Pete recently did an interview on BBC Radio 4 - You and Yours - which investigated a case history of failed cavity wall insulation.
Timber framing is one of the oldest surviving methods of construction. Working with ancient buildings is not only a pleasure, it's a privilege. Owning a timber framed home is a worthy dream which all too often turns into a nightmare. As with most things in traditional building, it comes down to the great God of Breathability. If your timber frame has anything on it, in it or near it that traps water, it will rot. Modern materials, modern paints, tar - anything that doesnt breathe is death to a timber frame. The following pages will help explore some aspects of framing and give you the background information you need to make informed decisions about how to look after a timber framed house, and if you are thinking of buying one, the things to look for before you buy.
If you are considering buying one, it will almost certainly pay you to get us to survey it first. I always cringe when I see the brochure that says '..... recently undergone extensive modernisation and renovation". At that point I know it's going to be a nightmare of cement and gypsum plonked on top of a structure stripped of any character or features barring a few blasted, deeply scored oak beams in the lounge.. We see a succession of nightmarish houses - beautiful chocolate boxes which are rotting beautifully under layers of gloss black paint, cement render and gypsum plaster internally. Concrete smothers the sill beams and rots them. It is the source of more legal challenges to surveyors and insurers than I care to think about.
It need not be a nightmare - you just need to know what is happening, and to make informed decisions about what may need doing - if you have a budget that is appropriate, and access to the right skills, it can become a journey of discovery, of historical delights, and results in a beautiful home to treasure.
Apart from showing you some of the different aspect of framing, these pages also offer a timber frame maintenance kit - caulking materials to help keep your frame warm and dry.