally agree with Pro dave. Untill mortgage lenders change there habits. Timber frame is considered non standard construction, and seems to be a pain to get a mortgage on

That is one of my current head problems. I have worked with wood for about 30 years. Without being a big head, i could build a timber frame without problem. I could do it out of 6x2 or better still wood i beams which i think are under utilised in this country. (Think Peter Stark) I dont work, so have plenty of time, and my designed house is basically a square with a double story porch on the front. It would be a doddle to build in timber. Now, blocks etc i just havn't done. I think i could, but i would be bloody slow......The chances are that i wont stay when completed, as i have no need for 5 beds, and 5 bathrooms, so will be looking to sell. My head says do it in timber in the 1/2 acre garden. ( i could build the frame in 2 weeks). But my brain says, do it in blockwork, as if you dont you are going to have an issue trying to flog it for north of £1.5million. People, as well as mortgage lenders still seem to have that "Proper, masonary house" mentality...... Or am i wrong ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, Big Jimbo said:

you are going to have an issue trying to flog it for north of £1.5million. People, as well as mortgage lenders still seem to have that "Proper, masonary house" mentality...... Or am i wrong ?

 

30 minutes ago, Big Jimbo said:

I totally agree with Pro dave. Untill mortgage lenders change there habits. Timber frame is considered non standard construction, and seems to be a pain to get a mortgage on

 

Really? I have a high st mge and buildings insurance on my render clad timber frame house. No issues. And the value is not far off that which you quote above.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

 

 

Really? I have a high st mge and buildings insurance on my render clad timber frame house. No issues. And the value is not far off that which you quote above.

 

 

That is fab news Bitpipe. Can i ask if you don't mind, what questions you were asked when filling in the application. When reading on lenders web sites, i always seem to come across "non standard construction"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

Really? I have a high st mge and buildings insurance on my render clad timber frame house. No issues. And the value is not far off that which you quote above.

 

Who did you get your insurance through? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, jack said:

 

Who did you get your insurance through? 

 

Acorn insurance, I think I found them through Quidco.

 

I made sure to speak to an agent to confirm the building construction method and they checked with the underwriter that it was OK.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, Big Jimbo said:

That is fab news Bitpipe. Can i ask if you don't mind, what questions you were asked when filling in the application. When reading on lenders web sites, i always seem to come across "non standard construction"

 

I used a broker and when the surveyor came by I explained the construction. His main concern was - have BCO signed it off (yes) and do you have a build warranty (also yes). He never asked to see any proof.

 

I don't think TF is considered 'non standard'.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

Acorn insurance, I think I found them through Quidco.

 

I made sure to speak to an agent to confirm the building construction method and they checked with the underwriter that it was OK.

 

I suspect that we're penalised for having mixed construction. Our house is mostly brick slips on cement board, but we have areas of wooden cladding. When you fill in an online form, you have to choose from some fairly rigid construction types, which don't really take into account the fact their may be mixed cladding types. I can't remember what we pay, but I'm sure it's more than if we had brick-and-block construction.

 

Even when I tried speaking to people on the phone or via chat boxes, I got very little help. I remember one person basically told me they couldn't give me any advice on how to select my cladding type from their list of drop-down options (none of which really fit), because figuring out what the terms meant and how they applied to my house was my job and not theirs!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, jack said:

 

I suspect that we're penalised for having mixed construction. Our house is mostly brick slips on cement board, but we have areas of wooden cladding. When you fill in an online form, you have to choose from some fairly rigid construction types, which don't really take into account the fact their may be mixed cladding types. I can't remember what we pay, but I'm sure it's more than if we had brick-and-block construction.

 

Even when I tried speaking to people on the phone or via chat boxes, I got very little help. I remember one person basically told me they couldn't give me any advice on how to select my cladding type from their list of drop-down options (none of which really fit), because figuring out what the terms meant and how they applied to my house was my job and not theirs!

 

I had the same issue with some of the comparison sites (usually select timber w. plaster panels). 

 

I  also recommend talking to a broker - these guys came very close to matching the Acorn price www.exportandgeneral.co.uk

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Mr Punter said:

Most / all lenders and insurers are happy with timber frame with outer leaf in brick or rendered blockwork and pitched tiled roof.

 

Yep, it's when you have render/timber cladding that you need to confirm that they are still happy - some of the automated quotes will struggle at this point so best to select 'timber frame with plaster panels' get your quote and then call to ensure the underwriters are happy about your exact construction. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

I had problems with our stick built timber frame with the "normal" insurers , which wasn't helped by being on a flood plain ruled out even more.

 

Eventually called NFU who couldn't have been easier to work with and much to my surprise, cheap to the point that I had to confirm if it was monthly or annual

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...