Timber Frame houses v Traditional Block Houses

qm1bv4p8i92aoj

Hi Guys,

Looking at buying in the next year and have come across a new development in the Galway City commuter belt.

Four bed semi-detached houses in this development are going in the region of 279,000.
It's a lovely looking house with a ber of A3, underfloor heating and air pump.

There is an allowance for a standard kitchen and tiling as well as the bathroom tiling.

The only thing I'm unsure of is they are timber frame houses.
Would ye have any concerns buying timber frame houses over block houses and also does the cost seem a bit high as well for timber frame in this current market?

All replys and help welcomed.

seamusk84

I have lived in timber framed houses all my life. I also own a 40 year old one on the dublin commuter belt.
If built right they will last as long as block built. The key thing is the vents, make sure they are there and in particular pay attention to the vents for the subfloor.
As this is a new build you shouldn't have any issue.
Final point - No price difference between timber and block built houses.

murphaph

A timber frame building actually extracts more usable space from the site it sits on as the walls don't need to be as thick as block/brick walls to achieve the same level of insulation.

We're building a timber frame house (prefabricated, though designed to our sepcs, so walls etc. inside can be moved around) over a reinforced water proof concrete cellar. If I could build the cellar out of timber frame I would!

The sample house we initially visited is literally 50 metres from a motorway with no sound barrier (it's at the back of an industrial estate basically) and honestly with the windows closed you don't hear a bloody thing. Open a window and you realise just how loud it is outside, so it's a total myth that timber frame house have to be "loud". it all comes down to how they are built i suppose. You can get poorly built block or timber frame houses.

qm1bv4p8i92aoj

it all comes down to how they are built i suppose. You can get poorly built block or timber frame houses.[/QUOTE]

Very true. Hopefully now any new builds in Ireland have moved away from some of the cowboy building that went on in the Celtic Tiger era.

listermint

murphaph wrote: »

A timber frame building actually extracts more usable space from the site it sits on as the walls don't need to be as thick as block/brick walls to achieve the same level of insulation.

We're building a timber frame house (prefabricated, though designed to our sepcs, so walls etc. inside can be moved around) over a reinforced water proof concrete cellar. If I could build the cellar out of timber frame I would!

The sample house we initially visited is literally 50 metres from a motorway with no sound barrier (it's at the back of an industrial estate basically) and honestly with the windows closed you don't hear a bloody thing. Open a window and you realise just how loud it is outside, so it's a total myth that timber frame house have to be "loud". it all comes down to how they are built i suppose. You can get poorly built block or timber frame houses.

Do they have a website? i presume its german

interesting to look at

murphaph

listermint wrote: »

Do they have a website? i presume its german

interesting to look at

We're building with ScanHaus as their factory isn't tooo far from Berlin and we need to go there for a full day to finalise the design and select our finishes.

qm1bv4p8i92aoj

murphaph wrote: »

A timber frame building actually extracts more usable space from the site it sits on as the walls don't need to be as thick as block/brick walls to achieve the same level of insulation.

We're building a timber frame house (prefabricated, though designed to our sepcs, so walls etc. inside can be moved around) over a reinforced water proof concrete cellar. If I could build the cellar out of timber frame I would!

The sample house we initially visited is literally 50 metres from a motorway with no sound barrier (it's at the back of an industrial estate basically) and honestly with the windows closed you don't hear a bloody thing. Open a window and you realise just how loud it is outside, so it's a total myth that timber frame house have to be "loud". it all comes down to how they are built i suppose. You can get poorly built block or timber frame houses.

Just on the noise topic. Would you say that there would be no noise issues even if the house is semi-detached?
i.e. being able to hear the neighbours going up and down their stairs like you can in some block houses?

Eric Cartman

Rayna Incalculable Undergarment wrote: »

Just on the noise topic. Would you say that there would be no noise issues even if the house is semi-detached?
i.e. being able to hear the neighbours going up and down their stairs like you can in some block houses?

internal noise is all down to insulation. Ireland has a terrible history of not insulating between floors / internal walls in even block built houses. 5 grand of insulation and sound proofing in a timber design could be the difference between your neighbours hearing you cough and being able to hold a rave in an adjoining bedroom at 4am. check it out first and make sure that moneys been spent.

murphaph

Rayna Incalculable Undergarment wrote: »

Just on the noise topic. Would you say that there would be no noise issues even if the house is semi-detached?
i.e. being able to hear the neighbours going up and down their stairs like you can in some block houses?

Depends how it's built I suppose.I imagine it's just as difficult in a timber frame house to isolate that sort of impact noise as it is in a block built house. Living in a semi will invariably mean that you will hear some of what your neighbours are up to if they are any way normal.