Every person needs housing. Multi-storey buildings, cottages and dachas are available in all regions of the country. Wooden houses became popular again. They also build from timber beautiful gazebos, bathhouses, dachas. The quality of construction directly depends on the material used.
It is believed that winter forest is the best building material. Why is this tree preferred? The amount of moisture plays an important role when choosing building materials. Water, combined with oxygen, is constantly present in wood tissue. The less moisture in the wood, the stronger, stronger it is, and will last longer.
In summer, the tree is in an active state. Tree sap constantly moves up the trunk, feeding the foliage and branches. Thick liquid favorable place for reproduction and habitat of microbes and bacteria. Microorganisms create decay processes. The wood becomes unusable. In winter, trees are in a state of calm. Anabiosis reduces the activity of processes inside tissues. The sap stops rising up the trunk. A humid environment consists mainly of water. Bacteria do not like this material composition, so their number in the tree decreases.
Benefits of a winter forest
- High quality, durable material.
- White, light color bars
- Low number of harmful microorganisms in wood tissues.
- Rotting processes have a lesser effect on wood.
- Remains in excellent condition for a long time.
- Resistant to damage and destruction.
- Difficult to deformation.
A log cut down in the cold season is difficult to biological damage. This feature was noticed by residents of forest areas many centuries ago. After all wooden huts have been erected for a long time. Characterized by durability and strength. Rot and mold practically did not occur in such buildings. The houses and bathhouses were not deformed, and cracks appeared rarely.
The most popular are coniferous species trees (spruce, pine). Used in the production of lumber:
- beam;
- lining;
- edged board;
- not edged board;
- tongue.
They make windows and doors. Distinctive Features- softness, flexibility, strength and coniferous forest grows quickly. Harvesting in winter period reduces the amount of resin in wood.
Winter forest much more practical. However, carpenters often harvest wood in the summer and sell it as a quality material. Summer and winter preparations differ significantly. When purchasing material, you should pay attention to its condition.
How to choose a quality product?
- Reliable suppliers. It is better to make a deal with trusted people. There is a lot about conscientious carpenters good reviews from buyers. Suppliers with a good reputation are popular among buyers.
- Presence of cracks and deformations. High quality material smooth, difficult to destroy. The right technology drying prevents the appearance of cracks. It is better if the wood dries naturally, this extends the shelf life and increases the density.
- Color of bars. During winter felling, the treated wood is white and light.
- Place your order from January, February. During this period, winter logging begins.
- Careful inspection. You will get a lot of information by visiting the felling site. There should be no dirt on the tree bark.
- Testing with iodine. Place of interaction with iodine solution will change in blue(due to the starch content in winter wood).
A meticulous approach to purchasing building materials is the key successful purchase. Thus, you will be protected from scammers and receive a quality product. Winter wood is a practical and sought-after material. Manor, dacha, bathhouse or country house IR will save attractive appearance on for a long time. Walls resist impact external factors, are not deformed. Ecologically pure material has a beneficial effect on the well-being of residents.
The experience of traditional construction suggests that it is better to build private houses in the summer. But if you combine the scientific approach and centuries-old folk traditions, it turns out that it is more profitable in winter than in summer.
Our ancestors noticed that wood harvested in winter is stronger and more durable than wood harvested in summer. Therefore, for centuries they built houses from “winter” wood.
Why do we build in winter?
Specialists of the Aldmistroy company based on many years of experience found out that winter construction wooden houses significantly reduces work time and at the same time improves performance characteristics Houses. There are at least three main reasons for this.
Wood quality
Our builders build from “winter” wood. The fact is that summer wood contains more nutrients, and less resins and essential oils, which can lead to the following problems:
Nutrients in summer wood create a favorable environment for the development of microorganisms that damage the tree: fungi, mold, and also attract insect pests.
The increased content of resins and essential oils in winter wood makes it more durable. Under the same conditions, the durability of a tree cut in winter is approximately twice as long as that of a summer tree.
A tree cut down in summer contains large number moisture and requires long drying. Being exposed sun rays And warm air, wood dries faster on the outside and slower on the inside. This leads to deformation and cracking of the logs.
Wood harvested in winter does not have these disadvantages. Due to low relative humidity air and soil in winter, the amount of moisture in wood is less, and in cold weather it evaporates more evenly.
As a result, logs harvested in winter:
1. Less bending and cracking when drying.
2. Less damaged by insects, mold and wood rot.
3. They have greater density due to the narrowing of the growth rings.
4. More durable.
Durable and reliable log house
During the winter construction of wooden houses, the low moisture content in the logs allows them to be placed directly into the log house, rather than pre-dried in stacks. The plasticity of freshly cut logs allows them to be better adjusted to each other, and the rigid fixation of the log house will prevent the timber from bending during drying.
In this way, the drying of the logs and the shrinkage of the log house are combined, as a result of which each log finds its place, the number of gaps is reduced, providing maximum thermal insulation.
Minimal foundation deformation
In the spring, after the soil thaws, it rises a little - it swells. Because of this there is no load load-bearing walls the foundation may deform. Construction wooden house in winter it eliminates this problem.
Therefore, the benefits of winter construction are obvious:
The duration of work is reduced, and therefore costs;
. winter logs are stronger and more durable;
. simultaneous shrinkage and shrinkage of the log house reduces its deformation;
. the house turns out to be more durable and warmer.
If you are seriously thinking about building your own country wooden house, hurry up - now is the best time the right time. We are waiting for your applications!
Each climate zone has both its pros and cons. If you have an idea about the characteristics of building materials, their chemical and physical properties, you can approach the construction most competently country house.
The opinion that building a country house can only be done in warm time years - wrong. Construction of a low-rise building is possible at any temperature environment regardless of weather conditions. If we take into account that about 60% of the territory of Russia is characterized by a harsh climate, where the average annual temperature is not higher than zero degrees, then the question “to build or not to build” disappears in itself.
Rules for organizing the construction process
Winter construction has a number of features that should simply be taken into account and adhered to when organizing the building construction process:
- foundation work ideally carried out in autumn period;
- pad utility networks- in summer;
- construction of walls and foundations for the roof - in winter;
- finishing work It is best to do it in summer and autumn.
An indisputable fact is that wood harvested in winter has many advantages over summer. First of all, it is released from excess moisture, which exits through the root system.
In winter, wood is less susceptible to fungus, insects, larvae and other factors that affect its technical and operational characteristics.
Of course, it is almost impossible to distinguish winter from summer. But it is logical to assume that before winter the timber harvester will probably use up the wood reserves made during the spring and summer. And, ordering construction from wooden beams in winter time, you can be sure that cutting and harvesting is carried out in winter, and that existing wood remains are not used.
Many people are concerned about the diseases that are typical for natural wood and which can most often occur in the autumn-winter period. In fact, neither “summer” nor “winter” trees are immune from damage by pathogenic microorganisms and fungi. To prevent diseases and prevent their occurrence, wood is treated with special antiseptic compounds, which can be purchased today without any problems.
Five reasons to build a wooden house in winter
The use of “winter” wooden beams significantly increases the period of operation of the structure. There are several reasons: firstly, the tree shrinks less, secondly, during construction in the cold season the rock does not become covered with cracks, thirdly, thanks to this natural phenomenon, as the narrowing of the rings is achieved increased strength wood
Winter construction will significantly reduce the period of shrinkage of the structure. In other words, you can deviate from the “12 months” rule - the period that is usually recommended to wait before proceeding with further manipulations with the log house. Construction of houses in winter allows you to reduce the waiting period from 12 to 9-10 months.
Winter forest is subject to minimal deformation, which will increase the thermal insulation of the future structure.
Despite the fact that construction in winter is organized during high humidity, there is practically no moisture in the wood, which will prevent the formation of mold and fungi on the log house during its operation. The same can be said about insects, larvae, and tree sap, which disappear in the fall, and this in turn eliminates premature rotting of the timber and an increase in its service life.
Wooden building material in winter is much cheaper than in other periods.
There are many reasons for this, and they have already been discussed in more or less detail above, but the most significant and important circumstance, according to the builders, is the process of drying out the timber, which is minimal for winter wood.
In summer this process occurs most intensively, and in winter it is minimized. Shrinkage is the root cause of cracks in timber, its deformation, the formation of gaps between joints and, as a consequence, deterioration thermal insulation properties buildings. In summer, the drying process occurs most actively, since spring and summer wood is overcrowded excess moisture, and in winter the tree is “dry”, since the moisture has left it at least by mid-autumn.
Minimal deformation of the foundation and walls
Construction from timber in winter has one more advantage: the foundation, which was erected for winter and is under significant load-bearing walls during the cold season, is less subject to soil heaving, which significantly reduces the likelihood of deformation of both the base and the building wooden structure itself.
Is “minus” harmful for the foundation of a wooden house?
Skeptics believe that it is undesirable to carry out construction in winter because sub-zero temperatures will adversely affect the newly laid foundation. But it is enough to ask the opinion of experts on this matter, who will unanimously say that “minus” is less dangerous for the foundation of a building than “plus”. For example, at temperatures above 30º C, some types of cement begin to decompose. In summer, due to constantly hot weather, scorching sun and dry air, moisture quickly evaporates from the concrete mixture and the hardening of the composition simply stops.
Sub-zero temperatures are indeed dangerous for a structure, but only if we are talking about a newly laid foundation. The water in the fresh concrete mixture begins to freeze, causing the concrete to increase in volume by nine percent. This indicator affects the intra-concrete pressure, which triggers the process of destruction of the concrete structure. This phenomenon is dangerous precisely at the moment when concrete mixture hardens. It is for this reason that it is important to organize the construction of the foundation in the fall in order to begin building the walls in the winter.
A few words about the disadvantages of winter construction
Considering that winter often presents us with many surprises in the form of snow missing in December and insignificant frosts in January, the shortcomings that will be described below are more typical for a classic winter, when the temperature drops below the prohibitive level.
- Too low air temperature (below minus 20º C) leads to difficulties in sawing wooden beams: the fragility of the wood increases, and it may crack during installation or sawing.
- Due to the short daylight hours decreases working hours builders and, as a result, the completion period increases construction work.
- Construction of a wooden house in winter should take place without:
- installation of the final roof;
- processing wooden surfaces antiseptic compounds.
Construction is not recommended frame house in winter “turnkey”, if the procurement of house elements will be carried out on construction site(the exception is cases of procurement of components in a factory).
We have prepared this material for those who, for some reason, did not have time to start building a country house during the season.
If you didn't have time, it doesn't mean you're late. Construction today often begins in winter. And the snow of January is not a hindrance to this. The main thing is to do everything correctly
If a decision is made to stop work for the winter, then the construction site must be mothballed: close the openings and install a temporary roof
Is it possible to build a hearth in cold weather? The opinions of experts boil down to the following: it is possible, but only if you strictly observe the special winter rules carrying out technological processes.
Sweden and Finland, which are climatically similar to many regions of Russia, “non-seasonal” low-rise construction has long become the norm. Erect wooden (including frame) walls, ceilings and truss structures, and also mount curtain facades moderate frost does not interfere. At sub-zero temperatures it is difficult to work with concrete; it is extremely undesirable to lay facing brickwork and install flexible tiles, it is impossible to plaster and finish facades with stone or tiles.
ABOUT THE PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE
Concrete and masonry mortar are the most vulnerable materials in winter construction. At negative temperatures, the water contained in them begins to freeze. In this case, the liquid increases in volume by 9%, and the growing pressure in the pores destroys the structure of the mixture that has not yet hardened. Frost is especially dangerous for freshly laid concrete. After reaching 50% strength, the effect of low temperature is not so significant. It is also worth noting that the mass of concrete freezes slowly, moreover, the process of cement hydration is exothermic, so the mixture partially heats itself.
COLD REMEDIES
The basis of the house is the foundation, which is most often made of concrete. At temperatures below 5 °C, it is necessary to look for special approaches to concreting. One of them is the use of a heated solution. During its preparation, water, sand and crushed stone are heated. In this case, the concrete temperature should not exceed 40 °C and be below 20 °C. otherwise, his mobility will be significantly reduced. The manufacturer’s task is to deliver as quickly as possible warm composition to the construction site. The cost of such concrete is at least 30% higher compared to summer concrete. To ensure optimal conditions for gaining strength, concrete is poured onto a preheated base and the formwork is insulated.
Another option is to use cold concrete, which contains frost-resistant additives (additives) that lower the freezing point of water and accelerate the strength gain of cement. Most often, substances based on sodium nitrite, potassium carbonate, and sodium chloride are used as such additives. It is important to strictly observe the proportions of the mass of concrete and the introduced frost-resistant additive. If there is not enough substance, the concrete will begin to freeze and the formation process cement stone will stop.
The use of frost-resistant additives allows work to be carried out at air temperatures down to -25 °C, however technical properties modified cold concrete is worse than its traditional counterpart.
Shallow formwork (a) is easy to assemble, but does not protect the concrete from the cold, so a winter mixture is used, which is pumped from a mixer (6). Next, the foundation strip is covered with a thick PVC film to prevent precipitation and slow down heat loss by concrete (c)
Therefore, there are a number of restrictions on the use of this material. Thus, concrete with antifreeze additives cannot be used in prestressed structures, as well as in structures subject to dynamic loads.
If sodium chloride or calcium chloride is used as an additive, then such concrete cannot be used to monolith prefabricated joints reinforced concrete structures, having reinforcement outlets or steel embedded parts without special protection, and use them for the construction of building elements on the surface of which efflorescence is not allowed.
Concrete mixture with antifreeze additives can be ordered at the factory ( average cost together with delivery within 40-50 km from the factory - from 5500 rubles. for 1 m 3), or you can make it yourself if, for example, relatively little is required or phased pouring of the foundation is acceptable. All additives are sold in packages with instructions, compliance with which is the key to creating a durable monolithic structure.
How to work with “cold” concrete? The mass is placed in formwork and compacted. The temperature of the mixture after compaction must exceed the freezing point of the materials used. aqueous solutions antifreeze additives by at least 5 °C. The concrete surface not protected by formwork is covered to prevent moisture from freezing. Concrete is kept under cover until stripping strength is achieved.
At borderline temperatures (from +3 °C to -3 °C), the base slab can be poured. At the same time they pour and compact sand cushion(a), install a two-level reinforcement frame (6) and lay concrete with anti-frost additives (c)
And yet, laying a foundation in winter is a troublesome and time-consuming process. The cost of digging trenches or pits increases significantly, because even for an excavator, a thick layer of frozen soil can create a serious problem. Digging trenches by hand is even more difficult: the ground will need to be chiseled with a crowbar. It is simply useless to warm it up with fires, and setting up a heated tent made of film will be very expensive.
As an alternative to concrete, we can recommend the use of a prefabricated pile-screw foundation with a channel grillage. True, it is suitable only for relatively light (frame, timber) construction with an estimated service life of no more than 60 years.
In winter, you can build walls from materials such as foam block (a.6) and expanded clay concrete block(V). However, it is necessary to ensure that the prepared blocks and masonry fragments are covered and that ice does not form on the surface of the material. In addition, the composition of the solution is very important. Preference should be given to special winter adhesives and modified cement mixtures
WINTER FOAM
There are winter, summer and all-season foams on the market. Winter foam can be classified as non-seasonal, because it can be used at temperatures from -10 °C (for some manufacturers from -25 °C) to -30 °C. In winter, humidity is low, and the composition needs moisture. Winter foam differs from summer foam in that it works in a more difficult conditions, even with insufficient humidity. It is necessary to pay attention to the information regarding what the temperature of the cylinder should be, because most formulations must be heated before use. Some manufacturers claim that their foam can be used at -20 ° C, but the container must be warm.
In this case, you will not have time to use up the entire bottle, as it will cool down quickly. We must not forget that winter foams have a shorter shelf life than summer foams.
EXPERT OPINION
Construction wall structures from laminated veneer lumber There are no seasonal or temperature restrictions. Work is not carried out in rain and snow to prevent the tongue-and-groove connection and insulation from getting wet.
In winter, short daylight hours require a device at the construction site artificial lighting. Heavier compared to in summer, working conditions increase the time it takes to complete work, and difficult road conditions sometimes prevent delivery building materials within the planned time frame.
In general, winter construction is more expensive than summer construction, but lower prices for basic materials partially compensate for this difference. Of course, such work can only be entrusted to a company that has relevant practical experience.
KONSTANTIN MASLOV, ENGINEER
It is necessary to control the shrinkage of a new log house every 2-3 months, including in winter. In this case, you need to adjust the screw compensators and check whether fungus has appeared on the walls, whether the rafters have moved
A house from rounded logs is made in a factory (a), but a box can be erected on a site both in summer and in winter.
When assembling a log house from a log or timber, it is necessary to ensure that the inter-crown seal (6) does not get wet.
Timber dried in a stack in summer contains relatively little moisture and does not freeze in winter, which makes it possible to cut it to size and select grooves and bowls on the construction site
Winter is quite a suitable time for caulking a log house that has suffered major shrinkage. It is convenient to use jute tape (a) for punching inter-crown seams. Next, it is advisable to protect and decorate the seams with rope (b, c)
BRICK MASONRY IN WINTER
There are two main methods of laying low temperatures- “freezing” and the use of special additives.
The essence of the first is as follows. Ordinary cement-sand mortar, which has a positive temperature at the time of work, soon freezes in the seams and hardens mainly in the spring after the masonry has thawed, as well as during winter and spring thaws. To ensure that the temperature of the solution does not drop below the calculated temperature, the laying is carried out at an accelerated pace. The prepared solution should be consumed within 20-30 minutes.
Most experts agree that it is better not to lay masonry using the freezing method. The thing is. that when freshly laid masonry quickly freezes, a mixture of binder and sand is formed in the seams. cemented by ice. The mortar very soon loses its plasticity, horizontal seams remain insufficiently compacted, and when thawing they are compressed by the weight of the overlying masonry, which can lead to significant and uneven settlement and pose a threat to the strength and stability of the structure.
The second method involves introducing special additives into the solution that accelerate chemical process cement hardening. Thanks to them, the composition has time to gain strength at negative temperatures (down to -10 ° C).
But there are also limitations, as in the case of “cold” concrete. In particular, the use of a solution with anti-frost additives can lead to the appearance of efflorescence on the front side of the masonry. Therefore, the use of such a mixture for a specific type of stone structures must be agreed with the design organization.
ROOFING WORK IN WINTER
The rafter system can be erected from any materials in winter. But wooden structures require special attention. Since at -20...-25 °C wood natural humidity becomes fragile, fastening the rafters presents certain difficulties - the wood can crack. Therefore, it is better to carry out work to create rafter system with more high temperatures. As roofing You can use any materials except bitumen shingles.
When installing a roof from cement-sand tiles stacks of material are evenly distributed along the plane of the slope so as not to move the product (a) during operation. Laying begins with cornice tiles, which are secured with screws and anti-wind clips (6). The side (gable) columns of the tiles are also subject to mandatory fastening (c). A plastic aero element AFE is mounted on the ridge, serving for roof ventilation (d)
EXPERT OPINION
Building a frame house in winter is not difficult. We recommend using a foundation made of screw piles with a prefabricated grillage, the installation of which does not require large-scale earthworks and there is no need to use heavy equipment. When insulating walls and roofs using classical Canadian technology, you need to take into account that the entire insulating “sandwich”, as well as base surfaces must be dry (high relative humidity, wet snow, freezing rain work cannot be carried out). Facade finishing clapboard and any panels can be carried out at low temperatures. Only plastering, puttying and painting work are excluded.
SERGEY SYTIN
In most cases, people build in the warm season to get rid of unnecessary problems with heating the premises where the builders will be and other problems. But, as for the process of building a wooden house in winter, it has a number of positive aspects. The construction of any house must begin with excavation work, so it is advisable to carry out the construction of foundations at positive temperatures. When the ground freezes to a sufficiently great depth, excavation even powerful technology become problematic. In addition, foundations constructed using the freezing method tend to settle under load.
Timing for construction
The issue of starting construction becomes especially relevant if the house is being built with a basement. The start of work in the spring is also indicated by the fact that winter wood is considered the best for construction. Therefore, it is better to make all preparations at this time of year.
However, transportation of timber and its storage in temporary warehouses occurs in conditions that are far from ideal. Logs are pulled through marshy areas, and in intermediate warehouses they are exposed to atmospheric influences (snow, ice, rain), which increases their already high humidity. In such conditions, periodic thaws followed by frosts also have a negative impact on the quality of logs. Consequently, freshly cut logs are not ready for construction work. It is best if the logs lie in stacks, protected from atmospheric moisture and sunlight.
Naturally, every developer dreams of completing construction in the shortest possible time. However, forcing events can lead to unpleasant consequences. The fact is that chopped walls can settle, which can lead to damage to the roof, chimneys, the appearance of cracks in finishing premises. That is why the log house is installed on a permanent foundation with the seams laid with tow, moss or other sealing materials, then, as it is used and further shrinks, it is caulked again. This usually happens after one to one and a half years.
When dividing construction into stages, it is necessary to plan the work so that the maximum volume occurs during the warm season. This will allow you to achieve best quality with a minimum degree of inconvenience.
Advantages
- Firstly, it is important that in winter you can buy building materials much cheaper, because the demand for them falls and sellers are trying to earn at least some money. It should also be taken into account that if you decide to build such a version of a house as a house made of timber, then harvesting wood in winter has long been considered the most best time. After all, wood harvested in winter dries evenly, and this in due time reduces the number of cracks and shrinkage of wood
- Secondly, on the eve of the holidays, most companies offer discounts on building materials, so you can easily save money.
- Thirdly, in winter it is easier to find a free team of workers. During this period they will take less money for your services, of course, if you provide them with a warm trailer.
- Fourthly, in winter you can always come to the construction site, because at this time there are less traffic jams on the road than in summer.
Flaws
But, unfortunately, building a house from timber in winter also has its disadvantages:
- Firstly, the trailer in which the builders will live needs to be heated, because there may be severe frosts. To do this you will need to think about it in the winter and perhaps the best option there will be a construction brick oven, which is heated with wood. It is also important to ensure good electrical wiring and heating elements so that you do not worry about the safety of people and your construction site.
- Secondly, problems may arise with the construction of the foundation, because in winter it is difficult to do this, and it may crack. It is best to do it in the fall. In addition, building a foundation is a difficult but quick process.
Whether to build in winter or not is the choice of the owner himself, because sometimes people do not have free time to do construction in the summer. But if you take into account the cost of construction in winter and summer, then of course it will be much cheaper in winter. After all, you will have the opportunity not only to purchase all materials profitably, but also to receive good quality timber.