Water can be absorbed into the material, causing it to rot and mould, which can compromise the strength and cause adverse health effects. Carpenter ants and termites love to eat wood framing, seriously impacting the strength of the construction. Large, old-growth forests have been clear-cut in the past to produce wood for timber construction. Wood is an excellent transmitter of sound waves so any noise inside or outside of the home is easily heard throughout the home. New home construction image by Burtsc from Fotolia.com. Timber frame construction is a common form of construction, particularly for homes and low-rise buildings. Producing boards and beams for timber frame construction requires harvesting trees. If this happens to a structure which has a timber frame, it can rot the skeleton of the building. Clear-cutting forests can lead to other problems such as soil erosion and destruction of wildlife habitat. Carpenter ants and termites love to eat wood framing, seriously impacting the strength of the construction. Part of this break can be filled … Timber frame structures may not achieve the same level of sound insulation as concrete or masonry as they are not as dense. Find Pre-Fab: Why Are Timber Frame Homes So Popular? If by any chance a fire breaks out, a timber-framed house will not be able to withstand the heat and flames in the same way a brick or steel structure would. Logging for timber framing can have a major environmental impact. Wood is a porous and very combustible material, susceptible to water, fire and bugs. Wood is also very flammable, which makes the material a fire hazard. This can be a major problem if there are several people living in the home or it is located near a noisy street as the sounds are transmitted very clearly. Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Wood is a porous and very combustible material, susceptible to water, fire and bugs. Water can be absorbed into the material, causing it to rot and mould, which can compromise the strength and cause adverse health effects. Performance can be improved by constructing two separate wall leaves with a structural break between them. Wood is a porous and very combustible material, susceptible to water, fire and bugs. Water can be absorbed into the material, causing it to rot and mould, which can compromise the strength and cause adverse health effects. You may need to have a post in the middle to absorb some of the weight. This can be a major problem in humid or damp climates. Fire. Clear-cutting forests can lead to other problems such as soil erosion and destruction of wildlife habitat. It is a method of fitting wood beams and boards together to form a latticework frame, almost like a skeleton. There are several advantages to this type of construction but there are also disadvantages that you should be aware of before deciding if it fits your needs. Wood is also very flammable, which makes the material a fire hazard. Logging for timber framing can have a major environmental impact. The Use of Timber in the Construction Industry→. Advantages & disadvantages of post & beam construction, Environ: Advantages and Disadvantages of Timber Frame Construction. So if your building design has a large room with a long span, it will be difficult for timber frame construction to handle the weight. Timber frames are fairly strong up and down but not as strong as other materials horizontally. This can be a major problem in humid or damp climates.