CHAPTER 2: AN INTRODUCTION TO AFFORDABLE STEEL-FRAME HOMES
For generations, timber/wood has been the traditional material used in the construction of buildings, especially residential dwellings. Wood is a relatively lightweight, durable, and adaptable material. It is also available worldwide, even in deforested regions. Fir, pine, and spruce are the most common forms of softwood timber used for joists, trusses, beams, and posts, and most commonly for entire timber frames, primarily because softwoods are some of the most abundant, fast-growing forms of wood available. A pine tree can be felled twenty years after planting, making it ideal as a sustainable material. However, timber does have disadvantages. You can buy it only in pre- determined lengths, and it takes time and a skilled carpenter to convert those lengths into all the necessary pieces that go into making up the frame, the structure of a building. Timber is also notorious for warping; a challenge that means the material has to season and dry out before it can be used. It can expand if it becomes damp, and it burns all too well if there is an accidental fire in the property. Once in place, the timber frame of a property has to be further adapted. Holes must be drilled to accommodate electrical cables, plumbing for sanitary installations, and ductwork for certain types of central heating—a time- consuming process. Building a timber frame for a property is labour-intensive and time-consuming, and therefore relatively costly.
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