Building the dream without the nightmare

Importing a timber frame kit house from America may, at first sight, seem an expensive and unnecessary option. Timber framed houses are manufactured by companies in both France and the UK so why ship so many miles across the Atlantic? There are a number of very good reasons why this can be both economical and ecologically beneficial.

Experience and Economy of scale

Approximately 85% of houses in the US are of timber framed construction. Design plans are purchased by the client and required amendments are discussed with the builder of their choice. Factories are geared to produce one house or even a hundred of any particular design depending on whether they are dealing direct with a self-builder or with a developer. Facings can vary, but the structure of the house can be erected, roofed in and tiled to provide a dry building environment enabling interior works to progress whatever the weather. It's a proven process and an economical one. The forests are managed to serve the market and the timber used in the construction is slow-grown and extremely hard but comparatively inexpensive.
Shipping these kits in a container to France actually costs less than shipping across America and because of the factory set-ups labour costs in the US are far lower than those in France or in the UK.

High insulation values

The structure of the timber framed house allows for composite insulated external facings and deep external frame sections into which fibreglass insulation is inserted. The standard kits arrive complete with 6" (150mm) insulation for the walls and 9" ( 225mm) insulation for the roof space. They are designed for the extremes of temperature experienced in the US and so are perfectly suitable for all parts of Europe. Windows can include UV glass to prevent heat transmission in both summer and winter.

Design Choice

Though this may seem strange at first the client finds that he can choose not only his windows and doors but also his roofing tiles - mostly shingles, some of which have a 50 year limited warranty - far in excess of standard tiles. The outside facing of each house can be of brickwork, stonework, cedar or timber beam and rendering (faux- colombage) to blend in with local houses. Each kit comes complete with internal doors and frames, timber skirtings and even wardrobe doors. Internal layouts can be amended and the framing of all the internal walls are factory-fabricated as part of the building ‘dry-in'structure.

Conclusion

Many people have bought older houses and found that their dreams became a nightmare - costly to heat, often damp, small windows and room layouts that "don't quite suit" This option allows the client to choose and build in features that will save future fuel costs and, of course, the nightmare of finding an artisan when most needed.

Find out more here: PR3 Eco-Housing Solutions

PR3 Eco-Housing Solutions