34 | Sector Focus: Timber Construction
DAILY MAIL ON TIMBER FRAME PROS AND CONS
An article in the Daily Mail earlier this year looked at prospects for more of the UK’s new housing being built in timber frame. The report quoted environment minister Mary Creagh
saying increasing wood-based construction was part of the government’s house building strategy. “This government is getting Britain building – our Plan for Change will build 1.5 million homes this Parliament,” she said. “Timber will play a vital role, benefiting development and nature.” The piece also cited Defra saying that building homes largely
from wood is “one of the best ways to reduce emissions from construction”. “Around 25% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions are
from the built environment, and larger buildings can store up to 400% more carbon when built out of timber products compared to when built with concrete,” said Defra It also viewed the speed at which timber-built homes can be constructed as a benefit, as is the fact much of the work for construction can be done offsite in factories. Michael Holmes, a homebuilding and renovation expert for the Homebuilding & Renovating Show, told the Daily Mail’s This is Money section that [offsite prefabricated] timber frame homes “present a compelling solution to some of the UK’s most pressing housing challenges, particularly in terms of speed and sustainability”. “The offsite manufacturing process enables greater
precision, reduced waste, and significantly faster on-site assembly compared to traditional masonry construction,” he said. “This efficiency is especially valuable in a market where the demand for new homes constantly outstrips supply.” He added that timber frame construction was “well-suited” to public-sector housing projects “which are less vulnerable to the speculative market”. The article also highlighted timber frames’ energy efficiency benefits, but additionally addressed the fact that some
mortgage lenders still regard timber frame as ‘non-standard’ building and lay down tougher criteria for lending on them. Nick Mendes, mortgage technical adviser at John Charcol,
was quoted as saying: “A key factor that affects mortgage approval is the age and quality of the timber frame construction,” he said. “If a property is older or has been built with lower-quality materials, securing a mortgage may require a larger deposit, often around 25% or more.” Despite this, however, Mr Holmes concluded that timber
frame’s role in the housing market will grow. “Overcoming barriers to cost, lending, and traditional aesthetics will be crucial in determining whether timber frame construction becomes a mainstream choice, and timber frame homes are unlikely to completely replace masonry in the near future,” he told the Daily Mail. “But their adoption is set to increase as demand for energy-efficient, high-quality housing continues to grow.” ■
Above: Building homes largely from wood is one of the best ways to reduce emissions from construction, says Defra PHOTO: PINEWOOD STRUCTURES
◄ For timber suppliers, the Green Paper introduces new accountability requirements across the entire supply chain. Distributors, merchants, and importers become responsible parties under the enhanced framework, requiring robust documentation of product provenance, performance data, and sustainability credentials. This isn’t simply additional paperwork – it’s fundamental business infrastructure that will differentiate serious operators from opportunistic traders. If followed through, the strengthened testing and certification requirements will raise quality standards industry-wide but also create opportunities for timber suppliers who can demonstrate comprehensive compliance. Forest certification, chain of custody documentation, and life cycle assessments will become standard procurement
TTJ | July/August 2025 |
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requirements rather than optional extras. Digital transformation initiatives embedded within the Green Paper will revolutionise product data management and performance assurance. These initiatives directly respond to Dame Judith Hackitt’s Golden Thread concept, which demands maintaining comprehensive, live building data throughout the entire asset lifecycle. The Golden Thread requires that critical product information – including safety data, performance characteristics, and installation details, remains accessible and traceable from initial design through to eventual decommissioning. For forward- thinking businesses, this represents an opportunity to build sophisticated data systems that can serve multiple markets and applications, creating competitive advantages beyond simple price competition.
SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE CRITICAL The TiC Policy Roadmap identifies skills development as one of the most critical challenges that must be addressed to unlock opportunities across the timber supply chain. Currently, architectural education programmes lack comprehensive timber construction modules, while continuing professional development (CPD) initiatives focusing on timber engineering remain limited. The STA already publishes a significant quantity of information for manufacturers, designers, developers and contractors and works consistently to maintain, increase and enhance its information output. We have an established Installer Training Scheme in operation and are close to relaunching an improved and updated version of our training for designers. We are also establishing links
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