Is building in timber more expensive than building in brick? We get that question a lot. So we worked it out with a real bill of quantities: two semi-detached homes of 250 m² each, calculated once as a traditional build and once as a Carpentier timber frame home. The result: for the shell and making the building wind- and watertight, you end up with the same budget. The difference is time. Where a traditional build takes months, your timber frame home is wind- and watertight within a few days.
The comparison is not about a cheap build, but a smart one. The foundations, drainage, roof covering and windows stay the same. What changes is everything in between: instead of masonry, hollow-core floor slabs and ring beams, we install prefabricated timber frame walls, floor and roof elements that we prepare in our own workshop. That removes costs elsewhere too: no tower crane for months, less scaffolding hire, no cavity insulation and lighter foundations.
From foundations to wind- and watertight: count on around 20 weeks for a traditional build, and a few days with timber frame construction from Carpentier. Read more about the differences in timber frame construction versus traditional building methods.
Our timber frame walls are cut to size, insulated with cellulose and finished airtight in our own workshop in Tielt. On your site, the elements fit together perfectly. That means fewer mistakes on site, less dependence on the weather and a wind- and watertight structure within a few days. Finishing can start straight away.
Time is money, especially when you invest. A home that is ready months earlier generates rent months earlier and costs less in construction interest. In our calculation, that adds up to around €9,000 to €20,000 per home.
We finish the façade with black softwood cladding, invisibly fixed with our QuickClip system. Clean, low-maintenance and full of character. Because we can already fit the cladding in the workshop, you need less scaffolding on site. Prefer a different look? Our range offers plenty of wood species and profiles.
A timber frame home is naturally very airtight and has few thermal bridges. You notice it in your energy bill and in your comfort. What is more, timber stores CO₂ instead of emitting it. In our comparison, the building materials of a timber frame home cause around 27,500 kg less CO₂ than the same home in masonry. That is around 70% less, or more than 110 kg of CO₂ per m². On top of that, around 25,000 kg of CO₂ stays stored in the timber and cellulose for as long as the home stands.
From 2030, the climate impact over the full life cycle will have to be calculated for every new home in Flanders. With a timber frame home, you are already well placed today.
Indicative calculation of the production of building materials for the shell and weathertight stage, based on two semi-detached homes of 250 m² each.
Our timber frame walls are fully circular. We screw and staple the elements together, we do not glue them. Timber, cellulose and boards remain reusable or recyclable, and a home can later be adapted, extended or even dismantled without demolition waste. That gives your home a better residual value.
This will soon become visible. With the material passport, the climate impact of every new home will be there in black and white. Today everyone knows that a poor energy performance certificate pulls down the sale value of a home. We expect a favourable material passport to soon work the other way: building circular today strengthens your position when you sell tomorrow.
