Non-motoring > Timber houses Miscellaneous
Thread Author: BobbyG Replies: 27

 Timber houses - BobbyG
A friend is looking for a new house and one street near where she lives is all timber houses. By this, I mean that the outside of the house is timber, not brick, roughcast or whatever.

Apparently the houses were built in the 1940s and the standard maintenance is that it gets painted every 5 years.

What are the pros and cons of such houses?

The only pro I can think of is that it would be easy to screw in hanging baskets!

Assume these were built due to them being cheap at the time?

Anyone any experiences / info would be appreciated. I have tried googling but just seem to get loads about timber framed houses, or new eco log cabins!
 Timber houses - CGNorwich
Most US/Canadian houses are timber. I guess they are quicker to build than brick and where timber is cheap they make sense. They do need regular maintenance/painting but on the other hand are relatively easy to repair.
 Timber houses - R.P.
Getting insurance and/or a mortgage might be a problem.
 Timber houses - zippy
And wood is not as cheap here as it is in the USA!
 Timber houses - madf
There were a lot of timber framed houses which were shoddily built in the 1970s? where the moisture proof interior frames were damaged by poor building - nails through the skin etc.. You have to watch out for rot in the structure.. wet rot or worse.. dry rot..

For that I imagine a structural engineer/architect who knows about wood framed houses would be essential..
 Timber houses - NortonES2
When we had a holiday in New England, I was told the general practice was to buy a plot, choose house from a catalogue, then erect onto a concrete pad. Walls and roof in place in a day or two. Ticky-tacky but quick!
 Timber houses - Dog
>>choose house from a catalogue, then erect onto a concrete pad. Walls and roof in place in a day or two. Ticky-tacky but quick!<<

Bit like my shed then!
 Timber houses - BobbyG
>>Getting insurance and/or a mortgage might be a problem.

This is a full street of similar , semi detached, houses. Probably are ex-council houses but I assume that they will all have had mortgages and insurances at some point.

Agreed, might be a problem, but not insurmountable.
 Timber houses - Mapmaker
"My friend has a problem, give me some advice."

Bobby, wood + fire = conflagration.
 Timber houses - Bigtee
A nice Log Cabin sounds nice as a holiday home and seem popular now like caravan parks are.

 Timber houses - Meldrew
Wooden houses also collapse easily in high winds - see recent USA new shots from "Tornado alley" weblog.sinteur.com/index.php/2007/05/06/aerials-of-greensburg-tornado-damage/
Last edited by: Meldrew on Tue 4 Oct 11 at 18:59
 Timber houses - Zero
hmmm, there are high winds and HIGH winds!
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 4 Oct 11 at 19:05
 Timber houses - Zero
The building society may or not may class it as "non standard construction" By that I mean some will and some wont. If they class it as non standard there is no mortgage available.

Elizabethan houses were timber framed, plenty of them still about.
 Timber houses - Lygonos
She's only been on the throne since 1952.


**EDIT** - nevermind, she's off it now - it's 2144.
Last edited by: Lygonos on Tue 4 Oct 11 at 21:44
 Timber houses - Zero
>> She's only been on the throne since 1952.
>>
>>
>> **EDIT** - nevermind, she's off it now - it's 2144.

Couldnt use the term "Tudor", too many mock copies about, so common.
 Timber houses - Meldrew
Yes. I guess I am thinking that a brick built might fare better than a timber, in a given wind. In both cases the roof will probably be the problem.
Last edited by: Meldrew on Wed 5 Oct 11 at 05:58
 Timber houses - NortonES2
The roof, of course, is usually a timber frame:) No reason why timber framed buildings should be less wind-resistant than block and brick. Link to article about NA construction methods: tinyurl.com/3kukae6
 Timber houses - Cliff Pope
>> No reason why timber framed buildings
>> should be less wind-resistant than block and brick.
>>


Except that bricks are heavier.

In 1988 my wooden shed was picked up by the wind and dropped a few hundreds yards away.
In 1995 I demolished a brick shed of about the same size. It took several days of hard work with a sledge hammer and crow bar.
 Timber houses - Dog
>>No reason why timber framed buildings should be less wind-resistant than block and brick<<

- - - - > www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olo923T2HQ4
 Timber houses - Bromptonaut
Most new builds on the Western Isles are timber framed.

They know a thing or two about gales up there.
 Timber houses - Chris S
Austin built some timber houses in Longbridge, Birmingham, to house workers during the First World War.

They were still there a few years ago and as far as I know they still are. They must have lasted well over 90 years by now.
 Timber houses - Falkirk Bairn
Big proportion of homes built North of the Border are Timber Framed - BUT Clad in Brick/Block.

Very few permanent homes in Scotland are timber framed and timberclad although there are examples of these all over the country built fairly recently as examples of Green building methods with high insulation properties

100%TIMBER FRAMED AND CLAD + BUILT 50+ YEARS AGO - NO REAL CHANCE OF A STANDARD MORTGAGE
 Timber houses - Fenlander
Nothing wrong with timber houses or outbuildings, been constructing larger outbuildings from timber for 30yrs+. As long as the timber is decent quality, pest treated and the cheaper constructional parts are kept dry it's fine. Very important too it's properly fixed to the ground, often 1/2" rawbolts into a concrete pad are not enough.

But as far as the OP's question goes I'd only buy a 70yr old full timber house for peanuts due to resale/mortgage issues.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Wed 5 Oct 11 at 12:44
 Timber houses - Runfer D'Hills
I'm a bit jealous. My house has mock timber. Probs mock bricks too. Mock gas lamp outside. Mock open fire. Mock the lot actually.

 Timber houses - Iffy
...Mock the lot actually...

The bike rack (still) in the mock garage is real.
 Timber houses - Zero
we have mocked the bike rack often enough.
 Timber houses - Runfer D'Hills
The bike rack has long gone. It is now a large jar of Jelly Babies. Barter system lives and breathes...
 Timber houses - Zero
Good trade!
Latest Forum Posts