The latest statistics from the National House-Building Council should be encouraging news for the trussed rafter sector: in 2006 184,900 new homes were completed, up 8% on the 2005 figure of 171,040.
The not so good news is that the government’s commitment to increasing housing densities means the number of apartments is also increasing – from around 10% of total properties built in 1996 to closer to 47% today. Also, houses are being built on smaller footprints, which means smaller roofs and, again, fewer trusses.
But while these figures might sound alarm bells, the trussed rafter sector is doing well.
According to Alan Ritchie, sales and marketing director of Wolf Systems Ltd, 2006 was a good year for the timber engineering sector in both the UK and Ireland and the saving grace for trussed rafter manufacturers has been diversification.
“Many roof truss manufacturers expanded their businesses to include, most commonly, floor systems and, to a lesser degree, timber frame housing panel manufacture,” he said. “SIPs systems are seeing some interest from contractors, and forward-thinkers are holding a watching brief.”
And just because the housing market is changing, it doesn’t automatically mean bad news, said Mr Ritchie. According to the Trussed Rafter Association (TRA), room in the roof (RiR) trusses now account for a significant proportion of all trussed rafters produced.
“Attic trusses continue to grow in popularity and there seems little slowdown on the horizon,” said Mr Ritchie.
Mike Beale, deputy chairman of GangNail and former chairman of TRA agrees, pointed out that, while 47% of housing completions may be apartments, half of the remainder involve RiR trusses. “The reduction in numbers has been made up in the volume of timber in attic trusses,” he said.
He also sees no sign of the trend abating, especially because, as the price of land rises, builders want to optimise the best use of the plot – and their return.
And this leads Mr Beale onto the matter of price and his bugbear that trussed rafter manufacturers undersell their product. “The housing market is buoyant so why are they still giving the things away?” he said.
The trend for modern methods of construction, offsite manufacturing and faster construction methods has raised another threat to the truss market – panel roof systems. Wolf has responded to this by introducing its smartroof roof panel system (see p24), which trussed rafter manufacturers can offer alongside their more traditional trusses. Fundamental to these systems are spandrel panels for gable and party walls and it’s an opportunity that’s not been lost on truss manufacturers.
“Spandrel panels are becoming more popular, not only because of health and safety, but also as a cost-effective way to partition the attic spaces within terraced houses and blocks of flats,” said Palgrave Brown operations director Steve Pinner. “They also remove the need for skilled brick workers to return to site once the trusses have been lowered into place.”
Although SIPs are finding favour with some builders, especially in the social housing sector, Mr Beale believes that trussed rafters have the upper hand.
“SIPs are one solution for simple roofs, but trussed rafters can be so much more,” he said, adding that they offer more flexibility in design and provide interesting shapes and roof lines.
Also, trussed rafters can be easier to handle on site. “If it’s windy you can’t use a crane to put up SIPs but trussed rafters don’t fly around in the wind,” he said.
Wolf’s Alan Ritchie identifies another growth area in the supply of infill, such as around dormer windows.
One area that most agree has potential is the commercial sector. The TRA says that architectural preference for pitched roofs, the industry’s ability to produce long spans – “super trusses” spanning 20m or more – and the fact that they can be used on timber frame, masonry and steel framed buildings mean timber trusses are ideal for commercial projects.
“Historically, commercial builds such as hotels, nursing homes, multi-level blocks of flats, have tended to use a steelwork roofing system,” said Mr Pinner. “Timber didn’t get a look in as it was wrongly perceived as a non-viable solution for commercial building. There is a sea change happening as developers see the flexibility with timber roof systems. It’s a confidence issue and confidence is growing.”
He believes it is in the commercial sector that design and manufacturing developments will occur. “As confidence grows among commercial developers and as sustainability becomes a more prominent remit for all builds, timber is likely to increase 10-fold in popularity,” he said.
Scotts of Thrapston also identifies feature trusses as a growth area. “Architectural feature trusses can be used to form an outstanding centrepiece to make an aesthetically pleasing impact in new and existing buildings,” said marketing manager Julia Berrie. “They create an open and spacious feeling to a room and can be designed to suit the architectural character of the property.”
Also, with sustainability high on the construction industry’s agenda, timber trussed rafters have an edge on competing materials, and environmental certification will make that even more distinct. Environmental certification is not a requirement for TRA membership but, as more clients insist on it, it is something the industry “can’t afford not to do”, said Mr Beale.
Palgrave Brown also agrees. “We believe that PEFC and FSC will become a necessary requirement of all timber supplied,” said Mr Pinner.
All Palgrave Brown roof trusses are made from PEFC-certified timber, which also helps developers gain EcoHomes credits, he said.
