Travelers, without going into details, dubbed the ancient houses with protruding supports “gingerbread houses.” In fact, these buildings are built in the half-timbered style, which has an interesting and long history. It began in the 13th century. The first buildings appeared in Bavaria, over time the fashion captured the whole of Germany and flowed to Europe.
With the gradual development of technologies and materials, new opportunities began to open up. frame construction. And the advent of double-glazed windows with increased thermal insulation made it possible to equip transparent walls buildings located not only in middle lane, but also in the north.
So, half-timbered houses - what is it? The German word "fachwerk" literally translates as "framework". A half-timbered building is a spatial structure made of interconnected vertical posts, horizontal beams and inclined braces made of pine needles or oak. The areas between the elements were filled with various building materials: brick, a composition of straw and clay, reinforced mesh made of willow or natural stone.
In the Middle Ages, when building a half-timbered house, they did not particularly care about covering the wooden frame, rather for economic reasons. But it was precisely this feature that gave the external and internal appearance of the building individuality and charm. In a short time it became clear that German technology was accessible and fast, since the construction of a half-timbered house took about a month.
The new style was also appreciated by wealthy Germans, because external view the house was attractive, wooden frame gave the building lightness and solidity. IN early XVI centuries, two-story buildings began to be built in cities residential buildings with leveled and whitewashed walls. During use, the wood darkened, creating a contrast against the snow-white background. This is how the German half-timbered building arose.
In Europe, they also learned what it is - half-timbered houses, and quickly appreciated all the advantages of the Bavarian technology:
When the technology reached the north, the distances between the beams began to be filled with stone, and clay was applied on top of it. For insulation, the frame was sewn up with wood. Gradually, each nation made its own amendments, depending on the available building materials and weather conditions.
Over time, the wooden frame began to be covered with stain and paint. This way we managed to make it more visible against a white background, and also protect it from destruction.
The architects also made changes to traditional style half-timbered, combining it with Art Nouveau, and began to use modern materials:
So what is it - half-timbered houses? You already know the answer to this question. It's time to understand the features of this technology:
Designs in the German half-timbered style are very diverse. IN modern projects are used different materials, but the style adheres to all the nuances that were outlined back in the 16th century:
This style can be called the basis of all frame house construction. The technology for constructing half-timbered houses is made of supports, transverse beams and slopes, like everything modern frame construction. The only thing that has changed over time is the thickness of the beams (they have become much thinner).
In a modern half-timbered house it is difficult to recognize ancient European facades, since they have become much more perfect and have received what they so lacked in the Middle Ages. It's primarily about protection and functionality. Now all buildings are covered sheet material and are provided with external protection by using technological finishing(siding, PVC panels, etc.).
Everyone benefited from these changes - solid skin gave the building strength, reliability and rigidity, that is, there is now no need to install powerful beams and racks. Exterior finishing completely protects the house from weather influences, such as freezing, fading in the sun and weathering, thereby extending the life of the material.
Facades with distinctive half-timbered (frame) elements today are no more than stylistic decision Houses. Undoubtedly, clay walls no one has done it for a long time. Now the sinuses are filled with environmental or mineral wool, and not so long ago it became fashionable to use straw filler.
One of the common solutions is frameless glazing of half-timbered houses. Technology involves the formation glass facade, without noticeable components of the supporting frame. WITH outside Only translucent panels and sealant strips are visible. Frameless glazing of half-timbered houses creates the illusion of lightness of the entire structure.
Before you start drawing up a plan, you need to think about all the stages of work:
You already know what it is - half-timbered houses. Now let's find out how to build such a structure yourself. It is not so difficult to erect a structure in the half-timbered style. It’s just that professionals will need half as much time - two weeks.
By purchasing finished project, the customer receives all the components and parts of the house in numbered packages. The elements are connected with special pre-prepared seams. The whole process is reminiscent of assembling a wooden construction set, only later you will receive perfect home. The stages of work are not very different from a conventional frame structure, but there are some features:
Not everyone has the opportunity to build a house using precise technologies. But even the simplest frame structure will look like a “gingerbread house” if the finishing is done correctly.
To perform exterior decoration in half-timbered style you need:
As you can see, making a “gingerbread house” out of a standard structure is not at all difficult. Another advantage of imitation is that the structure can be erected from brick, stone, sip-panel or blocks, and the exterior finishing can be done in half-timbered style.
To summarize, we can say with complete confidence that building a house according to German technology no more difficult than any other. Anyone who intends to build their own home or summer house can make the dream of many come true - living in a house that at least outwardly looks like a European one. In any case, a half-timbered house will absolutely stand out from others with its originality.
Fachwerk is one of the types of frame house construction. The supporting basis of the structure of a half-timbered house is a frame of pillars, beams and struts connected into a single system. Born in medieval Germany, such houses for a long time determined the appearance of European cities and became a kind of symbol of that era.
This technology has its roots in ancient times, when Germanic tribes They lived in forests, and their main building material was wood. At first, the construction of pillar structures was not something complicated: the supports were simply placed on the ground. But many years of observations separation of craft from trade and advanced training of carpenters contributed to the spread and improvement of this technology.
Written sources indicate that such houses appeared in Germany in the 10th century, but such construction became widespread in the 15th century. Do wooden beam They didn’t know how then, so the frame of the house was made of logs. It was placed on stones dug into the ground to avoid rotting. The space between beams, braces and pillars was filled with clay, straw, small stones and other cheap materials. Rich people could afford bricks. The outside of the house was whitewashed; wealthier citizens also used more expensive finishes.
The ease of construction has made half-timbered buildings a very popular type of urban development in Europe. TO XVI century it spread to England and Poland, then to France, and with German merchants it reached southeastern Europe. In some places this technology became predominant, in other places it coexisted and complemented the local one. So, in a number of cities the first floor was stone, and the second half-timbered.
Each country had its own such houses. national characteristics, but there are also a number of common features. Thus, the second floors of buildings hung over the first. Scientists are still arguing about what was the reason for this. Perhaps the owners were expanding the living space in the crowded conditions of the city, or perhaps in this way they were trying to protect the first floor from rain. Most likely, both factors played a role, because in regions with large Due to the amount of precipitation (for example, in Normandy), this problem led to the expansion of the roof and the appearance of numerous canopies.
Today, half-timbered houses built in the Middle Ages still serve as housing. The oldest such building, located in the German city of Quedlinburg, is almost 700 years old. The historical quarters of European cities are still built with them, That is best advertising such technology.
It cannot be said that the preservation of these houses is impeccable: they also require maintenance and repair, and in some provincial cities some of these buildings are in disrepair. Nevertheless, in Germany, the birthplace of technology, there is no rush to demolish half-timbered houses - after all, they are witnesses of history and part of the national culture.
After the 18th century, half-timbered wood lost its popularity. They returned to it later, when they appreciated the test of time and environmental friendliness of such houses. Of course, it is not always possible to follow exactly old technology, And modern house will be different from its predecessor.
A significant advantage of building such a house is that there is no need for heavy equipment. You can build a half-timbered structure with your own hands; this is easiest for people with carpentry skills. Such houses do not require massive foundations even in Russia with its frozen soil. With absence groundwater on the site, a shallowly buried tape is quite sufficient, with high level groundwater can be arranged columnar foundation with a grillage.
The peculiarity of the half-timbered structure is that the frame does not close exterior decoration, but remains in the open air. Therefore, when choosing a material, pay attention to this feature and the climate in your region. In medieval Germany, the frame of the house was made of oak. This wood is now expensive, so the following materials are suitable for the frame:
Softwood lumber best quality in Russia they are produced in Karelia and the Arkhangelsk region. Larch - Siberian tree, very resistant to rotting, but with one drawback - it is expensive.
The frame will have to be designed in advance. All its parts are connected to each other by various studded fastenings (secret tenon, dovetail, etc.) and dowels, which cannot be made by weight. Rigidity is provided by a system of braces, which have special names depending on the location of the beams:
When you have prepared all the details of the frame, you can begin its installation. It begins with a strapping, which is laid on a layer of waterproofing and secured with anchors to the foundation. Then the pillars and purlins are installed, and after them - the braces. After their installation, the structure will be rigid, and you can begin to cover and install the second floor.
The roof truss system is part of the frame and the same fasteners are used when installing it.
Despite the fact that in the old days hardware was not used to connect parts, in especially loaded parts of the frame are better together with studded apply and fastening corner.
Previously, the gaps between the frame parts were filled with adobe - a mixture of straw and clay. It's affordable and lightweight material, which served as both fencing and insulation. Now people prefer more modern materials, and the following are used in filling:
In Russian conditions, filling can be combined. For example, use foam glass as the outer layer, and aerated concrete no more than 25 cm wide as the inner layer. Foam glass has very good adhesion to the plaster, and the appearance of such a house will be quite traditional. It is not worth making the filling from heavy materials, and if you decide to do this in advance, take care of the appropriate foundation.
The interior decoration of such houses can be anything. You can leave the frame visible (in our conditions we will have to make it from thick timber), or you can close it. Half-timbered buildings will allow you to realize all your fantasies internal structure Houses.
In recent has intensified for two decades the trend of filling walls with continuous glazing. Such houses look very interesting, the rooms in them have excellent insolation and allow you to have a wide view: you are in the house and at the same time you can watch nature.
Half-timbered technology came to the USA with the first settlers, but now such houses are built somewhat differently. There is no frame on the outside, and the fact that the house is half-timbered can only be recognized from the inside, that is, the aesthetics of the external facade have been transferred inside.
In Germany, old houses - a big problem for restoration and reconstruction. At one time, the walls of such houses were reinforced with internal self-supporting walls to unload the frame and repair it. This reduced usable area premises, which is why living rooms began to appear in the attic - sometimes even more than one floor. But this did not solve the problem, because rafter system also rested on the frame, and modern communications(the same bathrooms) weigh much more than the old traditional furnishings.
Despite its long history, half-timbered wood has inherent disadvantages, which forced Europeans to abandon it in the century before last. First of all, it is a fire hazard. When there is only one such house on the entire street, this is not a problem, but when they stand for entire blocks close to each other, as was the case in medieval cities, the fire of one house could lead to tragedy. There was a time when Nuremberg even gave subsidies to those who would replace the half-timbered stone house. This problem can be partly solved today, but certain rules must be followed when operating such houses.
The second problem with such houses is getting wet. Firstly, it leads to rotting, and secondly, on the south side, thanks to the sun, cracks form due to constant drying out. For decreasing negative impact external environment, the outside of the frame has always been painted, and this treatment is still required. Modern impregnations help with this even better, but if you want to preserve the texture of the wood, you should choose transparent options for such impregnations.
Half-timbered technology is traditional for wooden architecture in Germany, where each historical region has its own traditions of such house construction. It has never been typical for Russia. We are more familiar with the aesthetics of such houses, sometimes called gingerbread houses. If it is not practical to build a real German house on the site, facade imitation is often used, which can be either painting in the appropriate style or decorating the facade using polyurethane and composite boards.
But the principle of the supporting frame itself had a significant influence on construction technologies. A continuation of half-timbered houses is frame housing construction, although there is no external resemblance. Even in industrial construction frame became the dominant type of construction. If an engineer who is not closely familiar with German traditions is asked what a half-timbered structure is, a metal brace will come to his mind first. The frame made of rolled metal - channels and I-beams - is made precisely according to this principle; the only difference between such systems and classical ones is bolted connections parts of the structure.
All that prevents the wider distribution of half-timbered houses in the world is the low heat capacity of such houses. This a common problem frame buildings, and there are no technological solutions yet that can eliminate it. For Russian conditions this is especially true.
Half-timbered houses are a method of constructing residential buildings and mini-hotels, which was invented by Europeans back in the 15th century. Today, the popularity of this construction method has begun to return again. Initially, when such houses first began to appear, they became a new trend in architectural construction. The space between the beam structures was filled with clay and mixture various plants. Modern half-timbered houses look much more elegant. The designs of such houses are very practical, but at the same time light. These houses, as a rule, are built without an attic. But there are also options for building an attic.
Half-timbered houses appeared in Scandinavia Today, architects use one favorite technique - removing the walls of half-timbered houses. This is possible due to the fact that there is practically no load on them. Windows of any length can be installed in place of the walls. This allows you to create a feeling of unity with external environment. Mostly such houses are built outside the city.
One-story half-timbered houses are structures made of timber. The main feature of such houses is that wooden beams do not hide under the casing. On the contrary, they become the main visible difference between such structures.
The main features of such houses are as follows:
Stages of house construction in similar style:
An example of the first floor plan of a half-timbered house
The frame of a half-timbered house always consists only of laminated veneer lumber.
Half-timbered houses look very beautiful The duration of the work will depend on certain characteristics of the project. These include the size of the building, originality and others. In general, construction is carried out in a very short time. For example, prefabricated houses in this style with an area of 300 square meters can be put into operation in 10 months.
It literally takes a couple of weeks to assemble the house. Approximately 2 months will be needed for design. There is still the same amount of time to finish the house inside and outside. It will take a couple of months to lay communications. Three months - additional filling.
If you need to install a bathhouse or swimming pool, the construction can be extended over a longer period. By standard project You can build a house in seven months. Anything less will not work. After all, timber requires drying. And the foundation will have to be established.
An example of the layout of the second floor of a half-timbered house Features of building houses in such projects are as follows:
In Russia, half-timbered houses are also becoming increasingly popular All of the above indicators that prefabricated houses have are quite high, but only under certain conditions. For example, the environmental friendliness of a house will depend on how environmentally friendly all its components are.
The ceilings in half-timbered houses are fragile. At severe fire or an earthquake they will collapse.
If toxic paint is used to paint the timber, then the environmental friendliness will be debatable. The same applies to fire safety. All elements must be non-flammable. They can be treated with fire-resistant compounds.
It is quite difficult to draw up a project for a half-timbered house Thermal insulation characteristics will be high only if thermal insulation materials chosen correctly.
Production frame houses This technology has both certain advantages and disadvantages.
Among the advantages are the following:
Half-timbered houses look harmonious especially against the backdrop of nature Among the disadvantages are the following
Thanks to special lighting technology, such a house will have a record amount of light. So, such a modern house can become a real dream. The construction of a half-timbered house is quite complex, so it will not be easy to build it yourself.
You must have certain skills in frame construction. The technology for building such houses was widely used in Germany and Europe. People who have never seen the inside of such a modern house believe that it looks the same from the inside as it does from the outside. In some cases they turn out to be right.
Wall of a half-timbered house in section The inside of such a house is decorated in a half-timbered or Scandinavian style, which involves the use of white tones and a large amount of free space.
High-tech style is also acceptable. It is characterized by a large amount of metal and minimalism. If the construction of such a house does not involve the use of metal parts, then they can be successfully used in the interior.
Half-timbered houses have one significant drawback, which is the high risk of fire.
Some owners of such houses prefer to decorate their home in classic style. The beams of the house can be actively used as an interior element. The roof of such houses is traditionally made gable without an attic. Although, if the presence of an attic is important to you, then this option can also be considered.
You can watch a video where experts will talk about the features of half-timbered houses.
