4 Things you can do to prevent damage to your timber homes
If you’re looking at building a new timber-home, we’re sure that you have considered almost every single aspect that goes in to building your dream house.
Of course you already know about the advantages of building timber homes, they’re quicker to build, they offer improved sound insulation, improved thermal insulation, it’s a lot less harsher on the environment to produce and maintain, the list goes on. But on the flip side of that you have to have considered the things that can go wrong with timber homes. So to alleviate your fears we’re providing you with advice on how to prevent the top four things that can go awry with timber homes.
1. Termites
Did you know that Termites or White Ants cause more damage to timber homes than natural disasters? If you are looking at building a timber home, Termites are on of the scariest things that could do damage to your dream. Here are a few tips for managing termites around timber houses.
Have regular annual pest inspections.
Don’t leave untreated wood (like firewood) standing against the house.
Ensure that ventilation to the sub-floor isn’t blocked. This keeps the area dry and air flowing, which is less likely to attract termites.
Moist soil attracts termites, ensure drainage pipes from hot water systems, air conditioners, leaking taps etc are not dripping into the soil, fix all leaking pipes or water damage around the house promptly.
2. Dry Rot
Dry rot is a fungus that destroys wood, and can cause widespread structural damage in timber homes. Dry rot grows and thrives in conditions that are damp, humid and unventilated, and can travel through concrete and brick to find timber.
There is one simple tip that can help you prevent dry rot in wooden homes, and that’s waterproofing. This applies to all water prone areas of the house, including the bathroom, laundry, roof, kitchen, balcony and the windows and doors etc.
Making sure your home is well ventilated is also a vital concept. Timber homes need to be very well ventilated. Especially in the roof, and sub-floor. Additionally, make sure that wet areas are pretty well ventilated, with air being pushed outside, rather than up in to the roof.
3. Fire
While timber is a combustible material, in construction wooden homes have important insulating properties that allow it to burn in a slow and predictable way. These factors see timber that performs strongly against fire and gives you the ability to confidently create strong, durable, and fire resistant timber homes.
There are also a number of products on the market that are aimed at making timber fire retardant. However, the best advice we can give is make sure that you don’t skimp on quality when it comes to building a timber home.
4. Warping
Timber has proved to be a strong and durable material. If built well, timber-framed homes will last for hundreds of years. However, as timber gets wet and dries over the years through general living, it changes in size. When wet timber expands, and when dry it shrinks back down again. Similar to the way metal framed homes expand and shrink based on temperature. During this process of growing and shrinking, the joints that hold your home together are put to the test. If the nails and joints that keep everything together are too small or weak, the timber frame can be compromised.
To prevent this all you have to do is make sure that your home is being built with solid and strong joining materials, such as strong nails with wide heads.