Bye assembled log house standing on the site, undergoing shrinkage, you need to plan further actions and the sequence of work. So that a house or bathhouse lasts a long time, providing its owners with the advantages for which they choose wood for construction. The material is alive. Capable of both making you happy and, due to a bad attitude, making you sad.
Any log house on a finished foundation is assembled immediately under the roof, so that the walls and ends get less wet. Then it is left for the period of reduction of the natural humidity of the external walls to an acceptable level for further actions. During this period, nothing can be done with the log house. It’s possible, of course, but then you’ll have to repeat the grinding and antiseptic treatment with a permanent compound. On an undried log, in the first case, the lint will pick up, in the second, the antiseptic will not really saturate anything. During shrinkage (shrinkage), the log house must be freely ventilated inside.
Reducing the external wall humidity to 24% (on the north side) serves as a call to action. During the initial (most noticeable) shrinkage, the log house most likely darkened a little; precipitation spoiled the street ends. All these points must be eliminated before antiseptic treatment. It will be useful to trim the frame and sand the log before applying the antiseptic. The walls become smooth and beautiful, the color of the wood is evened out, moisture absorption is reduced, and paint consumption is reduced. It may be premature to sand the inside of the house if the humidity of the solid wood there is still high. The inner corners are the last to dry.
After sanding, the frame should be immediately coated with good protective composition. You need to paint at air temperatures above +7C°. IN sunny weather the composition will dry faster. On cloudy days it will soak the log deeper. Antisepticize the log house for at least 2 layers at intervals. The protective composition should be tinted to give it a darker color (UV protection). The lumber has dried out rafter system? You can hem the eaves and gable overhangs (overlaps) that were previously open for ventilation. Treat the hemming board with an antiseptic. The color of the roof overhangs is often chosen to be similar to the color of the windows and doors. Now nothing interferes with the installation of the drainage system.
False frames are installed in window and door openings. Are prerequisite for installation of non-shrinking elements (windows and doors). Strengthen the openings so that the ends of the logs that form them do not move away. The board and block for openings are also treated with a protective compound. It is useful to treat the jute with varnish for exterior work to prevent birds from becoming interested in the insulation. The log house will need to be thoroughly caulked at the same time, from the outside and inside. The following areas are subject to caulking: walls, pediments, corners, a vertical line at the exit of the corner from the wall, the gap between the backing board and the embedded crown.
In parallel with the work described above, you can make a gasket engineering communications. Decide what is cost-effective to bury: use a septic tank or overflow filtration rings. Put up gates and fences. Then we begin to improve the territory. You can hide electrical wiring in a wooden house. Finish the foundation base when all communications are connected to the house. Place a gazebo with a barbecue outside and install a fireplace in the house. Or a Russian stove. Further interior decoration coming. It is better to lay the finishing floor with the latest flooring, otherwise you will have to sand the original floor that was lost during construction. appearance an expensive floorboard.
A hand-cut log house is good for its durability and natural beauty. Ordering a suitable house and bringing it to completion over time is achievable for any working person. After 1.5-2 years from the start of felling the log house, it will be possible to close the door behind the housewarming guests. A log house always comes out unique. Twin houses are made from rounded logs. It’s much easier to buy a rounding machine, read the instructions and hire workers than to have experienced teams of carpenters on staff and delve into the nuances of wooden house construction.
The first heating season for many log house owners becomes full of surprises and unpleasant surprises. For some, the logs begin to twist, and the walls, which looked smooth during the finishing of the house, acquire curves that disfigure them. For others, it is blowing so much from the corners and from under the floor that the worried owners are urgently going to open the floors and insulate them additionally. Concern for your home forces others to resort to the help of specialists from companies involved in construction expertise. As a rule, the conclusion of experts comes down to one thing: the reason for the “diseases” of a log house lies in a violation of the technology of its assembly. On the eve of the new construction season, we decided to talk about the rules and mistakes of building log houses
The topic of our article will mainly be of interest to two categories of readers: those who are just planning to build a log house, and those who already have one. Well, with the first ones everything is clear: they want to avoid any mistakes during construction, and therefore any information on this topic is useful to them. Here's what you might be interested in: this material second? And for them, most likely, our conversation will not be superfluous. Owners of newly installed log buildings can check whether construction technologies have been violated, as well as diagnose the condition of the building. Sometimes timely prevention helps prevent serious “diseases” at home.
Alexander Isakovsky,
expert engineer, LLC "CONSTRUCTION EXAMINATION LABORATORY":
“Remember that a log house takes much longer to build than a brick house of the same size. You must be prepared for the fact that you will be able to move into it only 1.5-2 years after its installation on the foundation. And the promises of some builders that they will build a log house for you in 45 days and you can immediately live in it are a myth. The first mistakes can be made already at the time of designing a house. One of the most common is non-compliance with the principle of “summer” and “winter” parts of the building. For example, above the porch on the second floor there is warm room. It turns out that in this room part of the floor faces the street. As a result, its insulation becomes extremely challenging task. The thermal insulation of the house is compromised. What to do in this case? It is necessary either to make the porch external or to design “cold” rooms above it: a balcony, veranda, etc. Very often, in order to improve the architectural appearance of the building, chopped bay windows are designed. High-quality execution of such elements in a log house is very problematic. If you don’t want to give them up, then it is preferable to make them using frame technology, but it is still advisable to avoid bay windows and other elements that complicate the architecture. The simpler the log house, the warmer it is. It is also no less difficult to efficiently connect and insulate the roof with the walls when installing chopped gables in the attic floor. Round logs do not fit well with the roof. Very often, heat loss occurs at the junction of the rafters and the wall. It’s better to make two full floors and cold attic“It’s much easier to insulate a flat ceiling than an attic roof.”
[type of log processing]
For the construction of a log house, three types of logs are used: round (round timber), hewn into one edge on the inside (half-carriage) or hewn into two edges on two opposite sides (carriage). The latter, as a rule, are the traditional material for the construction of wooden buildings in Scandinavian countries. Many experts recommend choosing a half-carriage, since in a rough-hewn log house, when lining the walls internally with clapboard or other materials, some of the effective area. Moreover, hewn walls (depending on the style of the interior) may not be finished with anything at all. However, it should be borne in mind that processing a log on one edge is a labor-intensive procedure that requires the skill of a carpenter and increases the cost of the house frame by 35-50%.
Experts say with one voice: “Never start building a house without a carefully developed project!” Even in times of crisis. But project is different from project. Sometimes the customer may be given a “project” on 4-5 sheets. At best, it describes only the crown timbers of the house, but does not indicate the size of the crown gaps and gaps in the cups, the material on which the frame is assembled, etc. In practice, this is a small sketch with the dimensions of the future building. The project must contain at least 30-35 sheets. Remember that the architect from whom you will order the project must specialize in the design of log houses. Knowing the requirements of SNiPs regulating the construction of log cabins, he will carefully calculate the structure of the building, taking into account the distribution of loads on load-bearing elements, will take into account the shrinkage of logs, etc. Before ordering a project, you need to select the material for the house (see “Specialist’s comment,” p. 110).
Our reader may ask: isn’t it better to buy a ready-made log house? Not better. Firstly, it can be made without any design. Secondly, you still strive to create housing for yourself. There are often cases when people “successfully” buy a ready-made log house, and then begin to supplement it with balconies, verandas, and extensions. Sometimes these new elements weaken the supporting structures of the building, due to improperly made connections, “cold bridges” appear, etc.
It is especially dangerous to buy a “settled” house. Of course, it is tempting to buy a log house that has stood for a year, finish it and immediately move into it. But what is behind the word “settled”? It happens like this. Workers assemble the first five crowns of the frame and place them on some supports (these five crowns are called a foot). Then the top crown is removed and, using it as a template, the next five crowns are cut. In total, three or four stops go to the house. Time passes, no one buys the log house, and the logs continue to be piled up. Moisture, penetrating into them from below and above, has a negative impact on wood, and after a year half of the frame is close to rotting. In this case, company managers who care about their reputation use such a log house for the production of boards. Others try to sell substandard goods to an unscrupulous client. After assembly, the log house should dry on your site (and not anywhere else), standing on the foundation and under a temporary roof.
The second option is as follows. In the contract with the construction company, be sure to write down the requirement to show the log house during its manufacture. As soon as the first foot is cut down, you should be informed about this so that you can come and inspect everything carefully. In this case, you won’t have to buy a pig in a poke.
Sergei Zelensky,
Director of INDEPENDENT EXPERTISE OF CONSTRUCTION QUALITY LLC (STROYEKSPERTIZA LLC):
“One of the most common mistakes in log houses is incorrectly performed floor insulation. For Moscow and the Moscow region, the thickness of the insulation in this part of the house must be at least 150 mm, otherwise the heat will go underground. In practice, they put no more than 100 mm, as a result the floor becomes cold. Proper floor design means good vapor barrier. The vapor barrier panels are stapled to the beams from below (from the subfloor side), laying them across the beams. The overlap of the panels should be at least 10 cm. Then boards are nailed to the beams (again from below) (they can be placed staggered), which serve as support for thermal insulation. On the side of the room, insulation is placed on the vapor barrier. Between the insulation and the subfloor located on top of it should be left air gap- 5 cm. Do not forget to install waterproofing over this gap to protect against possible accidental pouring and subsequent wetting of the insulation.
To organize ventilation of the subfloor, vents are made in the basement, the area of which should be 1/500 of the area of the subfloor. The ventilation system must be designed so that the underground rooms are ventilated from all four sides. Common mistake- lack of vents in the base strip running under the partitions. Builders are doing outside ventilation holes, but from the inside they forget. As a result, “dead zones” are formed that are not ventilated. There is an opinion that vents should be closed during the winter. This is a serious mistake. It is necessary to create vortex flows underground. If the vents are closed and there is insufficient thermal insulation, the floor beams may begin to rot. The more products, the better. Naturally, with good thermal insulation of the floor.”
If we touched before general issues construction log house, then now you have to delve into the basics of carpentry. The log house is assembled twice. The first time is during its manufacture at the work site (in this case, insulation is not placed between the logs). After assembly, the logs are numbered, the log house is dismantled and delivered disassembled to the customer’s site. Here it is assembled for the second time, already on the foundation. Insulation (moss, tow, etc.) is laid between the crowns and in the corner joints. How is a log house made? It begins with tying - placing and cutting through the first crown, for which the thickest logs are taken (they, firstly, bear the greatest load, and secondly, they are closest to the surface of the foundation and, therefore, are more susceptible to atmospheric moisture ). To connect parallel logs, a groove is cut out in the upper one, repeating the shape of the upper part of the lower log. The saw makes two longitudinal cuts and several transverse ones, after which the groove is carefully selected with an ax. Connect logs at the corners of the building. Proper execution corner joints are the main task in the construction of a log house. This is important both from the point of view of thermal insulation of the building (a log house freezes in the corners, not along the walls), and from the point of view of structural strength.
There are two main ways of cutting a corner: “into the paw” (without residue, when the ends of the logs do not extend beyond the outer plane of the wall) and “into the corner” (with residue). What are their advantages and disadvantages? Cutting “in the corner” makes the connections more reliable than cutting “in the paw”, and the corners of the building are protected from rain and wind by protruding parts of the logs. It is believed that a log house made “in a corner” is more stable and warmer. But with the same area, a house in which the connections are made “toe-to-toe” is significantly cheaper (0.6 m of logs are used for releases when cutting with the remainder). In addition, when felled “in the paw”, the house can be sheathed on the outside if desired or necessary, but chopped “in the corner” - not.
Each of the corner joints has its own modifications. Thus, cutting “into the corner” is divided into cutting “into the cup”, “into the edge”, “into the hook”. In the first method, a cup (a semicircular recess) is made in the upper part of the log. The marking of cups is carried out in two stages - rough and clean. Using a special tool, a line is drawn in the lower log, repeating the profile of the upper transverse log. A rough cup is cut along this line. After fitting and finishing marking, the recess is precisely adjusted with an ax. This is the simplest, but not the most effective method of corner joints from the point of view of thermal protection. IN in this case The heat will be maintained only by tow placed between the logs. That’s why they call this type of cup “household”, suitable only for outbuildings, but not for a residential building, for which it is better to make a cup with a pre-seal. The preseka creates a reliable locking connection, and heat from the room does not escape outside.
More complex is the connection “in the oblo”. In this case, the cup is “tipped over”, that is, a recess is made from the bottom of the log, which eliminates the retention of moisture in the joint. As in the previous method, the connection “to the block” must be with a stop.
Ivan Alekseev,
General Director of LLC "RUSDOM":
"When they build wooden house, the main emphasis is on the fact that it is wooden. Just wooden, that's all. But different types of wood are used for construction. What material is best to use as a wall? People said about pine: “A pine hut is a healthy heart.” Its wood is soft and easy to process. Pine can be either combat (ore) or non-combatant (mind). Ore pine is the most preferred material for log houses. It grows in sandy soil, usually on a hillock and (ideally) surrounded by fir trees planted later. They choke the lower branches of the pine tree and force it to stretch upward. For such a tree, the trunk slope does not exceed 0.8 cm per 1 m. The age of pine for the construction of a log house should be no older than 150 years (otherwise it will be overripe trees, the core of which begins to collapse), but also no younger than 80 years (until this time is still the nucleus is not fully formed). Mande pine (sawlog) grows on moister soil, has less resinous wood, and its trunk slope exceeds 0.8 cm per 1 m, but it can also be used for building walls of a house.
As for spruce, it is more knotty than mand pine. The density of spruce is approximately 10-12% less than that of pine. Its wood is more susceptible to cracking when drying, and cracks, as a rule (due to the fact that spruce grows with a twist), form around it.
Larch is 30% denser and stronger than pine, more resistant to dampness and damage by putrefactive fungi. It occupies about 40% of all Russian forests, but we will not find residential buildings from it built before the early 90s. last century. Why? One of the most common answers to my question was: “Entire houses were rarely cut from larch due to the hardness of the wood - only a few lower crowns were laid from larch logs.” But then I want to ask: “What about the walls of wooden fortresses? Was the larch there softer?” The answer to the question must be sought in another area. The energy of larch is similar to that of aspen, which is why the shamans of Siberia and Far East it is forbidden to build houses from this material, calling larch “ebony.” Cedar wood has unique properties. That is why the population of the Urals and Siberia at all times preferred Siberian cedar for finishing their homes, but they did not dare to use it on the walls. Already in ancient times, people understood that cedar forests are the lungs of the entire planet, and making walls from such material is a great sin! It is necessary to ban the felling of cedar trees at the highest level, and we, builders, should under no circumstances undertake the construction of houses from the tree of life.”
It is quite rare to make a “hook” connection (a complicated version of a “hook” cut with an internal tenon), since only a very experienced carpenter can do it well. Experts warn that when cutting “into a cup” or “into a circle” you should not make the walls of the house inside hewn (smooth), but cutting “in a hook” necessarily requires hewn walls. After a brief introduction to cutting methods “in the corner”, we will consider the main types of joints “in the paw”. There are two of them: “in an oblique paw” (“dovetail”) and “in a straight paw with a tooth.” A claw is the end of a log, processed into five edges. Any deviations in the marking of the paws can lead to a violation of the geometry of the corners of the log house and their loss of tightness. In a dovetail joint, the foot has the shape of a trapezoid, gradually tapering towards the base of the log. Cutting corners in this way does not provide adequate thermal protection for the building, and therefore has long been used for outbuildings. But today, unfortunately, you can very often find houses whose corners are made in exactly this way. If you decide that your log house will still be made “in a claw”, it is better to use a connection “in a straight claw with a tooth”. The paw has the shape of a parallelepiped, and the tooth plays the same role as the cutting edge when cutting a corner “into a cup”. More detailed information on this topic is contained in GOST 300974-2002 “Corner connections of wooden block and log low-rise buildings”.
[For your information]
Cutting a corner “in the head” is 30% more expensive than cutting it “in a cup”, and cutting it “in a hook” is 50% more expensive.
All mistakes made during the construction of a log house can be divided into two groups: some relate to the quality of the log house, and others - to its final assembly. Errors of the first type mainly come down to poor fit of logs and the presence of large inter-crown gaps (according to SNiP 3.03.01-87 “Load-bearing and enclosing structures”, the size of the gaps between logs when joining on one side cannot exceed 1 mm), as well as poor-quality execution of corners connections. Another error involves violating the “Curvate Up” rule. The fact is that due to wind loads, any tree has curvature. According to GOST, it should be within 0.5-1.5% of the length of the log. When making a log house, logs should be laid with the curvature upward, so that the upper ones press on the lower ones and level them. Otherwise, there will be gaps and protrusions on the walls, and for aesthetic reasons the house will have to be covered with clapboard or other finishing materials. Now let's move on to the second group of errors. There are significantly more of them. This list begins with an incorrectly executed foundation. For a wooden house (relatively light) there is no need to make a monolithic one strip foundation to the freezing depth, and yet this is the most commonly practiced solution for log houses. We have already written about why this happens in previous issues, including introducing readers to the cost-effectiveness and reliability of shallow foundations (“ New house", 08/2008), optimal for wooden buildings. The most common mistake is that the foundation for houses with a working underground is not calculated taking into account thermal characteristics. IN winter time The communication pipes located in it may freeze and burst. In addition, there is an unfavorable temperature and humidity regime (when the underground freezes, the humidity increases), due to which the lower crowns of the log house, beams and subfloors rot. It is no coincidence that carpenters say: a properly executed subfloor of a house is the basis of its longevity. To prevent the foundation from freezing, experts recommend insulating it from the outside with slabs of extruded polystyrene foam. A hatch must be cut in the floor to inspect the utilities passing below and check the condition of the lower crowns of the frame.
Next important point- laying the lower crown on the foundation. To prevent moisture from seeping into the logs through the foundation, it is necessary to properly waterproof it. Builders often use one instead of two or three layers of roofing material. Or they do without leveling the surface of the foundation strip using mastic. In this case, the lower log will never lie tightly on the base, gaps will inevitably form (therefore, the thermal insulation of the building will decrease).
[wood for construction]
What kind of wood is suitable for building a house? There are three varieties of it: combat, sawing and stocking. The first group is top-class forest. It grows on sandy soils and has a height of at least 24 m. From it you can get logs up to 10-12 m long and make a beautiful log house.
Sawlog is a forest up to 24 m high, characterized by big amount branches and taper. Experts do not recommend using it for building a house, since the walls will look ugly: the difference between the diameters of the butt and the top is too great. It is no coincidence that carpenters call such forests “carrots.”
Podtovarnik grows up to 15-18 m, is characterized by a small taper and has a diameter of 11-20 cm. It can also be used for construction small bathhouse, but it should be taken into account that with such a diameter of logs the heat-insulating properties of the walls will be low.
One of the controversial issues: should the first crown be laid directly on the foundation or on a backing board to protect the logs from rotting? Some experts are convinced that this is necessary, others consider this technique to be outdated. Be that as it may, the use of a backing board reduces the risk of rotting of the lower crown, and replacing it with a new board is much easier than replacing the crown itself. When ordering a log house, you should definitely clarify this point, as well as what the first crown will be made of. Best material for him - oak or larch.
If two logs of the first crown lie on the foundation, then the next two (they are called overlap logs) “hang” on them, so a significant gap remains between the overlap logs and the foundation strip. How to get rid of it? They act differently. Some builders believe that these cracks need to be sealed only after a year, since they contribute to better ventilation log house, and therefore its drying. Others close them immediately. Each opinion has its pros and cons. Much depends on what exactly the gap is being sealed with. If half-logs (the so-called Zamyatina) are used for this, then it is advisable to lay them simultaneously with the assembly of the walls, otherwise after a year the logs of the log house will shrink, and the “Zamyatin” will be made of freshly cut wood, and when it dries, cracks will inevitably form. The half-log should be placed on tarred or oiled tow.
Opponents of this method believe that moisture will still get into the Zamyatina, since the wood is sawn in half. The sapwood part is completely open, and therefore such a backing element will quickly rot. It is best to fill the gap with M-150 or M-120 oven bricks.
The log house can be collected for moss, tow, jute and flax fiber, etc. What to prefer? There are different opinions. Some believe that moss is most suitable for primary caulking. When moisture gets on it, it not only does not rot, but also releases tannins that protect the wood. Others give examples when moss burst into flames when high temperatures, and people barely had time to jump out of the burning bathhouse. These experts say that tow or flax fiber, unlike moss, can be soaked fire retardant compounds. Still others believe that there is nothing better in nature than jute. But the Finns use a special tow, made like double-sided tape and capable of shrinking from 15 to 5 mm. Using this material eliminates the need for re-caulking. In order not to feel like Buridan’s donkey, choose any of the inter-crown insulation materials. The main thing is that it performs its main function - providing thermal insulation.
One of the most controversial is the issue of using dowels (dowels) when assembling log houses - wooden rods installed vertically in logs of adjacent heights to secure them. Some experts believe that the house should be cut down so that the walls are firmly held in the corners and grooves. And there’s no need to make a colander out of a log; it doesn’t need extra holes. Others are sure that dowels are necessary so that the walls do not deviate vertically from loads and their own weight. Be that as it may, it is better to build walls longer than 3 m, as well as those in which openings for windows and doors are cut, using dowels.
A large number of mistakes are made when installing doors and windows. Because the log house shrinks in the first 6-8 years, then rigid fastenings in it are unacceptable, therefore, inserting window and door designs Directly into openings is not possible. To do this, use the so-called casing (casing box). Unfortunately, it is performed incorrectly almost everywhere. The pigtail is an auxiliary frame consisting of four bars (to make it, take a bar with a width equal to the width of the log and a thickness of 10-12 cm). A tenon is made at the ends facing the opening of the logs, and a groove is made in the socket. Grooves are also selected from both ends of the lower part of the box - the window sill board, which is installed first, laying jute fiber under it. Next, install the side bars of the pigtail. The top part of the box closes the structure. A gap (6-7 cm) is left between it and the hem of the top log for free shrinkage of the house. This gap is filled with tow.
When building log houses, there are things that are strictly prohibited. For example, hammering nails into the joints of logs. This mistake leads to fatal consequences. Any nail in a corner or wall will rust and the wood is in danger of rotting. The log lies unevenly on the nail head, and an inter-crown gap appears. Since it is uneven, the tree immediately begins to “spin.” This can no longer be corrected. “Diagnosis” - complete dismantling of the log house.
A lot of errors are associated with the calculation of load-bearing structures. For example, the customer wants to have walls 10-12 m long. You can find logs for them, but if you don’t make cuts (bandages external wall from the inside), then the walls will quickly become barrel-shaped. The crosscuts serve as stiffening ribs and are installed on walls whose length exceeds 7.5 m.
Violations are also allowed when laying floors. For example, builders place floor and ceiling beams in parallel long wall. If you cover a seven-meter log house with a seven-meter log, it will bend even under its own weight, not to mention other loads. Often beams are cut into the crowns of a house incorrectly, so-called undercuts are made, as a result of which the beam does not fully rest on the log and can break at any moment.
Of course, in one article it is impossible to talk about all the errors encountered during the construction of a log house, but we have named the typical ones. And those who are just starting to build a log house have every opportunity to avoid them.
The editors thank the companies "RUSDOM",
LLC "INDEPENDENT EXPERTISE OF CONSTRUCTION QUALITY" (LLC "STROYEKSPERTIZA")
and CONSTRUCTION EXPERTISE LABORATORY LLC for assistance in preparing the material.
Magazine "NEW HOUSE" No. 3-4 (2009)
Chopped log - the most unpredictable construction material. During the shrinkage of the log house, the crowns can twist so that through cracks appear in the walls, and their appearance will be hopelessly spoiled. Insufficiently diligent builders can damage a house that was built using timber, a carriage or a rounded log. Remont.Divandi experts tell you what you need to pay attention to in order to get a beautiful, warm and durable wooden cottage (or bathhouse).
A minor mistake made by the builders during construction wooden house can dramatically degrade the thermal performance of a home or shorten its lifespan. But customers can also make mistakes. Conscientious builders always dissuade private owners from purchasing log buildings that have stood on the production site for a year or more. As a rule, their lower crowns have already begun to rot or are affected by fungus. To give it a marketable appearance, the log house can be bleached, but this will also have a bad effect on the durability of the wood.
Alexey Galimov
A similar situation can happen if the timber was brought to a construction site, but they did not start cutting it right away, but dumped it on the ground. After some time, the logs begin to turn blue - this starts the process of rotting. The bluing is removed using chlorine-based chemicals, but as a result, such a log may not adhere to the oil that is used for finishing log house. If under construction big house, then the timber must be imported as needed so that it does not lie, but gets onto the walls as quickly as possible.
Another problem with old log houses is that there is a possibility that the cutters who made the box are already working in another place, and the assembly of the log house will be carried out by other people. The hired team will easily shift the blame for poor quality assembly onto unknown cutters. They say they made an open marriage, and it is impossible to collect it qualitatively. The assembly of the log house should be trusted only to those who made it. Otherwise, there will be no one to ask for quality.
By the way, not only chopped logs, but also other materials deteriorate due to improper storage.
Alexander Bunkov
Alexey Markin, director of AMstroy, talks about another mistake often made by customers.
Alexey Markin
For example, a person decides to build a house from a gun carriage, rounded logs or profiled timber. Log houses from these materials are usually made using special equipment. The customer comes to the enterprise with a project that was prepared for him by a third-party architect, and it turns out that they cannot make the components here as in the project. The equipment is designed for other sizes. As a result, you have to either abandon the selected material or completely redesign the house to suit the technologies available at the enterprise. It happens that reworking a project costs as much as the project itself.
Another piece of advice that protects you from mistakes can be considered naive, but in some cases it will come in handy. Builders strongly advise against contacting companies that promise to build a log or timber house per month. The construction of a building from wood of natural moisture or even dry wood is always carried out in two stages - the construction of a log house with a roof, and after about a year's break, windows, ceilings, and floors are installed to allow the log house to shrink. Only houses made of laminated veneer lumber do not need shrinkage. Previously, the portal Repair.Divandi talked about.
Photo No. 1– A log house with huge cracks.
As Alexey Markin notes, the most common mistake when making a log house from chopped logs is the small areas of contact between log and log (small width of the inter-crown groove). The thermal characteristics of such a house will be low. The head of the Domostroy-SK enterprise, Oleg Valuev, adds that in some cases the crowns may not be adjacent to each other at all (photo 1). Huge cracks will have to be caulked regularly, which will require considerable additional costs. However, the appearance and thermal characteristics of the house cannot be radically improved.
Photo No. 2– The log house cannot sit properly due to incorrectly placed racks.
It happens that builders build a house in such a way that it simply cannot sit down.
Oleg Valuev
This is a very common mistake. Often the house has an open veranda under common roof. It turns out that part of the rafter system rests on the frame, and part on the veranda posts. The log house shrinks - by 10-15 cm per year - but the posts do not shorten. As a result, the upper crown hangs on the rack, the edge of the log house closest to it cannot sit down, and cracks appear here. If the material is damp, it can warp the roof.
As Oleg Valuev explains, if you plan to make a veranda under the roof, then between the upper end of the post and the upper crown you need to install a special jack for shrinkage (photo 3). This will allow the log to sit evenly. Instead of a jack, you can put several planks that will need to be knocked out periodically. By the way, shrinkage jacks are clearly visible in the first illustration (Fig. 1) to ours.
Photo No. 3– Jack for shrinkage (photo by Domostroy-SK).
Another mistake that prevents the shrinkage of a log house is an attempt to fasten adjacent crowns with nails. The log lies unevenly on the nail head, and an inter-crown gap appears. Due to a loose fit, the log may begin to “spin” during the drying process.
Alexey Galimov
There are very difficult cases. One day a man approached us with a request to fix a log house made of profiled timber. We arrived at the site, and there the crowns were fastened not even with nails, but with self-tapping screws. If the log can still somehow slide down along the nail during the shrinkage process, then the self-tapping screw holds it tightly. There are huge cracks in the frame, all the jute is on the outside, the joints are turning blue. Here the treatment is only complete disassembly, processing and reassembly.
The problem of poor-quality waterproofing of the lower crown of a log house has somewhat lost its relevance. As a rule, the installation team performs this operation efficiently. However, the customer should pay attention to how the foundation and wooden walls. If the foundation is strip or grillage, then the surface of the strip should be leveled, and between the foundation and the lower crown there should be 2-3 layers of roofing material, or a waterproofing layer of similar effectiveness.
However, excess moisture can get into the wood not only through the foundation. If you lay floors and hang ceilings in a house before the frame has settled and dried, this will impede air circulation and lead to “steaming” of the house - mold or mildew may appear on the internal walls.
Alexander Bunkov
The issue of protecting wood from moisture is especially relevant for the lower crowns of a bathhouse. We recently had a case - we were repairing a bathhouse whose lower logs had rotted. It turned out that the builders had insulated the floors in the steam room and washing department with polystyrene foam. The space under the floor was blocked. The water that got under the floor from the washing room did not dry up. Within six months the lower crowns rotted. We raised the frame on jacks, replaced the crowns and redid the floors. The repairs cost a third of the price of the bathhouse... The floors in the washing compartment and in the steam room must be done without insulation.
The head of the Domostroy-SK enterprise, Oleg Valuev, notes that in the washing room there is also no need to make baseboards on the floor. Moisture collects under them and the process of rotting also begins.
Photo No. 4– Mold on unventilated wooden structures.
Even experienced builders cannot always predict where moisture will go and where it will begin to accumulate.
Alexey Galimov
A very recent incident. They polished the inside of a log house made of chopped logs. The days were very hot. The heat is oppressive - moisture goes inside the house. Inner surface The walls turned out to be wetter than expected. The sawdust formed during sanding stuck to the walls and underneath it turned blue. Well, they noticed it in time and cleaned it up. To prevent moisture from forming anywhere inside the log house, the log house must be well ventilated.
Many Ekaterinburg builders consider it a mistake to refuse to use dowels (dowels) when assembling log houses. These are wooden rods installed in vertical holes and connecting two logs adjacent in height. In general, the scheme is as follows: dowels pierce the first and second logs. When a third one is placed on top, holes are drilled in it and in the second log (offset relative to the existing ones) for the dowels of the “second portion” and so on along the entire height of the log house.
Alexey Galimov
Main mistake When installing log houses, do not do any dowels. And without dowels, the log may begin to spin as it dries. However, various factors must be taken into account. For example, if profiled timber with natural humidity is laid in winter, the drying process will be slow. Such a log house can sit normally even without dowels. And if you build in the summer, then dowels are required. Otherwise the log house will move and the cup might be torn out.
Not all builders agree with this position. Some people believe that cutting should be done so that the walls stand firmly and without dowels. However, in Lately There are many more supporters of using dowels. After all, additional fastening of logs allows you to make the shrinkage of the log house more predictable, and in some cases, correct the shortcomings of lumber. The presence of dowels in walls with openings for windows and doors is especially important.
Photo No. 5– Installation of dowels when assembling a log house from profiled timber.
AMstroy Director Alexey Markin emphasizes that when working with timber, rounded logs or carriages incorrect installation dowels can lead to hanging crowns. Other experts also remind us of this.
Oleg Valuev
Typically, dowels with a diameter of 22 mm are used. The holes for them should be slightly larger in diameter. For example, we use a 25 mm drill. Otherwise, during the drying process, the log may jam the dowel and this will interfere with the shrinkage of the crowns, since the log will not be able to move down and will hang on the dowel. Let me also remind you that to drill holes for dowels you need to use a very sharp drill. So that he cuts through the jute laid between the crowns, and does not pull it through. Otherwise, cold bridges may appear in this place.
Photo No. 6– Laying jute in the inter-crown grooves (photo by Domostroy-SK).
Insulation/sealant is placed in the inter-crown grooves - moss, tow, linen or jute felt (more often they say simply “jute”). Last option most popular today. Oleg Valuev draws attention to the fact that in the cup the width of the joint of the logs is almost twice the width of the inter-crown groove. Therefore, in this place, builders must remember to increase the width of the insulation tape (photo 6).
There are other points that a private developer should keep in mind.
Alexander Bunkov
The side of the log that faces north has denser wood. This can be seen in the cut - the annual rings on the northern side are thinner. The north side should place the logs outward. Then there will be fewer cracks. However, brigades, as a rule, do not pay attention to the annual rings. They put it in whatever way is most convenient for them. It’s true that customers don’t take this point into account either. When we offer an additional payment of 50 rubles. linear meter– placing logs taking into account the rings, clients, as a rule, refuse.
VIRA Group specialist Yaroslav Kulikov reminds that a wooden house also places special demands on the roofing. Usually a log house has not only external, but also interior walls. They sit faster than the outside ones. This can lead to deformation of the rafter system, which rests on both internal and external walls. To prevent this from happening, small gaps are placed in the rafter attachment points, and the rafters are made sliding.
Yaroslav Kulikov
I would also not recommend using sapwood for construction. These are tree trunks from which resin was collected. They show a characteristic herringbone pattern of cuts. There is no resin in such wood. She's loose. A house made from it will not last long. By the way, in order for the house to be durable, we use the following technique when making a log house - a compensation slot 3-5 cm deep is sawed on the lower surface of the log along the moon groove. Then, when the wood dries, the cracks will go inward. Large cracks should not appear on the outside.
If a house is being built from chopped logs, then the presence of sapwood in the prepared materials can be calculated by the characteristic herringbone of cuts (“the top” of the herringbone is directed towards the butt part of the log). If a timber or rounded log is used, then the absence of a “tap” will have to be taken on faith. However, some guarantee is provided by the fact that last years(about 15-20 years) in the Ural region, pine tapping is practically not carried out.
The list of disadvantages of buildings made of wood necessarily includes its tendency to shrink. Yes, unfortunately, you can’t do without this, this is a feature of natural material, and the more natural it is, the deeper these processes are. But, I think, this is unlikely to stop someone who decided on an option that has been proven for centuries.
The greatest shrinkage phenomena are observed in solid round timber, slightly less in rounded logs and beams; profiled timber that has been dried in a chamber and glued practically does not suffer from this.
Why does shrinkage occur?
The shrinkage process can be explained in a nutshell as follows: the log house shrinks by a certain amount after some time. Everything seems simple and clear - that’s why wood natural material, which is subject to various influences directly related to its structure and properties. But if you delve deeper, everything is much more difficult and many probably don’t even want to understand this, they just need specific numbers - when and how much. Still, let’s delve a little deeper into this topic.
There are two forms of wood shrinkage - shrinkage and mechanical.
Shrinkage is the most complex process, because its speed and intensity are influenced by many factors. To begin with, let's briefly talk about the basis of this phenomenon: any freshly sawn wood, regardless of the time of year, contains a large amount of moisture. It is found in wood fibers in both free and bound states.
Free water is intercellular water; it begins to come to the surface immediately after the tree is cut down. The process of its evaporation proceeds relatively quickly and directly depends on the ambient temperature - the higher the temperature, the faster it evaporates.
Bound water is found in the walls of wood cells, it comes out gradually and over a long period of time under natural conditions, it is possible to accelerate this process only in drying chambers. True, such equipment is most often designed only for fine gauges.
So, as the log loses moisture, it gradually loses not only weight, but also volume. Moreover, given that the wood fibers are elongated along the trunk, the loss of volume occurs by reducing its diameter.
Mechanical shrinkage is usually called the deformation of wood under the influence of weight; here it is meant that in the finished log house, the upper logs put pressure on the lower ones, as a result of which they are slightly compressed. To this we can add one more point, which for some reason is not mentioned by many - this is the compression of inter-crown insulation. For example, this phenomenon in a dry log house collected on moss gives the highest percentage of shrinkage among other factors.
The shrinkage process is influenced by a number of factors:
- wood species (wood density, original natural humidity),
- time of year of felling,
- period and method of assortment processing,
— drying of logs (logs) after debarking (cutting),
— log cutting technology,
- weather at the time of construction,
- type of interventional insulation,
— climatic conditions region and locality,
— construction features (height, number of load-bearing walls),
- presence of finishing.
Taking into account all of the above, we present the figures (of course approximate) of shrinkage one-story bathhouse from various materials:
Solid log – 8-12cm
OCB - 7-10cm
Beam: - planed - 5-7cm,
- profiled - 3-5cm,
– glued – 1-3cm
As you can see, the first options have quite serious indicators, which makes it clear why the finishing will need to be delayed.
How did they do it in the old days?
Wood has long been a traditional material for construction, at least where there were forests. Many will probably be interested in how things were with this matter in the old days.
And it was like this: with rare exceptions, log houses from freshly felled forest were not immediately erected; the harvested logs were debarked directly and often left here to “mature” until the next year or transported to the site of future construction. Here the round timber was stacked to dry, not forgetting to cover it from rain and sun with flooring. Thus, the tree “flyed”, gradually gave up moisture and grew stronger. In future buildings, such logs gave significantly less shrinkage, which made it possible to start finishing it earlier.
If the log house was cut down immediately, then they also left it for a year, and sometimes two, to dry in a place well ventilated on all sides, and only after that they began to build a house or bathhouse. After the walls were brought under the roof, all work was suspended, they waited for the log house to settle and finally dry out, as the old people said, “to become rusty,” and only then began the finishing work.
We are not in a hurry to finish the bath
Announcements and advertisements from manufacturers are replete with offers to sell log houses for shrinkage, what does this mean? This means that it was made from fresh wood, with normal humidity and not undergone long-term natural or forced drying. Those. your bathhouse will be built in two stages: first you purchase a ready-made log house, put it under the roof, and only then (after 6-12 months) you begin to arrange it.
Of course, many companies will not refuse you to build a building in a couple of months, which is called “turnkey”, but is it necessary - it is better to build slowly, controlling the shrinkage process and the behavior of the logs (beams), than to correct quite predictable consequences later. After all, no one will offer you a well-maintained log house - this is too troublesome.
So the log house was purchased and safely erected on a foundation prepared in advance. What do we do next? And then we continue to do construction - we erect the roof, lay the floor and ceiling, arrange communications (not all). At the same time, if the temperature allows, we make sure to take measures to protect the wood from adverse weather conditions and woodworms.
After completing these works, we leave the building to shrink; the time period is difficult to accurately determine due to the above factors.
Perhaps those who are not particularly patient will ask the question - is it possible to somehow speed up this? Yes, of course you can, only in the future you yourself will not be happy about it and here’s why. The shrinkage process can really be accelerated by regularly drying the room or by starting to heat it. Moisture will naturally evaporate faster, and accordingly the log house will shrink earlier than it is supposed to. It seems like there are only advantages - saving time, effort and money, but that’s it for now. After a while, you will be surprised to see how your beautiful logs will begin to burst with large and small cracks - this is precisely the result of accelerated drying.
For future owners of rounded bathhouses, we note that no amount of compensation cuts will save you from this, no matter what the builders say about it.
Shrinkage compensators
The shrinkage process does not proceed evenly, this is due to unequal evaporation of moisture in different places In a log house, for example, at the junctions of logs, moisture does not come out as intensely; trees, even of the same species, have different structures and densities. In addition, somewhere the foundation may sag, somewhere a log may hang out due to poor-quality or incorrectly installed insulation. In general, you need to constantly monitor it, yes, it’s not entirely easy, but such a log house will then be warm, durable and will not require repairs in a couple of years.
Controlling shrinkage Special attention pay attention to problem areas - purlins and embedded logs, outlets for attics, roofs, terraces, etc. These elements, being a continuation of the walls of the log house, sit down with it, but the vertical supports that hold them practically do not sit down. In this case, there is a high risk of the building becoming distorted or even breaking the above parts. In the old days, wooden wedges driven between them were called upon to protect against this - as the logs settled, they squeezed them out under the influence of weight, thereby protecting the outlets from bulging upward.
Currently, no one uses wedges anymore, everyone uses so-called compensators, they are also called shrinkage jacks or elevators. They are designed very simply - two stainless steel plates fastened in the middle with a threaded screw, a nut is also screwed on here, and this is where the clearance height is adjusted, loosening or tightening.
Compensator checks are carried out at certain intervals, in winter once every 2-3 weeks, in warm weather every 7 days.
How long are we waiting?
Voice the time for which wooden building The whole thing will end up being not rewarding and not even right. We will give only approximate periods that are most often mentioned by builders: the main shrinkage processes occur during the first year after the construction of the log house, and in the next 4-6 months. the logs finally take their shape. Although it should be noted that in the future, over the course of 3-5 years, the bathhouse continues to shrink slightly, but this no longer carries with it any consequences.
When starting the outer and inner work, be sure to set aside the required percentage (with a margin) for shrinkage. For example, when installing windows, doors, or laying communications, be sure to leave space at the top so that later the logs do not hang and damage these elements.
After reading all this, some people will think - but the tree is capricious, then harvest the forest at a certain period, then not every species will do, then cut it down this way and not that way, in general one headache, Maybe better sauna from blocks? But you must admit that the properties of wood are so good and obvious that they will not force you to retreat in the face of difficulties that arise, especially since all this can be solved.
Regardless of whether you install the log house yourself or hire people, you should know the main nuances and features. The assembly of a log house from logs and beams is slightly different, but the main differences are in the connection of the corners. All other technology and features remain the same.
Log houses are made from logs and beams, only the beams and logs are different. They all have advantages and disadvantages, and more about them below.
The logs are hand-processed - they are removed manually (with an axe, plane, other hand tools) the bark is removed, the shape is not adjusted. So they remain on one side with a larger diameter, on the other - with a smaller diameter. When laying on the wall, the logs are turned so that thick and thin butts alternate. Assembling a log bathhouse from such a log is exclusively handmade piece work. Each bowl is drawn on the spot, it is adjusted to fit the log laid underneath. The process is lengthy - lay it in place, draw the recess and bowls, roll it back, make a groove the entire length of the log, cut out the bowls, “plant” it in place, if necessary, work on the groove and/or bowls (roll it back again and fix it if necessary). For a long time…
Hand-cut logs (chopped) are imperfect, but that’s what makes them attractive
Calibrated or rounded logs are processed on a special machine. They come out of it the same length. They make them standard - of a certain diameter. Immediately at the enterprise, a longitudinal groove and a deformation groove are formed in the log (longitudinal cut, which reduces cracking during drying). The company can also cut the bowl. With this approach, all that remains is to assemble the log house like a construction set. Saunas made from rounded logs are assembled quickly. But not everyone loves them: they have their drawbacks.
A rounded log has the same diameter
When processing logs rounding machine, most of the popular wood, the densest and most durable layer, is removed. As a result, rounded logs are more susceptible to fungi, insects and diseases. All this is “treated” with appropriate processing and good drying. However, for some this factor is important.
Regardless of the type of log, the assembly of the log house is carried out using a compactor. This is moss, jute, flax wool. They can be in the form of fibers - tow, but it is more convenient to work with felt cut into a tape. The insulation is laid on top of the log, usually secured with staples from a construction stapler. Carefully line the bowl, also securing the strips. The crown placed on top presses the insulation and it closes any possible cracks. It is impossible to achieve perfect filling right away; the remaining gaps will be filled later, when caulking the log house.
A sealant in a log house is required Log houses are also assembled from timber. He has more correct form- its edges are smooth or relatively smooth, which facilitates finishing work. There are three types of timber:
As you can see, ideal material No. You need to choose by weighing all the pros and cons, taking into account the price not only of the material itself, but also the cost of its installation, and taking into account the complexity of the finishing. So planed timber is the most cheap option. But if you plan to leave the walls without covering, putting them in order - leveling, sanding - is long and difficult on your own, and expensive with the participation of hired workers.
A little about the price of a cube of building material and the thickness of the walls. If you look at the price per cube, then a log costs much less. But a log house requires much more building material in terms of cubic capacity: it has a rounded shape and in fact the thickness of the walls is much less than the diameter. And if you take a beam with a cross-section of 200*200 mm, then your wall will be exactly 200 mm. So in reality the difference in costs for building materials is not that big.
Wall thickness depending on the diameter of the log (rounded)
The second point is the qualifications of the hewers and, naturally, payment for their work. If assembling a log house with your own hands is not part of your plans, then you will pay more for the services of cutting bowls and assembling walls from logs. Hand-cut logs are especially expensive to assemble. As mentioned above, each bowl is drawn and cut “on the spot,” and this requires high skill and takes a lot of time. The thicket of timber is cut according to a template - it is cut out of plywood, outlined and cut, most often with a chainsaw. Here, of course, qualifications are also needed, but they are much lower.
There is another option - order a ready-made log house from a woodworking enterprise. You give them a project, they bring you a “constructor” with ready-made bowls. Each element is numbered, they just need to be folded according to a given pattern. Just one caveat: if you or the team you hired have started assembling the log house, and you see that the elements of the “constructor” do not fit, there are more gaps left, check yourself again. Do not start adjusting the bowls (especially if there is a large discrepancy). Most likely you have laid the logs/beams incorrectly. If there is some kind of diagram, double-check it again, or call the company where you ordered the log house. Let them tell you everything again. Usually such a discrepancy is precisely the incorrect installation of the crowns, and not unscrupulous manufacturers.
Large gaps are most likely the result of an error when laying the crowns
The cutting of log bowls, methods of connecting logs and beams in the corners, and joining partitions are described here.
Logs or beams are not just stacked on top of one another, they are fastened together. It is impossible without fasteners. During the drying process, both the logs and beams “twist”. Installed fasteners holds them in place, preventing them from turning around too much. If there is no fastener, the crowns fall out or in, depending on the direction of the prevailing forces. Most often this is observed on gables, in walls where there are windows and doors.
Loose crowns fall out
Fasteners can be metal or wood. It’s easier, of course, with metal ones - you don’t need to prepare them and it’s more familiar to work with them. But the metal does not change in size, and the wood dries out. As a result, the log house does not shrink during drying, but “hangs” on the studs. This leads to the formation of large gaps between the crowns. So metal pins are only permissible when assembling a log house from laminated veneer lumber: it does not dry out. Nails should not be used at all. They are not for the log house.
It is also not recommended to use pieces of reinforcement, spring units and, in general, any metal. Wood conducts steam, and on the metal it will condense with all the ensuing consequences (rapid oxidation and destruction of the metal, and on rusty metal the wood “hangs” very well, another disease is the proliferation of fungi in a humid environment). So if you decide to collect wooden frame, it is assembled on wooden fasteners.
Dowels and dowels are made from wood. Pins are long thin bars of round, triangular or square section. More often they use round ones; holes of a slightly smaller diameter are drilled for them (1-2 mm less than the diameter of the dowel), into which the bars are hammered. For triangular or square ones, you need to select a larger drill diameter, and drilling with them will be very difficult.
Nageli
The length of the dowel is calculated depending on the cross-section of the beam: the height of the three crowns is multiplied by 0.8. If you have a beam 200*200 mm, then three rows is 600 mm, after multiplication we get 600 mm * 0.8 = 480 mm. The dowels should be of this length.
The most popular diameter/section of dowels is 25 mm or 30 mm. They are made from hard wood - birch or oak. Spruce resists torsional forces very well, so spruce can also be used. If you follow the SNiP standards, the dowels must have a moisture content of no higher than 12%, they must not have knots or other defects, and they must be treated with antiseptics/fire retardants before use.
Drilling must be strictly vertical
Place the dowel at a distance of 200-600 mm from the edge of the log/timber, and then every 1.5-2 meters in a checkerboard pattern. They are placed strictly vertically, in the middle of the log/timber. To prevent the crowns from hanging on the fasteners when the wood dries, the holes for them are drilled 2-3 cm deeper. To make it easier to track the depth of the hole, a strip is wound around the drill masking tape or bright electrical tape. They are used to navigate. Then, even with a significant reduction in size, the log house will sit evenly.
Assembling a log house on a dowel - installation diagram
When driving in dowels, it is important to control the effort and hit strictly from above so as not to crack the wood. To make it easier for them to “fit” into the holes, they are dipped in oil (you can use it for mining).
When assembling a log house from timber or logs, the work technology is as follows:
Now a little about the prices of dowels. They are usually sold individually. The price depends on the size and type of wood, but we can definitely say that they are expensive. To save money, people buy rake handles (they have suitable diameter), cut them into pieces of the required length and use. Just note that knots and other wood defects must be cut out.
Square dowel
Even cheaper - buy a board suitable wood(dry, “elite” grade without knots and defects) and cut it into bars of the required size. For example, you can buy a 50*25 mm board, make 25*25 mm bars from it, cut it into pieces of the required length, and slightly sharpen the edges. Apart from the time investment, this approach is the least expensive.
Assembling a log house using dowels is less popular because it takes more time. They only hold two crowns together, so there's more work involved.
Assembling the log house with dowels
You need to cut holes for each dowel in the top and bottom logs. Install the prepared fastening bars, then carefully “put on” the upper crown. The work is precise, long and hard.
What does a dowel look like when cut?
Two layers of waterproofing are laid on the foundation. It may be ordinary roofing felt, but in its modern version it is very unreliable and breaks after just a few years. To waterproof a log house, it is better to use more modern version something like Hydroizol. In areas with high water levels or when large quantities precipitation, it is advisable to make a combined waterproofing: first coat the foundation with bitumen mastic, stick waterproofing on it. For reliability, you can use two layers (the second one is also for bitumen mastic).
Example of waterproofing
Before laying logs or beams, they must be treated with antiseptics and fire retardants. But the fact is that if you then plan to sand the log house, it is better not to treat it: treated wood requires many times more effort when sanding. On the other hand, there are parts that will be inaccessible after the frame is assembled. If they are not treated until the wood is dry, fungi may develop or it will darken. Darkening is not scary, it can be bleached, but fungi are worse. Especially for a log bathhouse, where there will be periodically high humidity. The solution then is to coat with impregnation only those parts that are closed, and impregnate the free surfaces after grinding.
After the logs/beams are soaked and dried, the actual assembly of the log house begins. The first crown is laid on the waterproofing, its geometry is checked - the diagonals are measured, the angles are checked. Then it is secured to the foundation with previously laid studs. If there are no studs, drill holes and install anchor bolts (holes are drilled under the caps so that they are recessed). Next - on technology. If you are assembling on dowels, then install them in two rows.
Anchors must be driven to a depth not less than the height of the beam/log
The first crowns can be laid by hand without any problems. As you gain height, it becomes increasingly difficult to lift logs. The problem is solved simply: two inclined beams are installed. Two slings are nailed from the inside to the lower rims of the frame and thrown over the wall. They are threaded under the log/beam that needs to be lifted, and pulled up along the inclined bars (see photo).
This is how logs or beams are lifted onto a log house
They are putting up a log house solid walls- without windows and doors. They are cut out after the walls are completely removed and the roof is installed. If the log house is left to spend the winter without a roof, you don’t have to cut out the windows/doors: there will be enough ventilation anyway. But if the log house is placed under a roof, then window and door openings are necessary for normal drying.
Before cutting them out, the frame is fastened (a fixing bursa is nailed in, which holds the crowns in a stationary state). After the opening is cut, a frame is installed (a beam that holds the opening and to which the door or window frame is then attached). The beam is held in the groove only due to the force of friction; it is not fixed by anything else. So the logs/beams remain in place and the log house can shrink.
A groove is cut out into which the timber is driven. It is no longer held in place by anything - no nails, no screws
If you cut openings, be sure to install a window frame. At least in this version, as in the photo above - a block driven into a groove. Just pay attention once again: it is not attached to anything. It is held in place only by friction. That is, it is simply driven into the groove. If you leave the openings unsecured, the logs/timbers will likely fall into different sides and you will become the owner of walls like those in the photo below. It is possible to level them, but it is long and difficult.
What happens if you don’t put the sapling in place for the winter?
In this case, the doors and windows themselves are not installed: a draft is necessary. If you want to prevent visits, cover the doors with mesh, membrane, and cross the openings with boards, but air must pass through.
After the walls are kicked out, the assembly of the roof truss system begins. The upper crown is used as a Mauerlat. If necessary, holes are cut in it for installation. rafter legs. Roofing material does not need to be installed. You can leave the rafters with sheathing covered with a helicopter-protective membrane over the winter. You just need to fasten the membrane according to all the rules: start from the bottom, move up, lay the sheets overlapping one on top of the other, gluing the joints with double-sided tape. Fasten with wide-backed staples from a powerful stapler.
The log house is ready for wintering
.jpg)
