The goal of the Timber in Construction Roadmap (TCR) is to support a cultural shift in UK housebuilding, and the rationale behind it is clear.
Successive governments have agreed on 2050 as the target date by which the UK will transition to a net-zero carbon economy. While construction and buildings in use currently account for 25% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, the 2050 target can only be achieved if those emissions are cut. It’s increasingly recognised that using more timber in building projects is a principal route for achieving this.
Timber buildings’ carbon profile
Producing, transporting, handling and processing timber generate less carbon than doing the same with energy-intensive alternative building materials. The TCR states that using timber could cut the embodied carbon in a building by 20% to 50%.
Moreover, as they grow, trees sequester CO2, the main gas responsible for global warming, from the atmosphere. This carbon is then stored in timber building products throughout their lifetime. The TCR states that carbon storage in a timber-frame home is around 50% greater than in a masonry equivalent.
Wood’s natural energy performance
Timber is also a natural insulant, helping to deliver energy-efficient homes. The capacity of modern timber-frame construction to incorporate high levels of insulation builds on wood’s inherent properties.
Timber-based construction generates less waste than construction using other materials, and what is produced lends itself to reuse and recycling. The TCR says this ties in with the UK’s ambition to be not just a zero-carbon economy but a more circular, zero-waste one too.
Roadmap points to building better in timber
The TCR is not just about building with more timber. The focus is on building with timber better, faster and more efficiently. This ramping up of the timber building sector’s all-round performance needs research and development. It also demands innovation in supply chains, building approaches, strategies and products for timber construction.
Thermally fused overlay technology: the next-generation weather-resistant barrier
One such innovative product is the thermally fused, integrated weather-resistant barrier (WRB). It is a pre-applied, thermally fused overlay that provides all-round protection for wood-based panels used in timber-frame construction. It is designed to enhance the performance and durability of the finished structure while boosting construction productivity.
Promoting innovation in high-performance timber construction
The TCR says we need to encourage innovation in building practices within the construction sector and promote methods and materials that have the potential to increase efficiency and productivity. This is where thermally fused, integrated WRBs come in.
WRBs are a core element of timber-frame construction. Encasing the building envelope, they protect materials from the elements during the build process. Most are not just water resistant but also vapour permeable, allowing moisture build-up in the envelope to escape and preventing mould growth and potential rot. They also enhance building airtightness, boosting energy performance.
Factory barrier application ensures uniform protection
Thermally fused WRBs, such as Arctek® Dryshell™, are applied by board manufacturers to wood-based panels in their factories. The overlay is fused to the board under heat and pressure to create a uniform layer of protection before the board is delivered to the building site. Pre-protected boards can also be delivered to offsite manufacturing plants for rapid, efficient incorporation into building assemblies.
Integration supports timber build productivity
Thermally fused WRBs therefore do not add a further stage to the on-site build. They also deskill the WRB application process at a time when UK construction faces shortages of skilled labour.
The overlay is based on a proprietary resin formula that combines water resistance with vapour permeability, allowing moisture to escape and preventing interstitial condensation in the building envelope. It has also been proven to boost envelope airtightness, and panel joints need only be taped on site.
Thermally fused WRBs help meet roadmap requirements
Thermally fused WRBs tick the key TCR boxes. They are an innovative solution that can enhance the durability and quality of timber-frame construction. The efficient application process helps to drive timber-frame productivity at a time when, as the TCR stresses, the construction sector should focus on ramping up the output of low-carbon, wood-based homes.