Traditional Timber Frame Structures

Our structural 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. This could be negotiating a better purchase price, understanding the problem or understanding the problem enough to explain it to a builder which will help you not fall into the trap of being a first time experiment of a builder who is keen to please but is doing work that they don't understand. It is particularly important on old traditional timber frame structures where sometimes you don't get a second chance to sort out a problem and the building is ruined by inappropriate repair or new work.

Help and advice on listed buildings

1stAssociated.co.uk can provide help and advice with regard to independent building surveys, structural surveys, independent valuations, property surveys, full structural reports, property reports, specific defects reports, engineer's reports, home buyers reports or any other property matters . All surveys are carried out by independent surveyors to give an unbiased opinion
	Tudor property

Phone us for friendly advice on Tudor properties or any timber framed properties

If you own or want to 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.

Traditional timber frame structures

This particular article deals with traditional timber frame structures which is a fascinating subject and numerous books and studies have been carried out on it.
	Timbers painted black

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

1.  Traditional timber frame structures

2.  Modern timber frame structures

3.  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. We have used the term Building Surveyor, rather than Surveyor as they tend to specialise in older properties so always ask if your Surveyor specialises in older properties!

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).

When we are carrying out structural surveying work on timber frame properties we use sketches and photos throughout our reports to explain the problems together with technical definitions (as above) if we use technical definitions at all as we do pride ourselves in writing our surveys in plain English.

We would recommend that you meet the Building Surveyor at the property during the course of the survey and talk to them about what they have found and again talk to them when they have completed the report.

It all began with timber houses

One of the earliest building materials is timber. We use the term building materials as it means we don't have to talk about caves! Original timber frame houses were literally clearance of an area to live in and then the trees that had been cut down were used to construct a house.

When a property is described as timber framed it means that the main structure is formed from timber. Traditional timber frame construction was popular in Tudor times and Jacobean times and much more recently during the building booms of the 1970's a modern style of timber construction was used. Then in the building boom of the 1990's timber frame re-emerged in a different format.
	Tudor property

These comments relate to our experience of being a Building Surveyor working in the UK market on timber frame constructions. We appreciate timber frame construction has been common in other countries for many years and in some countries to some extent is considered a main way of building however in the wet and variable climate of the UK things can be very different to tests carried out in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, etc. The following is based on first hand experience of issues and problems we have found over the years when structurally surveying buildings.

Crucks frame housing

Crucks Frame were the original timber frame house with two pieces of timber leant against each other. We say pieces of timber, but these were practically trunks with the branches cut off. This ‘upside down V shape' that was the original timber frame house then developed over many years. But many would say that in the photo you can't see any of the timbers, this is very true, as original timber frame houses often had render covering up the actual timber frame.

Crucks Frame House

Traditional timber frame buildings and modern structural frame buildings

The following articles may be of interest to you:

Traditional Tudor timber frame properties and their common problems

Buying a house

Compare Surveys

We would ask the question do you know, or more importantly does your builder know why the floor joists were used on their sides?

Black and white timber frame properties – is this really how they looked?

We ask the question where the timbers originally black and white because we know the answer. When these properties were first built it would not have been common to see black timbers, maybe darker timbers, but certainly not black. The black timbers were introduced by the Victorians who used oils to blacken the timbers and make them stand out and now most people consider this to be the way a traditional timber frame house should look.

A box frame house with the timbers painted black and a bulge in the wall – is this a structural problem?	A close up of box frame. What is in the infill panels between?

Problems with timber frame houses

Common problems with timber frame structures are wet rot, dry rot and woodworm, all of which mean that the timber loses its strength and therefore it cannot support the wall. In some cases the timbers can be replaced altogether. In other cases, as you can see in the photos metal supports can be added to restrain and tie the property together again, although you do have to look quite hard to find them sometimes as they are often not a feature that people want you to see. Another thing that used to happen is the original wattle and daub between the timbers would be replaced with brickwork. This unfortunately can then promote the rotting of the timber.

Roof timbers in a timber frame that has had metal support added – would you have spotted that?

Timber frame with relatively new brickwork surround	Hidden tie bar – have you seen these before, do you know what they mean?	Load bearing wall and floor bracing

Dampness can get into the structure particularly in exposed areas or at ground level or at high level which can cause wet rot, dry rot or woodworm.

This is hiding dampness in a sole plate in a timber frame property	Here you can see the dampness in the sole plate which has caused wet rot to the floor

It is inside a timber frame property that you see the true splendour of the timber frame

Whilst Building Surveyors can marvel at the exterior of a property the vast majority of people think of the traditional timber beams being the way a Tudor or Jacobean or Elizabethan property should look. Here are some examples:

Spine beam	Modern copy of a spine beam – would you know if this was original or not?

Detailed beams Why are these beams detailed and ornate, we know, do you?
	Detailed beams

A Building Surveyor who knows and understands traditional timber frame will be able to look at these timber frames and see quite different things. One of the pictures, for example shows a very rare Dragon Beam which is the diagonal beams and timbers. The more traditional spine beam is in another photo and then the trained eye should also be able to establish that one of the spine beams is in fact a metal joist that has been hidden with timber. If a surveyor looks closely at the beams then he can tell a lot about the property. If he looks very closely he can see the detailing in the beams that may tell another story that the property was once owned by someone very wealthy and had an official use. This is often the case with beams that have decorative moulding finishes.

Dragon beam. A most unusual beam at an angle – is this original or has it been added in by an over ambitious builder?

We have commented earlier about the metal lintel that is hidden by the timbers. In no way do we think that all modern timber in an older property is a problem. We have seen some very pleasant and skilled examples of modern timber frame work within a traditional timber frame property which can be seen for example in the adjacent photograph.
	Some of the modern timber frame copy can be quite pleasant if carried out to a good standard

Protective underlayer

From the 1940s onwards felts were used underneath tiles/slates to stop wind damage and water penetration, these in more recent years have been replaced with plastic equivalents. These are commonly known as underfelts but now the name is not really appropriate, as felt is not the only material used.
	Protective underlayer

Are they real beams? The timber beams to ceilings are an attractive feature as in the adjacent pub but are they real beams?
	Are they real beams?

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.

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