Some people might consider the differences between an oak frame and a brick home, and assume that the latter is more likely to keep the heat in winter, and indeed save on energy costs. After all, stone walls are known to hold warmth in colder environments, and keep cool in summer. But we’re here to explain how English Oak is just adept at doing this – and can actually save you money on your energy bills in the long run.

It all comes down to U-Values, also known as U-Factors. This measures how good an insulator a material is. You see, heat is lost in three main ways – conduction, convection and radiation, and a U-Value indicates how much heat is lost through a particular thickness of a a material, taking into account these three main ways. The lower the U-Value, the better insulation the material will offer.

And at English Oak Buildings, our Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs Panels) have an exceptionally low U-Value. We like to think we have a certain amount of expertise in this matter – after all, we’ve been making our own custom SIPS for over twelve year, longer than any other oak frame manufacturer in the UK.

So how can these SIPS save you money? The Structurally Insulated Panels are used on the external walls and rood panels, meaning the insulation is part of the actual structure, so less Thermal-Bridging is possible (this is where there is a break in the continuity of the insulation, such as junctions between walls and floors.)

In this way, timber frames have excellent performance in winter when it comes to retaining heat. Their low U-Value signifies brilliant insulation, and the reduction of Thermal Bridging means less heat is transferred and lost outside. In this way, your energy bills stay significantly lower over the course of, say, ten years. So not only does an English Oak Building look fabulous, but it could actually be better for your wallet!