When compared to other building methods in use today, timber frame systems have many benefits. The major benefits to the construction professional include, but are by no means limited to, the following:
Reduced project costs. Factory fabrication means controlled costs and timings. Added to this timber frame has a typically 30% shorter construction time than masonry. Meaning a faster return on investment and minimal neighbourhood disruption. Also a waterproof shell can be achieved in a shorter period, enabling internal works to proceed regardless of weather conditions.
Building Regulations – Part L. All of Maple Timber Systems’ packages will exceed the requirements of Approved Document L1. Maple’s current specification outlines the standards of insulation offered, along with the extra insulation levels in our Eco-pack and SupaWall® options. It should also be noted at this point that our standard specification should be used as a starting point; we can tailor every package to supply as much or as little as you require and we can alter the specification of the individual components to your requirements.
The annual CO2 emission rate of the completed dwelling, as calculated using SAP 2005, must not exceed the target set by reference to a notional building.
Building fabric and services performance specifications are within reasonable limits (see Table 1)
Solar shading and other measures to limit risks of summer overheating are reasonable.
Fabric insulation and air tightness, as built, are as intended.
Satisfactory information must be provided enabling occupiers to achieve energy efficiency in use. (Information to be provided in the forthcoming Home Information Packs)
The technical provisions will mean that higher fabric, heating, ventilation and lighting systems designs will be necessary, delivering an overall improvement of on average 20%.
Table 1 Limiting U-value Standards (W/m2K)
Element
Area-Weighted average U-Value
Limiting U-Value
Wall
0.35
0.70
Floor
0.25>
0.70
Roof
0.25
0.35
Windows & doors*
2.2
3.3
* - inc. Roof windows and rooflights.
Quality control. As the bulk of the construction process is carried out under factory conditions, including assembly of external panels, internal partitions and trimming to length of joists, rafters, etc., there are fewer margins for error. The site is treated as point of assembly for the prefabricated structure, not where manufacturing is carried out.
Shrinkage in multi-storey timber framed buildings is often a concern for many construction professionals. This happens for a number of reasons; manufacturing quality, timber moisture content and timber quality. These problems will not be present in either the SupaWall® system or our standard timber frame kits. During the manufacture of our kits every panel is independently checked for correct nailing, trueness, correctly applied breather paper, that all ends are correctly sealed and that the panel matches the drawings. Also our timber is fully kiln dried, stress graded and vac-vac preservative treated.
Fully engineered. Structural engineers design each individual building. They have particular experience in timber frame systems and a certificate is provided on completion to indemnify the structure. All components are stress graded, engineered, British Board of Agrément (BBA) certified or comply with current British standards, and a rigorous checklist is completed with the client or his representative on completion of the erection of the timber-frame.
Sound insulation. It is a common misconception that timber-frame structures transmit sound more readily than masonry construction. Field-testing by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) has shown a success rate of over 99% for timber compartment walls in meeting sound insulation regulations. Masonry walls achieve only 50-70% pass rate, which is mainly due to the quality of workmanship on site, such as mortar joints not being fully filled – even small gaps can result in seriously reduced performance. It is with this in mind that we insulate all internal partitions for acoustic purposes as standard.
Of course these are just some of the many benefits, other benefits include; design flexibility, lighter foundations and lower life costs.
