Buying house in Scotland: Brick v.s. Timber Framed?

Deisler

Hi All,

My partner and I have been thinking of owning our first house to start a family quite a while...

Recently we started viewing some houses. We found a lovely one but it was built using wood (timber framed?).

We are not very sure if houses built from wood materials would be safe and nice to have? (we are first time buyers)

Could you please give us some ideas of pros and cons of having wood house and particularly if it is a good idea to have one in Scotland?

Thank you in advance.

Regards
D

googler

Most every house built by the mainstream builders all over the UK in recent times will be timber-framed.

comeandgo

Hi I live in Scotland in a "wood house". I'm assuming its a bog standard timber frame house you mean? The majority of houses in Scotland, well the new builds, are timber frame. All my houses have been and cant think if any cons about them. I believe they are quicker to build than the block and brick ones. I believe timber frame kits are now being manufactured in England for them to be used in England.
As for safety, there are rules and regs for them the same as for any other built item - they dont blow away or suffer from woodworm. We have no problems with insurance, though the last time I renewed it the person on the other end of the phone did not know what a timber frame house was, but no extra premiums or anything. No problems getting mortgages for them, they are treated exactly the same as total brick houses.
I would suggest you get a decent survey done if you are buying but then again you would get that for any house.

Deisler

Thanks guys for your replies!

Since the house we viewed was built in 1989, therefore we are not 100% confident in the building standard/tech used. I googled a lot and found 'some 70s' timber framed houses built in UK are more volunable to structural problems?' Is this true?

Having said that, we have found this house's condition is pretty good, owned by a family since built and we really love it. It is just 'timber' that makes us feel less safe, especially in a country with snows and rains throughout the whole year...

Thanks

Furts

Hi Diesler
Timber frame is popular in Scotland but was generally frowned upon in England. The reasons for this include;

In Scotland there is far more timber available to build the houses.

Timber frames could be built with more insulation than brick and block houses to cope with the Scottish climate.

In England timber frame was for years an expensive proposition for building estates of houses.

Finally, in circa 1983, a World in Action programme destroyed the timber frame industry and it took a generation to recover.

I am not a fan of timber frame but were I looking at a house in Scotland I would accept this is the standard type of build. They can appear a bit flimsy and noise transmission can be an issue. But a house of say 15 years old should be reasonably well insulated.

jennifernil

We have a timber fame house, with a brick outer skin, we had it built to our own design in 1988. it's a big house, 320 sq metres inc integral double garage.

All the timber used is treated against rot and infestation. The insulation used in 1988 was far above what was required then, and is now roughly the same as required these days, we even have insulated floors.

The house is not flimsy, noise transmission is not a problem.

To look at it you would not know how it was built. We had/have no problems with mortgage or insurance.

Timber frame is regarded as pretty standard construction these days.

it is a very old method of construction, even in UK, and is widely used in Europe and North America.

The structural timbers are never exposed to the elements, so you are worrying unnecessarily OP.

aliasojo

My house is timber framed. It was built in the late 70's. It's still standing.

You're worrying unnecessarily, as others have said, this is normal for Scotland.

jennifernil

Furts wrote: »

Hi Diesler
Timber frame is popular in Scotland but was generally frowned upon in England. The reasons for this include;

In Scotland there is far more timber available to build the houses.

Timber frames could be built with more insulation than brick and block houses to cope with the Scottish climate.

In England timber frame was for years an expensive proposition for building estates of houses.

Finally, in circa 1983, a World in Action programme destroyed the timber frame industry and it took a generation to recover.

I am not a fan of timber frame but were I looking at a house in Scotland I would accept this is the standard type of build. They can appear a bit flimsy and noise transmission can be an issue. But a house of say 15 years old should be reasonably well insulated.

Why was timber frame an expensive proposition for estates of houses?

DS bought his first house in 1993, the whole estate was TF.

DD has just bought a 3 storey townhouse on an estate where even the 3 storey blocks of flats are TF.

TF is much faster to erect, and to get weather-tight so that internal trades can work. Dimensions are very accurate as everything is made in ideal factory conditions.

YoungBusinessman

Tf is common in Scotland and they would have stopped building them years ago if they were found unable to cope with the heavy snow falls in winter. Either or makes no difference I don't think but personally I would prefer traditional build.

jennifernil

Deisler wrote: »

It is just 'timber' that makes us feel less safe, especially in a country with snows and rains throughout the whole year...

Thanks

Stop worrying!!!

My OH is Norwegian, pretty much ALL houses there are timber frame, AND most have timber on the outside too.

As I am sure you know, they get LOTS of snow in Norway, and a LOT or rain on the west coast, but the houses don't fall down.

They have TF houses over there dating back to the 1600s, still solid.

OH's parents' house is a solid log construction with timber boarding on the outside too, it is over 100 years old, having originally been a school on the Lofoten Islands.

It was taken apart during WW2, when building materials were in short supply, and transported by boat to where they live and rebuilt, adapting the bits to the size they needed.

Recycling at its best!

Remember, whatever your walls are built from, your roof will always be built using timber trusses or beams to support the tiles, and the roof is what supports the snow load.

All TF houses, like other houses, are designed by structural engineers to meet the required loads.

jennifernil

YoungBusinessman wrote: »

Tf is common in Scotland and they would have stopped building them years ago if they were found unable to cope with the heavy snow falls in winter. Either or makes no difference I don't think but personally I would prefer traditional build.

Does everyone in England think we all have lots of snow in winter up here?

We do often have snow in the mountains (good for ski-ing), but only a few years ago the ski centres were closing due to lack of snow. Certainly, in general, the further north you go the colder it gets, but often there is more snow in parts of England than most areas up here!!

Just west of where we are, there are houses with palm trees in their gardens.