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Timber Home

  • 31-10-2017 02:05PM
    #1
    sunnyspells7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12 ✭


    Hi all,

    Myself and my OH are thinking of going down this route of a timber home, the prices are coming in very competitive.. the only thing is there doesn't seem to be a lot of examples around or reviews.

    Does anyone know anything about these houses? I have contacted

    timberliving
    cabinsforu
    honka

    Does anyone know of a leading company that does them? If you are doing it at all do it right I suppose!

    Thanks!


Comments

  • #2
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 42,312 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Timber frame construction has been popular here for nearly 15 years.
    There are many housing estates here in Dublin built using timber Frame.

    What info can you not find?


  • #3
    sunnyspells7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12 ✭sunnyspells7


    kceire wrote: »
    Timber frame construction has been popular here for nearly 15 years.
    There are many housing estates here in Dublin built using timber Frame.

    What info can you not find?

    Its more so the timbers homes instead of timber frames, like a log cabin style house. They would be Timber Living Log Cabins


  • #4
    Metric Tensor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,727 ✭✭✭Metric Tensor


    a. You almost certainly will not get planning permission.
    b. It will not comply with the building regulations so you will be breaking the law by building it.
    c. You won't get a mortgage because of a & b.

    OP - the reason it appears so cheap is that it doesn't comply with the building regulations. If it complied with the building regulations it would cost approximately the same amount as a similarly sized house built by any other method.


    Edited to add: This is proven by the recent "Modular Homes" debacle in Dublin where it transpired that the cheapest most rapid way to build compliant houses turned out to be pretty much what is being done in housing developments across the city/country already. (Limited prefabricated sub-sections, timber frame, trusses, some cladding, combined with traditional sub and superstructures.)


  • #5
    sunnyspells7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12 ✭sunnyspells7


    Metric Tensor wrote: »
    a. You almost certainly will not get planning permission.
    b. It will not comply with the building regulations so you will be breaking the law by building it.
    c. You won't get a mortgage because of a & b.

    OP - the reason it appears so cheap is that it doesn't comply with the building regulations. If it complied with the building regulations it would cost approximately the same amount as a similarly sized house built by any other method.


    Edited to add: This is proven by the recent "Modular Homes" debacle in Dublin where it transpired that the cheapest most rapid way to build compliant houses turned out to be pretty much what is being done in housing developments across the city/country already. (Limited prefabricated sub-sections, timber frame, trusses, some cladding, combined with traditional sub and superstructures.)


    Hi thanks for coming back to me, do you have a lot of experience with it?


  • #6
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 42,312 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    sunnyspells7 wrote: »
    Hi thanks for coming back to me, do you have a lot of experience with it?

    Just a little :p


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  • #7
    sunnyspells7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12 ✭sunnyspells7


    kceire wrote: »
    Just a little :p

    and are they always a headache? Even with planning?


  • #8
    Lumen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,279 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    sunnyspells7 wrote: »
    and are they always a headache? Even with planning?
    I think you're missing the point.

    There is no unconventional way of getting a cheap house, because if there was it would be the conventional way.

    Shed companies selling supposedly habitable structures aren't the messiah, they're very naughty boys.


  • #9
    Metric Tensor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,727 ✭✭✭Metric Tensor


    sunnyspells7 wrote: »
    Hi thanks for coming back to me, do you have a lot of experience with it?

    I have quite a bit of experience with the building regulations but only limited experience with "log cabins" because there are none that meet the building regulations so that rules them out early on. They are basically an expensive garden shed!
    kceire wrote: »
    Just a little :p

    Thanks kc. Garden shed expert! ;)
    sunnyspells7 wrote: »
    and are they always a headache? Even with planning?

    Most of the people who buy them to live in tend to be less worried about planning permission or building regulations and seem to be blissfully unaware about putting their family and others in danger so I don't know if they get headaches. So, if you are diligent, which you appear to be, then the more you read up about these the more you'll decide to stay clear and you'll avoid the headaches!
    Lumen wrote: »
    There is no unconventional way of getting a cheap house, because if there was it would be the conventional way.

    Very well put Lumen - better than I could ever put it.


  • #10
    Delldweller
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15 ✭Delldweller


    I live in a log house . It has full planning compliance. It has a Mortage with an Irish bank. It complies completely with Irish building regulations. Signed off by an Irish architect. Is a complete joy to live in but it was slightly more expensive than a normal build in 2001.


  • #11
    Metric Tensor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,727 ✭✭✭Metric Tensor


    The building regulations have changed an awful lot since 2001. Particularly the fire safety, insulation and renewable energy requirements.

    That's not to say that obviously you did things the correct way and got a good result.

    For example many of the people thinking of using one think it's a great way to avoid paying a professional to check it complies with the building regs - whereas you did the opposite by getting a qualified professional to look after your interests.

    Happy to hear you have a good house as a result. This is also borne out by the fact that it cost the same as an equivalent "traditional" build. Perceived cost saving is another reason a lot of people consider such houses these days.


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  • #12
    damienderwin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4 ✭damienderwin


    I would love to hear more about this, if possible?



  • #13
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 42,312 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118833257#Comment_118833257

    More about what?



  • #14
    muffler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 46,882 ✭✭✭✭muffler


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118849496#Comment_118849496

    Dont feed the troll!



  • #15
    damienderwin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4 ✭damienderwin


    I'm not a troll. I was hoping to hear more from Delldweller on the timber build he has. I am looking at buying a timber house in Waterford and need a bit of information on insurance and maintenance.



  • #16
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 42,312 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118853813#Comment_118853813

    Timber frame is a standard method of construction and once the outer skin is brick or block then it’s treated the same for insurance as any other property.

    Maintenance is the same also. If building detached, then you have no party walls to worry about so no messing with drilling for wall mounted tv etc!



  • #17
    Sounds
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 395 ✭✭Sounds
    EMar Sounds


    Interesting topic,

    I too am considering a log cabin home in Ireland.

    I read somewhere if you have other brick structures on your property,

    You can put a log cabin/home on that property also, and pass it as a timber structure.

    Be nice to hear some other opinions from the many people living in timber structures around Ireland.



  • #18
    muffler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 46,882 ✭✭✭✭muffler


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121125680#Comment_121125680

    You need better reading material.



  • #19
    A2LUE42
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,593 ✭✭✭A2LUE42


    OP, Are you looking at something like this https://www.scanhome.ie/ or an overspec garden shed type build ?

    There are several of these scan homes in the country. I've been in a few and they were built to a high standard.

    Was thinking of building one about 20 years ago, but the site/planning aspect in the area I wanted was an issue, not specific to the house design.



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