Timber frame鈥檚 share of the new build housing market dropped from 75% to 68% in Scotland during 2009

The statistics, compiled by the UK Timber Frame Association, show that timber frame鈥檚 share of the UK housing market dropped from 25.8% in 2008 to 24.4% in 2009.

Geoff Arnold, chairman of UKTFA, attributed the drop in market share to cost. He said: 鈥淭here has been a move to masonry recently because private housebuilders believe it can be cheaper than timber frame.鈥� He added that timber frame was competitive if speed of construction was factored in.

The UKTFA said it expected timber frame to recover its market share by 2012. Arnold said this would be driven by tougher building regulations on energy. 鈥淚f you talk to private housebuilders they say the only way to build higher performance building fabric is to use timber frame,鈥� he said.