Hale Construction

Source: Construction Digital

Date :18/02/2008 17:32:57

Set up in 1996, Hale Construction is a company that has won a number of contracts and secured a reputation for developing high quality buildings. Exec finds out more

Established in the 1990s to carry out general building projects, Hale Construction is a company that has progressed, taking on more significant contracts for local authorities, as well as private customers. Jonathan Hale, managing director and founder has also set up a sister company, Seven Oaks Joinery - located on the same site in Neath, Wales - which has helped to extend the company’s range of activities.

Hale Construction has won a number of prestigious awards for its efforts and workmanship and has been recognised by the Built in Quality awards, run by local authorities around the UK, with the company’s social housing complex in Oystermouth Road, Swansea, winning the Multiple Housing, Flats and Overall Category prize at the Built in Quality Awards in 2004. This is in addition to a number of other awards for projects around Neath.

The company is also qualified to perform sewer connections, which significantly increases the speed at which projects are completed, reducing the need to hire additional subcontractors to a development.

Seven Oaks Joinery was set up alongside Hale in order to manage not only its own timber requirements but market demand for timber frame houses and roofing. In December 2006, Gordon Brown set the UK construction industry the challenge of making all new homes carbon neutral by 2016.

Meeting market demands

Timber frame constructions will certainly help the industry to achieve these targets: not only are they more ecologically friendly during construction and their lifecycles, but they are also more environmentally friendly should the building ever be demolished. Thanks to the biodegradable qualities of timber, such constructions have numerous environmental benefits over their more traditional counterparts. With years of expertise in this sector, Seven Oaks is in a prime position to take advantage of increasing demands for timber frame going forward.

Seven Oaks Joinery’s timber frame houses have a number of benefits for both Hale Construction and its other customers. Not only are their timber frames quick and easy to construct on site, but they are also more energy efficient once they are built; these houses remain cool in the summer and retain heat in the winter, owing to the natural properties of the wood. Such houses also have excellent noise reduction qualities and by installing compartmental systems under hardwood flooring, Seven Oaks claims that noise levels can be reduced by up to 40 percent.

Timber frame constructions may be unusual in the UK, but they have been built almost as standard in Scandinavia for several years; 80 percent of homes in Sweden are made with timber frames. All of the wood used by Seven Oaks Joinery is sourced from coniferous forests in Scandinavia, North America or Britain. These are grown in managed environments, meaning that the forests are maintained responsibly, where trees are replaced once they have been felled.

Seven Oaks Joinery has accreditation from PEFC and the FSC in recognition of its products, which reassures customers that their products are all from managed sources and they are traceable.

The company is also a member of the Timber Frame Federation, which seeks to support its member companies. Working in collaboration with local governments and the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs the organisation seeks to offer advice and information to companies such as Seven Oaks, so that they are always able to offer the best service.

Low cost construction

The use of timber frames for construction actually helps to reduce build costs, not only because the frame can be manufactured off site, but because it is lower cost than other building materials, offering numerous advantages to builders and developers alike.

This would be another explanation for the boom in timber frame construction which is currently taking place in the UK. In 2006, according to the UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA), this method of construction grew faster than any other kind. This trend is expected to continue at least until 2009, especially in the social housing sector, on which Hale Construction is focused owing to cost and ease of use.

Seven Oaks’ engineers are also qualified to ensure that constructions are safe and designed to customer specification. Equipped with CAD technology, the company is able to help develop a project from the design stages. Not only that, but the company can help construct roofs in a range of dimensions, and use their expertise in more unusual projects from concept to completion. All stages in product development take place on one site too, which significantly helps efficiency and team working.

A specialist fleet of vehicles is also available to deliver Seven Oaks Joinery’s timber frames and roof trusses to customers, which means that they always deliver on time to any location.

Partnering for success

The company is also working with Gang-Nail in order to offer customers an engineered joist solution. Called Ecojoist, the system is made up of parallel stress graded timber flanges which are held together by steel webs and enables much faster construction than conventional methods. These are made to measure, and they can also be manufactured so that they are supported by a top chord. This innovative new development helps Seven Oaks Joinery to meet all of its customers’ needs and ensure that its products are as individual as their customers.

Seven Oaks Joinery and Hale Construction are uniquely positioned to take advantage of changes in legislation and a housing boom, which will supply increasing levels of business going forward. With experience and close relationships with suppliers and housing associations alike, Hale Construction and Seven Oaks Joinery look set for ongoing success.

Click here to read the corporate brochure on Hale Construction