wood-frame house

Why Choose Wood Framing for Your House

Why Choose Wood Framing for Your House

A wood-frame house has a structure of wood members with insulation materials placed between them.

Why choose a wood-frame house? Comfortable, energy-efficient, aesthetic, and scalable … These are some of the many advantages of a wood-frame house! But they are not the only ones.

This post will help you discover 8 advantages of choosing a wood frame house.

Wood, a durable and light material

Wood is 7 times lighter than concrete. This structural lightness makes it possible to make significant savings on the foundations. This is a significant advantage for a wooden frame. In addition, a wooden house can be installed on all types of land, even those with poor stability or steep slopes.

The longevity of wood is guaranteed, as evidenced by the old half-timbered houses!

Today, wood treatment and strict implementation norms reinforce their lifespan.

Opt for an ecological house

Wood, a material derived from air, water, and the sun, releases only a tiny amount of CO2 into the atmosphere. It has the best carbon footprint of all construction components: 1 m³ of wood means 500 kg less CO2 in nature! It is therefore ideal for a wooden frame.

There is only a tiny amount of waste and offcuts on construction sites, which can be recycled or burned in a heater.

Another positive point is that construction sites do not generate noise or odor pollution.

A structure that is quick to install

The manufacturing technique of a wood-frame house allows the prefabrication of complete walls in the factory, which are then delivered directly to the construction site. In 2 days, thanks to lifting equipment, the walls are erected! The frame and floors are assembled to protect the house from bad weather in one week. As a result, the team is reduced for the assembly: 3 or 4 people are enough.

The panel members, which make up the structure, make it possible to obtain thinner walls than with cinder blocks and leave the possibility of placing large openings. The result is a larger living area and more views.

The wood-frame house also allows for easier and more economical extensions. At any time, an extension or a transformation can be decided.

The guarantee of an excellent thermal insulation

Wood insulates 15 times better than concrete! It breathes, which allows better regulation of the hygrometry of the house. Its low inertia provides for quick heating of the house whatever the heating method.

The construction technique of a wood-frame house guarantees a virtual absence of thermal bridges. These cause the most heat loss (30% in traditional construction).

It is nevertheless recommended to install a vapor barrier film on the inside of the walls to prevent any form of humidity from infiltrating the insulation.

The assurance of an efficient acoustic insulation

wood-frame house

Wood is an excellent acoustic insulator because it can absorb sound waves or dampen them. Acoustic insulation is reinforced by the manufacturing technique used: the framing technique.

Acoustic performance is also based on the facings’ insulation, which contributes to the elasticity and good absorption capacity.

A fire-resistant structure

Contrary to popular belief, wood offers good fire stability. Its slow combustion is easily controlled. There are no insurance premium surcharges for wood-frame homes.

This slow combustion allows the wood to keep its mechanical properties longer than other building materials and gives firefighters time to intervene and stay longer on the scene. In addition, wood releases few toxic gases.

An easy to maintain structure

Maintenance depends on the species chosen. An exotic wood does not require any maintenance, provided that it accepts a natural graying.

For other species, a stain can be applied. This should be renewed approximately every 5 years.

To preserve the wood’s original color, you can also opt for the application of linseed oil with turpentine, to be renewed once or twice a year. This will delay the graying process.

Note: your house must be equipped with rainwater gutters to prevent it from spilling onto the facades and damaging them.

Multiple decorative possibilities

The wood-frame house allows for all architectural styles, shapes, and sizes.

Different types of wood can be used:

– hardwoods;

– Softwoods;

– exotic woods that are naturally rot-proof.

Inside, the use of gypsum boards for lining offers multiple possibilities of decoration: wallpaper, paint, tiles…

Good to know: make sure that the wood used is PEFC certified, which guarantees that it comes from sustainably managed forests.

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