Structural Vision

Ecotechomes is an award winning company with a reputation for innovative design & building at the highest level.

Timber Frame Homes

At Ecotechomes we have vast expertise in Timber Frame Construction, our experienced staff have personally been involved in the construction of over 4,500 Timber Frame Homes from both a Timber Frame and Full Build perspective which has given us significant experience, advantage and understanding of the complete build process which separates us as a company from our competitors.

We believe that constructing a Timber Frame House is a 3-part process – Design, Manufacture and lastly the On Site construction – once you realise and maintain the Engineering, Design, Quality of workmanship and materials through all 3 phases then we can confidently say that there is no better method of house construction available in Ireland today.

Environmentally friendly

In addition to the environmental benefits of timber as a construction material, the high thermal insulation means that living in a timber framed house also minimises the effects of burning fossil fuels and the ‘Greenhouse effect’.

Low weight

Lightweight construction requires less expensive foundations for a given building volume and enables larger buildings to be constructed on sites with poor ground conditions, eg brown field sites.

Not weather dependent

Rapid completion of structural or weatherproof shell enables the internal fitout to begin earlier, with less dependence on weather conditions. Site planning is therefore more predictable. A typical house can be made weather tight in less than 5 days.

Removes block work from the ‘critical path’

Factory prefabrication removes block laying from the critical path, so other trades can begin work on the building before the masonry leaf is completed.

Drying-out time

Reduced drying-out time for wet trades means internal finishing can be completed sooner with less risk of shrinkage cracks and subsequent expensive call backs.

Improved quality

CAD/CAM technology ensures factory quality is consistent and accurate. Each unit is an engineered solution and depends less on site skills, which provides finished homes with fewer defects and much improved consistency across the site.

Better Built Homes

Our experience, knowledge, attention to detail and a high quality finish are some of the many qualities which separate us as a company.

Self build or Turnkey project you will be assured that the same level of attention and professionalism is taken in our approach and our processes, with our quality and attention to detail ensuring we will achieve the energy efficient, quality built home you desire.

Using Offsite or Modern construction methods such as Timber Frame not only ensures better Engineering and Design but superior quality control on all inputs during the manufacturing process, such as materials and labour, with the manufacturing process within a controlled environment ie. not open to the elements and with the use of environmentally friendly products will go a long way to ensuring a superior quality home.

In terms of the exterior finish, a timber frame home will look no different to a home built by more traditional methods.

However, the similarities tend to end there. Timber frame offers a rapid build construction which will reduce your build time by at least 12 weeks compared to traditional build methods.

As we provide a highly insulated and airtight building fabric, manufactured under a strict quality controlled environment, you can be assured that the performance of your new home is achieved in reality and not just on paper.

Ecotech Homes supply and install High performance A rated and Passive Foundation Systems with Underfloor Heating, Supply & Fit of pre-manufactured Timber Frame Structure, including the External Wall panels, internal partitions and cut roof or roof trusses as required. Supply and fit of Insulation and Airtightness measures to Building Envelope to A Rated or Passive Standard. We also supply & fit felt and battens to roof, plasterboard and acoustic insulation both supplied only for fitting by others.

Other trades while not exhaustive are required for the following:

  • Block or brick work for your outer walls and
  • Slate or Tiles to the roof
  • Plumbing and electrical services
  • Windows and doors
  • Plastering Externally & Internally
  • Second Fix Joinery
  • Internal Finishes
As a Timber Frame Home usually consists of prefabricated wall and floor panels, lifting equipment usually in the form of a crane is usually required to install these prefabricated panels. Scaffolding will be required to be in place in advance of the delivery and fitting of a Timber Frame House.

Our Timber Frames Houses are highly insulated and air tight, achieving low U-Values (a u-value is a measure of thermal performance, with lower values being better). Timber Frame has excellent airtightness levels which eradicates drafts and further advances the thermal building envelope performance, allowing such elements as External walls and Windows to work at near 100 % of their designed efficiency. Field Studies have shown that Timber Frame insulation compares or correlates with their calculated U Values, while Partial Fill Cavity insulation used in Masonry Homes can be up to twice the calculated U Value.

Timber is a natural insulant, a Timber Frame Home will also minimise heat loss through thermal bridging, which can be problem in other forms of construction.

In addition, Timber Frame has a faster and more rapid thermal response than concrete, meaning a Timber Frame House will reach the occupants desired room temperatures faster than that of a Masonry House. In a Masonry House, it can take longer to heat, as the blocks themselves will need to be warm before the house can come up to the occupants desired room temperatures.Does timber frame allow for faster building?

Yes. It is widely reported that Timber Frame Homes can be built in about half the time to that of a masonry house. The speed of construction of the Timber Frame element of the house allows for a quicker weathering in time frame, as Timber Frame Construction is not as weather dependent as conventional building this will allow more trades-people to work on the house concurrently both internally and externally thus reducing the overall build time of the house. Finally, as Timber Frame Construction uses significantly less water in the construction process, the building will not take as long to dry out and so will be ready for decorating and completion sooner.

Yes, Timber Frame Houses are fully catered for and meet all fire standards and requirements under the current building regulations. For these reasons both Insurance and financial institutions do not differentiate between Timber Frame and masonry construction.

What is the life span of a Timber Frame House, will a Timber Frame home last?
Yes. A new Timber Frame Home will last as long and as well as any other form of new home construction. In this part of the world, softwood timber used in the manufacture of Timber Frame Homes has been used to build homes in the UK since as early as the nineteenth century and are still going strong, since then there has been great advances in building knowledge and technology improving and advancing the methods of Timber Frame Construction used today. Your Timber Frame Home will be there for generations to come to enjoy.

There are typically two leaf’s of construction shown on a house plan, the inner leaf and the outer leaf, Timber Frame is replacing the inner leaf with an Engineered and manufactured Timber Frame Panel Engineered, designed and manufactured specifically for the project, this is usually then insulated, Airtight and covered by plasterboard, the external leaf remains as Blockwork or brick as required and has no other function other than weathering and decoration.

No, as Timber Frame Construction only affects the internal leaf of the house it has no effect on the visual impact of the building, it does not have any planning implications and therefore would not require a change in planning or a new planning application.

As timber frame buildings incorporate all of the wall insulation in the wall structure itself, a 50mm cavity is all that is required. Masonry houses usually incorporate the insulation in the cavity, which would typically have a 100mm cavity. Therefore, some adjustment may be necessary. Our Sales team will be happy to discuss your plans with you to recommend a solution.

No. Typically, timber frame houses are clad in brick and look like any other house. But a range of materials are suitable, eg. Stone, block and render, or timber boarding.

Yes. Modern timber frame systems enjoy better acoustic insulation qualities than masonry and fully conform to, and exceed Building Regulation requirements.

Contact Us

Tell us about your project ideas or just say hello. Whether you’ve got a big idea or need some inspiration with a building project, we are here to create perfect buildings. From concept to creation, let us inspire you.

Contact Us: +353 (0)21 4630659 | kevin@ecotechomes.ie