SBH Summer 2016 Sample

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TIMBER BACK IS IN THE FRAME

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TIMBER FRAME FEATURE

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CONTENTS | SUMMER 2016

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22 6

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TIMBER FRAME BACK IN THE FRAME TIMBER FRAME PRO'S AND CONS'

26 INNOVATION

HOUSE FOR A SUPERHERO

30 ECO-FREINDLY LIVING

TOP 10 SUSTAINABLE HOUSES

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34 ECO-FREINDLY LIVING

HILL BARN & UNERHILL HOUSE

40 WINDOWS AND DOORS

WINDOW OF OPPERTUNITIES

46 WINDOWS AND DOORS

AN OPTICAL ILLUSION

48 WINDOWS AND DOORS

OPENING DOORS TO A NEW WAY OF LIVING

52 HEAT PUMPS

AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS

54 HEAT PUMPS

DESIGNED TO SAVE YOU MONEY

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EDITORS WELCOME

WELCOME SUMMER 2016 Welcome to the Summer edition of Self Build Homes magazine. whether you may be thinking of starting a self build, mid way through creating your perfect space or at completion of your self build or at any other stage for that matter, we have something of interest and relevance to everyone.

This month we take an in-depth look at two amazing builds in Uk and in Australia. We have expert advice on all areas of self build, concentrating this month on timber frame building, which is the most popular material for building .

Inviting guests round the house this summer, not happy with the emalgermation of indoors and outdoors? This month we look at windows and doors, to freshen up the exterior styling of your home and to bring the outdoors in whith bi-fold doors.

Approaching winter we look into air source heat pumps to heat and cool your home all year round.

Without further more adue, take a look for yourself.

See you next month!

Alex Howard

Editor, Self Build Homes Magazine

PUBLISHED BY

CPL Media Myrtle Oast, Kemsdale Road, Fostall Faversham, Kent, ME13 9JL Tel: 01227 750153 Website: www.sbhmag.co.uk Publisher: Colin Woolley Publishing email: colin@cplmedia.net

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TIMBER FRAME | BACK IN THE FRAME

TIMBER’S BACK IN THE FRAME A damning TV documentary on timber-frame homes sent the English and Welsh market into a downward spiral. Now it’s making a comeback – but with a new twist.

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n 1983, an ITV documentary made by World In Action caused the timberframe housing market to crash. It alleged that timber-frame construction could not produce houses that would last, citing rot in the frames of nine-year-old homes on a Cornwall estate.

It also said timber framing was at the heart of a fire in a Barratt home in the Midlands.

The documentary caused such a furore that, suddenly, no one wanted to buy a 6

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timber-frame home. The bottom fell out of the market – even though the claims were widely discredited.

Now, after 16 years in the doldrums, it looks like timber frame is recovering.

Both private and social housebuilders are dipping their toes into the market.

National House Building Council figures for the volume of new timber-frames homes built are set to rise significantly from their current levels of 2% in England and 4% in Wales.

The situation in Scotland is likely to remain largely unchanged, with timberframe homes continuing to account for about 40% of homes. This market held up largely because Scottish buyers did not react to the World in Action programme by boycotting timber frame.

Although timber-frame homes have been out of fashion, technology has not stood still, and cutting-edge prefabricated units are leading the timber renaissance. These are the types of homes that a consortium of housing associations called Amphion

plans to buy. The associations have teamed up to achieve greater buying power, and Amphion is on the verge of appointing Beazer Partnership Homes and its subsidiary Torwood Homes to supply 1000 timber-frame home kits. It plans to build these in the South-east and Kent over the next three years.

Private housebuilders are also returning to timber. Bellway Homes is about to

begin its first such development in the South-east for 10 years, with 40 traditional timber-frame homes in Hainault, Essex. Wilcon Homes is also breaking into the market, introducing traditional timber framing and preassembled panels on homes across the UK. Housebuilders’ growing confidence in timber-frame construction is based on their own research into buyers’ attitudes.

Studies suggest that the new generation of homebuyers is unaware of the World

In Action documentary and is not antitimber frame.

Countryside Properties chairman Alan Cherry says his firm is also “feeling its way” back into using timber frame in the private housing market, although its social arm has been using it for two or three years. Research carried out for Beazer by the University of Stirling found that even in the 35-plus age

group – deemed most likely to have seen the documentary – only one in 10 remembered any publicity about timberframe homes.

Cherry believes that the public’s attitude has “moved on”, and the company hopes to increase the percentage of housing that it builds with timber frames from 30% to 50% in the next few years. Timber merchants and frame manufacturers are already reporting increased demand.

Barry Lane, joint managing director of £4m-turnover timber panel supplier

Taylor Lane, which last year made wood panels for about 400 timber-frame homes, says orders rose 25% in the six months to June compared with last year. “For the first time, we’ve lost work because we’ve been too busy,” he says

WHY DO HOUSEBUILDERS LIKE WOOD? One explanation for the resurgence of timber is housebuilders’ desire to cut

costs and waste – in line with the Egan report – and build the environmentfriendly homes that today’s consumers want. Lane says of the new demand for prefab panels: “The larger builders are looking at timber frame because of the shortage of bricklayers in particular, but also because of the Egan report, which favours pre-assembly.” Steve Howlitt, chief executive of Swale Housing Association, a member of the Amphion consortium, agrees. He says the kind of prefab units Amphion is looking at are in line with Sir John Egan’s lean production agenda because panels and insulation are 7

TIMBER FRAME | BACK IN THE FRAME put together before being transported to site, which speeds up construction. “We believe it offers us the opportunity to provide better quality housing faster and at lower cost,” says Howlitt.

The environment-friendly tag could also help housebuilders sell timber-frame homes. Cherry says: “Our research shows that public opinion is more in favour of timber-frame housing now than at any time before.” He adds that the insulation properties of wood help make the method marketable to the public. Also, planned changes to Part L of the Building Regulations are driving some firms to investigate timber-frame because it can give higher U-values.

LENDERS DO NOT DISCRIMINATE

Housebuilders may be keen to get back to timber frame, but what about mortgage lenders? The Council of Mortgage Lenders says there is no blanket policy on timer-frame properties on the part of any lender. However, a spokesperson sounded a warning note: “One of the things that would concern the lender would be if the property had something that might make it less marketable, for example its location or the way it was constructed.”

As for the major lenders, it seems that if their customers want to buy a new timber-frame house, that’s fine with them. A spokesperson for Abbey National said: “It depends on the underwriter’s attitude, but with modern timber-frame houses, there is no discrimination between this and more traditional methods.” Likewise, a Nationwide spokesperson said it did not discriminate against timber frame. “We view it as a conventional building,” he said.

The lenders’ views differ from those of National Association of New Home Owners chief executive Chris Lorentzen.

He suggests that Britain’s damp climate is unsuitable for houses supported by timber frames because these are more susceptible to rot. “We are concerned about its long-term durability and the cost of repairing or replacing it,” he says.

Lorentzen also believes that substandard timber may remain undetected because the frame is already enclosed by the time inspections take place, and that the protective vapour membranes, used to 8

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TIMBER FRAME | BACK IN THE FRAME

protect the wood from damp before the brick outer skin is complete, are easily torn.

Barry Neilson, NHBC deputy director in Scotland, rejects these criticisms. The Scottish market survived the World in Action scare partly because the thermal performance of timber-frame houses makes it the most suitable material in Scotland’s harsher climate. Neilson says consumers all over the UK can have confidence in timber frame and that the NHBC offers its 10-year Build Mark guarantee to both timber- and masonry-frame houses. “Most major damage claims we receive are structural and usually to do with foundations,” says Neilson.

Just in case there are still those who have not got over the 1983 scare, Neilson adds that timber frame has come a long way since then.

Manufacturers are now required to provide a certificate from the engineer that designed the frame to guarantee that the elements 10

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will all fit together and that the frame will not be too big for the footprint of the building. Another change designed to boost consumer confidence is in the pipeline at the NHBC. “We used to do spot checks, but at the end of this year, we’re moving to a targeted inspection system where we view each building at certain key stages,” says Neilson. The NHBC in Scotland is also to launch a pilot scheme to offer accredited training for workers who erect timber frames.

With these safeguards in place and housebuilders’ increasing confidence that buyers are no longer avoiding timber frame, the future looks bright for wood.

But the main attraction for builders, as Cherry admits, is that they are quicker to build and offer housebuilders savings on waste and after-sale maintenance costs. No wonder he hopes the market will grow.

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE | VASTERN TIMBER

THE RENAISSANCE OF TIMBER CLADDING Timber cladding is an increasingly popular choice for finishing the outside of new build homes.

T

external joinery and outdoor furniture. The chemical-free thermal modification process dramatically improves the performance of the timber.

Vastern Timber cladding is available in a range of profiles; from the rustic waney-edge and feather-edge, to the clean lines of machined shiplap and halflap.

The advantages of thermally modified wood include its stability and durability, reducing its ability to shrink or rot in adverse weather conditions, and allowing it to be left untreated for many decades. Brimstone is an attractive deep brown colour, similar to walnut, and has the added benefit of weathering evenly when left untreated, due to its even colour consistency.

raditional British timbers such as oak, elm, sweet chestnut, western red cedar and larch are naturally durable, providing hard wearing protection and are excellent insulators. Imported species such as Canadian red cedar and Siberian larch are also increasingly popular for contemporary cladding installations.

Vastern Timber’s newest addition is the Brimstone range of thermally modified natural timber sourced exclusively from English and Welsh woodlands.

Brimstone products are ideal for cladding, decking,

The Brimstone thermally modified range includes ash, sycamore and poplar.

Suppliers of British grown timber products As one of Britain’s largest hardwood sawmills, we offer a range of sustainable timber products including: • Structural oak beams • Oak, sweet chestnut & cedar cladding • Solid English hardwood flooring • Naturally durable timber decking Please visit our website for the full range.

Vastern Timber Wootton Bassett Wiltshire T 01793 853 281 E sales@vastern.co.uk Studley, Wiltshire T 01249 813 173

vastern.co.uk 11

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE | PEFC

RESPONSIBLE TIMBER SOURCING Why Choose Timber?

W

e all know that forests are wonderful places.

They are a precious living resource providing habitats and shelter for a myriad of species. To protect them for generations to come, demand for responsiblyproduced goods is growing everywhere.

Wood products use considerably less energy in their production than many alternative materials. For example, every cubic metre of wood flooring contains 5kg of carbon dioxide and stores that until end of life where it can be reused or recycled.

Timber products play a central part in any building. This includes timber-based structural systems but also a huge array of flooring, wall panelling, mouldings, skirting, architraves, stairs and stair parts, doors and windows, alongside panel products such as plywood, hardboard, chipboard, orientated strand board (OSB) or MDF. Timber offers a winning combination of sustainability and aesthetics and is a key material for those choosing to build their own sustainablysourced self-build home.

With climate change and environmental concerns now ever-present, consumers are increasingly seeking assurances that the products they buy have been responsibly-sourced. Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the impact of their purchasing decisions on the world around them. Hardly surprising then that more and more products carry endorsements and environmental labels designed to provide consumers with assurances of responsible sourcing. PEFC’s distinctive ‘two trees’ label is exclusively available on PEFCcertified products, to highlight that they’ve been sourced from well-managed forests. Typical species on the self-build and DIY market include: Ash, Beech, Cherry, Larch, Maple, Merbau, Oak, Walnut and Wenge.

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PEFC & SUSTAINABLE TIMBER

PEFC stands for the Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification and is the world’s largest forest certification system. It is an independent, not for profit organisation dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management by certifying forests and the products which originate from them. PEFC works in more than 40 countries around the world to ensure that certified forests meet its demanding environmental, social and economic requirements. After the forest certification process is complete, the timber from the certified forest is carefully tracked through the supply chain to the end user by an independent audit process.

Today over 17,000 companies and more than 270 million hectares of forest

around the world are PEFC-certified providing thousands of certified products to the global marketplace. If you care about the future of the world’s forests, look for PEFC’s distinctive ‘two trees’ label when buying timber products to ensure they originate from wellmanaged sources. By doing so, you are demonstrating your support for the responsible management of our most precious natural resource: the world’s forests.

For further information about the PEFC programme visit www. pefc.co.uk or watch our video on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vvFYPpovM9Q

PEFC/16-01-01

PEFC: YOUR ASSURANCE OF RESPONSIBLY-SOURCED

BUILDING MATERIALS PEFC-certified wood is at the heart of structural timber and the UK housebuilding industry.

• Low Carbon Solution • Speedy Offsite Prefabrication • Legal & Sustainable Supply • Respected Chain of Custody • Fabric First Principles • Achieve Better Codes & Standards.

PEFC UK Sheffield Technology Parks, Cooper Buildings, Arundel Street, Sheffield S1 2NS t +44 (0)114 307 2334 e info@pefc.co.uk w www.pefc.co.uk 13

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE | STOMMEL HAUS

CONTEMPORARY BUILDINGS WITH TIMBER

By Barbara Fischer-Clark

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nthusiasm for architecture and engineering in timber is growing rapidly among a new generation of architects and designers. The reasons for the success of timber in construction today lie with the technological advances of timber and construction research: • • •

•

Timber is a sustainable renewable material with a very positive CO2 balance.

Timber has excellent thermal and antibacterial properties Timber is diffusion open and provides the means to build homes with excellent interior climate without the need for mechanical ventilation. At the same time, well-constructed timber buildings achieve very high air-tightness values – a Stommel house achieves typically air tightness 3 times better than required by British Building Regulations.

Major progress in timber research and the application of the results in industry standards) enable durable construction without the need for the chemical treatment of the timber.

Contemporary timber construction competes with other materials in terms of cost and has additional significant 14

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benefits such as the beauty and health aspects of the material, the fact that timber buildings can be manufactured off-site, and the connection with the craftsmanship that is applied to design and build timber houses.

Some architects, builders, administrative bodies, financial institutions and insurers still have persistent reservations about building in timber mainly caused by the perceived greater risk of fire, sound insulation and limitations of design; all of which are continuously proven to be unfounded. Today we are able to build virtually any kind of timber building with the same fire resistance as traditional builds and with very good sound insulation.

Stommel Haus has pioneered healthy and contemporary timber construction in Germany. Franz Stommel, founder of the company over 50 years ago, was already building houses with untreated timber in the late 60’s when chemical wood protection was still mandatory in Germany. The development of a sandwich wall with a solid timber frame at its center enables Stommel Haus to build contemporary architecture; the advance in production techniques and logistics allows Stommel Haus to prefabricate bespoke homes and to assemble

them on site, to be wind- and water-tight typically within one week.

There are virtually no limits in design, from traditional to modern, Arts-andCrafts Style to Bauhaus architecture – all of the homes have excellent energy efficiency, air-tightness, compliance with industry standards and Building Regulations and there are no problems obtaining mortgages or insurance. No matter what the design of the house, the Stommel Haus principles in construction, production and assembly are always the same which enables the company to provide high quality homes over and over again and – very importantly for the end consumer – provide totally bespoke homes on-time and in-budget.

If you are interested in using high tech timber construction for your project, visit us at www.stommel-haus.co.uk or write to info@stommel-haus.co.uk

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TIMBER FRAME | PROS & CONS

PROS & CONS

OF TIMBER FRAME BUILDINGS

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nyone who considers using a structural timber frame will probably want to compare it tto the alternatives, principally brick and block construction in Ireland.

Generally speaking, no one system of construction is inherently better than another because it depends upon the requirements of a project and the preferences of the self builder, as well many other factors such as the location and constraints of the site.

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To simplify the issues covered in this article, a typical brick-clad ‘open panel’ timber frame supplied and erected on site by a specialist company is compared with a typical ‘brick and block’ masonry house.

SPEED

One thing that most construction professionals agree on is that if a prefabricated timber frame is used the time that it takes to construct a house

on site can quicker than a traditionally built house of standard brick and block construction. This is because the timber frame is usually erected on site by the supplier’s own carpenters, in a matter of days rather than weeks. Seven to ten days is a typical time from the arrival of the specialist construction team on site to the frame being up.

Many of the trades involved in the construction of a house, such as

electricians and plasterers cannot work in exposed weather conditions and therefore cannot start until the interior is protected from the weather. These trades can start much earlier in the build programme of a timber frame house, which means that the building can be finished earlier. If a brickwork outer skin is required, this is built up after the

clad in dry plasterboard.

Aside from the effect on drying out times, there are other limitations imposed by the weather on how quickly a standard blockwork wall can be built. If the temperature drops below 2 degrees centigrade work has to stop but timber frame can be erected in very low temperatures if necessary.

If an amateur self builder is doing the building work the process is usually a lot quicker and easier if a prefabricated timber frame is used because it is usually erected by the supplier. This means that the structure can very quickly protect the builder and materials from the weather.

Although the time spent constructing a prefabricated frame is short, time has to be allowed for it to be designed and made in the factory beforehand – 3 months is not unusual. This means that the design has to be finalised as early as possible and there is a longer wait before work starts on site than is necessary for an allmasonry house.

QUALITY AND & EASE OF CONSTRUCTION

The easiest part on site is getting the frame up, but he quality that results from the protected and controlled conditions of a factory must be followed through.

This is why virtually all suppliers of kits also erect the frame. Because the frame is constructed very accurately it will be erected quickly and easily, but a high level of site supervision is required to ensure that the exacting standard of construction necessary is achieved.

THERMAL PERFORMANCE

A clear advantage for timber frame construction is that the insulation is contained within the depth of the structure, so a typical timber wall can be thinner than its masonry equivalent, for example, by 50mm. frame is watertight, at the same time as the internal areas are being fitted out.

Houses with all-masonry walls require a longer period for mortar and plaster on the inside to dry out and this can extend the build time by several weeks.

Timber frame, by comparison, is a mainly dry construction process. The moisture content of the timber used for the structure has to stabilise after it is weathertight. Then the walls are usually

Once a good level of insulation is achieved, the amount of heat lost as a result of air leaking out of the building then becomes more significant. Timber frame structures tend to perform well on this score, because they are sealed to prevent moist air reaching the inside of the construction.

A further difference between masonry and timber walls is how well they retain heat. Anyone who has lived in a masonry house will be aware that the central

heating has to be set to come on well in advance of getting up on a winter’s morning to ensure a warm start to the day. This is because the masonry inner leaf of the house must be heated first before the temperature of the air in the rooms can reach an acceptable level.

Timber does not soak up heat in this way. Because of this a room enclosed by insulated timber frame walls will heat up and cool down more quickly. Whether this is a good thing or not may depend partly on the lifestyle of the inhabitants of the house and whether it has to be heated continuously or only in the evenings and weekends.

NOISE AND SOUND INSULATION

The easiest defence against loud noise is to put something solid and heavy between you and its source. Dense, heavy materials have an in-built ability to deaden all types of sound.

Because of its dead weight, masonry construction has an advantage over more lightweight timber. But a high level of sound reduction can be achieved with timber frame by building two separate walls with a structural break between them. Part of the gap is filled with sound absorbent quilt, such as mineral wool. A similar blanket is placed in the floors, along with an absorbent layer laid immediately under the floorboards, over the floor joists. A simpler solution is to fill the wall voids around noise sources such as playrooms, bathrooms and WCs with sound absorbent quilt. In addition to this the plasterboard can be replaced with a heavier board, such as Fermacel or used in a double layer.

RISK OF CONDENSATION

Condensation is caused by warm moist air produced by space heating and activities such as washing and cooking cools. Moist air has a tendency to move to where the air is drier, usually from the inside to the outside. As moisture passes through the walls the temperature of the air drops, its capacity to hold vapour reduces and eventually water begins to condense. In winter this point may occur either on the surface of the walls, windows or other internal surfaces, or inside the construction, in which case there can be a risk of long-term damage.

A masonry construction, such as a cavity wall, can suffer from condensation at the point where the warm, inside air has 17

TIMBER FRAME | PROS & CONS passed through most of the insulation.

It can do limited harm here, because modern insulation cannot rot. The outer brickwork leaf allows moisture to gradually pass through it and the inner face of the outer leaf is designed to allow water to run down it and drain away.

However, condensation within a timber frame-wall cannot be treated so casually, and preventing it is a major concern for designers and builders.

The most effective method is to position a vapour check such as polythene sheet between the lining of the inside wall and the insulation, which will not allow any vapour to pass through it. Foil-backed plasterboard is often used for this role.

ROT AND BEETLES

It is very rare for a modern timber frame to suffer from rot. External timber elements, such as cladding and fascia boards are prone to rot if not well maintained, but the actual frame itself is well-protected. In Ireland, because of the climate the main threat to timber buildings comes from fungal decay. Wet rot is the commonest form of fungal attack although the other form, dry rot, is the one that provokes the most fear and excitement. In order for either of these to survive there must be a very high moisture content to the timber, usually at least 20%. In a modern heated house the moisture content will usually settle down at about 12%. Denied its principle requirements of warmth and dampness, rot will never be able to establish itself.

Infestation of the frame by insects is similarly unlikely. Many of the potentially damaging species only affect hardwood, or newly-felled timber. Provided the moisture content of the timber is below 20%, a timber frame will not be attacked. The ubiquitous woodworm or furniture beetle can infest drier timber, but is deterred by the well-ventilated, warm dry timber found in modern timber construction. A well-built and maintained timber frame will never produce conditions that are suitable for fungi or beetles.

FIRE

Quite obviously, timber can burn, whilst some of the alternative materials such as masonry and steel do not, although they will eventually crumble and disintegrate if subjected to sustained

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TIMBER FRAME | PROS & CONS high temperatures. This may lead to the hasty conclusion that timber buildings are not as safe in the event of a fire as a brick and block built house, but the real picture is not so simple. The progress and level of destruction of most house fires and the likelihood of death or injury are mainly determined by factors such as whether there are smoke alarms fitted, the habits and behaviour of the occupants (for example whether they smoke), and the flammability of the contents of the house. However. there is some evidence to suggest that if the frame is not built correctly, it is more difficult to extinguish the fire and more damage to the structure can occur. Also it seems that timber frame houses are more vulnerable to fire damage during construction, before all the fire protection has been built over the frame. As far as the risks to people are concerned the crucial factor in survival is how quickly people can escape. If anyone is trapped, how long the construction of the house will protect them from flames and smoke until they can be rescued becomes important.

If asked whether a steel beam or a timber beam is most vulnerable when exposed to flames most people will say timber.

This is a natural response, because steel doesn’t burn. In fact the answer is again not so straightforward. When steel reaches a critical temperature, it will fail, suddenly and catastrophically, because in great heat it softens and eventually melts.

When a timber beam is place in a fire, the outside starts to burn immediately, as you would expect. But after the outer parts of the beam have been burnt, they turn into charcoal, which does not burn and actually insulates against heat. Because of this charring effect, the centre of the beam is protected from damage for a long time before the beam actually fails and collapses.

The studs that make up the structural walls in a typical timber frame are not oversized in this way, due to cost and practicality. However the frame is clad in material that resists heat and flames, usually plasterboard or sheets of similar material and also there are barriers built into cavities in the building to block flames from spreading.

Provided that it has been designed and built by people who understand the technology, the risks from fire in a typical timber frame house do not seem to be 20

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any different from those that are faced by the occupants of a brick and block equivalent.

STRUCTURE AND ROBUSTNESS

Timber has proved to be a strong and durable material. If built well timber frames buildings will last for hundreds of years.

The exercise of building in timber requires more precision and planning than a brick and block property. For economy, the elements of a timber frame

are carefully designed and calculated to use as little material as possible for the strength required. As a result, it is not straightforward to alter or extend the frame of an existing house and demolition of walls should not be undertaken without seeking structural advice.

If anything substantial is to be fixed to a timber stud wall, such as a heavy bookshelf, the fixings must be made into the frame, not the plasterboard wall covering alone which will not be able to support the load.

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