Introduction -
homes constructed from timber
frames come in all shapes and sizes, and although obtaining a mortgage is now
a fairly straight forward procedure, some people are finding that there is a
reluctance from some insurance companies to provide insurance cover. This
seems rather out of line with the word from the Association of British
Insurance who state that “Insurance companies will generally draw no
distinction between a modern timber frame and brick and block construction in
their premium rate assessment, providing the external roof covering is also of
tiles, natural or mineral sales or concrete.” This may be the case, but it
seems that at the present moment, you still need to approach a specialist
insurer to obtain a quotation.
Timber Frame Home Insurance - once located, you should be able to obtain a
normal range of insurance perils, enough to satisfy the council for mortgage
lenders handbook but it is vital that you inform the insurance company as to
the exact materials used in construction, this will include the frame, walls
and roofing material. Possibly some insurance companies discriminate against
timber buildings as they have no way of distinguishing between an old style
timber construction, which of course was in the main constructed to now
outdated building regulations, if any at all, and may even have listed
building status) and a modern building constructed using modern methods of
construction or "MMC". The label " MMC" or modern method of construction
is being much touted and ironically timber is now being seen at the forefront
of modern building techniques. The government believes that the use of MMC
will play a big part in coming years and will be vital to its ability to
deliver the 200,000 extra homes that are required by 2016 to help create and
sustain communities. Modern timber buildings are leading the way helping to
meet this demand.
For many people, there is still a stigma about owing a property with a timber
frame, those with longer memories view timber as a material that was used in
the construction of poor quality prefabricated buildings. Structures that
contain timber within them are often viewed as inferior, however, the
prefabricated buildings that are being constructed now are a million miles
away from those made forty or fifty years ago and many are the last word in
style and elegance.
The use of timber in buildings fell in to disuse about 150 years ago but its
resurgence is due to a number of factors and modern timber buildings often
have a look and feel to them that you simply cannot obtain from a brick built
building. In essence and as its name implies, "timber frame" construction is a
method of building a house which relies on a timber frame as a basic means of
structural support. These "framed" buildings are often referred to in the
construction industry as ‘lightweight construction’ properties but this term
can be slightly misleading and is often off putting to would be purchasers,
like a human skeleton, a modern timber framed building is a precision
engineered structure that is noted for its strength and durability. Remember,
mother nature has seen to it that timber is a natural substance that can often
with stand the harshest conditions.
The Benefits of Timber Framed Houses - modern timber framed buildings
offer the following benefits:-
-
Manufacturers will engineer frames
with a great deal of accuracy and quality
-
Construction is faster & easier
-
Buildings will comply with current
building regulations
-
Buildings stand up well to the
perils of Fires & Floods
-
An environmentally friendly
building technique
Safety & Building Regulations - of course for many people, the fear of
fire is one of the major reasons that timbered framed houses are often
overlooked, the first thought when a timber framed house is mentioned is
often, " Timber" it will burn. Well yes timber does burn but other building
materials are also known to cause problems. In the event of a house fire,
bricks and stone can disintegrate, concrete in buildings such as tower blocks
can explode ( explosive spalling) and steel framed structures have been known
to buckle. It should be remembered that UK building regulations and
other fire safety regulations and amongst the most stringent in the world, all
new buildings in England and Wales are legally required to comply with the
Building Regulations People overlook the fact that it is the human element
that often leads to substantial fire damage claims made against insurance
companies. It is also a fact that most fatalities from house fires are not
caused by the burning of the structure but from inhalation of smoke from
burning household contents
Assetsure provide overseas property insurance and holiday home insurance for the
following countries:- Australia,
Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech,
Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy,
Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Morocco,
Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Ireland, Romania, Slovakia,
Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab
Emirates.
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Copyright Assetsure Limited 2007
Timber Frame Home Insurance