timber framed house?

evosy1978

Hello

How do i know if a house is timber framed or not. The one im about to look at has bricks on the left hand external wall, but on the front of the house under the windows it has cladding?

Would the estate agents know and do they have to tell me if i ask them.

Do they cost more on house insurance,.

Do they loose much heat?

How are they constructed, for example would the partition wall which is joined to the neighbours be plasterboarded then brick?

thanks for any help

scottishblondie

evosy1978 wrote: »

Hello

How do i know if a house is timber framed or not. The one im about to look at has bricks on the left hand external wall, but on the front of the house under the windows it has cladding?

Knock on an external wall (from the inside), if it sounds hollow then it MAY be timber framed. The external cladding has no bearing on whether or not it is timber framed.

Would the estate agents know and do they have to tell me if i ask them.

They might know, you can but ask. I would assume that they are supposed to be truthful, seeing as they would be found out in the end anyway.

Do they cost more on house insurance,.

No.

Do they loose much heat?

Depends on the quality of the construction, as with any house.

How are they constructed, for example would the partition wall which is joined to the neighbours be plasterboarded then brick?

Is it a semi? Any partition wall should be brick then plasterboard.

EDIT: apparently it may not be brick, but should minimum be soundproofed, fireproofed and double plasterboarded.

thanks for any help

There's nothing wrong with timber framed houses, they're just not very common in England (if that's where you are), so unless the house is relatively new it is unlikely to be timber framed. They're more common in Scotland, however. If it is TF don't let that put you off.

evosy1978

thanks for the reply. very usefull.

ill knock the walls when we go. the house is about 1965-70 semi in staffordshire. theres a whole estate full of them all the same lookiong.

im gona ring estate agent today.

ta

FTB2009

Timber Frame houses/Exposed Timbers can cost a little more to insure because of the construction. It really depends on the age. If its a older house then the fire risk is increased hence the increased cost of insurance but if its a modern timber frame then its not so much of a worry.

neverdespairgirl

scottishblondie wrote: »

There's nothing wrong with timber framed houses, they're just not very common in England (if that's where you are), so unless the house is relatively new it is unlikely to be timber framed. They're more common in Scotland, however. If it is TF don't let that put you off.

Or very old! Lots and lots of timber-framed brick-covered houses from before about 1750.

jennifernil

Absolutely no problem insuring a modern timber frame house as long as it is not timber clad as well (we have a timber frame house). A little timber cladding will not matter.