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

I_have_spoken

I'd be very cautious buying in West/North Scotland unless the construction was inner block, outer brick and then rendered with rough-casting. Ideally interior walls should be block and plastered, rather than framed and drywall, but there's not many about.

jennifernil

I_have_spoken wrote: »

I'd be very cautious buying in West/North Scotland unless the construction was inner block, outer brick and then rendered with rough-casting. Ideally interior walls should be block and plastered, rather than framed and drywall, but there's not many about.

Sorry, but that is just rubbish!

Furts

jennifernil wrote: »

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.

It will not be flimsy and noise transmission is not a problem because you exceeded the requirements - as stated in your post.

The structural timbers are exposed to the elements whilst a timber frame is being built.

Furts

jennifernil wrote: »

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.

For decades timber frame was too expensive for any of the volume builders to consider building private houses in England. If you have followed the market you will find until recent times a developer might have built a show home in timber frame because this was quick - to an extent. But it was also more costly, so the houses for sale were brick and block.

One offs and self builds have not been subject to the economies of scale obtained by the volume builders. Hence in these markets timber frame had a foothold.

I have experience of numerous timber framed house kits from major manufacturers whose manufacturing and detailing has been appalling. This goes with the territory and is never flagged up by the timber frame lobby, who believe ignorance is bliss. Even the show home at this years Homebuiding and Renovating show, in April, at the NEC, was a disaster. I felt sorry for the couple who had purchased this and were waiting for it to be dismantled and transported to their plot for re-erection.

I will not get started on the fire issues - just Google some of the high profile disasters in the UK over the last five years.

Nor will I get started on site procedures with torn membranes, missing wall ties, missing cavity barriers, inadequate fire socks - the list goes on.

Nor will I comment about the awkwardness of extending such houses.

I have no problem with anyone buying a timber frame house, provided they make an informed decision, and go into it with their eyes wide open.

Perelandra

This might be a useful read:

http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/key-choices/structural/compare-masonry-timber