Wooden frame housing is not new to the United States. It’s one of the oldest methods of building homes in the world, and using timber continues to be a trusted and beloved building material because of its abundance, durability, and beauty. What may come as a surprise is that improving technologies are making this stalwart of the construction industry even more popular. In addition to seeing a surge in the total number of single-family home completions within recent years, the share of wood-framed homes has steadily increased, as well. In 2022, the most recent year for which we have data, 94% of homes were timber framed compared to 90% in 2019.
To help explain the increasing demand for wooden frame homes, this blog post will explore the following:
· Why timber is a popular building material for sustainable construction.
· How timber can be used as a regenerative building material.
· The compatibility of timber construction with high-performance building methodologies.
· How Partel’s line of products have been designed to enhance timber frame construction.
· Real-world examples of how these products have been successfully used in the field.
The Role of Timber in Sustainable Construction
The growth in wood-frame construction is due to a variety of factors, including cost, availability, and builder familiarity, but there are additional reasons for choosing wood. Aesthetically speaking, wood is a warmer and softer material than either concrete or steel, and many residents feel that it creates a more inviting space as a result. Using wood can also be the more sustainable option because timber is a renewable resource when forest systems are properly managed, and timber is responsibly harvested.
An article recently published by Auri Mas of RMI in Passive House Accelerator magazine described the many ways that wood can be used within a larger context of sustainable land management. As Mas notes, “Harvest is not deforestation. Deforestation is the permanent change of forest land to another use.” Alternatively, responsible stewardship of forests can mean harvesting timber when appropriate, oftentimes to thin forests and make them more resilient to catastrophic forest fires. The proceeds from the sale of the timber can then be used to reinvest in the management of the forest, which helps provide the surrounding ecosystem with clearer air and cleaner water. Healthy forests also pull carbon from the atmosphere, where it is sequestered and stored as wood and in the soil.
Of course, materials choices are only part of the solution when it comes to sustainable construction. In addition to the upfront carbon costs of materials, there is also the issue of operational carbon, which concerns the level of emissions produced to heat, cool, and run the appliances in the home. Homes that are built using high-performance methodologies, like Passive House, dramatically cut down on the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling by using continuous insulation, airtight construction, thermal-bridge-free design, high-performance glazing, and ventilation systems with heat recovery. Abiding by these passive principles can reduce energy consumption to the point that all energy needs can be met by onsite and renewable energy sources.
Using sustainable materials (like wood) and extremely energy efficient methods of construction (like Passive House) results in the best of both worlds because they approach the problem of excessive carbon from both sides of the equation—the upfront or embodied carbon in the building and the operational carbon. Best of all, using both passive design and sustainable materials leads to homes that are clean, resilient, healthy, and extremely comfortable!
The Future of Wood Frame Houses in Energy-Efficient Construction
As building regulations tighten and the push for climate-conscious construction intensifies, the demand for high-performance building techniques and sustainable materials such as timber rises. As a result, high-performance wood frame homes are becoming increasingly popular, necessitating dependable components designed specifically for this construction method.
Partel meets this demand by offering a wide range of high-performance membranes and tapes, as well as comprehensive technical support to consumers, builders, and designers. Their unparalleled assistance ensures that customers of all backgrounds can address even the most complex requirements with confidence.
Partel’s Solutions: Tailored for Timber Frame Construction
Partel's air barrier system represents a comprehensive solution for improving building envelope performance. It combines specialized membranes, sealing tapes, high-strength adhesives, and innovative thermal bridge solutions to provide an integrated strategy to maximizing energy efficiency.
Partel has worked tirelessly to create membranes that work seamlessly with on-site or off-site timber construction. This includes well-known products like VARA PLUS, their cutting-edge vapor control layer; as well as their high-performance breather membrane, EXOPERM MONO 250 SA; and the IZOPERM PLUS membrane, a certified Passive House component with a wide range of applications.
