Sidlaw Building and Joinery Services is a family run business specialising in bespoke one-off house builds, renovations, extensions and small to medium new build housing developments. They are a small team of highly experienced tradesmen, who in the past have built their own timber frames on site, purchasing individual roughing and finishing items separately from various suppliers.
As their business became increasingly busy when they started to build this development of 9 homes in Dundee, they called on Kirkwood Timber Frame to help. We had a chat with Site Manager, Roy McConnachie Junior, to find out more about this project...
Why did you choose Kirkwood to supply your timber frame package?
“We were interested in trying a pre-manufactured kit and Kirkwood Timber Frame got in touch at the right time. Ultimately, we chose them because the entire process was smooth, from obtaining a quote to discussing the specification.
“Having such good communication from the very beginning gave us confidence that Kirkwood Timber Frame would be easy to work with. Their quote was laid out well and we met with Debbi to discuss everything over a coffee, she was very knowledgeable and we got the feeling we would get a good service from them. We didn’t feel under pressure to buy straight away and were able to purchase the kits when we were ready."
What was it like working with Kirkwood Timber Frame?
“We noticed a real time saving in comparison to building the panels ourselves on site. It took 2 joiners just 10 weeks to erect 9 kits. If we were to make it on site from scratch it would have probably taken double the time!
“Receiving a delivery schedule ahead of time was really helpful as well. It is a tricky site to get into and very tight, so it was useful to know when we needed to organise a forklift for the delivery. Every delivery driver from Dyce Carriers was extremely helpful and the timber frame drawings were so detailed, we didn’t need to refer to the architect’s drawings at all when erecting the kits which made the whole process much easier.
“We had a last minute change of the plasterboard type and wanted to upgrade the kitchen and bathroom specification to use moisture resistant plasterboard. Steven from Kirkwood Timber Frame sorted it out straight away without any hassle. Nothing was ever too much trouble and it just got sorted right away.”
What did you like about our package, product and services?
Package
“We’re used to buying everything separately from different builders’ merchants, so it was great not to worry about that because Kirkwood Timber Frame delivered everything down to the Paslode Nails and wall ties - they even supplied shelves for inside the cupboards. That saved us so much time not having to run about sourcing material.”
Product
“We chose Kirkwood Timber Frame’s standard finishings and I have to say, they are of a very high standard. The best thing for us was the door sets. We used to buy everything separately and make the door frames ourselves, but something would always get lost, whether it was a hinge or a latch. Arriving on site with complete door sets ready to fit into the frames meant the smaller parts couldn’t go missing - it was easy and time saving.
“I was very impressed with the timber frame itself. The panels were always perfectly square, making life on site so much easier. I expected to have to knock the end stud out and remake a panel here and there but that wasn’t the case at all, even the internal partitions fitted neatly.”
Service
“From start to finish, everyone I spoke with couldn’t have been more helpful. If there is ever an issue, it only took one phone call to resolve and any required materials arrived within a couple of days. I’ve experienced other suppliers arguing for weeks, so it was very refreshing to work with Kirkwood Timber Frame - it made everything so much easier.”
What advice would you give to other home builders considering Kirkwood?
“100% go for it, they’re great at what they do! I think with Kirkwood Timber Frame being a close-knit team, it absolutely helps in getting a personal service and one point of contact. I would fully recommend them and will be choosing them for future projects. Our site has gone great, and I have no complaints at all.”