Timber frame is not just for houses; it is being used extensively for flats, schools, hotels, offices and sports facilities. Buildings up to eight storey’s high can be constructed and, like all methods of construction, conform to the requirements of the Building Regulations.
Timber frame wall panels are made up of softwood vertical studs and horizontal rails with a wood-based panel sheathing and a plasterboard lining. The studs carry vertical loads through the structure and transfer them to the foundations. The sheathing provides resistance to lateral wind loads (known as racking resistance).
Thermal insulation is usually incorporated in the spaces between the studs of external walls and protective membrane materials may also be required, depending on the design of the wall. For most external walls a breather membrane on the external face of the panels protects the panels during construction and provides a second line of defense against any wind-driven rain that may penetrate the completed external cladding.
A vapor control layer in the form of polythene sheet or plasterboard with an integral vapor control layer is normally required on the 'warm' side of the insulation, behind the plasterboard lining to limit the amount of water vapor entering the wall panel.
