Key Post Self Build / Timber Frame Houses.

Re: the ad about concrete homes are better built homes

What can I say -- that ad was an unimaginative answer to a genuine threat. Concrete is a crap building material, unless you are building an air raid shelter, and perhaps not even then.

Timber frame construction is faster, cheaper, more environmentally friendly, more thermally efficient, and cleaner.

I don't remembe the ad showing stuff falling through the floors. That would be ironic since most concrete houses have timber floors anyway (except on the ground floors where stuff can't fall).

Bah!
 
What about straw-bale homes?

Even better than timber frame? Any experiences out there?
 
re

Ham Slicer, would you mind posting what County your friend built in? 100,000 is v reasonable these days.

Does anyone know if it is harder to get planning permission for a timber framed house?

Many thanks
 
Re: What about straw-bale homes?

Are there any diffs in House Insureance costs in concrete v's timber frame does anyone know?

ninsaga
 
Re: What about straw-bale homes?

There aren't any , I live in a timber frame house and there was no loading.

EB
 
Timber frame

There is no difference in whether you use masonry construction or timber-frame as far as planning permission is concerned.
 
timber frame etc

Hi all
Extopia asked about alternatives .........
There are indeed other alternatives out there besides timber frame or concrete or the more exotic things like straw bale..........
A company in Wexford called FBT - Formula Building Technology - markets "poroton" blocks. They are high insulation building blocks which are used extensively in Germany & other European countries. Much easier to build with than concrete because they are light and don't need thick mortar layers of ca 15mm -they use a special thinner mortar, ca 1mm thick - also reduces shrinkage. Since they have such high insulating properties you need only a single leaf construction - ie you don't need a cavity wall. The blocks themselves are 300 - 365 mm deep. They have the advantage of being "solid", good sound insulation, and above all - if you finish with good 'breathable' plaster outside you can achieve superbly healthy breathable wall structures. FBT have a web site - something like fbt.ie, not sure.
Also great is that the blocks are ideal to work with for diy jobs - they have a grooved surface at each end so they slot into each other - hard to explain - but like sideways Lego for all those of a generation who know what Lego was !
And I don't have any connections to the company - other than being a very satisfied poroton-built-home owner.
Laoise
 
Timber Frame Construction

I have been living in a Timber Frame House since 1990 and, naturally, was apprehensive at first about this method of construction.

Thirteen years later, I would unreservedly recommend such a house to all! It is simply marvellous, more cost effetive, warmer, cosier etc than the traditional all concrete houses.

Go for it!
 
Sound Proofing in Timber Frame houses

From earlier post:

"I rented a room in a semi-d timber frame house. I could hear everything that was going on next door and frequently thought that there was someone upstairs in my house when in fact, they were thumping around upstairs next door. I could also clearly hear conversations going on outside on the street when sitting in the living room. None of my doors or windows were open. "

Ayla, that's interesting what you have to say. I've been doing a bit of Internet research on the advantages & disadvantages of timber frame houses, and timber frame builders claim that less noise passes through party wall than in a concrete build. Does anyone who's has bought / rented a non-detached timber frame house believe this to be the case? Particularly if someone has bought a McInerney built timber frame house...
 
sound proofing/timber

Sound proofing depends on the building method.A principle would be not to connect materials meant to insulate i.e. a single material(mono) wall wont insulate well, timber or concrete.If you want to get best sound insulation ask the builders of high security prison blocks,no joke.
 
timber frame

wait until the insulation slides down /settles behind the plasterboard and your insulation in that area goes to zero also the mice will be nice and warm
 
Timber frame

In my opinion, timber frame can be a much better option, it is generally more flexible in terms of design, especially if Glue laminated beams are used as they have a much bigger span.

For some examples of great designs (that leave traditional concrete build in the shade) check out, the gallery section under Products on

www.griffnercoillte.ie

Timber frame is definitely easier to heat, who has ever tried to heat a building with a thick wet blanket around it - cos that's what you have to do in most concrete built houses. Who's ever put their hand on concrete and felt warm?

With regard to sound insulation, I think this is purely a function of how the floors/walls are constructed, I also thought that timber floors/walls should have better sound performance if they are constructed with the correct sound insulation.

If you want my opinion, the outstanding advantage of timber frame is that it takes much of the construction process off site and puts it into a process controlled, machine controlled, quality controlled factory environment.

J

By the way the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government have just issued a major report on timber frame housing in Ireland, (anyone have the link?) it suggests that TF accounted for 20% of new build last year and is as high as 60% in Scotland.
 
timberframe versus brick

the important thing concerning a warm feeling is indeed-as Jake mentioned- that the walls are not damp or wet .
Any outside wall that sucks up the rain - no matter if brick or plaster or whatever will release that water eventually and hence cool the wall . Or why do we dry us after swimming ? Evaporation of water cools the surface by about 6 degrees , that can be tried out at the next picnics with a wet towel placed over the crate of beer . The next " sin " is to turn a wall that is supposed to keep one warm into a radiator to heat the outside by increasing its surface -PEBBLE DASH ! The larger the surface the more energy the body/building will release . Thanks to our education system these basic facts are still a secret , at least to most home buyers.
Believe it or not - here in Cork some builders build "energy saving " homes covered in rain sponging cement plaster which in turn is " decorated " with pebble dash-and sell them !!!
 
Sale value comparison

Could anyone advise if the resale value of a house is adversley affected if the house is contructed by timber frame rather than conventional build.

For example if I build a conventional house with a resale value of say €500k would it be expected that the timber frame version would sell for a lower figure.

T.
 
Resale value

Based on the earlier postings about energy savings etc I would think that the resale value would be at lease the same as a real house if not greater.

Paul
 
Timber framed? Nah!

Personally I would not pay the same for a timber framed second hand house as I would for a normal house. I think that most people would be of the same view on this matter.
 
Some other posts

MunsterM
Registered User
Timber houses

Has anyone got any experience of having a timber house built ? I don't mean timber frame, where the exterior is clad with brick, or block, but houses built completely of wood. Usually imported from Scandinavia or North America.

Thanks,

MunsterM

effortless
Unregistered User
timber clad structure

i know of only person in the munster region whose undertaking such a project .he based in midelton though from iceland.

trades under gs carpentry services .cant say will he do it but is worth speaking to?

gudmundur sigurdsson is the name i think

MunsterM
Timber house

Hi effortless,

thanks for the reply.
I was hoping to find someone who's had a house built from a kit. I guess those type of houses aren't very common.

Thanks.

M

neonitrix
Registered User
Re: Timber house

myself and my wife enquired about log homes some time ago. We were in discussion with a company called Tennessee Log Homes website: www.tnloghomes.com/

They have agents in waterford but for the life of me I cant find my book with the details in it.

Also for your info = Discovery Channel ran a program some time ago about a log home being built from scratch in scotland called CABIN FEVER, TNLoghomes were the suppliers of the house kit. And the house style they built in the program with Lakeview.

If I can find that agents number I will post it later.

Also when your next on the train past portarlington - portlaoise in the direction of cork have a look out the window about a mile from portarlington as there is a lovely log home in the distance.

If i can help anymore just ask

EDIT - UPDATE

I found the number it was under the stairs ??? - The joys of moving into a new home is you forget where everything is:

anyway the agents name is:

Mary Setterfield, Log Homes Direct
Address: Mountain View Lismore, Co. Waterford
Tel: 058 53917
Fax: 086 8423818
Email: loghomesdirect@eircom.net

I am sure if you give her a ring she can put you in touch with someone how has built using the log home kit.

thanks

Neonitrix


MunsterM
Posts: 3
Re: Timber house

Hi neonitrix,

thanks for the info.
Do you mind me asking why you decided not to go ahead with the log home ?

M

neonitrix
Registered User
Re: Timber house

To be honest

I think we have only really put it off for a while. We are both young. We wanted to get out of the rental loop as we were sick of it and building a log home however appealing isnt a fast process.

The house we are in now came available in sept of last year and we were moved in by christmas. But we still have a site, altho it is still no planning approved.

Mabey in a few years time.

I hope I was of some help.

Neonitrix

Laoise
Unregistered User
woodhouse

There's a cpmpany called artic house who have been in business here for some time - guess that's a good sign. I saw one of their chalets a few years ago - seemed OK.

www.artichouse.fi/

Timber
Unregistered User
Wood House

Has anybody ever used a company called Irish Wood Style based in Ardcath, Garristown, Co Meath - would you reccomment them???

heinbloed
Unregistered User
us loghomes

Keep in mind that all finished kits from the US have to be treated with pesticides at shipping point , in the harbour at latest.This is a legal obligation by the US Dept.of agriculture.It aims at termites,if they are found to have exported timber which harbours termites they (the whole of the US,not only the manufacturer) might loose the right to export agricultural products to the EU.So they make sure that there are no survivors.It is easy to "treat" lets say an apple,but for timber "heavy" products are used.How I know?I talked to TLH(see post above) a few years ago and that is what their sales rep. in England told me.

magsandtim
Unregistered User
All timber frame total cost

I am very interested in a two storey timber frame house that we saw in 'century homes'. A quick quote for it supplied and erected was 62,500 euros. They don't supply windows, doors or roof tiles and they only supply not fit the plasterboards, skirtings, architrave and stairs. When we phoned them to have a chat about a predicted finished cost we were told that it is usually 3times the cost of the timber shell. Does that seem excessive or were we budgeting all wrong? We thought that it would be well finished with another 60000euros?
Plus any other experiences with timber frame companies inc this one would be appreciated
Thanks

magsandtim
Unregistered User
timber frame total cost

I think the next step is to speak to a builder in the Wexford area who has worked on one of these houses so if anyone knows of any such builder or (just a good builder will do) let me know,
Thanks

AG
Unregistered User
timber frame total cost

Hi,

I would say that is about right - we were looking at timber frame as well and most of the companies will actually tell you now that it is no cheaper than building with block. The saving is in the running costs of the heating etc along with the fact that it is quicker to erect.
So I would say 3 times would be about right. Remember you still have to block the outside, windows, all the internal stuff, floors, kitchens, bathrooms etc.
We ended up going to the traditional route building with block.
Where abouts are you in the Wexford area ? We are building there as well.

magsandtim
Unregistered User
timber frame total cost

Hi thanks for reply. We are looking for a plot at the moment to hopefully build as we are moving back home to ireland after 7 years from Wales. Very difficult to arrange, anyway 3 times the amount seems fair now as we have recently been quoted 90e per sq ft and so we're looking at 4-5 times that amount but it would be ready to just paint then.Is this right?
Where in Wexford are you, what type of house did you get FPP for and what is it costing you? at this rate we will be staying where we are!
thanks

sueellen
Moderator
Re: timber frame total cost

Mags,

The Homes and Mortgages section here be useful/worth a read.

Betsy Og
Unregistered User
Consider

Consider buying the kit only and getting your own crew to erect it. You get well charged for the construction on site, more than what independent guys would charge.

We had bad experience with subcontractors the timber frame co. hired - basically couldnt give a ****. At least if you hire your own guys then you have a better chance of a quality assembly of the house.

A few competent carpenters should be able to handle it (a few cowboys didnt stand back from it in our experience!!).

While it appears to be a handy option to get the timberframers to organise putting it up, it aint necessarily so.

AG
Unregistered User
building costs

Hi,

I would budget about 100 Euro a square foot. We are doing it in stone so that is making it more expensive.
We are outside Wexford on the coast. Already had a chalet there and got FPP for a gate lodge looking house with an upstairs. Got the permission 3 years ago and it was hard enough then - anywhere near the coast is a problem.
It really depends what type of finish you are looking for. Anything that is anyway out of the ordinary will cost more.
 
Re: Timber framed? Nah!

I found this marvellous web-site dedicated to rot problems in timber-frame houses:

[broken link removed]

After reading it I have decided - anything BUT timber-frame
 
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