TIMBER CONSTRUCTION

Modernbuild are specialists in timber homes, having built more than 25 in the Algarve over 15 years.

There is nothing more pleasing and relaxing than the natural ambience of a wooden home. Fast to build and highly cost-effective, a wooden home is assembled on-site from pre-prepared components designed to your specification.

The interior environment of a woden home is second-to-none. Neither hot in summer nor cold in winter, wood provides a balanced indoor climate that achieves substantial energy savings compared to conventional brick and concrete buildings. Wood’s ability to ‘breathe’ also provides optimum air moisture balance, preventing damp and mould for a healthy, comfortable home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How quickly can a wooden house be built?
A: On average 60% faster than traditional construction – a very significant saving on labour-costs.

Q: Do you offer more than just standard models, i.e. can they be personalised?
A: Yes! We build bespoke timber homes, tailored to your needs and specifications.

Q: Does a wooden house require much maintenance?
A: Depending on exposure to sun, a typical house needs to be treated every 3-5 years, much as most homes require painting. This is economical and gives enduring benefits: with appropriate maintenance a wooden house can last indefinitely. Many centuries-old wooden buildings are still standing – and they did not have the benefit of today’s specially-treated wood.

Q: Do you use ecologically produced wood?
A: Yes, the wood comes from controlled forests. We use environmentally-certified wood suppliers (Certificate ISO 140001 / Environmental Management System) which plant two new trees for every one felled.

Q: What kind of wood do you use?
A: Mostly spruce, from the forests of northern Sweden and Finland. These trees grow slowly in the cold climate, making their wood very dense and resistant.

Q: Can other materials be incorporated in a wooden house?
A: Yes. Internal walls can be fitted with plasterboard, stone or tiles, to look exactly the same as a conventionally-built home. If wooden floors are not to your taste, they can be of stone, tiles or cork.

Q: Is it a problem fixing kitchen units etc. onto plasterboards?
A: No. We use fibre-reinforced plasterboard which can take radiators, cupboards and shelves without special screws or reinforcement. This is also resistant to flame, splashes and knocks.

Q:What about the risk of fire?
A: Surprisingly, in comparison with traditional building materials, wood behaves much better in fire. Concrete, for example, will crack and collapse under extreme heat. With wood, the charcoal generated by combustion forms a natural insulating layer during a fire, which protects the wood from becoming even hotter, and its load-bearing capability is almost fully retained.

Q: Is it true that wooden homes are more healthy to live in?
A: Definitely! Because wood ‘breathes’, it allows a continuous flow of fresh air through its pores, preventing humidity and mould. Far less dust is also produced, so that those suffering from asthma and other respiratory problems feel a real benefit living in a wooden home.

Q: Can you provide a price from my existing architect’s plans?
A: Yes, we can provide a budget cost or fixed-price quotation.