Pros and Cons of Timber construction
What are some disadvantages
- While advances have been made in treating wood, it still remains susceptible to rot.
- Structural and building limitations
- Fire risks – although this can be mitigated with products such as intumescent paint.
What are some advantages
- The durability of timber frame buildings can be great provided the right kind of wood is used and or preservation measures are taken and maintained properly.
- Wooden structures have great insulating properties and require less energy for heating and cooling.
- Timber buildings are more economical to build than their brick or concrete counterparts.
- They are natural, eco-friendly and are constructed quickly, often in modular or pre-fabricated form.
Materials
Green oak is a favoured wood to use in construction and although more expensive than some pressure treated soft woods is far stronger and long lasting. It ages well and strengthens and hardens over time. You only have to look at the many examples of timber buildings in Northern Europe, some dating back hundreds of years.
Modern preservation techniques such as pressure treating and heat treating timber has meant that soft woods such as pine are used more and more in construction. Cost and availability are considerations in these instances.