Timber frame is the fastest growing method of mainstream construction in the UK according to the latest market report from the UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA).
Last year saw a 17.9% increase in demand for timber frame units, including housing and commercial units. More than 42,000 were sold, giving timber frame manufacturers sales of nearly £425m.
The number of timber frame homes increased by 18%, more than twice the growth rate of other forms of building, and timber frame housing’s market share now stands at 17% – double that of 1998.
In Scotland, timber frame construction rose to 65.2% from 63% in 2003, while in England and Wales timber frame housing has reached double figures for the first time, with almost 11% of all homes in England now timber frame.
Greatest growth was seen in flats and multi-storey residential projects – the use of timber frame construction for housing over two storeys went up by 27% in 2004. And timber frame scored well in the social housing sector with market share rising from 40% in 2003 to nearly 55% in 2004.
But the UKTFA warns that a slowdown is inevitable during 2005 and 2006, although it believes house building will pick up again in 2007.
Bryan Woodley, chief executive of UKTFA, is convinced that timber frame will command 23% of the overall housing market by 2007 and that timbr frame housing starts will reach more than 52,500 units in the same year, virtually trebling market share since 1998.
