Timber was used as a building material in buildings from the UK because the Neolithic period. A number of the earliest wood houses in Europe are located in England and Scotland, and also the oldest wood framed buildings present in the UK now date back to the 13th century. This really goes to show exactly how durable this structure procedure is.

Regardless of going out of vogue in recent centuries, wood has witnessed something of a revival in modern times despite improvements in different kinds of construction methods, demonstrating that the enduring popularity of wood frame houses.

Early Timber Building Techniques

When wood framed houses were initially assembled in the UK back in the 12th and 13th centuries, lap jointing was the most frequent method, however this was shortly followed by the much more powerful mortise-and-tenon joint which generated a solid and durable framework.

As the centuries went on, other wood construction methods became commonplace, such as box frame structure and cruck construction, together with box frame structure more prevalent in the UK.

Another approach which became very popular was jettying, in which the floor area on top floors was extended past the outside walls. Occasionally more than 1 floor was inserted with jettying, resulting in homes at which the top flooring reached right over to the road. A fantastic spot to observe that is at The Shambles in York.

The Waning Popularity of Timber

Throughout the 16th century wood became harder to see in the UK because it had been used increasingly for boats and gas. Up until the 18th century, many buildings stayed wood framed, but it became less hip within these centuries, and frequently the wood was coated with plaster.

The Modern Timber Revival

Timber framed homes saw something of a revival in the 1970s in the UK in addition to from the USA and Canada where cheaper mass-produced techniques became prevalent. Nonetheless, in the UK at least, the methods had been originally lacking in quality.

The wood was generally a bad quality softwood with nominal structural integrity, the framework was erected immediately with an outside brick skin and complete the last product was inferior and had a minimal quality texture to it. This differed from various other states where wood framed buildings were still popular, among which was Sweden.

Swedish Superiority

Timber framed buildings became popular in Sweden over time, and over the last 50 years Swedish craftsmen honed their skills in building wood homes. Among the factors for its greater quality was down into the important differences between the way the Swedes and Scandinavians delivered wood buildings when compared with the British procedure.

First of all, they utilized a high quality lumber. Back in Sweden, the wood used was slow increased for more than 50 years in comparison to the UK where wood was quickly increased over 25 decadesago This had a significant effect upon the structural integrity of the foundation product.

In Sweden craftsmen also tended to construct walls, beginning with all the window and constructing a framework around it, rather than walls with openings for windows. This meant that every panel had complete thermal integrity using a mill finish.

By comparison, in the UK it was more common to come across lightweight frames with openings for windows that were then piled on site and also the windows were fitted retrospectively. This made the intersection between the walls and the framework a feeble portion of the general construction.

Improvements at UK Timber Buildings

Whilst the 70s tendency towards wood framed constructions in the UK caused significant damage to its standing, we're currently seeing something of a renaissance on the market area. Timber framing is now frequently used for the building of care houses, hotels and other buildings. Sometimes it's also utilized in home and normally provides a greater degree of environmental performance since it's an eco friendly technique that's famous for its energy efficiency.

Many UK companies have now chosen to embrace a number of the abilities of the Scandinavians and are creating wood houses with outstanding environmental performance and sustainability. These buildings may last for more than 50 years provided they're well preserved throughout the course of their life. So long as the proper techniques are utilized, timber is very likely to remain a favorite and highly-effective construction substance in the UK for several years to come.