Metal frame houses, as the name indicates, are built on lightweight and durable metal structures, performing the functions of bridges and walls, as well as various cladding, thermal insulation and various protective membranes that protect structures from the influence of the external and internal environment. from a frame differ in that the load-bearing and enclosing-insulating properties of the walls are distributed between different layers and elements, each coping with its own specific task. Most often, metal frame technology is used to construct public or industrial buildings. In addition, to frame houses This type is often used by architects and engineers to create an unusual exterior or interior of a building. Sometimes parts of the metal frame are left exposed as a decorative element outside or inside the building.
Frame houses can be divided into several types.
Houses with a frame made of rolled steel, which are distinguished by the fact that the entire structure rests on metal columns. This design is durable, but at the same time it is quite light compared to reinforced concrete. For example, most skyscrapers have such a frame at their base. True, the complexity of installing frame structures of this kind and the need to manufacture individual parts and parts (sometimes the entire set) prevent their distribution in private construction. Therefore, houses from a rolled frame are mostly built in cases where it is necessary to create a very original interior or the exterior of a building. Sometimes parts of the frame are left outside the house in the form of fancy decoration, often in unusual geometric shapes.
Another type of metal frame house is a lightweight profile house. The difference between such a house lies precisely in its frame, which is made of thin-walled steel structures. Such structures are similar to metal profiles for installing drywall, only those that are used to construct buildings that are thicker and more rigid. Typically, houses made from a lightweight metal frame are quite inexpensive, although they do not have a long service life.
With some degree of relativity, some types of mobile and modular houses can be classified as houses with a metal frame. Almost all mobile homes are based on a rigid metal frame, and most modular houses consist of modules formed by a combined frame made of metal and wood. Therefore, this technology is not very suitable for the construction of permanent residential buildings. It is best used for building garden or guest houses, auxiliary premises, etc.
These manipulations are followed by the installation of a windproof film along the outer contour of the building frame, after which it is sheathed with insulation. After installing the windows and front door start finishing the facade. In addition, in parallel, insulation is laid inside the building frame, and then a vapor barrier film, as well as plasterboard, are laid for the subfloor.
After this comes the finishing phase. In this case, everything depends only on your imagination and budget; fortunately, there is a huge variety of finishing materials available on the market. All! Your home is ready!
Notice how appearance home depends on the cladding. There is an opinion that houses made of a metal frame do not look very good compared to wooden or brick ones. However, do not forget about the possibilities frame houses, allowing you to experiment with finishing as your heart desires. If necessary, you can even imitate wooden house! Notice how harmonious the combination of warm matte looks wood paneling with a cold, muted shine of metal that complements the gloss of large windows and doors.
The process of constructing a frame building begins in production, where finished parts structures, and are often pre-assembled into panels at the factory, which reduces on-site installation costs. After connecting external communications, work begins on laying the foundation. Any type of foundation is suitable for frame houses made of light galvanized steel. To meet quality standards, it is better to use a shallow slab or strip foundation. A few people are quite capable of collecting metal carcass houses with an area of about 150-200 km. sq. over a period of time from 7 to 10 days. If you have to install panels assembled in advance at the factory, then the duration of the work is reduced to 4-6 days.
After installing the frame, they begin roofing, followed by the laying of communications.
Frame houses are distinguished by ease of changes in external and interior design, which is ideal for building attics, additional rooms(for example, bathrooms or dressing rooms), garages, guest and utility rooms, etc. If you like to experiment with layout, frame houses will allow you to bring your experiments to life, changing the appearance of the facade using different cladding - DSP, artificial stone or brick.
Typically, the thickness of the walls of a metal frame house is no more than 25-30 centimeters, which allows you to increase usable area inside the house. One of the main factors is the relatively low cost of building frame houses and the fairly fast speed of construction. On average, a complex of works takes from 1 to 4 months, and due to the peculiarities of the technology, installation of structures can be carried out throughout the year and even at sub-zero temperatures.
There is an opinion that frame houses are fire hazardous due to the use of many synthetic materials. In addition, such houses are quite light and can easily become victims of a strong hurricane. Lifespan frame house not very long - 30-50 years, however, it is much easier to repair than, say, a brick or wooden house, which makes replacement much easier protective films, insulation, etc. In addition, frame buildings have low heat capacity and often do not meet environmental standards.
Frame houses are practically not subject to obsolescence, since their facade can easily be altered depending on modern fashion. In addition, houses made of metal frames allow you to realize the most different variants planning and finishing of facades using facing bricks, plaster, lining, finishing stone, siding and their combinations. The technology for constructing frame houses is quite affordable and you will not have problems finding a contractor. Moreover, this technology is relatively labor-intensive, so the most talented builders among us, in principle, can cope with the construction on their own, especially since the construction of a frame house requires very little time and absolutely no heavy equipment. In addition, houses made of metal frames are characterized by the absence of shrinkage, which will allow immediate Finishing work and move into such a house. And lastly, frame houses are very earthquake-resistant and can withstand loads of up to 9 points on the Richter scale.
An excellent example of the possibilities of a metal frame for creating whimsical images complex design. As we mentioned above, metal frame technology is ideal for the construction of non-residential buildings like this restaurant in sea coast. If she can handle such things unusual shapes, then how can it not cope with an ordinary private house?
The building is a combination of a monolithic reinforced concrete frame and metal structures and is a complex engineering structure with the most modern types engineering support. The restaurant includes three halls: a panoramic hall with 50 seats, glass walls and a floor made of hardened Triplex, a summer area for 110 seats located at an altitude of 15 meters above the water level and an underwater hall for 90 seats with porthole windows, located in the underground part, where all the production and engineering premises of the restaurant are located.
Frame houses have confidently occupied a niche in private housing construction. Traditionally, the frame for them was made of wood, but modern technologies now allow you to quickly assemble frame houses made of metal profile. Before you begin construction with your own hands, you need to familiarize yourself with this construction method in more detail.
During construction own home Many questions always arise. For myself I want to build the best, warmest and reliable home, so the main question is: is there any experience in using such technology, is it trustworthy?
A metal frame house is assembled from individual elements, which are supplied to construction site in disassembled form with subsequent installation
Frame houses made of metal profiles are simplified miniature versions of skyscrapers and large long-span buildings.
The difference is that in the construction of large buildings, massive rolled steel (channels and I-beams) are used, while houses made of metal profiles require the use of lightweight thin-walled elements (LSTK). The raw material used is the same – steel. But the thickness, dimensions and load-bearing capacity of the products differ.
the loads during the construction of private residential buildings are negligible compared to the loads in large industrial and commercial buildings, so there is no point in using powerful beams and racks.
the possibility of building houses with large spans and an open layout.
The disadvantages include: limited construction area (not suitable for massive elements).
When doing work with your own hands, it is important to proceed in stages. Consideration of the issue begins with the development of design documentation.
All frame structures are manufactured in one factory according to pre-ordered dimensions. Even if execution is planned construction work do it yourself, when designing you will need the help of a specialist. Here the future owner has three options that differ in cost:
Option for complete assembly of a house on a steel frame (LSTC technology) Usually the project includes the following composition:
You can do without the help of specialists and develop a project yourself based on standard metal frame elements, but this is a difficult task.
When constructing any facility, work begins with the foundations. The choice of support type is made based on the geological data of the site. In most cases for a light frame house optimal choice for construction with your own hands will be: a shallow strip foundation, a pile-grillage foundation.
The first type allows you to install on foundations 1-2 storey houses made of lightweight materials with good soil characteristics. The second option is suitable for heaving soils with not very good strength characteristics.
From the factory, frame parts made from light steel frames arrive numbered and separately packaged. This greatly simplifies the DIY assembly process. The kit includes:
The parts come in the required length, there is no need to cut or adjust anything. The DIY assembly process is reminiscent of the children's designer. You just need to use the manufacturer’s instructions, install the profiles in the design position and secure them with the proposed connecting elements. At this stage, difficulties should not arise if you follow the instructions and carefully check the labeling of the elements.
Important! To make the frame, it is recommended to choose a Z-shaped profile with grooves or perforations. Such an element, although made of “cold” material, allows heat to be retained. The second name for such an element is thermal profile. This is the most desirable option for private residential housing construction.
The final stage of assembling the building box will be the cladding of the frame. The work here is carried out using the same technology as for wooden frame houses. Covering options:
The construction of buildings on a metal frame has been practiced for a long time, but mainly production and technical premises and buildings were built shopping centers and so on. Application in private housing construction was limited by the high thermal conductivity of the metal: heating bills would be unrealistic. Manufacturers solved the problem by making so-called thermal profiles, which, when paired with modern insulation materials, make it possible to obtain warm house. If you need an inexpensive, reliable house that can be built in a short time, a metal frame house may be right for you. It has a low cost - two times lower than a brick one, assembly is quick, and the service life of the factory frame is 70 years.
The technology is very flexible: you can adapt any house you like to a metal frame. First, a frame plan is drawn up, the type of finishing materials is determined (only your wishes influence). Next, the developed project is processed by a special program that breaks everything down into components and produces a list of elements with all parameters. Profiles of the required size are manufactured and marked, bundled, packaged, and delivered to the construction site. In short, this is the entire technical process - from project development to the start of assembling a frame house from metal profiles.
This technology is becoming increasingly popular in European countries (including northern ones), Canada and America. And all because steel does not rot, insects do not eat it. The metal frame structure weighs several times smaller house made of wood (twice), and what’s more, it is lighter than houses made of brick and other similar materials. The light weight of the building means lower costs for the foundation, since its parameters depend on the load, which further reduces the cost square meter developments. Usually, piles are installed under such houses, or. On average, one square of area costs 4-5 thousand rubles (excluding the cost of finishing materials).
The technology used to build a metal frame house is called lightweight thin-walled steel structures, or abbreviated LSTC. Light does not mean fragile. Houses built using LSTK technology can withstand earthquakes of magnitude nine. But this applies to buildings no higher than 3 floors.
Another advantage of a steel frame over a wooden one is that it is strong enough to withstand heavy roofing materials. If you decide to use ceramic tiles- Please. Only its weight needs to be included when calculating the foundation parameters.
The design of the wall pie itself is almost the same as that of. The whole difference is in the material used for the frame and the method of assembly.
What to do with cold bridges? Manufacturers claim that the problem has been solved. Modern thermal profiles, from which private houses are built, have cuts arranged in a checkerboard pattern. They prevent through freezing of structural elements.
This is what a picture of the thermal profile “working” looks like:
And although thermal profiles really work, such a house is still colder than. However, the problem can be solved by doing high-quality insulation. If the insulation “pie” is properly executed with all the membranes (windproof, vapor-permeable on the outside, vapor barrier on the inside), the metal-frame house will be warm and will spend no more on heating than in the so-called “warm houses.”
For insulation, you can use any modern insulation - mineral wool, polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, foam glass, ecowool. The most best characteristics for foam glass, slightly worse for extruded polystyrene foam. But they have a respectable price, although the required thickness is several times less than mineral wool. As a result, the costs for insulation are comparable.
Mineral wool has the most optimal combination of qualities and price. It is more convenient to work with basalt. She also has good characteristics. Fiberglass also has good characteristics, but it is difficult to work with. Slag wool is the cheapest, but it is very susceptible to getting wet; when using it, a ventilated façade must be installed.
For the reasons given above, from the whole variety I most often choose basalt wool. It fits well into the frame, has good thermal insulation properties, is relatively inexpensive, and is also quite good soundproofing material, which is important for this technology.
LSTK elements are made from durable structural steel using the cold stamping method. The sheet has a protective zinc coating with a thickness of 18 to 40 microns. Some factories make structures from hot-dip galvanized sheets. Such elements are more expensive, but they are also more durable.
The thickness of the sheet from which they are formed is from 0.7 mm to 2 mm. The choice depends on the required bearing capacity one or another element. There are the following types of profiles.
The following types are most often used.
There are also special floor and ceiling beams. Similar elements are made up of rafter system Houses. The elements are connected to each other using bolts, screws, rivets; resistance welding can be used.
Now about the quality of components from different companies. There are about a dozen factories in Russia. The quality is different for everyone. Therefore, carefully look at the quality of galvanizing and metal bending. There should not be any, even the smallest, traces of rust anywhere. In general, even the best “our” profiles are significantly inferior to imported ones. It's a shame, but that's how it is.
All material comes from the factory packaged in bundles. Each part is marked, the same marking is present on the working drawings. The frame of the LSTK house is assembled like a constructor: everything is already ready, even the holes for the hardware are stamped. Put the parts in place, align the grooves and install the fasteners. A metal frame house is assembled in exactly the same way as from wooden blocks. If we outline the stages briefly, step by step everything looks like this:
The frame of the steel house is ready. All that remains is insulation and finishing work. One note: no matter how much you want to save money, the sheathing should also be assembled from metal. Identical expansion coefficients are precisely what contributes to the high strength of such structures. This cannot be achieved when connecting metal and wood: the fastenings gradually weaken. This is especially critical in regions with increased seismic activity. But even in calmer regions there is little joy in the rattling finish.
If we're talking about about assembling the parts that came from the factory into one design - that’s easy, but with help. All the work consists of finding the required part and installing it in the place indicated in the drawings. It’s difficult at first, but then you get the hang of it.
If by “building a metal frame house with your own hands” we mean welding it from profile pipe, then this matter is ambiguous. If you are planning to build a small country house, then there are no questions: the frame can be installed according to the same principle as a wooden one, and for a one-story building, 80 * 80 mm pipes are enough for the corner posts, and smaller ones can be used for intermediate ones. But the installation step is still dictated by the insulation: the clearance distance should be 58-59 cm (slightly less standard width mineral wool).
The only thing you need to remember: when using a profile pipe, there will definitely be cold bridges. Then the insulation itself will need to be done in several layers, blocking heat leaks, which will solve the problem. One layer is traditionally placed in the spacer between the posts. The cross-section of the profile pipe is far from 200-250 mm, which is necessary for insulating a house in the Moscow region (under mineral wool). Therefore, a transverse sheathing is installed under the missing layers (on one or both sides - decide for yourself). It turns out that the insulation is laid vertically between the racks, and horizontally along the sheathing. There are significantly fewer cold bridges.
The insulation is closed on the room side vapor barrier membrane(it should not let moisture into the insulation). From the street side, a windproof, vapor-permeable membrane with waterproofing properties is fixed to it. It performs three functions at once:
Only with such a pie and the presence between the outer membrane and finishing materials ventilation gap, you can be sure that the insulation will not get wet. Just for the ventilation gap to work, you also need ventilation holes at the bottom of the wall and a leaky sealed exit under the roof at the top: air flow between exterior decoration metal frame house and windproof membrane must pass without encountering obstacles.
For inspiration, here’s a video of the welding process. country house from the profile metal pipe. For those who know how to make a metal frame house with their own hands from a pipe, it will not be difficult.
