IT is the preferred method of house building in Scotland and the fastest growing in the UK - yet Northern Ireland has been slow to catch onto the many benefits of timber framed housing.
It’s a situation which is about to change as an increasing number of developers and self-builders seek to build more sustainable homes.
The energy saving advantages of timber framed housing has made this type of construction soar in popularity, not just in the UK and Ireland, but across the globe.
Tougher requirements on energy efficiency in building regulations are inevitable after the UK government made commitments in 2002 to reduce the level of CO2 emissions.
Energy efficient, well-insulated homes will reduce the requirement for power and as new replaces old; the production of pollutants will be reduced.
One of the most important advantages that a timber frame home has over its masonry equivalent is that it outperforms in terms of insulation.
Not only does it take less energy – gas oil etc. – to heat the house, but it also heats up faster when the heating system starts.
The thermal insulation properties of timber frame also means that it continues to save energy throughout the life of the building.
Research by the UK Timber Frame Association shows that if all homes built in the UK since 1945 had been constructed to modern timber frame standards; over 300 million tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions would have been eliminated.
One of Northern Ireland’s biggest manufacturers of timber framed homes, the Lisnaskea-based Clarke Group, have experienced an upsurge in demand for its products and services across the province.
Marketing Manager Martin Lowry said: “The bulk of our customers for timber frame buildings are in the Republic of Ireland, although there has been an increase in the north.
“In RoI about 25pc of new houses built are timber framed, in Scotland it is 55pc (app) and England around 20pc(app), yet Northern Ireland is way behind at around 10pc.
“This is expected to change as increased awareness of the advantages of timber framed homes – especially the environmental benefits – encourage architects, specifiers and builders to look carefully at this type of construction.”
As well as the environmental benefits, timber framed houses have many other advantages e.g. due to the fact that most of it is factory assembled, it greatly speeds up the building process and offers greater control over the style of your new home.
With so much going for it, it’s hardly surprising that timber construction may well continue to increase in popularity throughout N. Ireland.
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