High performance double-skin panels from timber frame manufacturer, Frame Wise, have been used in the design of a low-energy self-build project in the company’s home town of Presteigne, Powys.

Self-build clients, Richard and Hilary Rimington, employed local architect Don Reed to design a three-bedroom house with industry-beating thermal performance using sustainable materials procured, wherever possible, from local sources.

The house employs Frame Wise’s latest double-panel system for optimum thermal resistance. Launched 18 months ago, this new panel can deliver U-values of less than 0.1W/m²k, making it arguably the warmest open panel timber frame systems currently available.

"The object of this project was to deliver a house with fantastic U-values and air tightness with very green products" commented Frame Wise Managing Director, Simon Orrells.

"Due to the detailing of our panel system, we can achieve perfect air tightness results, exceeding the requirements of Part L of the Building Regulations", he added.

Frame Wise’s super-warm timber frame system is designed to reduce to a minimum the financial and environmental cost of heating a building. "With the benefit of good thermal values on the windows and a good ventilation system, the house should be virtually self-heating since the insulation in the timber frame will retain nearly all the heat generated within" explains Mr Orrells.

Despite the advanced timber-frame technology employed the house, which is located in a very secluded part of central Presteigne, is of a relatively traditional "Arts & Crafts" appearance.

To speed up construction and reduce costs, the external walls have no masonry cladding. Instead, the Frame Wise panels are finished with a render system applied to a metal mesh layer supported on timber counter-battens.

Also contributing to speed of construction is the use of Caberdek tongue-and-groove particleboard flooring from panel products manufacturer, Norbord. The moisture-resistant floor panels are fixed using Norbord’s new Sealfast polyurethane adhesive which does away with the need to nail or screw the floor to the supporting timber joists.

Each Caberdek board requires only three nails to support the joint temporarily while the Sealfast cures. Used also to bond the tongue-and-groove joints between boards, Sealfast ensures a durable, high quality, squeak-free floor.

Erection of the timber frame building was completed in less than three weeks. The Client hope to complete the project by Autumn 2009.

For further information, please call 01544 260125.