A wooden house is comfortable and environmentally friendly housing, good rest and health benefits. Wood promotes rapid oxygen exchange up to 30% per day and fills the room with a pleasant forest aroma, which provides a favorable and comfortable atmosphere. A wooden house is always warm and calm, because wood has high heat and sound insulation properties.
For construction wooden house It is important to choose the right materials. Today the market offers a lot various options, the most popular of which are timber or logs. Both materials are suitable for constructing comfortable, safe and durable housing.
They are environmentally friendly and attractive in appearance, easy to install and quick installation. It is comfortable to be in rooms made of natural wood and easy to breathe. In addition, wood has a positive effect on a person’s well-being and sleep. Let's figure out which material the house is made of is better, warmer and cheaper.
Houses made of timber
The timber has a rectangular or square section. Houses made of timber are modern buildings of the European type. Today there are three types of timber. Economical and simple option - unplaned timber. The material is characterized by sloppy and loose seams during installation, which will negatively affect the thermal insulation and aesthetic qualities of the structure. However, unplaned timber will be cheaper than other materials. In addition, this is the most environmentally friendly and safe type of timber due to minimal technical processing.
Glued laminated timber is an expensive material that takes a long time to manufacture and process. The result is a luxurious home with minimal shrinkage. Glued laminated timber is durable; over time it does not rot or crack, like others wooden materials. This room will be warmer and more comfortable. The products fit perfectly together, which simplifies and speeds up installation.
However, glued laminated timber costs 3-4 times more than regular timber. In addition, in the manufacture of such material, toxic glue is used, which violates the environmental friendliness of the structure.
Most owners prefer profiled timber from all types of this category of materials. After all, this is an environmentally friendly and safe material without harmful toxic additives best ratio price-quality. Profiled products fit tightly to each other and provide good heat and sound insulation. However, when the wood dries, cracks form.
Profiled timber or rounded logs are the most popular in their category, which are used for the construction of a wooden country house. Therefore, we will consider these types in more detail.
Advantages of profiled timber
- Environmental friendliness and naturalness of the material;
- Easy and quick installation of the log house, in which even the openings do not require modification;
- The even, smooth and finished surface of the log house does not require additional finishing;
- Aesthetic and attractive house in a modern style;
- The rigid structure of the house with a tight fit gives minimal shrinkage of up to 3.5-4%;
- The dense masonry of the products does not create cracks or gaps, which increases the thermal insulation qualities and resistance of the house to moisture;
- Minimum amount of waste during construction;
- Long service life;
- Collects less dust than a log house;
- Cost-effective, since construction requires 40% less profiled timber than rounded logs;
- Favorable indoor microclimate and rapid air exchange;
- The light weight of the structure does not require a deep, expensive foundation.
Disadvantages of profiled timber
- Needs processing protective equipment from ultraviolet radiation and fire, insects and excess moisture;
- When shrinking and drying, cracks appear, and the timber cracks on each side;
- It is better to install a house made of timber at low temperatures and from fresh material. This will reduce the number of cracks;
- Long-term shrinkage 3-12 months;
- After shrinkage, it requires re-caulking of the walls.
Log houses
The logs have about round shape and continue the traditions of Russian construction. There are two main types of material. Chopped log is distinguished by its high cost due to the labor-intensive and complex manufacturing process. Manual cutting ensures gentle processing of the log and allows you to preserve the top protective layer tree. This enhances the tree’s protection from insects, moisture, ultraviolet radiation and other negative manifestations of the external environment.
Chopped logs crack less and absorb moisture less than other types of products. But at the same time the materials have different diameters and an uneven surface, which complicates the assembly and installation of the log house. Moreover, it is difficult to achieve perfect appearance buildings.
Rounded logs are in great demand, as they are cheaper and warmer than chopped logs. The materials have the same diameters and a flat surface, which allows the products to be placed closely. As a result, the walls in the house are smooth and without cracks. Logs of the same shape and size speed up and simplify installation.
But keep in mind that such products are subjected to mechanical processing, during which the top protective layer of wood is removed. Therefore, after rounding, the material requires more careful protection using special means. As a rule, during manufacturing, craftsmen already treat the logs with fire retardants and antiseptics, and then repeat the treatment again after installation and shrinkage of the log house.
Advantages of rounded logs
- Environmentally friendly and natural materials;
- Efficiency of construction, because installation log house will take from 3-5 days to three weeks depending on the complexity of the project;
- Easy installation does not require additional qualifications, special knowledge and skills of builders;
- Luxurious appearance and cozy interior will make the house refined and noble. A log house will harmoniously fit into the landscape and stand out against the background of other buildings;
- The light weight of the structure does not require a deep, expensive foundation;
- The unique texture of each tree will make your house or bathhouse original;
- Does not require additional processing and is completely ready for construction, which saves time and money;
- The log is easy to process, which allows you to create interesting designs. For example, a house with a bay window (part of the building protruding beyond the facade) or a veranda in the shape of a rotunda (hexagon). We can find many interesting projects of houses and bathhouses made of rounded logs in the catalog of the construction company “MariSrub” at the link http://marisrub.ru/proekts/all-proekts;
- Same diameters and sizes perfect shape logs provide a smooth surface of walls and ceilings, strength, hardness and durability of the structure;
- High heat and sound insulation;
- If the log house is caulked correctly, a repeat procedure will not be required;
- When cracking occurs, cracks form only on one side, and not along all;
- Favorable microclimate and rapid air exchange indoors;
- Installation is possible at any time of the year.
Disadvantages of rounded logs
- Requires maintenance using fire retardants and antiseptics every 5-10 years, depending on the quality of the protective equipment. You can find out what products are needed to protect wood;
- Cracks also form on a rounded log, but only on one side, and not on each side, like a timber. To avoid new cracks in logs, it is important to perform high-quality caulking and sealing. In addition, today logs are made with a special compensation cut, which ensures uniform drying inside and out.
- Uniform drying and prevents the appearance and growth of cracks;
- Long and severe shrinkage, which lasts from six months to one and a half years and amounts to 7-12%.
Comparative characteristics of logs and timber
| Criteria | ||
| Appearance | Neat European-style house with attractive appearance | Looks attractive and natural, blends harmoniously into the surrounding environment |
| Finishing | Requires mandatory exterior finishing to avoid cracking of the material; light interior decoration | Does not require mandatory finishing; if desired, you can use wooden finishing materials. which will further protect the wood, improve aesthetic qualities and remain environmentally friendly |
| Material shrinkage | Occurs 0.5-1.5 years and accounts for 7-12% | Occurs faster and more evenly over 3-12 months by 3.2-4.5% |
| Caulking and wall insulation | Requires additional re-caulking | At quality work no re-caulking required |
| Thermal quality |
Tall, both houses are suitable for year-round use | |
| Durability | With proper care, wood will last 80-100 years. | |
How to choose quality materials
It is impossible to say for sure which material is better, timber or logs. A log house is more harmonious and aesthetically pleasing. It does not require additional caulking and decorative finishing inside or outside. In addition, logs are cheaper. For a house made of timber, finishing the facade is important, otherwise cracks will appear.
Both buildings are made of wood, so they are environmentally friendly and safe. In this case, the materials require treatment with antiseptics and other protective agents to avoid mold and rot, cracking and other negative factors.
The semi-circular shape of the logs gives the structure an unusual and sophisticated look. Therefore, many owners suburban areas They choose houses made from rounded logs. When choosing, be sure to pay attention to the quality and production technology of materials. Careful selection of wood and compliance with GOST standards when making logs is a guarantee of the reliability and durability of the house. It is better if the raw materials are prepared in winter, since winter forest more stable and strong.
MariSrub craftsmen will reliably and quickly build a house from rounded logs. Lumber is made from northern forest pine using high-tech equipment in our own workshop. Own production and careful control over each stage of production guarantees high quality products.
Due to special processing cut layer of logs are protected for a long time from negative impact environment. Storage, transportation, loading and unloading of materials is carried out in accordance with the rules for transporting timber and long cargo. Compliance with these rules prevents damage and contamination of the surface of materials.
The MariSrub company builds turnkey wooden houses and will perform a full range of works, which includes the production of finishing and building materials, construction of the foundation and roof, installation of the log house and finishing, holding engineering systems. We offer construction according to standard and individual projects!
Traditional wooden house construction is being revived in Russia. Wooden houses are increasingly appearing in the suburbs, cottage villages, in suburban areas.
The uniqueness of natural building material lies in its beauty, comfort, and convenience.
Basic materials – wooden log(in all varieties), regular, profiled, laminated veneer lumber. Which of these materials is better – logs or timber?
The choice of material for constructing a wooden house must be approached very responsibly, well understanding all the advantages and disadvantages of various timber products.
This choice also depends on financial capabilities, qualifications of builders, area of the house, and the chosen project.
Log houses
Main advantages of logs natural drying are obvious:
- significant size (speed up the construction process);
- environmental friendliness of natural material;
- low thermal conductivity;
- durability (houses are known to be three hundred years old);
- aesthetics (used in Russian traditional architecture).
Of these features, the most important is the structure of a naturally dried log, which determines the wood’s ability to breathe and, due to the elasticity of the annual rings, to withstand stress and temperature changes.
The disadvantages of the material include the high demands of the technology when choosing suitable trees, time of felling (winter logs are considered the best), drying conditions.
You need to really trust the specialists who choose the log for you: it is impossible for an amateur to visually determine its quality.
Poorly dried, low-quality logs after construction can behave unpredictably: warp, dry out, and bend. Because of this, a wooden house can become deformed, even to the point of destruction.
The significant weight of the log compared to other timber is also important - for large-scale buildings it requires a reinforced foundation and additional costs.
Finding qualified specialists can also cause difficulties - there are very few of them; it takes several years to learn how to cut a house yourself.
Ways to cut a log house log house there are several dozen. The number of specialists who know all the ancient Russian methods of cutting corners (the main difficulty lies in them) can be listed on one hand.
The most famous are cutting corners “into a bowl”, “into a paw”. The visible difference between houses built “into a bowl” is the protruding ends of the logs in the corners. They lead to increased wood consumption, but provide good protection from the cold in the corners, the most vulnerable places of the house. Corner joints are assembled by placing logs in semi-cylindrical grooves.
A common type of such log house has become the “Norwegian bowl” cut. Its difference from traditional log house– in processing logs on both sides.
Flat surfaces fall on the inner, outside walls. For the connection, a “Norwegian lock” is used - a wedge-shaped groove.
The “Canadian bowl” in a round log is a regular trapezoid.
Thin grooves are cut along the entire length of the log, and the same tenon is cut on the opposite side, which create a tight connection when laying the logs.
Logging in the “paw” is less common due to its difficulty, requiring more qualifications. The end of a log, processed into five edges, is called a paw.
For such a log house, logs of the same thickness are required; cutting is more labor-intensive.
The advantage of this method is that it saves wood. Cutting "in the paw" is used for small log houses. The disadvantage of this method is cold corners that require insulation internal lining corners with boards.
A rounded log differs from a regular log in its factory processing. Often a calibrated (selected by diameter) log is mistakenly called rounded.
Factory processing comes down to milling the log along its entire length, similar to processing on a lathe. Rounded logs are equal in size, which increases the speed of construction and gives the house an aesthetic appearance.
Log houses made of rounded logs are more susceptible to shrinkage. There is no confidence in the factory drying of the log, so after assembling the house, it is recommended to preserve it for several months.
All log houses need caulking between the logs - heat escapes into the cracks between the logs and moisture accumulates in them. Building codes limit the use of rounded logs for interfloor floors along the length.
Houses made of timber
Log houses made from ordinary sawn timber, when processed at the factory, acquire standardized dimensions and correct geometry.
Inexpensive material is economically beneficial, the house is quickly assembled. The assembly kit is equipped with marked parts for all designs, which makes installation easier.
The disadvantage of all timber structures is drying and shrinkage of the material. Ordinary timber is also produced unplaned, which increases the volume of finishing work.
Sawn timber requires additional antibacterial and fire protection treatment. Log houses made of sawn timber must be caulked.
The profiled timber in the horizontal plane and corners is equipped with tenons, grooves, corner locks, and other connections made in the factory with high precision. This greatly increases the speed of installation, minimizes gaps, and increases thermal insulation.
The wood is impregnated with antiseptics at the factory, but additional processing will not be superfluous. Smooth surface wood can be used without additional finishing work.
The disadvantages of the material are increased cost and the ability to crack.
The design of laminated veneer lumber is similar to profiled timber. The most expensive material is distinguished by the method of factory production: it is glued together from bars under temperature and pressure.
Glued laminated timber is resistant to shrinkage, does not deform, and does not rot. Finishing The process of making a log house comes down to grinding all surfaces.
The lack of material, except high price, environmental friendliness is considered reduced due to the use of glue.
During the production of any timber, the natural structure and density of wood decreases. When sawing, the inner, looser layers are exposed. Dense outer wood is removed during processing. The home's ability to naturally ventilate is deteriorating.
Many experts consider timber structures to be less durable and colder compared to log houses.
Video about choosing the right log
- EITHER THIS OR THAT -
What to choose a wooden house made of logs, beams or frame - the best wooden houses, pros and cons.
Wood always remains the most popular building material due to its good technological properties and, of course, unique natural beauty. And with the help of the latest construction technologies, wooden houses of any kind can be built today architectural forms and style, including traditional classics or even futuristic hi-tech. With all this diversity, all wooden houses fit equally harmoniously into the natural landscape and into the atmosphere of our metropolis.
How about them?
In America and Europe, wooden houses do not lose their leading positions in housing construction, and multi-story high-rise wooden houses are increasingly being the subject of various studies, as well as tests, during which it has been proven more than once that wooden buildings are competitive.
In recent years, when wooden construction is experiencing its revival, one of the latest trends wooden housing construction is the construction of high-rise multi-storey wooden buildings. Multi-storey high-rise wooden buildings have justified themselves for the construction and modeling of any structure. Also, multi-storey wooden houses are not inferior to their counterparts made from other building materials in terms of sound insulation.
This is possible - new trends in high-rise wooden housing construction.
Swedish specialists at own experience It was possible to prove that multi-storey wooden houses are generally cheaper than their brick, concrete or stone counterparts. In Stockholm, they designed and built an eight-story wooden residential building, whose height is 26 m and which is one of the tallest buildings made entirely of wood. The height of the house is 26 m. The house was built to order from a company that studied the feasibility, environmental friendliness and profitability wood construction in the conditions of a modern metropolis.
The wooden structure of the house is made up of a modular frame made of solid wood - cedar. The facade of the building is made of untreated cedar wood. She is famous for these excellent characteristics, as high resistance to damage by various insects and resistance to rotting. The cedar in this building was also used for interior decoration premises.
Cedar wood can change color over time under the influence of various weather conditions, sun, rain. It gradually acquires a silver-gray tint. Such a wooden house made of cedar wood does not need additional care, there is no need to paint it or carry out labor-intensive finishing work on it.
After some time, the house itself will look even nicer and better.
In Finland, according to a program to promote wooden construction, multi-storey wooden houses are being built in cities. And so far the reviews of the residents inhabiting these wooden houses are extremely positive.
Considering such positive experience of different European countries, the Wooden Europe program was introduced in the European Union. This program provides that the percentage occupied by wooden houses in the total housing stock should be 80% by 2020.
It must be emphasized that a number of European countries are already close to this percentage. In Finland, wooden houses occupy 40% of the total housing stock, Germany shows the result at 20%, Austria - 30%. New trends in wooden housing construction also cover the sphere of construction of public buildings.
In Europe, new technologies are constantly being developed that make it possible to build high-tech high-rise wooden houses. Modern developments in the field of wood construction technologies provide new opportunities to significantly optimize and reduce construction costs, as well as significantly reduce the overall construction cycle.
Among other things, wood itself has many quality advantages that are superior to other building materials. One of the most current benefits in our age of climate disasters, this is undoubtedly the high seismic resistance of a wooden structure.
According to experts, wood bends under impact loads and then returns to its original position due to such qualities as flexibility and high elasticity, unlike reinforced concrete structures, which can collapse immediately if there are shocks in the earth’s crust.
According to research results, wooden houses and the widespread use of wood in mass construction can influence the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. One average-sized wooden house can absorb 40 tons of carbon dioxide, which is equal to the amount of emissions from a car that is actively used for 20 years by one family.
Construction wooden cottages has long been in fashion everywhere. and is gaining more and more momentum. For Slavic countries, country and country residential wooden houses remain in great demand and are increasingly gaining momentum.
Which house is better - made of logs, timber or frame?
House made of wood - logs, beams or frame? Which one is cheaper? These questions plague all private home developers. Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to these questions for the reason - different options in different price segments.
What may influence the choice of material is the seasonality of residence in the future home and the region of construction. The best houses made of wood, there will be those that are most suitable for you both according to the season and depending on the region of residence and operating conditions, and of course, your preference and budget.
House for permanent or seasonal residence in middle lane Russia. If we consider wooden houses for permanent residence in regions with traditional Russian winters and temperature changes, then there are quite a lot of options to choose from: a house made of logs, timber or frame.
The main difference between the technologies for building houses for permanent and seasonal residence is the level of thermal insulation. In wooden houses for permanent residence, a high level of thermal insulation is achieved by the thickness of the walls of the enclosing structures, the installation of an insulated floor and roof with the exception of cold bridges. If you prefer pure wood, then a house made of logs or timber.
A house made of logs - a durable, warm and beautiful log house - isn't this happiness?
Traditional in Russia, but more labor-intensive method erection of wooden country houses- construction of a house from logs. The log house is valued precisely because the log always “breathes.” But so that the dwelling does not resemble a windswept hut made of brushwood, the diameter of the log for the latitude of Moscow and the Moscow region must be at least 250 mm.
Such houses must undergo a period of shrinkage before finishing and installing windows and doors; caulking of seams is mandatory. Preparing and joining logs, notching corners in this option requires a certain carpentry professionalism; in terms of the cost of construction, such houses will be one of the most expensive houses from the listed options.
Wall deformations during settlement are permanent.
A house made of chopped or rounded logs should dry out gradually. In general, as the moisture content of the wood decreases, it will shrink over the course of 7–8 years, which can amount to 10–12 cm. Finishing of the premises can only be done in the second year after the construction of the house. Then the heating is turned on, and during the first heating season the temperature is maintained at no higher than 10°C. In this case, the wood will dry slowly, and settlement will occur more evenly, without serious deformations.
The first year of standing the frame of a log house, preferably under a temporary roof, is the most critical. It is during this period that it settles most actively, which is why there is a high probability of disruption of the geometry of the building, cracking and displacement of logs, the appearance of cracks on the gables, and sagging of the rafter system.
However, you can count on comfort in it only if the gaps between the logs and the cracks in them are securely sealed. The first and main problem that every owner of a log house faces is the gaps between the logs and in the logs themselves. It is practically impossible to avoid their appearance, being a living material, wood reacts sensitively to fluctuations in temperature and humidity, therefore, almost invisible changes to the eye are constantly happening to the log, its linear dimensions are not constant. This means that the cracks need to be sealed. How?
Many centuries the only way protection from drafts and humidity was caulking. We don’t dare challenge this time-tested method - tow, jute, moss or flax, tightly packed between the crowns, really solve the problem. But unfortunately, not once and for all.
A year after the log house is folded and caulked, it has to be caulked again, since as a result of settlement the gaps between the logs increase noticeably. Renovations will be required in the future, and not only because of the natural deformations of the wood - the soft fibrous material is taken away by birds. And finally, insects that willingly settle in cracks sealed in this way can become a problem.
So how can you protect such a vulnerable seam? In the already distant times of “historical materialism,” the gaps between logs and cracks were filled with a mixture of cement and clay, but this did not solve the problem. With seasonal movements of the log house, the rigid seam inevitably cracked and crumbled. The advent of polymer sealants and putties did not improve the situation; these materials, which had proven themselves in static structures, turned out to be unsuitable for a moving, “living” wooden house, since they did not have the proper elasticity.
The solution was found about a quarter of a century ago, when wood sealants appeared on the market with a number of specific properties. This is resistance to the influence of precipitation and sun rays, high adhesion to wood, but most importantly - the highest elasticity, which allows the material to compensate for the movements of the log house and prevent the occurrence of cracks. The seam is insulated, durable and completely impenetrable to any harmful influences.
It is worth emphasizing that these sealants do not lose their properties throughout their service life of 20 years or more. It is impossible not to note the rather wide decorative possibilities of joint sealants. They have a rich color palette and, importantly, do not turn yellow or fade over time. Many manufacturers claim that, when applied correctly, the sealant will last as long as the house itself. As they say, cover it up and forget it.
It’s cheaper and easier to build a house from timber!
Obviously, the most important advantages timber houses is their environmental friendliness, natural origin and psychological acceptance, as well as the availability of material and understandability of construction technology.
Houses made of timber are known to be of three types: from ordinary massive edged timber and profiled planed or laminated timber. If you want an inexpensive country house, but a purely wooden house for seasonal living, then a house made of profiled wood can be a good alternative. massive timber, most often in size (145x145).
The best option for building a house from profiled timber is to use dry lumber - timber, which means the possibility of turnkey construction without waiting for shrinkage, although even in dry timber there is slight shrinkage, and this must be taken into account when installing windows and doors.
Profiled solid timber, due to simple and inexpensive technological processing and preparation of the material, is more affordable than laminated veneer lumber.
Houses made of laminated veneer lumber.
IN lately New modifications of timber are entering the arena, designed to relieve the customer of the disadvantages of massive timber - cracks, shrinkage and deformation, although this can also be avoided or minimized.
Glued laminated timber - is a material glued together under a press from dried and planed on four sides to obtain precise geometry, lamella blanks from coniferous species wood The fibers of the lamellas are located in different directions, which makes the laminated timber practically not subject to longitudinal cracking. Maximum cross-sectional size of beams (270 × 270 mm.)
At the factory, in accordance with the design drawings, all the details of the future house are manufactured. Interventional cups are made on machines corner connections, end slots for laying window bars and door blocks, and also drill holes for steel ties and dowels.
The advantages of the material include its excellent aesthetic qualities, minimal shrinkage, and durability if the production technology is strictly followed. The disadvantages include the high cost of laminated veneer lumber.
Insulated timber. Most often it is promoted on the market under the names: double, warm, package timber and structurally they are not far from frame ones, since the outline remains wooden, and insulation is laid inside it different types from polystyrene foam and mineral wool to loose insulation materials, even to sawdust.
Beam insulated with polyurethane foam (PPU) - PPU timber.
A prefabricated wooden house can be energy efficient if it is built from insulated PPU timber. Its production begins with the harvesting of lumber from coniferous trees. Raw not edged boards placed in drying chambers in which, at temperatures up to 65°C, the wood is gently dried until it reaches a residual moisture content of 10–12%. After this, the boards are processed on special machines, where they are turned into lamellas and inserts of specified sizes.
The frame of the PU foam beam is assembled from the obtained parts: two lamellas are connected to each other at a distance of 70 mm from one another with inserts located at intervals of 0.5 m using a dovetail lock. This ensures structural strength. The products are then placed on a conveyor belt and the extrusion machine fills their cavities with polyurethane foam. As it hardens, it forms a dense, dry mass and firmly adheres to the walls of the frame.
Next, the resulting workpiece is profiled on a four-sided planer, resulting in tenons and grooves appearing on the top and bottom sides of the finished timber. It is interesting that the profile of the PPU timber is made in such a way that when laying the crowns there is no need to lay insulation between them. When assembling a house, the parts of the beams filled with polyurethane foam are first connected (the polyurethane foam protrudes slightly above the surface of the beam), and only with further vertical load are their profiled parts joined. Polyurethane foam compressed under force prevents blowing between the crowns.
The material is delivered to the site in the form of a set of beams, selected and numbered according to the project. Even at the factory, “cups” are cut to the required sizes, as well as tenons and grooves, so the beams are easily and quickly connected to each other.
If the house is frame
Many developers dream of building a cottage in one construction season. Anyone who is even slightly interested in the issues of private housing construction knows that one of the fastest technologies is frame. Even ten years ago, our compatriots had an opinion about “frame houses” as unreliable, flimsy houses, suitable only for a summer cottage.
Frame construction technologies.
Today frame technologies are gaining momentum not only in the USA, Canada and Europe, where they are rather traditional, but also in Russia. An important factor for domestic developers is that a frame house can be made warm enough, bringing it closer to modern requirements energy efficiency of the building.
Building a frame house is profitable on your own simple option: frame made of timber/boards, insulation, vapor barrier, cladding budget materials for interior and exterior decoration. Such a house is quickly erected, can have any shape and size, does not shrink, and the requirements for the foundation are minimal. Usage natural materials makes such houses environmentally friendly, and technology makes them warm for all weather conditions.
Frame houses for permanent residence contain a more massive frame and more complex filling, designed to increase structural strength, thermal insulation, provide vapor barrier and wind protection. For example, you can come across such a phenomenon as “frame houses made of laminated veneer lumber” - here we mean that the frame posts are made of laminated veneer lumber to avoid deformation.
In frame houses, unlike timber houses, it is assumed various options interior and exterior finishing - from lining and imitation timber to plaster. The designs of such houses themselves can also be more architecturally complex.
It is frame houses that are most often called energy efficient, because... their design makes it possible to eliminate the air permeability of walls and organize effective intra-house communications - ventilation, heating, in order to minimize heat loss and reduce financial investments to ensure comfortable all-season living.
The most famous are three options for a frame house: a frame-frame house (also called Canadian), a panel-frame house (German) and a house made of SIP panels (American)
Canadian technology.
The peculiarity of the Canadian version is that all blanks for the cottage (they are produced in a factory) are delivered to the site in the form of separate parts of a construction kit. The basis of the building is a frame consisting of beams, beams and trusses. For their manufacture, either high-quality planed softwood lumber is used, dried in a chamber to 18% humidity, or laminated veneer lumber, but this is a more expensive option. The outside of the house is most often sheathed with oriented strand boards moisture-resistant boards OSB (Oriented Strand Board) 12 mm thick.
Some companies use 12 mm cement-bonded particle boards for this purpose, either on the outside and OSB boards with inside. Thermal protection of a building is created, as a rule, using basalt wool with a layer thickness (150–200 mm).
Thermal insulation is covered on the inside of the frame vapor barrier film, from the outside - wind-hydroprotective. The “pie” walls from the inside are completed with OSB sheets, clapboard or plasterboard, which serves as the basis for the finishing.
A variety of finishing materials can be used outside: block house, imitation timber, siding, etc. materials suitable for exterior decoration.
The advantages of the Canadian option include high heat and energy-saving characteristics of the building, the ability to build houses with geometrically complex configurations, and the fact that construction can be carried out at any time of the year without loss of quality.
German technology of frame-panel houses.
Using this technology, the house is completely manufactured at the factory, and the structural elements arrive at the developer’s site in the form of finished panels. The use of an automatic line allows us to minimize manual labor and achieve high quality panel assembly. Thus, the human factor is minimized here.
For the frame, only laminated veneer lumber (180 × 80 mm) is used. The panel is sheathed on both sides with 12 mm OSB boards, and 200 mm thick mineral wool insulation is laid inside. On the inside, the OSB is covered with a vapor barrier film, and then drywall is attached.
The exterior offers several finishing options. In accordance with the design, windows and doors are installed in the panels at the factory, and cable channels are laid for electrical wiring. The panels are made from interior partitions, interfloor ceilings, roofing panels.
After assembly is completed, the finished products are loaded onto 14-meter panel trucks and delivered to the construction site in parts - exactly as much as is needed for one working day.
Houses made of SIP panels.
Another frame-panel technology is SIP technology. It is often called Canadian, but it has nothing to do with Canada. The first structural thermally insulated SIP panels were produced in the USA, and therefore it would be more correct to call this method of house construction American.
An alternative frame-panel house can serve as a house made of SIP panels - these are sandwich panels 17-22 cm thick, where insulation is laid between two OSB boards (oriented strand board, consisting of several layers of wood chips, which are connected to each other using resins) - most often polystyrene foam.
Such a factory-made house is assembled from ready-made block panels, assembled according to standard projects with reference to their size. Foundation requirements are minimal. The only thing that supporters and opponents of this technology are fighting is the environmental friendliness and flammability of materials.
The advantages of this technology include high thermal insulation characteristics of the building (heating costs panel-frame house almost 7 times less than the cost of heating a house made of laminated veneer lumber), strength (the building can withstand earthquakes of 10 points on the Richter scale) and record assembly time - 2–3 days.
The disadvantages are the need to use heavy equipment, which, firstly, is not always possible, and secondly, increases the cost of construction, as well as some limitations architectural solutions. Of the complex geometric shapes, only the bay window is accessible, but the building itself will somehow look like a “box”.
SIP technology or section of a SIP panel.
A SIP panel is a combination of OSB boards and expanded polystyrene (PSB-S25) glued together. And although none of the materials has bearing capacity, but in a duet they form a durable monolithic sandwich structure (OSB-PSB-OSB). This technology has many advantages and disadvantages. The building retains heat well and warms up quickly.
This is a good option for non-year-round homes and areas where there is no centralized gas heating. The use of vapor-tight insulation allows you to get rid of condensation at the dew point inside the wall. In addition, since walls made from SIP panels are perfectly flat, drywall is mounted on them without metal profiles, which speeds up work and helps reduce financial costs.
And now about the cons.
The main one is polystyrene foam, about the environmental friendliness and fire safety of which you can find diametrically opposed opinions. Although special additives make the material self-extinguishing, as indicated by the letter “C” in the PSB-S marking, domestic developers are still very doubtful about SIP technology, not wanting to live in a “foam house.”
General disadvantage frame houses- a ventilation problem inherent in all types of frame houses. Optimal solution, as is often done abroad, install a climate control system. However, you can limit yourself to forced ventilation, at least in the kitchen and bathrooms, and provide air exchange in living areas with normal ventilation.
So what is cheaper, frame houses or solid wood houses - timber.
It’s interesting, but the range of offers for both categories of houses is more or less the same, and its extreme values differ by an order of magnitude. Houses made of timber and frame houses are comparable in cost. A good log house is comparable to a house made of laminated veneer lumber and the main difference is in the appearance and speed of putting the building into operation; laminated veneer lumber is much faster.
In conclusion:
All options are worthy and have their advantages, but also certain disadvantages. Do right choice it is possible only by studying the features of the technology in relation to your needs, wishes, requirements, conditions of development and operation - residence, and the area where the house will be built.
Of course, wooden house construction was, is, and will probably always be in demand in Russia. But if we talk about the prospects for the construction of frame structures - energy saving houses, the future is possible behind them.
According to SNiP 02/23/2003, not a single wooden building, no matter what type of log or timber material it is built from, it does not meet the requirements for thermal protection, which means it needs insulation. Having spent very serious financial resources on expensive materials and expensive construction services, you will get a relatively warm house and in winter you will have to heat it, as they say: “with banknotes.”
When choosing wood as a building material, the question arises of what exactly to use: timber or logs. Both types of products have their own advantages and disadvantages. To ensure that the result does not disappoint later, you need to know the difference between timber and logs.
Definition
timber- lumber obtained by cutting the sides of a log so that the cross-section forms a square or rectangle.
timber
Log– a section of a tree trunk with the knots removed.
Log Comparison
Convenience of masonry
The timber has a flat surface and regular geometric shape. This ensures convenience when working with it. In this case, there is no need to match individual beams to each other, since they are all the same. Using untreated logs, this must be done, which increases construction time. At the same time, it is much easier to work with a product passed through a special machine (the result is a rounded log).
Thermal conductivity
It has been noticed that, despite the general nature of materials, their ability to retain heat is not the same. The difference between a log and timber is that the log’s growth rings remain intact, and therefore it transmits less heat from the room. Thermal conductivity may decrease when moisture accumulates in the roundness.
Shrinkage
Both materials dry out to a certain extent. But at the end of this process, the timber structure sags less. Cracks requiring repair can appear in both cases. However, it is more problematic to caulk a log structure, since larger cracks form.
Facing
Timber and rounded logs look great even without additional finishing. Which walls look more impressive, absolutely smooth or reminiscent of venerable antiquity, everyone decides for himself. However, sometimes even in this case the desired cladding is produced. “Wild” logs are cut off more often.
It is not difficult to guess under what conditions the work is easier to perform - of course, if the base is timber. There is no difficulty in attaching decorative material to it. Due to the empty zones between the logs, rounded planes are much more difficult to deal with, especially if the finishing elements are short.
Durability of the structure
How long a house will last largely depends on how conscientiously it was finished with sealants and treated with antifungal agents and antiseptics. However, with the same quality of work, a structure made of timber, as a rule, turns out to be more durable. It has fewer vulnerable spots, for example, such as areas where elements join.
Thus, knowing the difference between a beam and a log, and taking into account all the positive and negative nuances, it becomes easier to choose a specific material.
Living in your own home made of environmentally friendly material today means family prestige, prosperity, and creating a comfortable and safe environment for your children.
Many families have already appreciated the comfort of living in or logs. But even more are just planning to build such a house. Before planning begins, the question arises: “Which is better timber or log?” It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally. In this article we will try to analyze both building materials.
Log or timber
At their core, both beams and logs are wood. They just look and are cut differently. The log has a round shape, and the timber is cut into a square or rectangular section. Modern technologies Wood processing distinguishes between timber and logs according to the processing method:
All obtained beams and logs can be divided into:
- Profiled - a whole trunk after processing, which is given an even rectangular shape.
- Glued - its shape does not differ from profiled, but more reliable and durable. This is due to the fact that several lamellas are glued in different cavities
In this article we will look at ordinary timber and logs that do not have additional mechanical processing.
So, when giving preference to one material or another, you need to pay attention to:
- Possibility of architectural solutions.
- Conditions for subsequent operation of the building.
- Construction time of the facility.
- Finishing materials used.
- The climatic zone of the building (the thickness of the wall depends on this).
A more accurate picture can be presented by watching the proposed video or in the table below:
We present to you a comparative analysis of timber and logs in the form of a table:
| Criteria for comparison of building materials | timber | Log | ||
| Advantages of the material | Disadvantages of the material | Advantages of the material | Disadvantages of the material | |
| Environmental friendliness | They are made from natural wood without changing its texture or quality. | No | Made from a single tree trunk, does not change its texture and quality. | No |
| Thermal conductivity | Keeps warm well | Thermal conductivity depends on the thickness of the timber. The thicker the timber, the better the house will keep warm. | Retains the full texture of the wood with full preservation of properties. Holds heat better than timber. because it is thick. | The rounded shape allows moisture to accumulate, which worsens heat retention over time. |
| Geometric proportions | Square or rectangular shape. It has the same thickness along the entire length. | No | Round shape, which makes it easy to stack one on top of another | It is cut from solid wood, which has a conical shape. There are differences, which give their own additional nuances when styling. |
| Material drying | The timber exhibits minimal shrinkage to operating humidity, which, in accordance with GOST, is 14-16% for timber. Shrinkage of cedar is approximately 3.5%, and of larch - 4.5%. | Cracks form on the material after drying and shrinking. | Cracks form, but in smaller quantities than on beams. | Logs natural humidity give significant shrinkage. The shrinkage of the lower floor of the building in this case can be 10-15 cm. |
| Caulk after drying | Needs additional caulking, but cracks less than a log. | After drying, cracks form that require additional caulking. | Needs additional caulking. | After shrinkage, it requires additional caulking, since large gaps form between the logs. |
| Project construction time | The construction speed is quite high, since the timber has the correct geometric shape. | Required after construction additional finishing external facade and internal premises. | Construction speed is average. | Requires matching one log to another. This occurs due to the irregular geometric shape of the logs. It is laid alternating the crown with the base. After construction, it requires additional finishing to give a good appearance. |
| Service life | Quite long service life | It is susceptible to fungi and rotting, which means it requires additional processing and waterproofing. Between the logs there is a favorable environment for the development of mold and wood fungi. | Quite a long service life. Longer than a log. | Requires additional processing of each log separately. |
| Climatic zone of the building | Suitable for any area. | If there is high humidity, you should not build at temperatures less than -10 degrees. | Suitable for any climate. | Requires additional caulking, otherwise it will not hold heat well. |
| Use of facing material | The material is suitable for any cashing, easy to install and dismantle, due to flat surface walls | Finishing the house can begin only after it has completely dried. | Any material is suitable. | When installing the sheathing, there is a danger of fasteners getting into the space between the logs. This is inconvenient for internal lining. You can begin finishing only after complete drying. |
| Price | The price of timber depends on the flora where the house is being built | The price is slightly higher than for a log, this is due to additional processing costs. | The price is the lowest of all wooden building materials. Log | |