Timber frame’s sustainability credentials have been underlined by The UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA) in response to claims by a steel frame company that its products “protect the environment by reducing the demand for trees”.
UKTFA chief executive Bryan Woodley responded following an article in the Newcastle Journal featuring Steel Build UK, which expects to double its turnover to £1.5m this year.
The company’s director Cheryl Bilton was quoted as saying: “Steel framed homes are the future because they protect the environment by reducing the demand for trees. They’re safer because they’re fire resistant, they can withstand extreme weather conditions and they can last over 300 years.”
Mr Woodley said both timber and steel frame homes could claim excellent build credentials and were increasing their market share. But he said timber frame took a “very clear lead” when it came to environmental sustainability.
He said: “Timber frame housing in Europe doesn’t just save trees, it grows new ones, and the more we use, the more we plant. Every year Europe’s forest cover grows by an area the size of Cyprus, some 3,500 square miles.
“No other construction method can say the same about the sustainability of its raw materials.”
