Lightweight timber framed construction is the most common construction system in Australia, for good reason. It's cost effective, easy to work with (it can be cut, drilled, nailed, screwed and glued), and both individual products and prefabricated components are readily available. Softwood (pine) timber products from sustainable, Australian plantation sources are a carbon positive building material - taking in carbon from the atmosphere while growing and storing it for the life of the building.

Timber wall frames are typically either 90 or 70mm deep with 35 or 45mm thick studs (depending on load and spacing) spaced at 450 or 600mm centres. Noggins (spacers) are inserted between studs to provide lateral support. Top and bottom plates are typically 90x45mm and can be doubled (in thickness) depending on the load or the spacing of the supporting floor members. Insulation is typically placed between the structural elements (e.g. studs, plates and noggins).

Timber framing in Australia is available in the following structural grades:

• F5 - base structural grade
• MGP10 - most common structural grade
• MGP12 - high strength grade
• MGP15 - ultra high strength grade

Machine Graded Pine (MGP) is the most common and reliable grading method, and denotes that each piece of timber is machine stressed and awarded a structural grade. At Hyne Timber, this data is recorded and kept on file for stringent third-party auditing.

Find out what components are used in a wall frame:

In Australia, termites are estimated by the CSIRO to cause more damage than fire and storms combined, yet home insurance doesn't cover termite damage.

Hyne Timber T2 Blue and T2 Red treated timber framing provide you with a 25 year guarantee against structural damage resulting from termite attack. In other words - peace of mind over the long-term. And as the leading brand of termite resistant framing, it's available from all the leading trade suppliers and retailers. Quality builders offer it as a standard inclusion.

The treatment formulation is safe (the active ingredient is most commonly found in food crops, headlice shampoo and certain lines of clothing), and it's proven itself over time, with a perfect record protecting over 300,000 Australian homes.

Do it right. Ask for T2 Blue.

The Building Code of Australia (BCA) requires wet area construction to protect the occupants from dangerous or unhealthy conditions and to protect the building from damage.

Acceptable construction for wet areas is detailed in the BCA and Australian Standard AS 3740-2004, 'Waterproofing of Wet Areas within Residential Buildings'. Excessive moisture found in damp, humid conditions or condensation and poor ventilation, can lead to:

• Growth of mould and mildew
• An unhealthy environment for occupants
• Deterioration in the appearance of the area
• Structural damage to framing

 
If things go wrong, you can end up with a leaking drain in one of your walls, which can damage the framing before you even notice the problem. In order to avoid structural damage caused by the growth of mould and mildew we recommend the use of T3 Green Plus as a framing material in and around bathrooms, kitchens, laundries and all other wet or humid areas in direct contact with water supply, pipes or drains.

Timber maintains structural integrity longer than steel in a fire event, which loses strength rapidly when exposed to extreme heat.

Where timber is used extensively in exterior applications and around the house, AS 3959-2009 - Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas, specifies categories of fire risk and defines compliance measures for each.

Fire rated plasterboard in varying thicknesses and configurations can be used to achieve the National Construction Code (NCC) required fire ratings for all Class 1 and 10 building applications. Manufacturers provide detailed instructions and explanations.

The design and construction of buildings, and other structures, is regulated by the National Construction Code (NCC), with typical details provided in AS 1684 - Residential timber-framed construction.

Lightweight timber framing can be used in structures up to 25m high as a Deemed to Satisfy solution, in Building Classes 2, 3 and 9.

AS 1684 is a four-part Standard covering design criteria, building practices, tie-downs, bracing and span tables for timber framing members.

• Part 1 - Design criteria
• Part 2 - Non-cyclonic areas
• Part 3 - Cyclonic areas
• Part 4 - Simplified - Non-cyclonic areas

Known within the building industry as the Timber Framing Code, AS 1684 provides important design provisions and building practices in order to determine the timber members, bracing and fixing requirements applicable to 1 - 3 storey residential timber-framed buildings. It is used by all sectors of the building industry, including builders, designers, carpenters and home renovators.

The NCC is free to download from the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) website.