Do
you offer any form of warranty or guarantee?
Solo Timber Frame, or for that matter any
other Self Build Package supplier, do not
offer any form of direct warranty, instead
we design and build your house to specifications
laid down by both your Local Authorities
building inspector and your chosen Warranty
Provider (Such as NHBC or Self Build Zone)
You will have
to take out a warranty if you require bank
finance or intend to sell your house within
10 years of it being built. If either of
these bodies are unhappy with our work we
guarantee to put the work right at our expense.
Your own handiwork and that of your builder
will also be subject to inspection.
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What
type of Timber do you use in your frames
and is it treated?
All the wood used in our Timber Frames is
graded C16 or better softwood and treated
with water based preservatives under high
pressure to withstand rot and infestation.
The wood is from known FSC (Forestry Stewardship
Commission) sources and goes through the
chain of custody programme laid down by
them. This ensures that no timber from unmanaged
sources finds its way into your frame.
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How
do you protect the Timber Frame from fire?
It's a common misconception that Timber
Frame buildings are susceptible to fire,
the truth is they are no more so than traditional
brick and block houses. The internal walls
are lined with heavy duty plasterboard which
offers one hour fire protection, more than
enough time for the fire brigade to arrive
and put out the blaze. Plasterboard is the
core material used in fire doors which goes
some way to proving that it is capable of
withstanding fire. The Frame is at its most
vulnerable during the build when the plasterboard
is not fitted. It's important for trades
such as plumbers to take extreme care when
using heat torches.
The structural
timbers also have char ratings engineered
into them. This ensures that in the event
of a serious fire, enough timber is left
to ensure the building does not collapse.
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How
long will a Timber Frame house last?
Given normal maintenance, it will last just
as long as a masonry house.
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Do
insurers cover Timber Frame houses?
Put simply, Yes.
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Can
you get a mortgage on a Timber Frame House?
Yes.
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I've
heard horror stories about Timber Frame
Houses, put my mind at rest
Back in the late 80's some of the national
house builders adopted Timber Frame construction
methods. They got the technology wrong in
a big way by not protecting the frame adequately
against water ingress and by using inexperienced
tradesmen to erect them. This caused lots
of problems and the reputation of both Timber
Buildings and reputable suppliers suffered
when the TV series World in Action reported
the story. Modern Timber Frame construction
both meets and exceeds current strict building
regulations, if they didn't we would not
be allowed to build them!
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Why
Timber Frame?
Timber frame can be an ideal medium to solve
demanding site conditions. For buildings
that consist of as many as six storeys,
a reinforced concrete foundation is usually
required in order to support the timber
structure. This may not need to be the
case with lower buildings, e. g. 2 to 4
storeys in height.
Timber Frame structures are manufactured
off site, which because of factory-controlled
conditions increase quality through strict
monitoring.
Once your frame is up it allows all other
elements of the build to proceed.
Timber is a natural insulator which achieves
a greater success rate than masonry walls
when meeting regulatory values.
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Is
Timber Frame more costly than Brick &
Block?
In terms of view of the build costs, the
two are roughly comparable. You should not
specify a Timber Frame or Brick and Block
just because of price. Lightweight construction
means less expensive foundations. Instead
of daily spiralling materials costs, Timber
Trame manufacturers will offer a fixed price
for the supply and erection of the superstructure
up to eight weeks before delivery. Due to
the higher insulation qualities heating
costs are reduced.
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Is
Timber Frame quicker to build than Brick
& Block?
The load-bearing element of Timber Frame
buildings are quick to construct. When our
erectors have finished,
other trades can work inside in a dry environment
while the external cladding is built. This
double track work
line cuts time and improves cost effectiveness.
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What
are Robust Details?
These are a set of approved details used
in the Construction Industry to ensure that
unacceptable levels of noise will
not travel from one apartment or flat through
the party wall or compartment floors to
the adjacent dwellings.
If a building is designed and manufactured
to these approved details and has been registered
with Robust Details Ltd
the contractor will not be required to have
the building Sound Tested. These details
can be obtained
from www.robustdetails.com
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What
is Disproportionate Collapse?
If a car hits the corner of a block of flats
the collapse of the block must only be in
proportion to the damage done, i.e. maybe
the floor of the flat above should sag but
not fall. If an aeroplane should hit the
middle of the building the degree of collapse
would be greater. The requirement is that
“The building shall be constructed so that
in the event of an accident the building
will not suffer collapse to an extent disproportionate
to the cause”. All the necessary performance
requirements can be met by using suitable
construction materials and methods. Guidance
on design approaches and performance using
different materials is available from the
following sources: www.trada.co.uk
and www.bre.co.uk
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