Modern Timber Frame Structures

 

 

Our building surveys have lots of sketches and photos

We use lots of sketches and photos in our building surveys to help you understand the problems and get the best results for you such as being able to understand any problems that the property may have and therefore negotiating a better purchase price.
We would recommend that you meet the Building Surveyor at the property during the course of the survey and speaking to them about what they have found and again speaking to them when they have completed the report.

Free phone 0800 298 5424

Phone us for friendly advice on timber frame properties

If you own a timber frame property, be it a traditional timber frame property or a modern timber framed property or a new modern timber frame property! and are looking for advice, we would be more than happy to help you. We have come across more than one case where failure to disclose that the property was timber frame at the outset has caused the buyer to pull out so be aware and talk to us on free phone 0800 298 5424 for some friendly advice on timber frame properties. We can help both vendors/sellers of properties and the buyers with our structural surveys.

 

Timber frame structures

We believe that the timber frame world divides into three areas:

 

1.  Traditional timber frame structures

Tudor property

2.  Modern timber frame structures

Modern timber frame property

3.  Modern, modern timber frame structures

Modern, modern timber frame properties

 

Modern timber frame structures

 

This particular article deals with modern timber frame structures and modern, modern timber frame structures.

 

All of these different types of timber structural frames have very different characteristics and your Building Surveyor needs to understand exactly what they are looking at with this type of specialist structure.

Timber frame property floor that would typically be in a Tudor property

 

Timber frame property defined

This property is timber framed, which means that the inside walls are formed of timber (traditionally they would have been formed of stonework, brickwork or blockwork).

TIMBER FRAME

Modern timber frame

 

 

Modern timber frame construction that looks like a traditional house

From the 1970's onwards we used modern timber frame construction which was a totally different way of building although it looks like a traditional house, by this we mean you can see brick walls and tiled roofs. However effectively the modern timber frame is the new way of building.

Typical timber frame construction

 

Unfortunately we cannot call on past experience because traditional timber frame properties such as Tudor properties exposed timber frame are not in common use today other than by a few specialist timber frame trades people.

Tudor property

 

 

The return of the popularity of timber construction in the 1970's was by new-build contractors that were endeavouring to build enough properties to meet the demands of the property boom at this time.

Modern timber framed property which is hardly distinguishable from a traditionally built house

However the building of timber frame properties came to a drastic halt when the World in Action BBC television program ‘exposed' the bad and poor practices that were taking place on building sites, which were used in this type of construction, such as leaving the timber frame out in the rain (wet wood is never good) or damage to the membrane that was meant to keep the timber frame dry and numerous other issues. The effect this had on timber framed properties in Britain was to almost stop the building of this type of property overnight, as no one wanted to purchase them.

 

The photos below are of a property that we recently surveyed. The entirety of this property structurally is on a timber frame.

Modern timber frame property

There is nothing obviously timber frame about these properties until you have a close look in the roof

 

Timber frame construction has been used to form the gable end

Modern white breathable felt.

 

Below are photographs of a much more obvious example from the 1960's. Again, it is only on a close inspection of the roof that you can see it is a timber frame. In this instance the property has a close boarded roof however when we crawled through the roof we came across a timber gable indicating to us that this is a modern timber frame structure. Upon further research we found information on this type of structure. On this age of construction there is likely be asbestos.

This timber house was advertised with a take down interior

It was built by budding DIY'ers in years gone by

 

 

Close boarding to roof of a timber frame house

Timber gable of a timber frame house

Asbestos found within a 1960's timber frame house

 

Elements of modern timber frame construction

 

Signs that it is a modern timber framed property – timber found within the roof space

Close up of a modern timber frame house

The ridge and gable of a modern timber framed house

 

 

A modern timber frame building is cheap and quick but does it last for a long time?

The builders liked this type of construction as it is quick to build, does not need any drying time and is generally cheaper, and this in turn means a larger profit. However, they were also aware of the impact of the World in Action program and they stopped using it. Gradually over the more recent years, whilst the property market has boomed again, builders have started using this type of construction again.

 

Are builders, this time around, wiser to how it should be used and indeed are the purchasers aware when a house is modern timber frame?

There have no doubt been advances in modern timber frame over the years, for example one system that we recall came with all the elements packed within containers which were literally unpacked in the order it comes out and used to build, thereby (in theory) keeping everything watertight. So, various systems and design alterations have taken place to improve the timber frame structure although it has to be said that many of these are driven by the economics.

That said, in our structural surveys we still may warn against buying this type of building and we would add that we personally have decided not to buy a timber framed property in preference for a traditional built property. We would summarise by saying the jury is still out with regard to modern timber frame properties.

 

The following articles on timber frame buildings may be of interest to you:

Traditional Tudor timber frame properties and their common problems

Modern timber frame properties and their common problems

Modern Timber framed buildings 1960s and 1970s

Non Traditional Housing

Compare Surveys

 

 

Modern, modern timber frame

We have used the term Modern, modern timber frame as we are not aware of a term that is in common use. This is the term that we use to describe the Modern timber frame buildings that have been used since the 1990's and 2000's era as in many ways these are as different from traditional timber frame properties as they were from the 1970's properties to the trained eye however outwardly they do look like traditional houses.

Example of modern, modern timber frame property

 

A lot of thought has now been given to how to make timber frame buildings work. Many of them are almost indistinguishable from a traditional built house unless you have a trained eye.
Modern timber frame house

 

What problems will arise with modern timber frame properties in the future?

We personally would never buy a modern or a modern, modern timber frame house. We say this because when we had the choice and option to do this we decided not to, we went for traditional house building styles. This isn't because we don't believe that modern day construction is as good as it can be, it is because quite simply as a Charted Surveyor we haven't seen this type of property survive decades and therefore we can't understand the type of problems that may come about.

However we can to some extent see the first signs of it in the rental properties that we deal with, as due to the number of people in some of them they get more use and abuse than a traditional home and as such we see that the dry lined walls regularly need more redecoration and repair than in a traditional house. You may say this may not be a fair comparison, we would say that we are still open minded with regard to modern timber frame buildings but we do take a very slow careful look when we carry out surveys on them.

 

Independent Surveyors

If you truly do want an independent expert opinion from a building surveyor with experience of carrying out work or supervising work to timber frame properties, we are happy to do valuations, building surveys, structural surveys, structural reports, engineer's reports, specific defects reports, home buyers reports or any other property matters. Please contact 800 298 5424 to have a free of charge friendly chat with one of our surveyors.

We feel our surveys are quite unique, as they are written by our surveyors to your level of knowledge. The surveys include photos and sketches and definitions. The survey will also include an action required section and an estimate of costs in the executive summary. Our surveyors are more than happy to meet you at the property whilst carrying out the survey to discuss any specific issues you may have or have a general chat about what we have found at the end of the survey.

 

Commercial Property

We do come across from time to time commercial properties that have been built with a timber frame, particularly on older shops. If you are looking for commercial property, whether it is freehold or leasehold, we would recommend a survey as this will prevent dilapidations claims in the long run. You may wish to look at our Dilapidations Website at www.DilapsHelp.com and for Disputes go to our Disputes Help site www.DisputesHelp.com , both of which we have been advised are very helpful!

We hope you found the article of use and if you have any experiences that you feel should be added to this article that would benefit others, or you feel that some of the information that we have put is wrong then we would be pleased to hear from you.

The contents of the web site are for general information only and is not intended to be relied upon for specific or general decisions. Appropriate independent professional advice should be paid for before making such a decision.

All rights are reserved the contents of the web site is not to be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or part without the express written permission of www.1stAssociated.co.uk.  

 

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