Wall construction - description on EPC

dc197

Hello gang
Please could you help me understand what the following might mean.
The EPC certificate for the house we wish to buy, which is apparently of brick construction, mentions the following under the section headed "Summary of this home's energy performance related features". It says:
"Cavity Wall, filled cavity ....... 4/5 stars
Timber frame, as built, insulated (assumed)..... 4/5 stars"

What might the "timber frame" part refer to please? I don't know much about construction, and on our viewings we did not see any parts of the house that look like they are made of wood.

Thanks in advance

DC

marksoton

The roof trusses..?

G_M

If you want to know how a building is constructed, ask a qualified surveyor who spent 3 - 5 years in training.

Do not rely on an EPC inspector who went of a two day course.

fed_up_and_stressed

I also hold short shrift on even bothering reading the Epc .

I am marketing a property now and the EPC is wrong because it makes no reference to underfloor insulation.

They are an utter waste of time in my opinion. Better to rely on your survey.

Davesnave

G_M wrote: »

If you want to know how a building is constructed, ask a qualified surveyor who spent 3 - 5 years in training.

Do not rely on an EPC inspector who went of a two day course.

I often read this.

It is possible for well qualified people to be EPC surveyors too.

Might be a coincidence, but for the two EPCs I've had in my time, both assessors were very capable and thorough, one being a retired surveyor from the local area with a lifetime of experience.

Having seen a good few EPCs, I agree that a good number of them are also contradictory or just plain wrong, so there is certainly much inconsistency.

It is possible for a house to comprise both timber frame and cavity wall construction, especially if it has been extended in recent years. We have a timber frame company operating from my local town, so many locals opt to use their services for extensions, as well as rapid new builds.

Lungboy

The epc for the house I bought said it was cavity walled, turned out it was solid. Total waste of time and money.

Davesnave

Lungboy wrote: »

The epc for the house I bought said it was cavity walled, turned out it was solid. Total waste of time and money.

Yes, we have already established that EPCs may be flawed, but that doesn't help the OP, who wants to know what the one they saw might mean.

To my post above, I might add that 'timber frame' where I live, means brick or block as the outer part of the wall. The inner skin is completed first and the roof put on, then the outer wall is constructed, so it looks like a brick or traditional block-rendered house.

Lungboy

Davesnave wrote: »

Yes, we have already established that EPCs may be flawed, but that doesn't help the OP, who wants to know what the one they saw might mean.

But there's no way to know, just from the EPC, so he's better off ignoring it completely and asking his surveyor (assuming a homebuyer or structural survey is being done).

Davesnave

Lungboy wrote: »

But there's no way to know, just from the EPC, so he's better off ignoring it completely and asking his surveyor (assuming a homebuyer or structural survey is being done).

The OP asked us to speculate regarding the construction details listed on the EPC.

So far, I'm the only one who's done that with any degree of understanding. :A

It's up to the OP whether they ignore what I've said, or find it useful.

All of us, including me, have warned that it might not be accurate.

dc197

Thank you, all, especially Davesnave.
I can now imagine what the construction could be, and will confirm it via survey.

stator

Post a photo of the house

It could be a cross-wall construction, but that would be noticable as only 2 walls are brick and the other two have shingles or cladding etc.

Could be the downstairs is cavity wall, the upstairs is timber frame.