Of late there has been a resurgence of timber framed housing in the field of architecture and home building. These structures are now very popular mainly because of the desire for wide open spaces and the increased environmental consciousness. Modern architects have churned out innumerable new designs of timber framed housing, thereby giving a vast choice to homeowners. Many technological improvements have also been adopted to make the structures stronger, more reliable, and easy to build.
In order to get a good design and a reliable contractor to build your dream home, you can browse the websites of online contractors and choose the designs that you like. Online research on home-building websites will give you a deep insight into the latest trends and the technological advancements in this field.
Popularity of Timber Framed Housing
The popularity of timber framed housing is borne out by the fact that nearly 70 percent of the developed world’s population live in timber framed houses. The countries where they are extensively used for building homes include the USA, Scandinavia, Canada, Australia, Japan, and many countries of Europe. In the UK, the popularity of the housing is increasing rapidly because builders, architects, developers, and occupants have started realizing the different advantages of these houses.
Construction of Timber Framed Houses
The structures are mostly built in large warehouses using conventional and traditional methods. The mode of manufacture has changed from the earlier lap joints to pegged mortise and tenon joints. Moreover, the frame is strengthened so that it can bear the total weight of
the structure. Splines and metal brackets are not used nowadays. Different types of strong and durable wood such as Eastern White Pine, Cedar, Oak, and Douglas fir are used to make this housing.
Pine and other types of trees are at first cut to the sizes required for the frame construction. The endurance capacity of the wood is then increased by drying it in kilns. The resultant dry timbers look elegant and beautiful and they give a rustic feel to the housing. The construction of the frames is then de-assembled for being packed in containers and for transportation to the construction site.
Advantages of Timber Framed Houses
* Speed of Assembly: Once the knocked-down frames are received from the warehouse, it takes relatively very little time to assemble the frames at site and to erect them. Windows and doors are also obtained from the suppliers and erected in the respective places. As this is a quick process, the overall labor cost comes down considerably and the homeowner can save money.
* Convenient Heating or Cooling Properties: The housing has very effective insulation properties mainly because of the insulated exterior sheathing.
* Strength and Durability: Timber framed houses have a lot of strength and can withstand adverse weather conditions for a much longer time than other wooden homes.
* Cost: Building these homes proves to be much cheaper than building other types of homes. Considerable savings are achieved because of low labor costs and economy achieved due to efficient heating or cooling.
Timber framed housing, especially if it is procured from reliable online suppliers, can provide strength, durability, rustic looks, beautiful designs, and cost savings.
