BUILDING A WOODEN HOUSE ON THE COSTA DEL SOL

[Ben100]

Hi, we are located on the Costa del Sol and are interested in purchasing a small plot of land and building a wooden house. Can anyone recommend a company that manufacturers and assembles wooden houses, and any recommendations for sites that sell plots of lands… Thanks very much.

[Ptt]

With respect I hope you will find an Insurer who will cover it for you so you feel relaxed when you are not there as the risk is greater in hot dry summers.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by Ptt. Reason: Google altered words

[Anonymous]

Every new house must conform to the Spanish building regulations: El Código Técnico de la Edificación (CTE) and should also comply with Eurocodes 1 & 5 (although Spain rarely bothers with this). There is no extra fire risk than any other mainstream method of construction as they all must meet the same EU fire regulations, and provided the building has structural calculations both site and building specific, insurance is not a problem. The main structure is an engineered timber frame package, highly insulated (floor/walls/roof) to prevent heat ingress in the summer and carbon emission in the winter. The exterior has a clear air cavity with one of dozens of timber or render cladding options that are available. See our budget homes at http://www.urbanmarque.com and information on general matters of building in Europe at: http://www.timberengineeringeurope.com

Hope this helps.

[86Gaviota]

Hello Ben100

Please be sure to check the CTE regulations for you’re aware of Termites that are in Spanish soil, rock etc. We are having this problem but have concrete garage first. Earthquake (not big — just shake seconds) last year probably open small cracks. They come in for card boxes and planks; make grey tunnels along edge the floor and wall on one side. Take care to check good.

[SurveySpain]

Be sure to check that you, or a buyer from you in the future, can get a mortgage. Some timber houses are treated as movable because they just rest on the foundations and are not built into them. A mortgage may only be available on the serviced land and foundation plinth. That’s also why insurance can be a problem. Insurers can be very conservative in Spain, taking years to accept anything new. Also, check the costs. At the end of the day, they may not be that different from a traditional house, like for like.

[Anonymous]

If a building is detailed correctly then it is almost impossible for termites to affect any type of building. Many householders invite woodboring insects and other insects such as Termite into their homes by providing meals for them. Stacking damp timbers on a veranda and storing already infested wood furniture in a loft are just two examples. Termites need tunnelling routes – remove them (better still don’t provide them in the first place) and the problem will not occur. With regard to earthquake, concrete is the worst possible material as it does not flex and is rarely mechanically joined, therefore fails fairly easily. Timber frame on the other hand is mechanically joined and will flex in quake conditions, returning to its original condition without severe damage. ERD (earthquake resistant design) should always be considered at design engineering stage in modern methods of construction.

[Author]

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