Timber Frame Home

Actually, timber frame and masonry houses are about the same cost to build but with timber frame the house can be put up a lot quicker, the easiest way to tell the difference is to tap the inside of an external wall, if its hollow then its probably timber frame. Timber frame houses can be just as structural as conventional masonry (remember the outer leaf is generally blockwork anyway) if the panels are correctly positioned, sized and braced, but you can fit a lot more insulation into a timber frame construction than a masonry one and therefor they are generally more energy efficient.

You are incorrect to assume that construction of Timber Frame homes would be any more economical than block cavity wall construction on a housing scheme….

It can generally happen that the construction method will change during a built timeline. This can be due to certain factors like an increased build time, cost factors, etc… a speedier construction time is the major advantage of timber frame houses…..

another response to your query is the defination of the value of your dwelling…….. in my experience, currently, the value of a new build is the general unit value for the area.. ie no difference between masonry or tmber build…….

also a brochure generally has a disclaimer stating something like ‘we will not be held responsible for inaccuracies in the particulars or terms of the property reffered to. these particulars shall not form any part of a contract’…….

there is no difficulty in selling timber frame homes in ireland. they have advantages (and disadvantages) as a construction method, but are in no way a ‘lesser form’ of construction…..

Hi WX. Another point to make about timber frame construction is that once the BER Cert comes in for second hand house sales – scheduled for 2009 – a timber frame house should fare better than a masonry built house. While the effect that BER Certs will have on any house sales has yet to be seen, it should follow that if your house has a better energy rating, then the more environmentally conscious buyer will veer towards it rather than a less thermally efficient masonry built house, and there might possibly be a financial benefit aswell. Certainly from an environmental point of view timber frame is the better option.

Thanks for all the feedback. I was really happy to find out that it was timber frame really, as we had been looking at a self build timber frame and found that we were running over budget. It’s a small development in a rural area which might explain why it had to be a timber frame spec. I was just curious as to why the auctioneer would not mention that it is timber frame.

They don’t normally get into that sort of detail unless they’re trying to use it as a selling point. Only interested in the sale most of the time. I’d guess that what the posters above have said is right and that the speed of construction drove the decision to use timber frame. Most developments of more than 1 house are timber frame now for that reason – the sooner the builder can get them up, the sooner they’ll sell and the money will come in. I wouldn’t imagine there’s anything sinister about it.

I was just curious as to why the auctioneer would not mention that it is timber frame.

Most auctioneers don’t know their arseholes form their elbows