STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS ENERGY EFFICIENCY


Panels used in timber frame construction are filled with insulation, making it easier to achieve levels of performance that exceed those required by Building Regulations. When considering the performance of a building as a whole, the performance of external wall junctions in timber-frame buildings typically significantly exceeds that of masonry builds. As well as the walls being easier


Lower embodied energy also factors into the sustainability of timber-frame build systems. This is the amount of energy required to cultivate, harvest, and manufacture the timber frames, and it is significantly lower than other build methods, most of which require heat to extract and manufacture them. This means timber frames have a


lower carbon footprint than other mainstream construction methods. Wood is also a ‘carbon store,’ i.e. using timber will retain carbon that would otherwise have contributed to greenhouse gases. Manufacturing the timber panels in factory conditions also ensures much less waste than a wholly onsite build.


to insulate to higher levels, building with timber frame also facilitates all of the building’s external wall junctions being made more efficient overall. The offsite nature of timber-frame construction carries many benefits. Build times with offsite construction are incredibly fast thanks to the factory- manufactured and part-assembled timber-frame panels. Cost certainty is easier to achieve, as is the predictability of the build time because of the dry nature of the construction method. Finally, the ability to achieve greater sustainability is another reason why offsite construction is increasingly used in housebuilding, and its use will only continue to grow.


Paul Newman is director of Potton Self Build


38 www.sbhonline.co.uk


nov/dec 2020


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