Your warm and reliable home is the dream of many people. A house built of wood is not only warm and reliable, but also environmentally friendly. Modern construction technologies offer various options for the construction of wooden houses. Perhaps the best is building a house from a bar.

The beam minimizes the unpredictability of the behavior of the tree during operation, and therefore is the optimal building material. Timber houses are completed within one season and have a lifespan of at least 50 years. There are 4 types of timber used in the manufacture of wooden houses: solid non-profiled, solid profiled, glued profiled and the so-called LVL timber (from the English LVL - Laminated Veneer Lumber).

Which is better to use to get a house that is optimal in terms of price / quality ratio? Consider the pros and cons of each type.

Solid non-profiled

The beam is made from a single log, which has a round edge cut off on four sides. For the construction of residential buildings, as a rule, a bar 150x150 mm of natural drying is used.

• low cost;
• availability at any sawmill, that is, by choosing the nearest one, the issue of delivery of building material is easily resolved.

• warping, shrinkage and cracking - shortcomings of natural drying wood;
• wood defects - internal rot, flying knots, foci of damage by pests, fungus that appear after construction is completed;
• the need for additional finishing - it is not subjected to finishing, therefore, it needs additional finishing;
• the need for enhanced insulation of the seams - it does not have strict transverse dimensions and evenness of the saw cut, as a result - large gaps between the crowns;
• low manufacturability - initially not suitable for the construction of walls, so you have to make additional strengthening of the bearing walls and corners of the house, and this is extra labor and time.

The price of a solid unprofiled bar of natural moisture is about 9500 rubles. per cube Plus the cost of finishing, mandatory processing with fire-retardant compounds and additional work.

Conclusion: not the best material for building a house, but if you have working hands, patience, accuracy and attention to detail during construction, you can build a house from it, and for moderate money.

Solid profiled

The beam is also made from a single log, only at the same time it is driven through special equipment, where it is given ideal geometric dimensions, a special lock profile is selected and, of course, planed to give an aesthetic appearance.

• low probability of warping - the technology of industrial drying of wood makes it possible to achieve 10-15% moisture content in the final material with virtually no deformation effects;
• does not need additional processing and fine finishing of the walls;
• high connection accuracy (no gaps);
• manufacturability - locking profiles greatly facilitate the construction process.

• all possible defects of wood, which were mentioned above;
• the need for additional time for shrinkage - after all, the existing probability of shrinkage and warpage of solid beams requires time for shrinkage of finished walls.

The price for a solid profiled beam of chamber drying is on average 12,000 rubles. per cube More expensive than unfiltered, but the final result is much higher in quality.

Conclusion: after processing with fire and bioprotection, subject to the construction technology, perhaps the best choice in terms of price / quality ratio, however, one must be prepared to deal with possible "surprises" of a solid bar.

Glued profiled timber

As the name implies, this type of timber is also calibrated and equipped with a lock profile. However, it is not made from a single log, but from separate blocks. They are glued under pressure with special glue.

• all the advantages of profiled timber;
• resistance to warping - due to the combination of different types of wood when chopping blocks for one log, further deformation, cracking is absolutely excluded and shrinkage of finished beams is practically excluded;
• no need for additional time for shrinkage - a house built from glued beams does not shrink and is habitable almost immediately after construction is completed.

• high price;
• low environmental friendliness compared to a solid timber - glue is an alien material;
• the natural circulation of moisture inside the timber is somewhat disturbed, due to the use of glue, moisture is not able to circulate between the layers, because of this, a slight disturbance of the microclimate inside the house is possible.

The price of glued laminated timber is on average 25,000 rubles. per cube - twice as expensive as whole. However, it should be noted that the cost of a project of wooden houses made of glued laminated timber is no different from similar projects of houses made of solid timber, and in the cost of construction itself, the cost of walls is about half of the entire construction budget. Consequently, the final house will not rise in price by much. In addition, with a reduction in construction time, and when using glued laminated timber, as mentioned above, it is minimal, the cost of work also decreases.

Conclusion: if it is possible to spend money on this expensive version of a timber, then for the quick construction of a turnkey wooden house this is the best option, otherwise, it is probably better to stop at a solid profiled timber.

Beam LVL

The manufacturing technology of LVL timber resembles the technology of glued laminated timber, only it is glued not from a block, but from 3 mm veneer. Plywood is produced in almost the same way, only, unlike it, the wood of adjacent layers in an LVL beam is parallel to each other relative to the fibers. This allows this type of timber to be processed in the same way as solid or glued timber. When gluing, the density of the various layers is selected in such a way that the denser layers are located on the outside, and the soft ones are on the inside.

• all the advantages of profiled glued beams, only raised to the rank of an absolute;
• increased strength and elasticity, as well as indefiniteness in length, makes it possible to manufacture spans of any size;
• increased moisture, fire and biostability.

• the highest price;
• the lowest environmental friendliness.

The price for LVL timber is about 35,000 rubles / m 3. Such a price makes it unprofitable when building the walls of houses from timber, but since it makes it possible to increase the spans without the use of supporting pillars and beams, in combination with other types of timber, it significantly expands the possibilities when choosing a project.

Conclusion: for the construction of walls is an irrational material, but quite suitable for auxiliary structures.

All conclusions are quite clearly shown in the final table:

Name	Availability	Technological flexibility	Warmly- insulation	Fire, moisture, biostability	Strength	Construction time	Eco- flexibility	Risk of wood defects	Conclusion
Solid non-profiled	ex.	bottom.	bottom.	bottom.	bottom.	bottom.	ex.	bottom.	Satisfactory material
Solid profiled	choir.	ex.	choir.	choir.	udov.	ex.	ex.	avg.	Very good material
Glued profiled	udov.	ex.	ex.	choir.	choir.	ex.	choir.	ex.	If it wasn't for the price, it would be perfect.
Beam LVL	bad.	ex.	ex.	ex.	ex.	not Spanish	bottom.	ex.	Very expensive to build. Great for strength elements

Thus, what will be the house, it is always up to the one who will live in it. Materials for construction must be selected based on your requests and available funds. From the analysis carried out, we can conclude that the most preferable for building a house from a bar are solid profiled and glued profiled bars, however, there is also a place for other types.

If you are going to build any house from a bar, the owner will have to resolve the issue with the choice and purchase of building materials. The choice today is quite wide: it is both a simple bar of natural moisture, and a dried, profiled bar of a special shape or glued material. But in all cases, it will be necessary to first determine the size: the heat protection of the walls and the cost of materials depend on this. What size timber for building a house will be optimal?

Size options and their use

The dimensions of the beam are a very important parameter that must be taken into account when designing. A variety of options are on sale: the minimum section is 100x100 mm, the maximum is 200x200 mm. Which option to choose for a particular construction:

• The thinnest beam with a section of 100x100 mm or 100x150 cm is used for the construction of outbuildings, in addition, it can be used in the construction of a bath. This is the cheapest material, but it is only suitable for buildings that are not designed for permanent residence.
• For a summer cottage, as a rule, the golden mean is chosen: a beam can have a section of 120x120 mm or 150x150 mm. In the warm season, such a house will be very comfortable and convenient, in addition, this option is quite convenient for calculations and installation. If you plan to use the building for year-round use, it will be possible to provide it with an additional layer of external insulation.
• The size of the timber for a winter home should be as large as possible, especially in regions with a cold climate. In construction, options from 150x150 mm to 200x200 mm are used. The thickest timber is expensive, but due to the greater height of each crown of material, less material is required, which partially offsets the increased costs.

Thus, from what size of timber to build a house, each future owner chooses independently. However, it must be remembered that savings when choosing wall material will eventually lead to increased costs for heating and insulating the building, otherwise it will be constantly cold in it. The size of the timber for the house also determines its soundproofing qualities: through walls that are too thin, all street noises will be heard, which will significantly reduce the comfort of living.

If you choose a dried profiled timber, this will partially save on insulation: since the crowns will fit snugly against each other, the thermal insulation properties of the walls will be much higher.

Many builders believe that it is unprofitable to purchase a 200x200 bar for construction: it is almost always made to order, so it is very expensive, and the difference in wall thickness will be only 5 cm in the end, compared to a conventional bar with a section of 150x150 mm. This difference can be compensated by additional external insulation, which will still cost less in the end.

How to choose a material for building a frame house

A log house has many advantages, but it also has disadvantages: first of all, it is the high cost of materials and the need to wait a very long time for shrinkage to complete. Because of this, more and more people are paying attention to modern frame technologies, which also require the correct selection of building materials. The size of a beam for a frame house depends on its intended use and size, since it is the beam frame that has to withstand the highest loads.

Usually, the following timber dimensions are selected for tying a frame house: 150x150 mm, 150x200 mm, 200x200 mm. The large thickness ensures the strength of the frame, which can withstand any natural disasters.

For sheathing the walls of a frame building, chipboard or OSB boards are used, and a heater is placed between them. The thicker the frame, the greater the layer of insulation material and the higher the energy efficiency of the building, however, its cost increases proportionally.

The frame building is assembled faster, which also reduces its cost. However, when designing, it is necessary to count on the purchase of timber not only for the frame of the walls, but also for the construction of internal partitions, interfloor ceilings, floor logs, truss systems, etc.

In addition, the frame is difficult to assemble on your own, for the correct connection of the corners it is recommended to involve specialists. Any person can assemble a log house from a ready-made house kit thanks to ready-made processed joints.

Construction from a finished lumber house kit

What is more profitable to buy: a bar in a lumber warehouse or a ready-made house kit in a specialized company? Both options have their advantages: a simple beam will cost much less, but the assembly of a house kit will take much less time. This set can be made to special order:

1. The client turns to a specialized company, and an individual house project is developed for him, which takes into account all the wishes related to the thickness of the walls, the location of windows, doors and partitions, etc.
2. By order, a set of parts is produced, which are delivered to the construction site in a numbered form.
3. The kit is assembled as a constructor in the shortest possible time, and very soon the house is ready for decoration and settlement. Such a kit will immediately ensure strong connections of wall elements: they do not have to be adjusted directly on the construction site, all connections will be immediately sawn to exact dimensions using special equipment.

The thickness of the timber used for the manufacture of house kits can also be different. Standard version: 150x150 mm, at the request of the customer, a thicker beam can be used. This will achieve high thermal efficiency of the building.

Construction timber of natural moisture

Country houses, baths and not expensive houses for permanent residence are advantageous to build from freshly sawn timber of natural moisture.

Such lumber is much cheaper than profiled or glued beams. Assembling the walls of a house from a building beam is quite simple and, if certain rules are followed, allows you to build a reliable and durable house.

The figure below shows a variant of an unburied strip foundation, combined with a basement, for a one-story house with an attic and with walls made of timber.

Two options for arranging a strip foundation for a one-story house made of timber: a - a shallow foundation for a load-bearing wall; b - not buried foundation for the bearing wall; c - a shallow foundation for a self-supporting wall. 1 - foundation tape; 2 - air hole; 3 - sand cushion; 4 - top and bottom layer of crushed stone 5-10 cm; 5 - backfill; 6 - vertical backfilling of the construction site; 7 - vertical backfilling of slopes around an unburied foundation; 8 - bottom and top waterproofing of the basement.

The tape monolithic foundation - the basement shown in the figure is designed for building a house on weak peaty soils of the "former swamp", with a high level of groundwater.

The foundation strip of concrete grade B25 is reinforced at the lower and upper levels with three longitudinal bars of the main reinforcement of class A-III, with a diameter of 12 mm. The value of the protective layer of concrete for reinforcement in foundations - 50 mm.

To increase the bearing capacity of the soil, reduce the degree of its heaving, as well as to drain surface water from the house, soil is dumped within the boundaries of the foundation, plus at least 1.5 meters outside, pos. 6 on the image. Backfilling is carried out with non-heaving sandy soil.

For soils with a higher bearing capacity, the width of the base of the foundation can be reduced to 500 - 350 mm.

sand pillow, pos.3, laid in layers of 100 mm. on a layer of washed crushed stone rammed into natural soil pos.4. Each layer of sand under the sole of the foundation is carefully rammed.

On a sand cushion under the base of the foundation, a layer of rubble is again laid and rammed, pos.4. Compacted crushed stone is shed with heated bitumen, which, after solidification, creates a waterproofing film under the base of the foundation. The bitumen film prevents cement laitance from leaving the sand when pouring the foundation, and subsequently does not let water through the capillaries of the concrete foundation tape.

The side surfaces of the foundation in contact with the ground are smeared twice with heated bituminous mastic. The concrete surface is primed before applying the mastic.

For more information about the construction of various designs of shallow foundations, see the links above.

A house with a grillage on piles with a basement floor is more expensive, more difficult to build and operate than a house on a shallow or not buried foundation with.

Traditionally, a wooden house is made with a basement and a cold underground - leaving a space between the ground and the floor of the lower floor.

The advent of new thermal insulation materials makes it possible to build a wooden house without a basement with cheaper, warmer and more durable floors on the ground:

To learn how to make such a floor in a house from a bar, click on the picture

The lower strapping of the walls of the timber

The bars of the lower strapping along the contour of the walls are laid on the basement tape through the waterproofing layer. The surface of the plinth is coated with bituminous mastic, on which a layer of waterproofing is laid.

Outside, the dimensions of the lower trim are recommended to be 50-70 less than the dimensions of the foundation mm. from each side. Sheathing bars are supported on the outer ledge of the foundation, and the joint between and the strapping is covered with a metal sheet - a low tide. In addition, if the walls hang heavily from the foundation, then it looks ugly.

The joint of the lower trim and the base is covered with a metal sheen. The ebb sheets are fixed on the strapping beam with self-tapping screws. Wall cladding is performed over the ebb.

The bars of the lower trim and the wooden parts of the basement are recommended to be planed and treated with a protective antiseptic. The bioprotective composition must be intended for the treatment of raw wood. Planed and impregnated wood does not rot longer.

Do not coat raw wood with oil- or bitumen-based compounds. The depth of impregnation with such compositions will be small, and the waterproof film on the surface of the timber will conserve moisture inside the wood.

Bioprotection is effective only during the first few years after application, protecting the wood during its drying period.

To protect the strapping beams from moisture for a long time, it is recommended under the beams, on the basement waterproofing, to lay a gasket along the entire length dry antiseptic board wrapped with roofing felt.

Modern advanced builders make such gasket between trim and plinth made of extruded polystyrene foam(penoplex, etc.) 40 thick mm.

The gasket protects the beams from moisture, which can accumulate on the surface of the plinth waterproofing as a result of vapor condensation or soaking. By changing the thickness of the gasket, you can align the strapping bars to the horizon.

The bars of the lower harness are interconnected with construction brackets or galvanized steel linings.

After assembling and checking the diagonals (rectangularity) of the strapping frame, its position on the foundation tape is marked with paint - marks are applied to the timber and waterproofing. This is necessary to control the position of the frame during the installation of walls.

It is not recommended to fasten the strapping bars to the foundation. It should be remembered that during the drying process, the dimensions of the beam decrease, and the dimensions of the foundation remain constant. Temporary fasteners can be installed that fix the position of the piping frame on the foundation only for the period of installation of walls.

Socle ceiling of a wooden house from a bar

For the construction of a traditional basement floor, the structural scheme "beams - logs" is most often used.

Beams from a bar or boards on an edge it is better to lay on the ledge of the base. Such a ceiling design, when the beams are loosely connected to the strapping beams, provides better safety and ease of replacement of wooden parts in the basement of the house. Moisture from the beams is not transferred to the strapping beam, and vice versa. If necessary the floor beam or strapping beam can be replaced relatively easily.

From above, across the beams, bars are fixed - logs. Insulation is laid between the beams and between the lags. Slabs or black floor boards are laid on the logs.

This cover design allows:

• Arrange the logs with a step convenient for laying subfloor slabs.
• Get a rigid structure and a total floor height of at least 200 mm. using cheaper lumber of a smaller section. Such a ceiling height is necessary for laying insulation plates of the required thickness between the beams and lags.

The construction of the basement only on beams, without a log, is used when using thick boards as a subfloor - 40 mm. and more, and beams with a height of 200 mm.

Beams should be laid so that there was a ventilation gap between their ends and the strapping (2 cm) . This is done with the help of gaskets, which are removed after fastening the beams with brackets or steel plates (see Fig., Node B). The end of the beam must rest on the plinth for a length of at least 120 mm.

The technology for installing beams is simple. First, mount the extreme beams and align them in a horizontal plane. After that, a board is placed on the edge between them and intermediate beams are installed on it. The work is usually controlled visually, and if necessary, a level is applied. Temporary technological flooring from boards is laid on the beams.

On the base, the ends of the beams are laid in the same way as the strapping beam, through a layer of waterproofing and leveling pads.

Before installing the basement, the space under the floor is thoroughly cleaned of wood residues and other debris that can rot. The surface of the earth under the floor is covered with sandy soil with a layer thickness of 10 cm . and ram it.

Over sand preparation the soil in the subfield over the entire surface is covered with rolled waterproofing based on bituminous materials with careful gluing of the joints of the panels. Waterproofing is wrapped on the walls of the basement and glued to them.

A modern solution that provides comfort and saves on heating costs is a device.

To learn how to make such a warm floor without a concrete screed, click on the picture.

Double strapping of walls from a bar

There is another version of the device for the lower strapping of a log house - double strapping. The double strap design is well shown in the video clip.

The purpose of the double strapping device is to the floor beams rested on the protrusion of the lower beam, without cutting into the upper beam of the strapping.

The time will come, and, as mentioned above, such an independent laying of beams will make it quite easy to replace defective beams and strapping bars. In addition, the durability of wooden strapping parts is increased.

According to building codes the ends of the beams must rest on the lower beam for a length of at least 100 mm. Therefore, the lower beam is recommended to choose a width of at least 200 mm.

Double strapping is beneficial to use in structures, when the width of the basement (grillage) does not allow floor beams to rest on it.

In country log houses on piles or columnar foundations, a separate grillage is often not made. The lower beam of the strapping is laid directly on the pile heads or foundation columns. In this design, the lower beam of the double strapping actually serves as a grillage. Floor beams in this case are often cut into the upper strapping beam. This is a cheaper and less durable option.

Three ways to connect timber in the corners of the walls

When building houses or baths, the following three methods of connecting beams at the corners of walls are most popular:

1. Connection "to the floor of the tree." At the ends of the bars, horizontal cuts are made in half the thickness and the ends are laid on top of each other. The parts in the connection must be fastened with building brackets, galvanized steel linings or dowels. The connection is easy to do, but requires additional fastening of parts and is “cold”, due to easily blown gaps.
2. Connection in a one-sided key groove is an analogue of the connection, which is traditionally used in log cabins from round logs. The connection is “warm”, strong, but difficult to implement in a construction site. Most often, in log cabins, it is used in the manufacture of parts in the factory.
3. In dressing with a root spike - the most common corner connection of the bars. The profile of such a connection is quite easy to mark and cut out. The gaps in the tongue-and-groove lock are sealed by pushing the interventional insulation from above.

The "wood floor" connection is usually used in the corners to fasten the beams of the lower trim of the building.

Connections of partitions from a bar with an external wall

The connection of the beam of the inner wall - the partition with the crown of the outer wall of the groove - thorn type turns out to be “warm”, since it does not have through joints to the outside. This connection is easy to make.

"Warm" connection of the beams of the partition and the outer wall. 1- main beam; 2 - dobor beam; 3 - partition beam

In every fourth crown of the log house, the partition beam is fastened to the wall beam with building brackets, or galvanized steel overlays.

The figure below shows the connection node in the crown of three bars at once - the outer wall, the bay window and the inner wall - the partition.

The connection of the beam in the crowns of the outer wall, the bay window and the inner wall - partitions

The connection of the bars in this unit is made using rectangular keys that are inserted into the grooves in the parts to be joined.

In one crown, the end of the beam of the outer wall is adjacent to the end of the beam of the bay window, and the end of the beam of the partition is adjacent to the beam of the wall. In the next crown, the ends of the beam of the outer wall and the bay window are adjacent from different sides to the beam of the partition.

Timber for houses, baths in your city

Steel perforated fasteners for timber

The wooden parts of a house made of timber are traditionally connected and fastened together with the help of tie-ins, cuts, spikes, grooves of various configurations, as well as steel building brackets and nails.

In recent years, perforated steel fasteners have appeared on the construction market, specifically designed for connecting wooden parts in construction.

When developing the designs and sizes of connectors, the standard dimensions of wooden parts, which are widely used in construction, as well as the loads that wooden parts usually withstand, were taken into account.

Steel perforated fasteners - support for a wooden beam.

For example, the article above repeatedly emphasized the need to fasten floor beams to strapping beams without cutting, in order to ensure easy replacement of floor beams and not weaken the strapping.

The use of metal supports for fastening the beams to the strapping beams makes it easy to solve this problem and, in some cases, simplify the design of the basement of the house.

The beam support is made of galvanized steel with a thickness of 2.5 mm. with high strength values.

The metal part of the support must cover at least 2/3 of the height of the beam.

The dimensions of the "mouth" of the steel support must correspond to the width of the beam, and the height of the support is chosen at least 2/3 of the height of the beam.

The steel support is screwed to the wooden parts with self-tapping screws. The load-bearing capacity of a beam connector is equal to the sum of the load-bearing capacities of the screws that fasten the support to the beam.

In order to use the connector's load-bearing capacity to the full, self-tapping screws are screwed into each hole of the steel support. If this is not necessary, then the self-tapping screws must be screwed into the beam into the upper and lower, and then into every second hole. In the strapping beam, self-tapping screws are screwed into each hole of the row located closer to the beam.

The length of the screws is chosen equal to half the width of the beam. The diameter of the screws should be slightly smaller than the size of the holes in the steel support.

Instead of self-tapping screws, you can use "ruffed" nails. Ordinary nails with a smooth surface cannot be used.

The gap between the end of the beam and the strapping beam is allowed no more than 3 mm.

You can use perforated steel fasteners in other structures of a log house. For example, It is convenient to replace building brackets with mounting plates or corners.

A wide variety of perforated steel fasteners are available for a wide variety of timber structures.

Of course, you can admire the art of our ancestors, who built without a single nail. But taking an example from them and trying to repeat it now hardly makes sense.

Modern technologies allow a lot of things to be done faster, stronger, and cheaper. For example, it is convenient to connect a beam, a beam along the length using such a gerbera connector.

A typical application of a gerbera beam connector is connection and splicing of beams, purlins, rafters not on a support, but in a span, in the absence of bending and torque moments in the articulation unit.

Connectors should be located from the support at a distance of 1/7 of the span length L. Calculations show that at this distance from the support to the beam, girder or rafter, the minimum bending and torsional moments will act.

Always use a pair of connectors for each connection. The height of the connector must be equal to the height of the beam. Gerber connectors are made of galvanized steel with a thickness of 2 mm.

More articles on this topic:

The question of which timber is better for a home is more relevant today than ever before. First of all, the number of wooden buildings is increasing everywhere, and in addition, the range of sawn timber is also becoming more diverse. As a result, it is not surprising for a person who decides to purchase building materials to make a mistake in his choice.

What is a bar

Let's try to figure out which timber is better to build a house for all-season living. A wooden bar is a long-length beam with a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

The standard length of the material is 6 or 9 meters with a thickness of 100 to 300 mm.

Such standard sizes are recognized as optimal for construction. If there is a need for a longer length, you can pay attention to Finnish lumber with a length of up to 12 meters.

According to the degree of processing, the timber is divided into the following modifications:

• edged or sawn timber (raw);
• planed;
• polished;
• profiled.

All long lumber, in accordance with the method of manufacture, are divided into solid, glued and hollow.

Therefore, there is no unequivocal answer to the question of what is better than a house made of timber or a foam block, because the characteristics of lumber are diverse. Again, the statistics of the construction of residential buildings from wood clearly indicates that lumber in terms of thermal conductivity is not inferior to most traditional building materials.

Edged timber

Have you picked up the best projects of houses from a bar and are looking for an inexpensive, but high-quality material for their implementation? In this case, you will certainly be interested in the classic edged modification.

In fact, this is a wooden product obtained in the process of sawing a tree trunk. Edges are sawn from a solid log in a horizontal and vertical plane. As a result, a beam with a square section is obtained with four flat, but rough sides.

As a rule, this type of lumber is sold with a natural level of moisture. Therefore, during the acquisition process, it is advisable to examine the product for the presence of distortions from improper storage.

In the photo - edged timber

The range of sizes includes cross-sections 250 x 250, 150 x 200, 150 x 150, 100 x 150 and 100 x 100 mm.

Thus, it is possible to select the material, as required by the instructions for building a full-fledged cottage or erecting outbuildings.

One of the many disadvantages of this type of timber is the need to use interventional seals based on jute cloth or natural moss. In the latter case, the insulated walls are necessarily caulked with jute or hemp-linen twine. The fact is that the absence of additional sealing allows atmospheric precipitation to seep into the cracks when it hits the walls.

As a result, dampness may appear at the junction of the bars and fungus may spread. No less significant problem of such a material is the deformation during shrinkage.

Planed and ground material

Not sure which timber is best for building a house? Pay attention to planed and polished lumber. Such products are not only cut on all sides, but also planed or even polished to a state of optimal smoothness.

Depending on the production technology, the beams can be processed from one, two or all sides. Moreover, the corners of the product can be chamfered. The advantages of such a bar are the optimal appearance, combined with ease of use when building a house. .

Important: You need to be careful when choosing these lumber, since planed timber is often sold instead of polished timber.

Profiled timber

Sometimes it is not easy to decide what size of timber is best for building a house, but it is equally important to decide on the shape of the cross section. Profile lumber is the most progressive and technologically advanced category of timber. These lumber differ from others in the presence of a lock connection.

Due to this design difference, the crown of one beam with maximum density enters the other. The design of the product is such that two sides are smooth - inner and outer. The top and bottom sides are equipped with fasteners.

Despite the fact that the price is slightly higher than the cost of raw edged beams, their purchase is a profitable and justified investment.

Currently, the market presents sawn timber with two main types of profile: "German" tongue-and-groove (multi-ridged) and "Finnish" with special recesses (crown cups). Based on two types of profiles, various manufacturers are developing new modifications that correspond to the features of a particular construction.

What is it made of

If you have selected the best projects of wooden houses from timber, it's time to decide what raw materials the building material should be made from. In order for the constructed cottage to be reliable, durable and comfortable, it is advisable to use drier winter wood.

How to distinguish high-quality dry lumber from raw beams? If you decide to build a house with your own hands, use materials with light ends. Such wood is easy to saw, and there is no waviness on the longitudinal cuts.

Tip: the core of a tree harvested in winter is characterized by a high content of starch. It is not so difficult to make sure of this, for this you need to drop iodine on the cut and the stain should turn blue.

In order not to subsequently wonder which house is better from timber or foam blocks, pay attention to the side surface of each beam. Wood, if possible, should have an even line of angular cut, be smooth, without knots and bark residues.

Features of the Finnish timber

Can't decide which house is better brick or timber? In this case, pay attention to the elite lumber made using Finnish technology.

Among the characteristic features of this material, we note the following:

• The annual rings in the lamellas are directed towards the center of the section, that is, in opposite directions from each other.
• In the manufacture of these lumber, gluing is used, in the process of which fragments of a tree of the same color are connected.
• Lamellas are spliced ​​vertically every 4-6 meters, due to which the best appearance and the greatest strength of the finished product are achieved.
• In the manufacture of exclusively thick lamellas are used. The question of what thickness of timber is better for building a house in this case is more relevant than ever. After all, this is done so that after gluing the wood does not lose its original air permeability. In accordance with the technology, the wood is impregnated with glue to a depth of 2 cm. As a result of the use of thick lamellas, lumber is impregnated with glue not completely, but superficially.
• Glued laminated timber, manufactured according to Finnish technology abroad, costs twice as much as domestic analogues.

Composite materials

The best timber houses are being built everywhere. Both traditional lumber and products manufactured in accordance with the most advanced technologies are used as the main building material. In the last couple of years, hollow and package varieties of timber have appeared on the market.

Both that and other modification represents the wooden block hollow from within. This design consists of two boards of a certain thickness with end elements and lintels. The difference between the two modifications lies in the fact that the hollow beam is still used with air space inside, while the package modification is filled with insulation (based on foam glass or mineral wool).

The advantage of building materials with an air gap is low thermal conductivity and, as a result, the energy efficiency of the house. When it comes to modifications with filler, the question of which house is better from foam blocks or from timber is generally inappropriate. According to the latest data, composite walls retain heat 1.5 times better than masonry made from traditional building materials.

Another new development of the composite type is a thermal beam made of two boards with a polyurethane foam layer. The manufacturers of these materials claim that the degree of thermal conductivity of such walls with a thickness of 160 mm corresponds to the parameters of a glued solid beam with a width of 390 mm. In addition, the cost of the two types of buildings is the same.

Thus, the advantages of the technology are obvious. As for the shortcomings, in all likelihood they also exist, but since the statistics on the use of such materials are insignificant, it is too early to draw any conclusions.

Chamber drying

Do not know when it is better to build a house from a bar? Yes, actually at any time, the main thing is that there is no precipitation, and that the material does not lose its original degree of moisture. Optimum humidity is the condition due to which the construction is carried out quickly without prolonged shrinkage.

The best parameters for moisture content in structural timber are between 15 and 20%. Such parameters can be achieved by drying in special chambers. As a rule, the workpiece is dried immediately after sawing the log. Subsequently, dry wood is sanded, profiled, etc.

Publication date: 04/05/2016 2016-04-05 15:23:02

What timber is better for building a house?

If you decide to build a house and choose timber as a building material, this is a good choice. Wooden houses, including those made of timber, are durable, reliable, cozy and warm. But the main value of wooden houses is in their environmental friendliness, and also in that unique atmosphere that only wood can create. However, it is not so easy to build a house from a bar yourself, if you do not know some of the features. Here, it would seem, is the building material itself - do you think you can take the first one that comes across? Of course not. What timber is better for building a house? We'll talk about this.

Types of timber for building a house

A wooden beam is lumber, mainly rectangular in shape. The thickness of the beam section varies from 50 to 400 mm. There are the following types of timber:

• Types of timber for the house - unprofiled, solid timber. In fact, it is a wooden log, which was given a rectangular shape, natural humidity. Advantages: low cost, environmental friendliness, ease of operation. What are the disadvantages? And the disadvantages are that houses made of non-profiled timber need additional finishing, since the aesthetics of non-profiled timber is low. Also, such a beam can have a different cross section, an uneven cut, so there may be differences in the placement of the crowns. Another disadvantage is the natural moisture content of the wood. Because of this, the timber is susceptible to fungal attack, that is, it requires antiseptic treatment (additional costs). Also, over time, the wood dries out, the walls shrink, and at the same time cracks appear in the walls. Although, since wall decoration is required, this is not such a significant drawback. But a more significant drawback is the ventilation of the interventional seams, although this problem is solved by caulking.
• Which timber to choose for the house - profiled timber. This is also a solid material, however, its main difference from an unprofiled beam is that it has spikes and grooves, vertical cuts - thanks to them, the installation of the house is greatly simplified, and the joints between the beams are very tight, accurate. In addition, the advantage of this material is the high precision of processing, and due to this, the likelihood of building a house with slots is reduced. The walls of the house do not need additional finishing, the house turns out to be warm, it does not need caulking, with the exception of corner and end joints. Disadvantages. This is a need for a break during construction - after the construction of the house, he needs to stand for about 12 months, since the timber must dry. In addition, solid wood always cracks, this is also worth remembering.
• The choice of timber for building a house is glued laminated timber. It is made from lamellas (boards). For the manufacture of lamellas, coniferous species are used - pine, larch, cedar, spruce. Logs are sawn into boards, dried, treated with special compounds. After that, the lamellas are glued together.

What are the advantages: no cracking, since the wood is already dried, high strength, aesthetics of the house, no shrinkage of the walls. There is no need for finishing. And due to the processing of wood, the risk of development of microorganisms, decay is excluded.

Disadvantages: low environmental friendliness of the timber - due to the use of glue. Also, because of the glue, the circulation of moisture and air in the timber is disturbed, which reduces the positive characteristics of the tree.

What timber is better to build a house from?

If you want to save money and are ready to spend more time on construction (due to caulking walls and their decorative finishes), then unprofiled timber will suit you. Its shortcomings can be dealt with, quite simply, and, in principle, there is a weighty argument "for" this building material. Once upon a time, houses were built simply from logs, without processing and other things. They stand for a long time.

What kind of timber to choose for building a house, if you need a "golden mean"? it is clear that this is a profiled beam. High aesthetics, environmental friendliness, less humidity, better processing - all these are the undoubted advantages of profiled timber. True, the construction budget will have to be increased.

Well, if you want maximum reliability, you can take glued laminated timber for the house. How to choose between environmental friendliness and durability? Here, everyone chooses for himself.

What size timber is best for building a house

As a rule, a bar has a square or rectangular section; for a square bar, the height and width are called thickness - they are the same after all. What thickness of timber is best for building a house? Depends on the type of house. So, if a house is being built in which you will live permanently, it is better to choose a thicker timber, 200 × 200 mm. What thickness of timber to choose for a country house? Here you can get by with a bar and 150, 100 mm.

Choice of timber 150 or 200 mm

Everything is simple here. The thicker the beam, the more reliable the walls, the warmer. And the more expensive. Therefore, for the outer walls of a residential building, it is better to take a beam of 200 mm, but leave 150 mm for interior partitions.

What section of the timber to choose for a country house

Why is a beam with a smaller section recommended: such high requirements are not imposed on country houses, so here you can save money and take a beam of a smaller section. Although, of course, it all depends on the frequency of stay in the house.

How to choose a timber for building a house

You already know about it. Type of timber, advantages and disadvantages, cost, section - now you can make the right choice.

Materials borrowed from the site "Wikipedia" or other open sources of information.