Houses made of profiled timber are cozy and reliable. They proved their worth many years ago. A lot of time has passed, but the advantages of wooden houses are only increasing. Nowadays, such houses are built quite quickly, because they are assembled like a children's construction set. This is also facilitated by the presence of special fasteners and the availability of materials. In this article we will look at how you can build a house from profiled timber yourself.
- Installation of base and floor
- Insulation and finishing of the house
Features of profiled timber
Profiled timber is a building material that is extracted from coniferous trees, for example, pine, cedar, spruce, and larch. If you look closely at the material, you will notice that inner side is smooth and planed, and the outer one has the shape of a semi-oval, or it can also be smooth. There are special grooves and tenons on the sides that allow you to quickly and efficiently fasten the timber together. The main advantage of profiled timber is considered to be environmentally friendly, since it is made without the use of glue.
The material is also very warm and relatively inexpensive. These moments captivate many people. As mentioned above, profiled timber is quite easy and quick to assemble, which is good news for amateurs self-construction. But do not forget that profiled timber is a tree on which pores remain. Over time, mold, fungi, etc. may appear there. Therefore, it is always necessary to treat wood with special protective compounds.
Profiled timber has practically no cracks, but if they appear, they can expand over time. It is very important to ensure that the cracks do not turn through. Also remember that all wooden houses do not tolerate moisture. Therefore, you should carefully monitor the roof and not delay its repair. If your home will be periodically exposed to cold weather, additional insulation should be done.
Start of construction of a timber house
It is very important to design a house made from profiled timber. When you draw up a plan, make all the calculations carefully and accurately, since this will be very important important role in the purchase of materials. You can draw a design for your future home yourself, or you can contact construction company. Before you start preparing for construction, you should understand that best time for construction - winter.
If you plan to harvest wood yourself, it is better to do this in the cold season and dry it for a long time at home. In this case, the timber will shrink evenly and calmly. But you shouldn’t go to extremes - very coldy It is better to refuse such work, since the wood can become very fragile.
When preparing the material yourself, you must take into account all the factors and choose a healthy tree without cracks. After this, you need to cut the logs evenly and treat them with a special antiseptic. You can purchase already ready material, which will be tailored to your needs. Also, grooves will be cut there, and you will just have to lay out the house from profiled timber with your own hands, like a designer.
Building a foundation for a house
Before you decide on the type of foundation you need, study the geological conditions. To do this, you need to find out the indicator groundwater, soil composition, look at the foundation structures of already built houses in this area. Strip foundations are often laid for houses made of concrete, brick or cinder blocks. The process of constructing such foundations is quite simple, but is characterized by high material consumption and labor intensity.
For wooden buildings From timber, a columnar, pile or shallowly buried strip foundation is ideal. Let's look at the scheme for constructing a shallowly buried strip foundation. It all starts with the markup. It is very important to be precise in this process. External and internal corners Mark buildings with pegs. After this, you need to combine them with cording to add volume. This way you will understand what the foundation should look like.
After this, you can begin to dig a hole, the depth of which should not exceed 60 centimeters. But it’s also not worth making the depth too small, because we are building a house from profiled timber and do not want to reduce the strength of the structure with our rash actions. Two bayonets of a shovel will be enough. In this case, you should not deviate from the initial markings by more than 20 centimeters. After this, you need to put a crushed stone cushion. As part of this procedure, the bottom of the trench is covered with a layer of sand (or dense soil) of 10 centimeters and a layer of crushed stone of the same thickness.
You can make the formwork yourself or order it. Homemade formwork is made from wood that has no cracks or seams. When ordering, it is better to choose steel or plastic formwork. You must install the formwork in the trench and align it in the center. To increase strength, it makes sense to use reinforcement - parallel rods with jumpers. The diameter of the reinforcement must be at least 1 centimeter.
It is advisable to use a frame and at least 2 reinforcement belts. When welding, they should not be placed closer than 3 centimeters. The rods should fit freely into the trench, but not be closer than 5 centimeters. After this, you can moisten the formwork with water and begin concrete pouring. If you are using wooden formwork, moisten it more strongly so that the wood does not absorb moisture from the solution. The formwork is removed immediately after the solution has dried.
For insulation, you can use extruded polystyrene foam slabs of 5 centimeters each, and 8 centimeters at the corners of the foundation. When the sides of the foundation of a house made of profiled timber are tarred, crushed stone is poured in place of the formwork. This is necessary for waterproofing. Upper part the foundation can be isolated using roofing felt. Then it is necessary to carry out backfilling, for which you can use previously removed soil.
Installation of base and floor
The construction of any house begins with the creation of a row, which is laid on a treated and leveled waterproofing foundation. It is worth noting that for external walls it is necessary to use timber with a section of 150 by 150 millimeters, and for the floor and internal walls - 100 by 50 millimeters. When the first row is laid, it should be treated with an antiseptic to good strengthening. After this, it is necessary to install floor joists, which should preferably be laid on edge.
The logs can be installed on the foundation of the house and attached to the walls of the log house, as shown in the video about houses made of profiled timber. They must be placed indoors and left there for several days to get used to the temperature. Two logs should be placed on opposite walls and nylon threads should be stretched between them, every one and a half meters. These threads will serve as a guide for making the rest of the logs. Gaps and voids will form between the lags, which should be filled with insulation. For insulation, you can choose sawdust, polystyrene foam, isolon, mineral wool and polystyrene foam.
If you lay logs from boards 30 - 40 centimeters thick, then the distance between them should be 80 centimeters. If the thickness of the floor boards is less, the distance should be 50 - 60 centimeters, and for too thick boards - about 1 meter. Using wedges made of thin plywood or wood, you can adjust the height of the joists. You can strengthen the wedges using self-tapping screws or long nails. The logs are secured with anchors or dowels. After this, you can proceed to installing and strengthening the boards.
You should retreat one and a half centimeters from the wall and strengthen the first row of boards along a stretched line. Holes should be drilled for self-tapping screws. It is necessary to lay a board on each joist and strengthen it. If there are gaps between the wall and the floor, they can be covered with plinths or staples, which should be connected to the board and secured with nails. The subfloor is covered with thermal insulation on both sides. Boards with a cross section of 25 by 150 millimeters are suitable for it.
The floor can be laid with or without displacement, judging by the photos of houses made of profiled timber. First you must lay the first layer and lay it on top wooden flooring. Remember about the waterproofing that is placed on the sub-base of the future floor. For these purposes, you can use penofol or dense polyethylene. At the last stage, you should lay the floor from any material. A tongue and groove board 28 or 36 millimeters thick is perfect for this.
Construction of walls from profiled timber
To build walls timber house, it is necessary to lay out alternate rows of timber. Each subsequent row is fastened together using dowels (pins for vertical connection), which does not allow the timber to move or twist. Pins can be made of metal or wood. It is advisable to use the same wood from which the house is built. It is known that metal dowels are more reliable, but they are more expensive than wooden dowels, and the cost of a house made of profiled timber will increase in this case.
How are dowels installed? This happens according to the method brickwork, through two or three rows after one. To do this, you need to drill holes with a diameter of 3–4 centimeters. The dowels will be easily inserted into these holes. The distance between the dowels should be one and a half meters. Between the rows of timber, do not forget to lay a sealant for insulation. Where external walls are connected, it is advisable to use the “warm corner” method.
In one beam, you should cut out a protrusion of the required size, and in the other, you should cut out a groove with similar parameters. Some layers of timber can be alternated with grooves and tenons. This will greatly strengthen the structure, and the corners will not be blown out. If you are building a house with one and a half floors, the walls of the second floor need to be raised by approximately 1200-1500 millimeters, this depends on the steepness. Partitions must fit into the main walls of the floor. For them, you can use timber with a section of 100 by 150 millimeters. The installation of partitions is done only after the construction of the log house.
If the dimensions of the house are larger than 6 by 6 meters, there should be at least one partition on the first floor, which will provide additional support for the floor on the second floor. If you want to reduce the price of a house made of profiled timber, the internal walls can be framed. To do this, you need to create a frame from bars with a section of 50 by 50, cover it with clapboard or other material. To wooden house was fire-resistant, all its parts must be treated with a fire retardant. You can apply it to the walls using a spray bottle or a paint brush.
And the last point that is worth understanding when building walls: pay due attention to creating window openings. In the places where windows are installed, it is necessary to cut out technological openings through which air will move while the material dries. When the house is finally settled, the windows can be installed. Window blocks for buildings made of profiled timber can be metal-plastic or wooden.
Insulation and finishing of the house
If the thermal insulation of a wooden house is of high quality, you can reduce heating costs. Wall insulation will significantly reduce your heating costs, regardless of fuel. Exterior decoration at home significantly increases thermal insulation, due to the reduction in timber moisture. It isolates it from various atmospheric precipitations. Most popular types finishing is lining and siding, but it is better not to use siding for a wooden house.
You can use mineral wool, glass wool slabs, tow or flax-jute fabric. Glass wool slabs must be laid with foil vapor barrier material. This approach will help reflect heat into the room, and the vapor insulation will reduce moisture evaporation, which is known to steal heat.
It is worth noting that for insulation, according to the technology of houses made of profiled timber, it is better not to use polystyrene foam, since it will not allow the moisture of the wood to evaporate completely and will cause rotting of the wood. For the same reasons, you should not insulate walls with roofing felt, plastic film or glassine. It is better to use a vapor-permeable membrane material.
It is also advisable to trim the inside with profiled timber, as this will give you additional thermal insulation. Interior finishing can be made of lining, hardboard or plasterboard. Remember that insulation should resemble layered cake. Each layer must protect against heat loss and prevent the penetration of cold and moisture. If you plan to spend time in the house only in the summer, you don’t have to insulate it.
Roof for a house made of profiled timber
To cover the roof, you can use ondulin, corrugated sheets, roofing felt, and metal tiles. Remember that insulation should begin with the last or attic floor, and then move on to the roof itself. In accordance with the structure of the future roof, it is necessary to install ceiling beams, rafters and sheathing. When the walls are built, ceiling joists should be placed that should protrude 50 centimeters beyond the base of the wall. The logs are made of timber with a section of 150 by 100 millimeters. They must be laid out on edge at a distance of approximately 90 centimeters from each other.
After this, you should assemble a rafter system from boards with a section of 50 by 150 millimeters. This structure is the skeleton of the roof, so it needs to be strongly strengthened with racks, crossbars and braces. Rafters should be installed in increments of no more than one centimeter. When the frame is ready, you can begin laying out the fronts, which can be made from siding or timber with a section of 150 by 150 millimeters. At the last stage, a sheathing with a cross-section of 25 by 150 millimeters should be nailed onto the rafters.
It is worth noting that the sheathing pitch should not be more than 400 millimeters. To prevent the accumulation of condensation, it is necessary to make a vapor barrier using a layer of waterproofing. If you used slate as a roof covering, and the attic is ventilated, you can avoid waterproofing during the construction of a house made of profiled timber.
When choosing a coating material, you must pay attention to the manufacturer’s advice, since different types coatings they can differ significantly. When installing, it is very important to follow the specified fastening techniques. Otherwise, the integrity of the roof may be compromised. If you strictly follow the principle of laying the selected material, you can easily build the roof of the house yourself.
Building a house from timber is perhaps the easiest way to build a house with your own hands. You don’t need any special skills to do this, and if you know how to use a chainsaw, you can easily handle this job. Assembling the house will turn out to be like the construction set you played with as a child. For this purpose, special fastening elements are provided along the edges of the material. You will also need a strong foundation and reliable roof! We hope this article will help you understand construction technology and build a reliable and beautiful house from profiled timber!
Houses made of profiled timber are presented in the form of a designer. This material is made from logs with a certain diameter. The workpieces are dried by storing them on pads.
A house made of profiled timber appears to be in the form of a construction set.
Profiling and parameters are given to the timber during processing on special machines.
The finished material has a seating head and an insulating groove.
Manufacturing technology
A house made of profiled timber is delivered to households in disassembled form. Installation of such a design does not provide for the collection of waste base material. The installation of the building is carried out taking into account design features and wood production technologies.
In its middle, the density is higher and contains a lot of resin (coniferous) or tannins (deciduous). Due to the absence of sap flow in the core of the trunk, the tree has high strength.
Often this product is given the following profile:
- the outer side is flat or semi-oval shaped;
- the inner side is straight;
- the lower and upper sides have tongues and grooves (used when installing a house).
The production process itself is carried out as follows. As source material pine edged timber is used. It has high density and strength and contains virtually no moisture. Its cross-section must be rectangular, without deviations or cut lines. Material that is affected by fungus and insects is also not used.
Before profiling, the workpieces are kept for 3-5 months in warehouses or placed in special drying chambers. It is necessary to check the material for moisture. This figure should not exceed 22%.
Profiling is carried out on special machines with 4 sides, in which the number of spindles exceeds 6 pieces, and the minimum cross-section of the workpiece is 250x240 mm. In the end it turns out ready product calculated shape or profiles with a smooth surface.
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Houses made of profiled timber have the following advantages:
- There is no need for additional thermal insulation - wood is a poor conductor, so such structures retain heat well in the cold season and do not allow hot air masses to enter the house in the summer.
- Excellent resistance to vibrations - this material is often used when installing houses in seismic zones.
- The possibility of increasing the flammability index - a special impregnation is used for this. Easily provided if necessary fire safety due to interior decoration building.
- The presence of clear shapes in profiled timber - therefore, such construction simplifies Finishing work, which must be carried out inside the structure. In this case, no additional preparation of the rough base is required.
- Significant money savings.
- Original appearance.
- Doesn't rot.
Installation of a house or bathhouse is carried out using profiled timber, the cross-section of which is 145X145 mm. Products with smaller parameters are used for arranging internal partitions. The seams are sealed with special tapes made of polyurethane foam or polyethylene foam. If possible, jute insulation is used. This procedure is carried out using the following tools:
- screwdriver;
- building level;
- hammer;
- roulettes.
To tighten the beams, you will need special structures with dowels. Corner connections on the log house are made according to various technologies by using milling machine. This type of locking structure is rigid and does not require additional processing. Upon completion of the foundation work, the house is wired. To do this, lower crowns and supports for partitions are placed on the base, and logs are placed for the floor.
The next step in installing a house made of profiled timber involves assembling the external walls. For this, the “groove-tenon” principle is used. During this process, window and door openings are formed. Further work and its timing depends on the drying to which the main material was subjected - natural or chamber. With the first method, there is a pause in the installation of a house made of profiled timber for 6 months. This is necessary for shrinkage of the material used. With natural drying, the moisture level of the timber is 22-30%, for chamber drying - 12-20%.
I wanted to build a house. I immediately encountered the problem of choosing a material. There wasn’t much money, but I wanted a house that was reliable, warm and durable. Having studied the offers of the modern construction market, I decided to settle on
On the forums they advise building houses with a cross-section of 15x15 cm. But I had to build it myself, sometimes with a friend, i.e. I didn’t want to involve outside workers, so I decided not to use a heavy 15-centimeter beam. Instead, I bought dry material with a cross-section of 15x10 cm. Then, when the wood shrinks, I will insulate the outside walls with mineral wool, and the house will be warm.
To further save on construction costs, I decided to use only local materials. You can take my story as an example of guidance and navigate the situation.
Pouring the foundation
First, I cleared the area under the house from debris, bushes and other things that were in the way. After this, I began laying out the foundation.
I had to think for a long time about what type of foundation would be suitable specifically for my area. Studied the geological conditions, learned the composition of the soil and the level of occurrence groundwater. Specialized reference literature helped me with this. Additionally, I asked my neighbors what foundations their houses were on.
I live in the Ryazan region. Local conditions make it possible to save on the construction of foundations, so most neighbors have houses on light supports made of limestone and concrete. Most often, they even refuse reinforcement - such is the wonderful soil we have. The soil is sandy, therefore, it is not “heaving”. The water runs deep, and wooden houses weigh little. Therefore, there is no need to install buried monolithic supports in my region.
I started by digging a trench. To begin with, I removed the fertile ball. Sand appeared. To make it seal better, I filled it with water. Then he lined the trenches with stone and laid two reinforcing bars. I tied them up in the corners. I think that the tape is best reinforced both at the bottom and at the top. So I did.
To save yourself from unnecessary work, you could order ready-made construction concrete for delivery. However, in my region this turned out to be unrealistic - there are simply no such proposals. And my plot is such that the truck would have to go through the garden, but I don’t need that.
Alas, you won’t be able to save this much in every region. For example, if I lived somewhere in the Moscow region, I would have to make formwork, install a spatial reinforcing frame, and only then pour in the building mixture.
While the concrete gains strength (and it needs 3-4 weeks for this), I will start preparing consumables.
Prices for timber
Find out more detailed nuances, from our new article on our portal.
Preparatory activities
Preparing dowels
The connection of the beam crowns is carried out using wooden dowels. I decided to make them from scrap boards left over from other construction projects. In my case it was the installation of roof sheathing.
For dowels, use wood that is as hard as possible. The process of making fasteners is extremely simple. I took some scrap boards and edged them on one side using a matching saw.
Then I set the stop and started sawing to size. In my situation, the size was 12 cm. As a result, I received neat and beautiful blanks.
I sawed the planks using band saw. At the end of the day I received a whole box of wooden sticks. Next, I sharpened the blanks with an ax on each side and got my dowels.
Moss preparation
Dowels, sphagnum peat moss and boards The technology requires that between each crown of timber be laid. Professionals usually insulate roll materials. Working with them is easy and convenient - just roll out the material on top of the laid crown and you can continue working. However, convenience and ease of processing come at a price.
I decided not to waste money and use moss. Firstly, this material is abundant in nature - go and collect it. Secondly, moss is not only a decent insulator, but also an excellent antiseptic. Additionally, I studied thematic forums: moss is actively used as inter-crown insulation, and there are no negative responses about it.
Red or peat moss is best suited for insulation. The first is characterized by high rigidity. The second one becomes brittle after drying. If possible, it is best to use red moss. It is easy to recognize - it has long stems with leaves that resemble a Christmas tree.
Making joints
I make them for every door and window opening. For this I use a flat beam. If possible, there should be no knots at all. For greater convenience, I made an impromptu workbench directly next to my stack of lumber. Made longitudinal cuts. A circular saw helped me with this. Excess material was removed using a chisel.
Not even every professional carpenter can make the right joint. Therefore, I decided to make window jambs using simplified technology. In every window opening I will install only a couple of vertical jambs. Behind horizontal connection the window block will respond directly.
To install the block you need a “quarter”. However, here too I figured out how to simplify the task. Instead of sampling (it's shaded in the photo), I decided to glue in a strip. To do this, I sharpened the plane in advance. The result was no worse than it would have been in a situation using a quarter.
It is impossible to reduce the number of jambs in the doorway - all four are needed. However, the shape of the products can be significantly simplified.
I chose grooves in the block, which in the future will serve as a threshold, similar to the recesses in the side jambs. This allowed me to slide the bottom timber over the tenons of the opening. However, at this stage, the timber would have to be cut with a chisel across the wood fibers - not the most pleasant or simple task. I found a great way out of this situation! Taking a circular saw, I prepared the cuts by first setting the appropriate output of the disk and making rip fence.
Then I took a feather drill and made a hole 2.5 cm in diameter, just like for the dowels. Finally, I cut out an even rectangle across the wood grain. A reciprocating saw helped me with this.
Carpenters usually make two rectangular nests in the threshold, and at the bottom of each vertical jamb they create a counter protrusion, cutting down and sawing out excess wood using a chisel. I decided to make holes as for fastening dowels, and hammered in a couple of fasteners. I made similar holes at the bottom of the jambs.
I haven’t touched the upper horizontal beam yet, but nailed it to the threshold small board– she will take on the functions of a “quarter”. The design of the opening turned out to be extremely simple, but it was difficult to cope with main function it doesn't bother him. Later I will plan the opening and glue the “quarters”.
Required Tools
To build a house from wooden beam I used the following tools and equipment:
- hammerless electric drill;
- circular saw;
- roulette;
- sledgehammer;
- electric plane;
- square;
- reciprocating saw;
- plumb line;
- hammer;
- water hose;
- axe.
I bought a circular saw to cut wooden beams. I had to cut in two steps. First, I drew a line along the square, after which I cut, turned the beam over and made the cut again. It is best to transfer the line to the second edge of the beam using a square. If you are confident in your “eye”, you can cut “by eye”.
Using a circular saw, I made tenons and grooves for corner connections bars When arranging the tenons, I lacked a slight depth of cut, so I had to make a couple of extra movements with a hacksaw.
We are building a house
Rules for laying the lower crown
Laying the starter crown is traditionally done with a joint known as "into the wood floor". This unit can be made without any problems with a circular saw - just cut the material lengthwise and crosswise. In some areas the depth of the cut turned out to be insufficient - here I worked with a hacksaw, after which I got rid of excess material using a chisel. By the way, in my case, the lower crown is the only one that is connected with nails.
I placed the lower crown on board linings. There are gaps between the elements - in the future I will make vents there. In my region they are usually in the wall, not in concrete base. This option has its advantages. Firstly, making vents in the wall is easier and faster. Secondly, at a certain elevation the wind moves at a higher speed than directly near the ground, due to which the underground will be better ventilated.
Cutting timber. Half-tree connection I'm going to mount the floor beams on the pads - this way, I think, the loads on the base will be distributed more evenly.
The linings and timber of the lower crown were covered. As practice shows, the material laid at the very bottom rots most quickly. In my situation, there are pads underneath, and not the timber itself. In the future, if the boards rot, they can be replaced with much less effort than the beam of the lower crown.
Reciprocating saw prices
reciprocating saw
Features of laying the second and subsequent crowns
Starting from the second crown of masonry, work is carried out in the same order. At the corners I connected the timber with the help of root tenons - the usual joining of elements is unacceptable here.
Taking a circular saw, I trimmed a couple of cuts. I transferred the cutting line to the second face using a square. The root tenon is easy to do, everything is demonstrated in the photo. If the disk output is insufficient, the depth can be increased with a hacksaw. The groove is made even simpler. Also demonstrated, but in the photo.
Important note! Keep in mind that in tongue-and-groove joints there should be approximately a 0.5-centimeter gap for laying the seal. A connection in which the wood simply touches the wood is unacceptable.
I first set the cutting depth I needed. With my saw, you can change the output of the blade without any problems - you just need to loosen the lever. The add-on is convenient to use. If in traditional carpentry production the master sets some parameter of the working tool and prepares required amount blanks of the same type, then in carpentry the situation is somewhat different: the material is dragged onto the workbench, and the depth of the cut is adjusted directly as the work progresses.
My saw is equipped with a thin disk - it takes much less effort to cut. The safety guard moves very smoothly and does not interfere with the cut in any way.
The walls of my house will be longer than the timber, so I will have to join the building material. To do this, I made a notch at both ends of the long beam, removed the excess with a chisel, and got a tenon in the middle. The ledge is ready, now we need a groove. Cutting wood with a chisel across the grain is impractical. I used a trick and drilled a simple through hole in the second beam. The drill bit was not long enough to create a through hole, so I had to drill from both sides. Next, I cut off the excess wood from the workpiece, made markings and cut the timber along the grain using a chisel. Connected the spliced beams. The gaps were filled with moss.
Helpful advice. In the crown, which is the beginning of the opening, it is better to immediately make spikes for the jambs of this opening. In the process of cutting timber, it will not be possible to completely make tenons with a saw; you will need to additionally chisel with a chisel to complete the process. On next photo you see the bars already with fastening spikes. Thresholds for door openings are shown as templates.
I laid the second crown on the lower one, correctly performing the corner joints and the necessary splices along the length. It's time to make markings for installing dowels - the connectors of the crowns of my house under construction. I took a square and made vertical marks on the bars at the bottom and top, in the places where the fasteners would be placed. Turned over the top beam. I moved the markings to the center of my beam. Then I drilled holes for the fasteners and drove the dowels into them using a hammer.
What do you need to know about dowels?
Logically in round hole it would be necessary to drive in a round dowel. Builders adhere to a different technology and use dowels square section. Such fasteners are simpler to manufacture and hold the connection much more reliably. In this case, a short dowel will not interfere with the process of shrinkage of the structure.
The problem is that to drill hand drill a strictly vertical hole without the slightest deviation is impossible. When installing the beam of the next crown on a pointed and slightly protruding dowel, the first one will wobble a little. In order for the timber to be firmly fixed, it must be additionally hammered with a sledgehammer.
The dowels I use work for shear and ensure correct shrinkage even if there are minor deviations from the vertical in the mounting holes. There will be no gaps. Firstly, the timber will shrink. Secondly, the space between the crowns is filled with insulation, which I will discuss later.
Once I had to watch how builders made holes in a wall made of timber using long drill and they drove long round pins into them, outwardly similar to the handles of a shovel or a rake. Were such holes vertical? Naturally not. Ultimately, the beam did not settle, but seemed to “hang” on the dowels, which led to the formation of impressive gaps between the crowns.
Having driven in the dowels, I laid tow and moss on the crown. He laid the tow across the beams. The moss was simply thrown over the tow. As a result, tow hangs from the walls. This will make it easier for me to caulk the walls in the future. Moss will provide adequate insulation of the building.
I installed the beams on the dowels, laid the tow, threw on the moss, sieged the crown with a sledgehammer, but for some reason it is still wobbly. This happens due to the presence of gaps in the corner joints. In my situation, the dimensions of these gaps were up to 0.5 cm. I filled them tightly with moss. A spatula and a narrow strip of metal helped me with this.
The attentive reader will ask: what about tow? Shouldn't it be put in the corners too? No no need. Firstly, as I said earlier, moss is a very good natural antiseptic. My house will stand for quite a long time without any finishing, and sedimentary moisture will continually flow into the corners. Moss will prevent the wood from rotting in these places. Secondly, in the future the timber in the corners will probably have to be planed. Moss will not interfere with this. Tow can cause the plane to break.
Prices for tow
Now my corners are strong, insulated and windproof. At the end of the day I covered the corner joints to protect them from possible precipitation.
In the picture you can see that one of my beams is located higher than the other. But they must be at the same height. We are not in a hurry to immediately turn on the electric planer - such a problem can be easily dealt with using a simple sledgehammer.
I worked with a plane at the very end, when the obstacle to the installation of the next crown became clearly visible. I used a plane to compare small “screws” and “humps”. I compensated for more significant differences in height with the help of tow and moss - their arrangement takes much less time than processing wood with a plane.
Why should we build a house?
You have already become familiar with the basic principles of laying each crown. There are important nuances. Firstly, the crowns must be laid with alternating corner joints. Secondly, the internal load-bearing wall of the house must be connected to longitudinal wall. This is done through one crown. For binding I use an already proven and familiar connection. Only I drill the holes for the dowels “checkerboard” in relation to the lower rims. After this, I lay down the tow and moss, and placing each beam in its designated place, I seal the joints in the corners.
That is, the procedure for building a house is extremely simple:
- I'm laying out another crown;
- I make markings for dowels;
- I drill holes;
- I drive in wooden fasteners;
- I lay down the tow and throw moss on it;
- I repeat the sequence.
Along the length of the beams I join using the “staggered” method.
Having reached the height of the window sill (this is my seventh crown), I made markings for arranging the window openings. I calculated the width of each opening by adding the dimensions of the jambs and sealed gaps to the width of the purchased window block. There should be a pair of gaps on each side of the opening - between the jamb and the one being installed. window block, as well as between the jamb and the wall of the house. As a result, in my situation, the required width of the window opening was 1325 mm. Of this, 155 mm was spent on gaps.
Based on the calculation results, I installed a crown with a window opening, having previously cut tenons in the bars, similar to the stage with openings for doors.
The next crowns with a window opening were laid from timber without tenons, observing the same overall dimensions.
I constructed all the window openings from “short pieces”, the evenness of which was disrupted during the shrinkage of the timber - such material is not suitable for walls, and it would be a pity to throw it away. I didn't make any jumpers. While arranging the opening, I constantly checked its evenness using a plumb line. I also checked the walls.
I temporarily secured the separate partition with slats so that it would not fall during the work. The T-shaped structure, as well as the corner, do not require additional strengthening - they are perfectly supported by their own weight.
Important note! In places where the tenons of the opening and the cutting line are arranged, i.e. just a few centimeters from the edge, I did not lay the oakum, because... when cutting, it would wrap around the cutting disc. In the future, the tow can be tapped from the ends without any problems.
After laying the last crown with the window opening (it needs to be laid temporarily without fastening or compacting), I removed the top beams and made cuts for the tenons. He put blunts on them. Having set the saw blade to the required depth, I installed a parallel stop to maintain the required distance from the edge. It didn’t take me much time to do this kind of work. I was unable to cut the timber to the required depth with a circular saw - I had to finish it with a hacksaw.
IN lower crown opening I made tenons to control my assembly. I didn’t do this in the last crown - in the future, tenons will still have to be created in each beam.
On personal experience I was convinced that assembling the entire height of the opening for a window without a connection, and from not quite “short” ones, is not the easiest task.
Light and short cuttings can be tried on before creating a recess or tenon. It may well turn out that a block deviating to the right will fall on a beam that deviates to the left. As a result, a flat wall will be built. If both beams have a deviation in the same direction, you can’t count on the evenness of the wall.
To eliminate deviations, you can plan the “screws” using a planer or lay the timber “ladder”. I had exactly the second case. I also eliminated the gap using a plane. At each stage, I checked the verticality of the openings being constructed using a plumb line.
Installing jambs and finishing work
The upper crown was laid. It's time to install the jambs of each opening. Thanks to these simple elements, the strength of the finished structure will be significantly increased. Bottom beam Each opening is equipped with a full spike. On the upper beams there are cuts in the required places. I apply the guide, set the desired cutting depth and make the cut with a circular saw. After this, I draw a couple of lines from the ends according to the dimensions of the tenon and get rid of excess material using a chisel.
My tenons are smaller than the grooves. I fill the gaps with thermal insulation material. If you wish, you can make the tenons wider, and only then, at the stage of finishing the house, cut off the excess material and fill the gaps with sealant.
I inserted temporary spacers between the jambs. In the future, I planned to add a veranda to my house. If you are planning to make an extension, do not lay the top crown of the timber before starting its construction. I also mounted a smaller one on the crown.
The box is ready. I covered it with a temporary roof, closed every opening and left the house until the next season. The timber will have time to shrink. After that I will continue, which I will definitely tell you about in my next story.
Instead of a conclusion
While the house is shrinking, I decided to take stock. Firstly, I was glad that we had to spend a lot on the foundation less money, when compared with supports of other types. It took a little money to dump the stone. There is also a lot of sand in my region - you can dig it yourself and bring it. Most of the money was spent on cement and reinforcement.
Secondly, I was pleased with the affordable cost and relatively low consumption of building materials. When the timber was delivered to me, I laid it out in a stack about a meter high and two meters wide. At first it seemed that I had miscalculated somewhere and that I would not have enough material. As a result, about 20 beams remained unused. In general, for the construction of a house with dimensions of 6x10 m (the timber part of it is 6x7.5 m), I spent about 7.5 m3 of timber with a cross-section of 15x10 cm. For timber 15x15 cm I would have spent 1.5 times more money. And additional labor would have to be hired, which is also not free.
Thirdly, I saved on fasteners and thermal insulation. Nageli made it himself, the moss is free. My friends gladly gave the oakum to me after finishing their construction work.
Fourthly, I did not have to buy highly specialized and expensive tools. Everything that I used for construction will be useful to me on the farm in the future. I am especially pleased with the purchase of a good circular saw and concrete mixer.
Now about the speed of work. I didn’t have much experience in timber construction. As practice has shown, in a whole day, working with one hand and provided the weather is good outside, you can lay out one crown with a partition. You can do this either faster or slower, I won’t argue.
And the main advantage of such construction is that you do not need to have any special skills to carry it out. And I was personally convinced of this.
I hope that my story will be useful to you, and you can, just like me, make your dream of owning your own home come true.
Video - DIY timber house
Have your own country house ik, where you can relax from the bustle of the city, enjoy clean air and peace - the dream of every city dweller. Of course, in order to go to the dacha with pleasure every time, you need to have decent housing, and not a rickety shack. How to realize such a dream? It’s very simple to make an inexpensive house from profiled timber.
There are three options:
- draw yourself;
- order from a construction company;
- find a free project from friends or on the Internet.
The project is needed in order to streamline the stages of work and calculate the materials for the future home. When calculating materials, it is better to seek the support of a specialist. Incorrect calculation of lumber can lead to significant financial waste in the future.
To calculate the amount of timber you can use a simple calculator:
Wall length
m
Wall width
m
Wall height
m
Beam section
150x150 mm. 180x180 mm. 200x200 mm.
Beam length
5 m. 6 m. 7 m. 8 m. 9 m. 10 m. 11 m. 12 m.
Foundation for a country house
The foundation is the basis of any building. Most suitable option for a small country house it is a supporting columnar foundation from cement blocks.
The advantages of such a foundation are obvious:
- building a foundation does not take long, and it is 2 times more economical than a strip foundation;
- the simplicity of the design will be understandable even to a person far from construction;
- such a foundation can be made by one person without much difficulty.
Depending on the depth, a columnar foundation can be:
- shallow— depth approximately 50-70 cm;
- deep - more than 1 m deep, sometimes, depending on the soil, it can be up to 2 m deep.
Construction of the foundation
We will build our country house from professional timber on a shallow foundation made of 20x20x40 mm cement blocks.
Let's consider the sequence of work on building the foundation, instructions:
- we clear the area of debris and cut off a ball of earth 6 to 10 cm thick;
- make markings for future columns. Columns, as can be seen in the photo, are placed at each corner and all future walls. The distance between them is 1-1.5 m;
- we dig recesses for the posts, since the posts will be made using the bricklaying method, from cement blocks 20x20x40 mm, their thickness will be 40 cm. Taking this into account, we need to make a hole 10-20 cm larger, this will simplify further laying of the blocks.
- At the bottom of the dug hole we place a drainage cushion of 10-15 cm of sand, 5 cm of crushed stone and a layer of waterproofing, this is necessary in order to speed up the drainage of water from the base of the foundation.
- We lay blocks with dressing on a “hard” cement mortar, thoroughly rub each seam and plaster the surface of the blocks.
So, in a few steps, you can do it yourself without much difficulty.
Walls made of professional timber
The construction of walls from profiled timber is somewhat reminiscent of a children's construction set. This task is not difficult, and can be done by every man who knows what a nail is and knows how to hold a hammer in his hands. But, despite this, some knowledge is needed to build a house from professional timber.
Construction of walls from profiled timber
The first thing you need to do before starting to build walls is to waterproof the foundation. To do this, we lay several layers of roofing felt on the pillars of our base and coat them with mastic.
The next, one might say the most important point, is the laying of the first crown. For the first crown we take a regular beam, not profiled, its size should be slightly larger than the main logs. In the absence of a thicker product, you can use two smaller logs joined together.
Note! Internal walls can be made from other materials or from thinner timber. But if you planned them from timber, then you need to “lift” them together with the box. If you leave this “for later,” then “later” you can only use other material, for example, partitions made of plasterboard or lining. Advice! The first crown must be set strictly according to the level, since the quality of the built house directly depends on it. If the first crown is not set to the level, then the structure will go wrong.
After the first crown is laid, we begin to build walls from profiled timber. This process does not take much time; the tongue-and-groove system ensures uniform shrinkage of the timber and allows you to build a country house from professional timber in the shortest possible time.
You could say that you just need to lay timber on timber.
In principle, this is true, but in some cases you need to figure it out, let’s consider the main points on which questions may arise:
- gusset– can be done: a) half-tree, b) one-sided keyway, c) in a dressing with a root spike, d) “on the mustache” with a hidden spike;
- fastened - with wooden pegs, which are driven into specially drilled holes with a diameter of 2-3 cm in increments of 1-1.5 m. They can also be connected with iron pegs or nails, but during the construction of the first country house It is not recommended to do this yourself. Wrong hammered nails can lead to the fact that after shrinkage the logs will hang on them;
- be sure to insulate intervention seams and corner connections;
- leave a small opening in the areas of future windows and doors, do not try to make an opening that perfectly fits your future window or door. Lack of experience can lead to skewed walls; openings for windows and doors can be easily cut with a chainsaw after construction is completed.
Note! Installation of windows can be carried out only after complete shrinkage of the frame. Premature installed window may be crushed during the shrinkage process of the house.
Roof for a wooden house
After installing the walls, we begin installing the roof.
A house made of professional timber can have a roof made from a variety of materials:
- slate;
- ondulin;
- corrugated sheeting;
- euroruberoid;
- metal tiles and other roofing materials.
Carrying out roof installation work
Installing a roof on a wooden house is actually no different from installing a roof on buildings made from other materials. building materials. The first step is to install the ceiling joists, install them on the edge in half-meter increments.
Note! Installed logs should protrude beyond the base of the wall by more than half a meter. The larger the protrusion, the less rain and snow will fall on the walls, and excess moisture wooden walls need not.
When the frame is ready, we begin installing the gables. Basically, gables are made from the same timber as the walls. But if you need to save money, they can be made from boards, plywood, OSB, siding or lining.
At the end, depending on the choice of roofing covering, the sheathing is installed. Basically this is a 50x50 mm rail. If you have chosen a material such as, for example, euroruberoid, then you will have to sew up the frame completely. In this case, OSB is most often used.
Before you install roofing material You need to pay attention to such a concept as “roofing pie”. At a minimum, the roof of a country house needs to be waterproofed so that the roof does not accumulate moisture.
According to the technology of assembling the walls of a house from profiled timber, it is necessary to pay more attention to the laying of the first crown. To create a house from timber, if the temperature in winter is down to -30 degrees, its thickness must be at least 15 cm.
The first beam is installed level, this will avoid skewing of the building. It is best to take the first beam 5 cm thicker than those that will be used to build the house.
At the next stage laying inter-beam insulation and a second element is mounted on top of it.Beam connections
To connect logs together, dowels are usually used, through which holes are made.
Main types of connection:
- corner connections;
- crown joints;
- end longitudinal units.
It is best to use lanjut as insulation; this material contains half flax and half jute.
To complete the work you will need the following tools:
- roulette;
- hammer;
- cord;
- building level;
- chainsaw.
Construction and fastening of corners
Options for connecting corners without residue:
- into the joint;
- “half a tree”;
- with a root spine;
- on dowels.
With the remainder
- fastening when laying in a corner “with remainder”;
- single line grooves;
- double-sided lock;
- four-sided lock.
There are several options for constructing corners:
- using dowels, for which special grooves are made in the beams;
- using connection type tongue and groove, in this case a tenon is made in one element and a groove in the other;
- with help metal staples, in this case, the bars are connected end-to-end;
- by crossing logs, half the thickness is cut off in each of them, and they are connected to each other.
In the locations of windows and doors, only solid material is used; 2 dowels are hammered near the openings. You can cut an opening in a finished log house; this is done with a chainsaw, but first you need to mark it.
Insulation process
To build a house, beams 15-20 cm thick are usually used, but if you plan to live in it permanently, then the walls need to be additionally insulated. This can be done both outside and inside the building. Siding or blockhouse is most often used on the outside, and clapboard or drywall on the inside.
Basic insulation for external walls:
- Mineral wool and its analogues;
- Windproof boards Izoplat;
- Styrofoam;
- Foamed polyethylene;
- Extruded polystyrene foam (EPS);
- Sprayed polyurethane foam;
- Penoplex.
First, the wall is marked taking into account the size of the insulation so that it fits tightly between the sheathing. After this, hangers are attached with self-tapping screws, on which they are mounted. metal profiles or wooden beams.
Insulation is placed between the sheathing, usually slabs mineral wool, which are attached to the wall with dowel mushrooms, You can insulate with penoplex instead of cotton wool, but it has a number of disadvantages (vapor-tight, flammable), the advantages include high sound and heat insulation, low price.
At the next stage, to protect the insulation, a waterproofing layer is installed, with its foil side facing outward, and all seams are properly taped. Now all that remains is to cover the façade with siding or blockhouse.How to straighten a wall in a house if it is bent
Sometimes a problem such as deformation occurs, this can happen for several reasons:
- If you have delivered undried timber and its final drying takes place in the wall.
- If the installation technology is violated, when the insulation was installed incorrectly and moisture gets between the logs.
If you notice the curvature of the wall in time, it can be corrected. In those places where deflections have appeared, as well as near window and doorways a tire is applied from a channel or the same timber and installed vertically along the entire height of the wall on both sides of the building.
Tire mount carried out at least at three points, for this they use metal studs 10 mm in diameter and wide washers. You need to tighten the nuts well, but instant results not worth the wait.
It may take up to several months until the wall takes its normal shape under the influence of the tire and external weather factors.
If using tires it was not possible to completely level the walls, then you can give the house an attractive appearance by finishing its facade.
If you decide to build a house from timber yourself, then to obtain a high-quality result, The following recommendations from specialists must be followed:
- Pay special attention to the choice of material; of all coniferous species, pine is most often used;
- It is better to use wood harvested in winter; if it was harvested in summer, then the first year it is better not to heat the house, and in the second year it is necessary to maintain the temperature within 16-18 degrees.
- Shrinkage occurs over a period of three years, during which time marks may appear on the walls. minor cracks, which is quite normal, after this the surface changes stop.
- When creating a window or doorway, they need to be made a little larger than necessary, otherwise during the shrinkage of the house the frame will be crushed, the gap is filled with soft insulation.
- To eliminate lateral displacement, the beams are connected to each other using dowels.
- It is impossible to connect beams with nails, because when they dry out, the wood hangs on the nails, and large gaps are created.
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