Using timber frames in the construction of houses could help the building industry combat increasingly extreme weather in the UK, it has been claimed.

Scotframe, a company that manufactures timber frame kit homes and supplies kit packages for self-builders, said that using timber frames is one of the key requirements for a changing built environment.

According to the company, the key contribution of timber frame homes to the climate change challenge is the "remarkable thermal efficiency" they offer. Because they offer precision construction and excellent insulation qualities, they require far less fuel to heat and stay warmer longer once they are heated.

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Wood is also an organic material, creating none of the carbon footprint of energy-intensive brick and block manufacture. It is renewable and non-toxic and timber frame manufacturers source their raw material from sustainable forests.

The UK has been shaken recently by the severity and frequency of flooding and freak weather events and, as a result, the debate on the effects of climate change has been given added urgency.

Scotframe operates across the UK and Ireland from its bases in Inverurie near Aberdeen, Cumbernauld near Glasgow, and Hillsborough in Northern Ireland.

(NS/JM)