Timber framed houses

[markwm]

Speaking to a tradesman today who does a lot of work in new builds. He says most of the timber framed houses he visits have "huge" cracks in the plaster due to the timber expanding and contracting after a few months.

Is this one of the pitfalls of timber framed building?

 

[^woody^]

No.

Its one of the pitfalls of poor management/work and a construction process which is too fast .... dictated by the desire to knock the houses out as fast as possible

 

[noseall]

No.

Its one of the pitfalls of poor management/work and a construction process which is too fast .... dictated by the desire to knock the houses out as fast as possible

yeah, fair comment woodstock, but how would you build - say, a one off slowly.

our team work efficiently, so each subsequent process of the build follows on smoothly and quickly from the previous.

getting materials to 'settle', particularly in winter time can be a bit of a problem though.

 

[^woody^]

yeah, fair comment woodstock, but how would you build - say, a one off slowly.

Pay daywork! lol

Good point, but I suppose the process starts at the factory when the panels are made. Is the timber fresh sawn quality timber and been dried properly.

Then following care in transport and storage, when the frame is up and weathertight, can the internal environment be stabalised before or while the internal fit is being done and before the plasterboards go up - and likewise while th e plaster is drying.

But yes, modern panels and CLS which is used has perhaps been so finely tuned to be the bare minimum sections and grade, that it may have little tolerance and be hard to prevent shrinkage.

But I've looked at timber and traditional new build, from completion to the 12 month inspection and have not noticed any real difference in shrinkage where the build has been done properly and with due care.

 

[Shytalkz]

...where the build has been done properly and with due care.

And that's the nub of it.