Timber Frame for Home Extensions

If you have, or if you’re a professional builder, that experience is probably why you’re now looking at a timber frame for your next extension.

The benefits of a timber frame structure are clear: speed, cost and reliability.

A timber frame extension can be added to virtually every type of home in the UK. The offsite prefabricated panel construction is equally suited to two-storey or wraparound extensions as it is to a first-floor extension or a straightforward single-story ground floor extension.

Let’s look at speed and costs, as we’ve never met a homeowner who wasn’t keeping a very close eye on their project budget. The two are interlinked. The cost of materials barely differs between bricks and mortar and timber frame; it’s the nature of the build that accelerates your project and cuts out delays and labour costs.

Firstly, the timber frame panels are built off-site in our factory to precise measurements based on the approved construction drawings. This happens while the external groundworks take place, so you have two elements of the project happening at once, rather than consecutively.

This matters all the more when you consider the great British weather; off-site prefabrication isn’t weather-dependent, unlike brick and block builds, and the physical installation on site is much faster too, so rain doesn’t delay play. You can keep installing the timber frame in any weather. The method also means the extension is watertight faster, so you can get started sooner on the electrics, plastering and any plumbing.

There’s less risk of plaster shrinking and cracking, too, which means better odds of a perfectly decorated interior straight away.

Building works on an existing home are seriously stressful for homeowners. The noise, the mess, the compromise on your whole family’s day-to-day life for the duration of the project – plus the worry that it could overrun on time or costs.

Choosing a timber frame extension alleviates all of those issues, meaning your home is your own again faster and you can start enjoying your new space sooner.
Even after the extension is completed, you’ll find that the excellent thermal insulation of timber frame construction means the space remains cosy and warm for longer, for cheaper heating bills than you might otherwise have faced.

Don’t forget: while planning permission isn’t always necessary for an extension, building regulations sign-off are. Visit your local planning office website, particularly the permitted developments page, to make sure your extension design is right first time.

In the meantime, even if it’s just for some general advice, feel free to contact our team to talk about anything related to timber frame extensions.