Oak timber frame house?

[heavenlyhavens]

We are looking at an oak timber frame house and I know nothing of the pros and cons.

Can anyone help please?

Following. No idea but I love them. Have you checked out Border Oak?

Also following, would one of these!

Cons - expensive. Pros - beautiful.

We have an old one with a modern timber framed extension. Wood moves so walls crack. (Can be filled again.) if you are a neat freak I do not recommend (dusting high beams is a PITA). I think our house is certainly characterful but definitely not for everyone. It’s a good green building material. What else do you want to know?

Thanks everyone.

I had a quick Google and came across some links that said to avoid timber framed houses and that they will rot!

This maybe a daft question but what is the shell of the house built with? More timber? It's definitely not brick!

I've also read that insurance may be higher and it's more difficult to get a mortgage. However o don't know if any of that is true.

This doesn't look good!

www.heritage-survey.org/timber-framed-building-surveys

Are you thinking of old timber framed house then, rather than a modern ‘new build’ or extension? In that case yes I’d be very wary!!!

@ElbowsandArses have your ‘new’ walls in the extension cracked? Or the older ones? I’d be really interested in any comments you have about your experiences of a timber framed extension

Yes @Cinnabomb it's an older timber framed chocolate box house. No brickwork!

The house is 22 years old and in a conservation area.

Can anyone else offer any advice please ?

Hopeful bump

Do you really mean it's 22 years old? Timber frames don't rot if they're looked after (and kept dry, free of damp - you only get beetles etc when there's damp). There are timber framed buildings from hundreds of years years ago, still standing! I wouldn't jump into a sale if you don't know what you're taking on

I live in a timber-framed house that dates from the 1500s. I reckoned when I bought it that if it had stood for 500 years it was probably fine. In fact, anything that I've found wrong with it is from work done in the 1980s. But if it scares you, don't buy it. Is it really 22 years old or did you mistype? If it's older it will be listed, I'd have thought...

The old part of our house is over 500 years old and still going strong.

If the timber frame is made of oak it will outlast modern building, provided it has been put together by someone who knows what they are doing. (Using proper joints pinned with wood; gets trickier and can introduce problems when combined with steel -- the structure needs to be able to flex, that's the whole point.)

Not all architects know enough about timber frames to design it well, and not all of those who claim to be timber framers know what they are doing either.

BUT if you get someone who does know what they are doing it's a great way to build.

So the old part of our house does still move but not so much as it's now "settled", it's the new part of the house that moves more because the oak is still drying out and it moves and twists as it dries. This is totally normal -- a timber frame does flex and is not structurally problematic. It does mean that cracks appear though (especially around the frame) but these can be filled in quite easily.

To the OP: if you are looking at a house that is only 22 years old, find out who made the frame and check out whether they are reputable framers.

@MsGrumpytrousers - Ha, yes, the biggest problem we have in our house is in the 1980s extension!

@ElbowsandArses what problems have you had with the extension if you don’t mind me asking?

Haven't had any problems at all with the timber frame extension (the part we have done). When we bought the house it already had a few extensions: one of them we demolished and replaced; but the 1980s extension is poorly constructed (ceilings are too low and has an ugly steel RSJ -- the 1980s part is not timber framed and would be much better if it was).

We have a 1960s timber frame Cedar clad house. No rot at all, very well insulated and not a problem to insure. We also have a wood burning stove, swept once a year and wired in Heat and Fire alarms. It’s lovely.

It’s probably a ‘Border Oak’ , ‘Oakwrights’ or ‘Potton’ type build, if it’s in a conservative area. Built with Sipps panels in between the frame - so very well insulated. We built similar around 25 years ago. Warm, cosy with character and easy to heat. Google some of the names I gave you and also look them up on ‘selfbuild’ websites for more information.