CLT houses – modern timber construction technology
Timber construction is developing dynamically and keeps adapting to the growing demands of the market. Ever higher thermal standards, the development of prefabrication and the modularisation of building processes influence how projects are designed and delivered. As a company with many years of experience, we follow these changes and consistently adapt our services so that we can build faster, more precisely and more efficiently.
Modern construction focuses on reducing costs and shortening build time. The biggest savings come from limiting the work done directly on site. Work carried out on a building site is always more expensive than producing elements in the controlled environment of a factory. Rising contractor costs further strengthen the need to optimise the process.
What is CLT technology?
CLT in plain words. CLT stands for cross laminated timber (in German: Brettsperrholz). These are ready-made, solid wall and floor elements in the form of panels, glued from layers of timber laid crosswise. Our wall is simply a monolith of glued timber – it can be compared to a thick, cross-glued board set upright as a wall. This arrangement gives the structure enormous strength and stability.
The answer to these challenges is CLT technology. It is a building system based on solid, cross-glued timber panels, most often made of dried spruce. Finished structural elements – walls, floors and roofs – are produced in a factory and then transported to the site as prefabricated components.
The most important advantage of this technology is that the elements arrive on site as almost finished structural components. Walls can be left in natural timber, painted, or finished with boards or wallpaper – depending on the investor's preferences.
Structure and finishing
CLT walls and floors are fully load-bearing. On the outside the building can have any finish, e.g.:
- insulation and render,
- insulation and timber cladding,
- other modern façade systems.
During production, channels for electrical and plumbing installations are milled into the CLT panels, which significantly speeds up further stages of work and limits interference with the structure on site.
Visual standards of CLT panels
Depending on the intended use of the elements, three quality standards are available:
- Structural quality – intended for elements that are not visible or are covered.
- Industrial quality – used in industrial buildings and halls, more rarely in residential interiors; allows a rougher surface appearance.
- Visual quality – intended for exposed surfaces, such as interior walls and ceilings in residential buildings.
Fast assembly and less finishing work
CLT houses can be assembled very quickly. Walls are delivered with openings cut out for windows and, on request, can be fitted with joinery already at the production stage. Once the walls, floor and roof are assembled, the building reaches shell condition in a short time.
Compared with timber-frame or masonry construction, CLT technology significantly reduces the scope of interior finishing work. Time-consuming processes such as plastering or fitting plasterboard are no longer needed, which shortens the schedule.
Benefits of building a CLT house
What an investor gains by choosing CLT technology:
- Fast construction – ready-made elements are assembled on site, and the technology is characterised by very fast delivery.
- Almost entirely dry work – no plastering, filling or skim coats, so no waiting for surfaces to dry.
- A warm house – thanks to wood-fibre insulation.
- Very stable structure – solid, cross-glued panels form a rigid, durable frame of the building.
- A wonderful timber atmosphere inside – walls can remain in natural wood.
- A wide range of interior finishes – from natural timber, through painting, to boards or wallpaper.
Who CLT is for
We build houses to an individual design, tailored to the client and their plot. We also offer design services, and we already have our own single-storey house design with an area of slightly over 100 m² in our offer.
Thanks to its speed of construction, CLT is also an excellent way to deliver public buildings.
Precise design – the key to success
For a house in CLT technology to go smoothly and without problems, a very accurate design is essential. All structural, installation and technological details must be settled at the pre-production stage. Prefabrication requires precision, but in return guarantees high build quality and repeatability of the elements.
Complete delivery
We provide full support for your project – from the design stage, through technical advice, to construction in open or closed shell condition. We support investors at every stage of the process, offering proven solutions tailored to individual needs.
Indicative price of a CLT house
The cost of building with CLT panels is at a similar level to timber-frame construction (for timber-frame buildings in closed shell condition we quote indicatively from PLN 5,600 net per m² of usable area), with a different building character and a different course of work on site.
When comparing offers, check exactly what the quoted price includes – the scope of work in offers from different companies varies greatly, so prices can differ significantly. We always prepare a specific quotation with a clearly defined scope of work and a proposed contract. The amounts given are indicative and non-binding.
Experience and projects
For years we have been building timber buildings in Poland and across Europe; our projects include an estate of 44 turnkey timber-frame houses in the buffer zone of the Słowiński National Park. For CLT technology we work with an Austrian panel manufacturer.
The next stage of our timber estate will be built in CLT technology – more at www.pomorskizakatek.pl.
How we work – step by step
- Conversation with the client. We always start by talking and listening to your expectations.
- Preliminary cost range. Based on our experience we give an indicative, non-binding cost range.
- Design. We put the client in touch with our designers, who turn their vision into a design.
- Specific quotation. We prepare a quotation with the scope of work and a proposed contract.
- Construction and handover. After acceptance we undertake the construction and lead the project to handover.
Contact us
Tell us about your project – we will gladly answer your questions and prepare a preliminary cost range. You can call, send an e-mail or fill in the form below.
Jakub Kawalec
tel. 603 896 127
e-mail: jakubkawalec@reed.pl
office: biuro@reed.pl
…or fill in the form:
