Frequently Asked Questions

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Q. WILL MY TIMBER FRAME HOUSE BE CHEAPER THAN A BRICK/BLOCK HOUSE?
A. The actual cost of materials for your Lomond Timber Frame home will be comparable to a similar property built in Brick/Block... There are however considerable savings to be gained in the time scale taken to complete the project and therefore the financing and Labour costs are substantially reduced. And don't forget the reduced running costs you will benefit from due to the excellent thermal efficiency of your Lomond Timber Frame home.
Q. ARE TIMBER FRAME HOUSES A FIRE RISK?
A. Timber Frame houses have to meet the same fire regulation standards set out by the BUILDING REGULATIONS as Brick/Block built houses. In the event of a fire, the heat is restricted from reaching the structural elements, which is not necessarily the case in a brick or concrete block built property. In many cases, the timber frame house has been shown to react better in the case of severe fires.
Q. WHAT ABOUT PLANNING RESTRICTIONS OR SENSITIVE LOCATIONS ?
A. Your new home can be made to look exactly as you want it, provided the Local Planning Authorities are happy with your proposals. You would be surprised what houses currently exist, that are actually timber frame without you realising so. External finishes can be virtually any material, meaning your new home can be made to blend in with the most planning sensitive locations, or can be the latest in contemporary design.
Q. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO ERECT THE TIMBER FRAME HOUSE?
A. This obviously depends on the size of the property that you are building, but it will be substantially quicker than the same house built in traditional materials. One of the main advantages however is the short time it takes to achieve a wind and watertight structure, therefore allowing internal trades to continue working no matter what the British weather is pouring down on your site.

Finally, remember that there is little drying out time in the structure of your new home, meaning you can decorate immediately, and with correct house management, the risk of condensation is almost eliminated.
Q. WILL I HAVE TO PAY MORE INSURANCE ON MY TIMBER FRAMED HOUSE?
A. None of the top recognised insurance companies distinguish any difference between a Brick/ Block building and a Timber Frame building. See our useful links page for information on house and building site insurance.
Q. WILL A TIMBER FRAME HOUSE AFFECT MY MORTGAGE?
A. Building Societies make no differences between Timber Frame houses and Brick / Block houses. There are however specially designed mortgage products for anyone wishing to have an Individual Home built. Many mortgages even provide funds for land purchase, and allow you to stay in your existing home while your new home is being built.
Q. HOW LONG DOES A TIMBER FRAME HOUSE LAST FOR?
A. Both Brick / Block and Timber Frame houses are deemed as permanent structures and both are designed for and have the same life expectancy.
Q. WILL A TIMBER FRAME HOUSE BE HARDER TO SELL THAN A BRICK / BLOCK HOUSE?
A. On the contrary, the energy efficiency of a Timber Frame House is a valuable selling attribute
Q. DOES A TIMBER FRAME HOUSE HAVE THE SAME STRUCTURAL STRENGTH AS A BRICK / BLOCK HOUSE?
A. Yes. As all Lomond Timber Frames homes are manufactured under computerised, controlled factory conditions, from the Structural calculations and Design drawings, produced by our professional Structural Engineers to meet the building regulation requirements.
Q. WILL MY HOUSE HAVE A STRUCTURAL WARRANTY?
A. It can do. There are a number of bodies that provide a 10 year (or longer) structural warranty similar to that obtained when you buy a new home from a builder. You can also employ a registered builder (eg NHBC) to construct your new home for you and therefore benefit from their registration with the warranty supplier.