Identifying timber frame construction

[MrDuck]

I am looking at purchasing a 1980s terraced property but would prefer that it was brick and block construction, not timber frame.

Please can someone suggest the key points that I should use to tell the difference. I suppose that taking a power socket out would be one way, but it's a bit drastic!

 

[^woody^]

Read the EPC

 

[alexjgoldie]

Would this not be visible from the outside?
Also try tapping the interior walls, you should be able to tell the difference between a solid wall and a stud wall.

 

[MrDuck]

EPC is unhelpful as merely states 'Cavity wall - insulated (assumed)'.
Tapping walls can be misleading as many properties have plasterboard dabbed into block work (to save rendering/plastering) and sound variously hollow and solid.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Yes tapping walls is potentially floored here, shimmy up into the loft and have a looksee at the top of the cavity.

 

[wessex101]

Look in places that would not normally be drylined if brick/block like loft, cupboard under stairs etc.

Another way although not fool proof is you normally get a larger gap between the windows and external brickwork especially under the sill as the windows were fixed to the timber framing so you were supposed to allow for movement between window and brickwork.

Or if you've got a stud detector it should pick up the studs in the timber framing whereas drylining on blockwork would probably be dot and dab.

 

[jeds]

Tap the plaster walls. Timber frame will give you regular horizontal distance between studs and even when tapping on studs will still sound slightly hollow. Dot and dab will give you irregular patches of solid and the patches will be very solid - not hollow at all.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

But it's not foolproof.

 

[^woody^]

Why would you think that a 1980's terrace would be timber frame in the first place?

I normally take a jar of termites, and see if they get excited when moved towards a wall.

 

[tomfe]

Read the EPC

This made me laugh so hard. As it if you would trust an energy assessor, most can bearly do their shoes up.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

As it if you would trust an energy assessor, most can bearly do their shoes up.

Agree, though lets not forget they may only get £40 for doing it including visiting the property even though the estate agent will charge £100 or therabouts so you can hardy expect them to note down any more than what a cursory glance round will reveal.

 

[tomfe]

Most panels are down to £25 for an EPC, no idea how these people can afford to do them for that.

 

[jeds]

Most panels are down to £25 for an EPC, no idea how these people can afford to do them for that.

That's exactly the reason why I don't do valuations. Client pays five hundred quid for valuation, panel surveyor gets eighty quid, bank/building society steals £420 for stapling a couple of pieces of paper together.

 

[stuart45]

EPC is unhelpful as merely states 'Cavity wall - insulated (assumed)'.

Cavity wall means masonry on an EPC.
There are a number of ways to help decide on the wall construction. Timber framed houses are more likely to have weep vents at DPC level.
Walls sound hollow but over the frames may sound solid because the boards are fixed to timber lintels.
Look in roof space at gable or party walls. Party walls should have double thickness of plasterboard for fireproofing.
An 80's house is less likely to be timber frame, although there were some built.

 

[phatboy]

Looking at my parents 70's built timber frame house, the external walls are a lot thinner than a blockwork house. The inside window boards are only about 2.5" deep, and less on the outside.

Also in the loft the partition to the next house is plasterboard.