Frame houses or from a bar. Do-it-yourself construction of a frame house from a bar. Photo report

One of the most FAQ, coming to our address, sounds like this: "Which house is better: frame or profiled timber?". The question itself is not very correct. Why? The answer is further down the line.

Let's start with the fact that both options have a lot in common:

these are undoubtedly houses, not temporary huts;
the house will outlive you, your children and will remain for your grandchildren;
these are not houses for the poor: frame houses were designed for the US middle class, and log houses for the Scandinavian middle class.

In the same way, the Volkswagen car was created. The literal translation is “people's car”, while there are few complaints about the quality of Volkswagen.

You can compare the prices of houses directly, but there are other more important criteria:

the value of the land;
expenses for the supply of communications;
finishing works and "stuffing" of the house.

These three points, given the low (compared to other technologies) cost of a house, can pull up to 80 percent of the costs.

Frame or profiled timber?

Even if there is money, it is unlikely that it will be possible to build a Winter Palace on 20 acres. After all, any choice of technology implies a compromise: each has both advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of both options:

low weight of the structure;
a high degree of work performed in the factory;
low labor and construction equipment costs;
high assembly speed of the house;
building a house does not depend on seasonal conditions.

Frame houses: pros and cons

Advantages of frame houses

To the virtues frame houses relate:

if everything is done correctly, then - the ideal thermal insulation of the house;
communications hidden inside the walls;
light interior decoration, which has a positive effect on its value;
seismic resistance (this dignity may seem surprising; although, if we remember that the reason for the decline of the Smolensk principality was an earthquake, the desire to discount this dignity may disappear).

Disadvantages of frame houses

There are no perfect technologies. The disadvantages of frame housing construction include the following:

the house will require care: flame retardants and antiseptics lose their qualities over time;
high requirements for the ventilation system, which is a consequence of good thermal insulation (an open window is indispensable - it can be a complex system in which the outgoing air heats the incoming air);
the need for careful adherence to technology in the process of assembling a house: just as there is no surgical operation for 50%, a similar approach should be applied to assessing housing construction.

Profiled timber houses

Advantages of profiled timber houses

The advantages of houses made of profiled timber, of course, include:

environmental friendliness, although there is one “but”: the timber is always processed (there are fire-fighting and bioprotective impregnations, without which it is impossible to do);
small heat losses; there is nothing new here: 20 centimeters of wood are comparable to brickwork of 70 centimeters (the technology of profiled timber is made to minimize heating costs: protrusions and grooves, of course, help in the accuracy of installation, but they also have another task - in construction this is called removing " bridges of cold");
oddly enough, but there is a frequent and worthy argument: “Grandma had a wooden house” - here is trust in the experience of ancestors, and support for traditions, and nostalgia.
building a house from a profiled beam will cost less than building a frame house.

Disadvantages of profiled timber houses

Wood - proven for centuries natural material. However, it has not only advantages, but also some disadvantages:

combustibility;
the tree can get sick: fungus, mold, woodworms (you will need preventive measures, not very frequent - once every 10 years it will do);
installation of a house from profiled timber does not immediately involve finishing work: it will take time to shrink the house;
the appearance of cracks in the array of timber is inevitable - this is a property of wood, the same as the presence of knots;
you cannot hide communications in walls made of timber: it is impossible to violate the supporting structures.

So what to choose?

The assessment of the advantages of the first or second technology is very conditional. It is not the choice of technology that is important, but its observance. It's like a joke: the name of the bank does not matter, but the bank must be in Switzerland.

For example, houses in Japan, just like half-timbered houses in Western Europe, are frame housing construction. Some of them are 600 years old.

But the museum complex in Kizhi was built 300 years ago. Moreover, it is built of timber, and this is not a low-rise building.

From the above, the following conclusion can be drawn. The recipe for the customer is very simple: choose a project that you like and look at the technology with which it can be implemented.

And before ordering construction from any company, find out the addresses of previously built facilities. Go to the place, look, talk to already established clients of the construction company. The option is reliable, like a Kalashnikov assault rifle. Of course, the Internet and a search engine as an addition.

Wooden houses from year to year are becoming more popular. The reason for this was that the domestic market a wide variety of building materials have appeared that are used for the construction of wooden buildings or serve as an additional internal and exterior finish.

Also, new technological methods have appeared that can effectively counteract the formation of fungus and rot, which was the main problem for all owners of wooden buildings 20-30 years ago.

Experts say that with proper care, a house built of wood using modern technologies can stand for more than 100 years.

It should be noted that the building wooden house does not require a lot of time, especially when it comes to structures made of high-quality timber or frame buildings. However, structures made from these popular materials are very different in properties, and in order to answer the question of which house is better - frame or timber, you can comparative analysis and consider the main pros and cons of the proposed buildings.

Advantages and disadvantages of using timber

The primary task before building a house from a bar is the choice of the type of building material. Now on the market you can find both cheap options in the form of raw timber, and high-quality analogues in the form of glued laminated timber.

Often, houses from profiled timber are produced with the involvement of special companies, and they are already delivered to the consumer in the form of a large wooden constructor. In this case, raw timber is practically not used due to the fact that there is a high chance of deformation of the erected buildings after drying. At this risk, manufacturers wooden houses usually don't go.

The use of dry or glued timber is more practical. This material is made mainly from wood. conifers, which initially contains a certain amount of antiseptic substances.

Based on the opinion of experts, the following advantages of timber houses can be distinguished:

Thermal insulation. Standard profiled timber and its glued counterpart are very good thermal insulation materials that do not require additional finishing materials for warming the room. Laid in compliance with all necessary requirements wooden beam perfectly prevents the penetration of not only cold, but also moisture into the room.
Aesthetics. In the manufacture of timber, its edges are cut as evenly as possible. Immediately after construction, the house will not require any finishing work, but it will look very presentable.
Safety. Fire retardants are used in the production of timber (special impregnations that reduce the possibility of ignition of wood). As a result, the material practically does not burn, and it is rather difficult to cause significant damage to it with the help of fire. The wood is also impregnated with other substances that help the wood resist decay, fungi and various types insects.

But, despite the large list of advantages, timber buildings have their drawbacks.:

Time to shrink. Any kind of timber after the construction of the house should stand for some time without tenants. This period can take from 3 to 6 months, and even more in the case of raw material. Such a process is necessary for the shrinkage of the building.
Material selection. Despite the fact that timber is a very popular material that can be purchased everywhere, it should be understood that its choice is a very responsible process. It is not always possible to independently determine the quality of raw materials, especially when it comes to the construction of capital housing, where the durability of the house will depend on the quality of the timber used.

Pros and cons of frame buildings

Frame houses can be divided into buildings for seasonal living and those that are used all year round. The latter are called capital. They are often used in their construction. Additional materials in the form of sheathing from siding or trim from natural stone, which increase the duration of operation and make houses warmer.

Seasonal buildings are built using panels consisting of insulation and materials made from wood industry waste. They are additionally treated with substances that help the wood resist moisture and ultraviolet radiation. Such structures are often used as summer cottages or summer houses. In the autumn-winter period, living in them is uncomfortable, because such housing has poor characteristics regarding thermal insulation. In capital buildings, this problem is solved by using panels made of denser materials. This applies to both wood and various heaters.

The advantages that can be distinguished in the material for frame houses:

construction time: frame houses do not require downtime and are built almost instantly, the panels are quickly assembled into a single structure without additional adjustment;

frame: the basis of the house can be built from a variety of materials, but the most popular are metal and wood.

cladding: for interior and exterior cladding or house cladding, a wide variety of materials can be used. different materials, making an allowance only for the properties of the frame and its capabilities, thanks to this there is a chance to independently choose the style of home decoration.

Unlike a wooden frame, metal structure retains integrity for a long time and does not change physical properties.

The biggest downside panel houses- this is what it is necessary to attract professionals for its construction. Especially when it comes to the construction of capital housing. In addition, panels for frame houses are a fairly rare building material. Usually it is made to order, because such a product can have various variations in terms of combining raw materials.

The cost of frame houses

Many people think that frame house or a cottage is much cheaper than timber housing. To some extent, the statement is correct. However, it should still be noted that there are practically no significant differences in the cost of a capital frame structure and a building made of timber.

If you make a comparison, you can really notice that glued or even standard timber will be noticeably more expensive. However, a house built from panels does not require interior or exterior decoration. In addition, the all-season construction of panels requires additional costs for the purchase of insulation and work aimed at increasing the level of waterproofing.

In this case, if we take the total cost of building both houses, we can calculate that their total cost will be almost the same. Cheaper than a building made of timber, only the construction of a frame summer house will come out.

It should also be noted that cash investments in the construction of a frame house should be one-time, and the construction of housing from a bar is carried out gradually, which allows it to be financed in parts. This, of course, does not make a timber building cheaper, but it significantly relieves the financial burden during construction.

Additional Analysis

Despite the fact that each material has its pros and cons, we can say that choosing from two options, it is best to give preference to timber. This is due to the following factors:

Long service life of the bar. This is achieved due to the possibility of replacing the damaged timber with a new one. Frame houses sometimes need to be almost completely disassembled for repair work. In addition, high quality profiled timber is a solid material that is inherently stronger than multi-component panels.
Facing. Timber houses can be left completely unclad. However, their properties will not change. In the case of a frame structure, cladding or finishing is a necessary measure.

Before choosing a material for building a house, it is important to weigh all the positive and negative qualities, and only then take up the construction of housing.

Everyone who thought about building their own house, solved the question: what to build it from? Now there is a huge amount of building materials on the market, every day there are more and more new types. In this article, we will try to understand two types of materials for building houses: frame and timber.

Comparison of the strength of frame and timber houses

It can be said with certainty that timber houses are more reliable than frame ones. There is an explanation for this. Frame houses are made of wood with the use of various chemical treatments to protect the building.

Chemical compounds allow the frame house to last longer, but they are not able to protect against all environmental factors. As a rule, frame houses are treated against mold, moisture and anti-fire preparations.

Sectional diagram of a frame house wall

Log houses are made of solid material, which in itself has protective properties from environmental factors. The service life of frame houses is 25-30 years, after which the supporting structures will have to be replaced.

Log houses will stand quietly for more than 50 years. Modern technologies allow to increase the service life timber houses up to 80 years: use of glued wood, anti-cracking treatment.

The maximum service life of a frame house is 30 years.

Many believe that these two types of houses differ in reliability, but this is true:

To summarize: if we consider the comparison of these two types of houses in terms of strength and durability, then houses made of timber material are definitely in the lead here.

Cost comparison

Pricing of frame houses

Each owner is looking for such a variant of the house, which will be not only warm and reliable, but also cheaper than others. Consider what the pricing for frame houses consists of.

A calculation will be given for a house with an area of 46 m2:

The main advantage of a frame house is its low cost.

Every home starts with a foundation. Now for a prefabricated house, you can put a strip foundation or a column foundation. A prefabricated house weighs less than a log house, so a massive foundation is required for it. The columnar foundation is a support that is installed at a distance of two meters from each other. The larger and taller the house, the more grounds will be required. Such a foundation has an advantage: it will always be possible to get under the house and water will not accumulate there. This type of foundation is well suited for areas where it is difficult to remove water from the construction site of the house. Strip foundation is the more classic and commonly used option, but will also be more expensive. If the columnar foundation will cost 30-50 thousand rubles, then the tape starts its price from 50 thousand;
House frame. This is the main stage of construction. The frame consists of walls made of wood, interior and exterior finishes. It should be said right away that to build a good frame house, you need to use a heater. If the cost of building a frame is 100,000 rubles, then the same amount will have to be spent on insulation and interior decoration of the house. There are a lot of options for insulation and finishing;
Roofing is an important part of building a house. For prefabricated house being built wooden base which needs to be insulated and waterproofed. You can cover the roof with metal or soft tiles tigola or shinglis. The cost of building a roof for a house is approximately 80 - 120 thousand rubles. The cheapest option for coating - metal tiles - from 90 thousand rubles;
Outside, prefabricated houses are sheathed with cement-bonded particle boards, but the house cannot be left in this form. Cheaper and more practical to sheathe it with siding. Now on the market there is a wide variety of this material: any colors, shapes and sizes are presented. Vinyl (it is cheaper) siding for our house will cost 40 - 60 thousand rubles. If you want the house to look like a log house, then you can use a block house for wall decoration. This flooring is made of natural wood and is quite easy to install. The cost of finishing is from 80 thousand rubles. Do not forget that wood is less durable than plastic. Such a coating will have to be painted and treated against mold;
Electrical wiring and water supply. We will specifically indicate this point, because work on lighting and conducting water into the house must be carried out before the start interior decoration. The minimum cost of work is 60 thousand rubles: if there is a well or well on the territory;
If it is planned to carry out heating in the house, then the pipes are partially placed inside the walls. It is quite difficult to calculate the cost, since there are different types of heating: stove, wood-fired boiler, gas, water, fireplace;
Interior decoration of the house. Finishing begins with the construction of plasterboard walls. Then you can use any available material: wallpaper, tiles, plastic panels, wood cladding.

Comparative characteristics frame houses at their cost, depending on the size

The most expensive thing in a frame house is the frame itself.

Pricing of log houses

The pricing of log houses has the following components:

The degree of complexity of the construction of frame and timber houses

Frame houses consist of several layers:

inner lining;
frame;
vapor barrier;
thermal insulation;
waterproofing;
outer cladding.

For each layer, it is necessary to select materials that are suitable for this area, will retain heat well, and protect the house from moisture and mold. If you build a house yourself, you will need special knowledge.

Timber houses are installed with the help of material and dowels. The process of building houses from timber is much faster than frame houses. Pre-sawn parts will allow you to build a building in two days.

An example of a two-story frame house project

If we talk about which house is better: frame or timber, according to the degree of complexity of construction log house will take first place.

Architectural and design parameters and their differences

Timber structures are great for standard-built houses. If you want an unusual roof, round kitchen and bay windows, then it is better to start a construction site from a frame material.

Timber houses are more durable than frame houses

Of course, you can build a complex building from a bar, but you should understand that the price of such a house will be much more than an analogue. The construction of a log house can be done with one assistant, without involving a team: all the details are signed and they must be laid in accordance with the construction plan.

If we talk about which house is warmer, then there is no definite answer. The timber structure itself holds heat better than a frame sandwich. The use of high quality insulation materials good finishes and the presence of heating in a frame house will be a guarantee that it will be warm in the most severe winter.

We have already said that specific gravity There are fewer frame houses than log houses. This means that you can move into frame houses almost immediately after construction, since they will have little shrinkage.

finishing interior spaces you can also do it almost immediately, but in a timber room you should wait with the design of the walls, especially if you plan to install tiles or decorative plaster, and the laminate will lie flat if you wait for shrinkage.

Project example two-story house from a bar

Another difference between a prefabricated house and a log house is that a log house can be built in several stages: walls, roof, interior decoration. House frame type requires a one-time investment of money and completion of construction, since you cannot leave only the frame and vapor barrier for the winter, because you have to do everything all over again.

If a frame house is planned for year-round use, then each layer of the house must be installed dry, and the building must be mothballed for the winter.

Environmental Comparison Parameters

In the modern world, almost any material for construction has the prefix "eco". However, this name does not give a guarantee of safety. If future tenants have problems with allergies, then the house must be built from timber. As part of such a house there will be a minimum number of components that can provoke allergies.

Rating various technologies building a house

To summarize, we can say that timber houses have a number of advantages: attractive appearance, do not require finishing, and are durable and reliable. Frame-type houses are light, you can build any type of premises, you can finish the house with siding, wood, tiles and other materials, you can save on the foundation.

Timber houses are at least 2 times more durable than frame houses.

If you plan to build a classic building house with four corners and right roof, then the use of a beam in this case is advisable. Frame houses are suitable for the construction of any architectural ideas, it is easy to attach more buildings to them.

For a summer cottage, a frame house - The best decision. For year-round living it is better to use a bar. The construction of a building "for centuries" requires the use of timber.

Video

You can watch a video where experts will talk about the difference in the cost of frame and timber houses.

If earlier getting an apartment in a high-rise building was the ultimate dream of many Russians living in the private sector, today there is exactly the opposite trend. Accordingly, the overall scale of the construction of their own homes is growing rapidly. This is facilitated by the fact that in the construction industry they have become publicly available and have begun to be widely used technologies that have been successfully used for decades in other countries. Any future owner of a house, choosing its design, drawing up a project and calculating the amount necessary materials, tries to reduce costs as much as possible, but at the same time striving to obtain a high-quality, warm and durable structure.

It would seem that the spread of technology frame construction, which previously could not be attributed to the traditional for our country, took the edge off many problems. However, the practice of building operation has shown that the result, alas, does not always meet expectations. And frame structures failed to displace the technology of building houses from timber. So the question of what is better a frame house or from a bar still remains relevant, since both designs have their advantages and disadvantages. When choosing one of these options, one should take into account many nuances regarding the climatic conditions of the region of residence, the technology of building a house, and the comparative cost of projects.

It is necessary to immediately say that in both cases, the main material of construction is timber. But the assembly of the walls of the house is carried out according to different technologies. In one case, the beam performs only load-bearing functions, in the other, it becomes the only wall material.

Wooden houses have always been distinguished by their warmth, durability and strength. Subject to choice quality material, compliance with the construction technology and the rules for subsequent operation, they can serve for many decades without needing major repairs.

The beam has the same basic characteristics as a log, while it compares favorably with a much simpler installation technology. This is due to the very shape of the material.

Today, two types of timber are presented on the construction market - it is solid and glued.

A solid beam is made from a log, from which rounded parts are cut off during the manufacturing process to obtain the required square or rectangular section. This option is the most affordable material.

Glued laminated timber is assembled from well-dried and carefully processed and fitted lamella boards. Their number and thickness may vary.

If the requirements of the technology were observed in the manufacture of this material, then it is of high quality and aesthetic appearance. Glued laminated timber, unlike ordinary sawn timber, is more durable, practically does not give deformation even in not the most favorable conditions operation. The advantages of glued beams also include the absence of shrinkage of the material. Therefore, using it to build a house, finishing work can be done immediately after construction is completed. According to these parameters, it is much more suitable for building a house.

However, glued laminated timber has a rather high cost, since selected wood is usually used for its manufacture. And the manufacturing technology itself is also quite expensive.

Glued laminated timber made from different breeds wood. So, the outer layers of the timber are often assembled from larch resistant to external influences, and the inner ones from pine, which has a lower thermal conductivity.

Both solid and glued beams can have flat surfaces or profiled.

A profiled beam on its two opposite faces is given a rather complex relief, which can vary in its depth and shape. But in any case, it is designed for strong joining of parts according to the “thorn-comb” principle, which increases the overall strength of the walls, and simplifies installation, and eliminates cold bridges, especially when correct use high-quality interventional insulation.

Several popular profile types are shown in the illustration below. In fact, their diversity is much wider.

The walls of cobbled houses are erected from profiled timber. And for the construction of frame structures, lumber with the usual rectangular or square section is used.

Design features of block and frame houses

To decide on the choice of design, you need to know what each of them represents. Therefore, in this section, their features will be considered.

block log house

Some general construction details

A house made of timber is built approximately according to the same technology as a log house. And, in fact, is modernized design of traditional chopped hut. For its construction, glued profiled or ordinary timber can be used.

If the house is built for permanent residence, then the size of the beam section should be at least 200 × 200 mm. This means that, most likely, you will have to purchase glued material, since it is rather difficult to acquire a high-quality batch of solid timber of such parameters.

For suburban summer buildings, a lumber size of 100 × 100 or 150 × 150 mm in cross section is suitable. If a beam of this size is chosen for a permanent structure, the walls will need to be insulated. For this purpose, mineral wool is most often used.

A feature of a block log house built from ordinary sawn material is its very considerable and prolonged shrinkage, which can last up to a year. Therefore, the installation of windows and doors in openings, as well as wall insulation and exterior finishes, will have to be postponed until the walls take their final stable position.

Many craftsmen, when building a block log house, do not make window and door openings at all until the walls are completely shrunk, in order to avoid their deformation. In this case, a small door is cut out, just to allow access into the building. Well, after shrinkage, the opening is cut to the required size. The remaining openings for installing windows are only marked out and also cut out after the house is ready for decoration.

In another variant, an example of which is shown in the illustration, all openings are fastened until the time with a solid beam, which will not allow them to deform. After shrinkage of the structure, the jumper beams are cut to the width of the openings.

Connecting parts when building a cobbled house

When choosing one of the types of timber for building a house, you need to know how it is docked at the corners of the house and, if necessary, its lengthening, that is, decide on the choice of connections.

Information about this should be obtained in advance so that the complexity of the work can be estimated. The joining of the beam may differ from the connection used in the construction of a log cabin, since, unlike the latter, it has been developed more options installation.

There are two types of main types of compounds - these are "in a cup" (with a remainder) and "in a paw" (without a remainder). But, in turn, each of them is divided into several varieties:

Docking at the corners “into a cup” can be done in several ways, but the most popular of them are “in okryap”, “in fat tail” and a simple connection “in half a tree”:

- Most often, a simple “half-tree” connection is used, when a cutout on a beam is made on one side. This docking method is the most popular due to its maximum ease of implementation.

- “In the fat tail” is a rather complicated connection, since a kind of spike is formed in the main cutout, and a groove is cut out for it on the other side of the beam. This method of docking ensures the effectiveness of thermal insulation in the corners. But it will require good carpentry skills.

- Connection " in ohryap" guarantees a rigid and durable docking of elements wooden structure. It is used quite often in both cobbled and log cabins.

When connecting in a non-residue way, that is, without protrusions of the beam beyond the main surface of the wall, there are more options for joining wooden elements. The most commonly used ones are shown in the diagram below:

- “On the root spike” - this method involves cutting on one joined beam from the end of the protrusion-spike, and on the other, on its inner side, a groove corresponding in size to the spike. Additionally docked elements are fixed with wooden dowels driven into the corner part, as well as along the entire length of the beam in increments of 350÷400 mm.

- "On the plug-in spike." In this case, in one beam from the end, and in the other on the side, grooves are cut out so that when joining the holes coincide with each other. After that, a spike is cut out, corresponding in size to two combined grooves. After laying the mating parts, this spike is driven into the formed channel. Additionally, the beam is fastened with the dowels laid earlier along the entire length.

- “In half a tree with a plug-in spike” - this docking option involves cuts from the ends of each of the bars at the same distance from the edge and at half their thickness. Additionally, grooves are cut from the edges of the joined part of the beam, which must also be aligned. After laying the wall parts in place, a spike is driven into the grooves. Along the entire length of the timber are also driven wooden dowels.

- "In the paw" - this connection has the simplest cutout on the end side of the timber. It is somewhat reminiscent of the cutout that is made when forming the “half-tree” docking, but differs in that it is performed under a slope. On the lower beam, the slope is formed from the edge of its end, and on the upper beam, from the inner side to the outer. That is, when they are connected in the corner, the sections should be tightly pressed against each other, and the direction of the resulting force vector ensures the strength of the created corner node.

Whichever option for cutting the timber is chosen, the surfaces of the cutouts, as well as the spikes and grooves, must be perfectly even and smooth. Otherwise, high-quality joining of parts may not work, or gaps will form that will reduce the thermal insulation qualities of a wooden wall.

Advantages and disadvantages of cobbled construction

If you choose a paving construction of a house, you need to know not only about its merits. Information about the shortcomings is also very important, since they also exist and may well come as a surprise to the owners of the building during the construction of the house and its subsequent operation.

TO benefits cobbled house can be attributed to the following characteristic features:

The beam is a natural material, and if the optimal thickness for local conditions is chosen for the construction of the house, additional insulation in the form of mineral wool will not be required. Therefore, the house will be an environmentally friendly building. In addition, it is important to choose a quality seal for interventional sealing, for example, based on natural felt or linen fibers, which interact well with wood and are also environmentally friendly materials.

What materials are used for interventional insulation?
The disadvantages of building a cobbled house include the following points:
The large massiveness of each part does not allow you to install the walls of a cobbled house on your own. For construction works assistants will definitely be required, and sometimes you can’t do without special lifting equipment.
A rather long period of shrinkage does not allow you to start finishing and operating the house immediately after its construction.
Walls made of timber with a small thickness will require additional insulation, and hence the subsequent decorative lining with clapboard or block house. Therefore, if you plan to save on timber, you will have to pay for additional materials.
If glued laminated timber is chosen for construction, then you should know that it will cost several times more than usual. But its advantage is that the material practically does not shrink, therefore, to finishing work you can start immediately after the construction of the house.

Even glued timber can be of poor quality, which will manifest itself after a certain time. This can manifest itself on its end sides in the form of sticking of lamella boards and their cracking under the influence of external natural influence.
In case of violation of the installation technology ordinary timber, and also due to the neglect of the need to treat its surfaces and ends with special compounds, deformation or cracking of wood along the fibers may occur.

Frame houses
Frame construction in last years became an alternative to the construction of houses from timber. Frame buildings have a considerable number of positive qualities, however, they also have their very serious shortcomings. In order to understand the features of such structures, it is necessary to consider them in more detail.
There are several types of frame buildings, which differ from each other in the principles of assembly and use various materials. Need to know what to do if right choice in favor of a specific frame, you can significantly save money, reduce the construction time of the building and save your own strength.
There are four main types of frame structures - these are frame, continuous, frame-panel or panel and half-timbered or rack-and-beam. In some cases, when building a frame house, several of the above options are used simultaneously. However, the construction of any of the varieties of the frame is carried out from an ordinary bar, which may have different size in section. This parameter of the material depends, as a rule, on the massiveness of the structure being created - after all, it is on the beam that the load-bearing functions are assigned.
Frame frame construction
The frame structure is otherwise called pallet or platform, "American" or "Canadian". The last two names came, apparently, from the "founders" of such a construction technology, the first ones are based on the principles of maintaining installation work.
The pallet construction method is based on the principle of building walls on a platform or on a pallet. And, it does not really matter what material and how the base is formed.
On the formed base, for example, on one of the types of foundation, frame wall structures are mounted. They are lifted, leveled, fastened and tied together with boards. After that, the upper strapping is made and the installation of the floor platform is carried out.
The advantage of this method of construction is the ability to build independently, without the involvement of assistants. This factor is especially important if it is decided to build the house alone, saving on the construction team.
Further, installed frame walls are filled with insulating material. Most often, a mineral is chosen for this purpose. stone wool, which is closed from the outside with a windproof waterproofing membrane, and then sheathed with wooden clapboard, siding, ventilated facades are equipped, or another material is chosen.
From the inside, for wall cladding, moisture- and heat-resistant drywall, marked GKLVO, on which decorative trim is mounted, can be used. Drywall, as well as timber, is an environmentally friendly material. It is a good basis for any type of finish and creates a certain protection of the premises from the emission of binders (formaldehyde resins) that are part of the mineral wool.
It should be noted that today insulating materials have appeared on the market, consisting of environmentally friendly raw materials. For example, these are linen fiber mats, which perfectly resist external influences, are "breathable" and have a low coefficient of thermal conductivity. However, in terms of cost, such material is significantly superior to mineral wool.
Solid frame construction
This design is called continuous because to create the frame of the walls, a solid beam is used, going from the base of the house up to its ridge and forming the pediment of the building.
This type of frame is well suited in cases where it is required not only to save on building material, but also to speed up the construction of the house. In addition, a continuous frame is perfect for building a two-story house, or having an attic room, the total height of which corresponds to lumber standards,which are 6000 and 4500 mm. If a house with an attic is being built, where the ceiling height of the first floor is 2500 mm, the attic is 1800 mm and the ceiling thickness is 200 mm, a beam with a length of 4500 mm is ideal.
If this type of frame is chosen, then it is necessary to ensure a very reliable fastening of the floor beams, since they will be not only logs for arranging the floors of the second floor, but also a strapping that fastens all the elements into a single structure. In addition, they will take on the load, preventing possible deformation of the racks that form the frame of the walls.
When choosing a beam for a continuous frame, it is necessary Special attention pay attention to its quality, or use only glued laminated timber from a trusted manufacturer for its construction. Naturally, special attention is paid to the verticality of the racks of the frame and the horizontality of the beams, strict adherence to all dimensions in accordance with the project.
Building a house on the principle of a continuous frame alone will not work. The work will require at least two assistants, and it is desirable that they have experience in the construction of frame structures.
The frame is sheathed in the same way as in the frame structure described above.
Panel or frame-panel house
This type of construction allows you to build a house in a very short time and is perhaps the most technologically advanced of all types of frame structures.
The frame-shield method of assembling houses is not at all new to Russia. Back in Soviet times, it was used for the rapid construction so-called " Finnish houses» . However, those prefabricated buildings often did not meet the requirements for effective thermal insulation, so many owners made the decision to clad them with brickwork. This method of additional insulation significantly increased the level of living comfort in such buildings.
Today frame-panel houses assembled from SIP panels, which, having a standard thickness of 124 to 224 mm, have higher thermal insulation capabilities than Brick wall half a meter thick.
What is a SIP panel? For the manufacture of such large mounting parts, OSB sheets of different thicknesses are used, between which there is insulation material- it can be expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam, as well as mineral stone wool.
SIP panels are often made to order according to a pre-designed house project. That is, according to this technology, ready-made parts of the walls of the building are made, which are assembled on a prepared foundation, into a single structure.
There are also separate panels from which the walls of the house are built. Such plates are connected through a beam installed between them, self-tapping screws serve as fasteners, and an additional seal is polyurethane foam. Individual panels are most often mounted in a finished frame built from timber. That is, builders get rid of several stages of work, such as outer lining frame with OSB-sheets, laying insulation and inner lining, since all these materials are combined in SIP panels and installed at the same time.
When using separate plates, their installation can be carried out by two or three people. If the elements of the house from this material are made according to the project to order, and are ready-made walls with window and doorways, then its assembly will require not only assistants, but also specialized lifting equipment.
If the rooms in the house have small area, that is, the spans between the walls are small, then ready-made SIP panels can also be used as a ceiling. In addition, slabs are also used to form a floor platform, subject to the arrangement of a reliable monolithic foundation.
The advantages of this type of frame construction include the short construction time of the building. The disadvantage can be considered the high cost of panels manufactured in the factory.
How to deal with facade decoration houses from SIP panels?
It is quite clear that no one wants to leave the “boring” appearance of OSB boards on the facade. Therefore, homeowners are trying to finish the walls, additionally giving them protection from external natural influences. One of the options - house cladding from SIP panels ceramic brick , and one of the regular readers of our portal shares the relevant experience.

The rack-and-beam method of assembling the frame is often called "German", since in Germany quite a few private houses are built using this technology. Its other name is half-timbered. This method of erecting frame houses can be considered the most traditional, as it has been used in construction for more than a dozen years.
The frame of the walls in this case is assembled from massive beams with a cross section of 150 × 150 or 200 × 200 mm, and powerful floor beams. Sometimes boards with a section of 150 ÷ 100 or 200 × 100 mm are used to form the frame, where a larger indicator will determine the thickness of the walls.
The main vertical and horizontal elements of the frame are additionally reinforced with jibs. Traditionally, all structural parts are fastened together by tie-in, which results in a strong and reliable frame.
However, in recent years, metal corners and plates are used more and more often to fix structural elements together, so assembling the frame is much more expensive. The advantage of this approach in ensuring the connection of parts is the faster construction of the structure.
For insulation of half-timbered houses in its traditional version, clay-straw blocks that fill the space between the timber. True, these days, not many homeowners use this material as a heater, since its manufacture must be done independently, but this is enoughlabor intensive a procedure that is quite time consuming. But on the other hand, blocks made of clay mixed with chopped straw have a very low thermal conductivity, and a house insulated in this way is very comfortable.
The wall thickness of 200 mm is suitable for the construction of houses being built in the southern and central regions of the country. If construction is carried out in areas with very low winter temperatures, the cost of insulation will have to be increased. Therefore, for this purpose, a special design frame, which is called "Russian fachwerk".
Construction details are shown in the diagram with digital designations:
1 - Carrying the main beam - man.
2 - Racks of the outer front contour of the frame.
3 - Bottom strapping.
4 - Top harness.
5 - Crossbar or board.
6 - jib, increasing the rigidity of the structure.
7 - Vertical stand inner contour.
8 - Crossbar connecting the outer and inner contours.
9 - Strapping beam of the internal contour.
To insulate this design, a special material is used - rufalit, which is poured layer by layer into the inner space of the frame.
Rufalit is a gypsum-based mixture enriched with silicon modifiers and organic fillers, which are most often chopped straw. Thanks to this composition, a “breathable”, environmentally friendly material is obtained, which has antiseptic and high thermal insulation properties.
Before pouring a solution prepared from a dry mix, the frame is sheathed with a temporary removable formwork, which is covered waterproofing material. After the poured mixture hardens, the formwork is removed. The result of the work done will be a smooth warm wall. It can be sewn decorative material or plaster. When choosing lining or siding as lining, wooden frame walls will serve as a crate to secure this material. However, so that the wood does not become a kind of cold bridges, all wooden elements located on the outside, it will be necessary to additionally insulate.
Any frame version construction of a building, in contrast to a block structure, gives more wide opportunities use of various materials. You can choose the most suitable methods for carrying out installation work, depending on the budget of the future owner of the house.
We make comparisons
Now, having understood in general terms what the frame and block structures of buildings are, and already having a rough idea of how much work is to be done in this or that case, we can summarize by highlighting and comparing their characteristics.
The complexity of the work
cobbled house , especially if it is being built from profiled material, it is easier to build. And, this process does not require any special skills, it is enough to act according to the developed project. The difficulty lies only in the large weight of the timber, so it will not be possible to do without an assistant - it will not work to raise the timber to a height on your own.
True, all this is true if the purchased construction kit has the necessary cuts of parts for corner connections. Otherwise, without good skills in carpentry, you can’t do without.
frame structure . In this case, the level of complexity will depend on the choice of frame type. The simplest of them is a panel version of the design, but specialized equipment will be required for installation work. Other types of frames, in comparison with the construction of a block house, are more difficult to install, require accurate calculations, as they consist of numerous parts that must be correctly connected and interact with each other.
However, most frames can be assembled alone, but this process will take a lot of time.
The strength of the structure being created and the duration of its operation
The durability and strength of both one and the other design directly depend on several factors:
The quality of the selected material.
Correct calculations.
Scrupulous observance of the construction installation technology.

If all these conditions are met, then you can rely on documents regulating the duration of the operation of buildings. So, according to STO 00044807 - 001-2006 p. 6, table No. 2, the service life chopped buildings from their construction to overhaul, is 50 years, and panel-panel and frame walls- 20 years. That is a clear win for a cobbled house!
cobbled house more durable and resistant to wind loads due to its massiveness. Fully wooden walls when properly processed, they will be more resistant to external influences.
frame structure . The strength of the frame house depends on the thickness of the beam and its quality, as well as on the installation work. To ensure the maximum possible durability of frame structures, it is necessary to protect their external surfaces from the effects of aggressive natural factors. That is, without fail, external decoration is required.

Environmental qualities of buildings
Completely "environmentally friendly" can be called a building erected from an ordinary bar. However, during construction, both in one and the other structure, materials that do not fully meet environmental requirements can be used. To get the desired result, it is necessary to choose only natural materials for building a house.
cobbled house . If the house is being built from glued beams, then it must be remembered that in its manufacture, chemical compounds are used for antiseptic treatment, and glues of various origins are used for gluing boards. So this question should be clarified even when purchasing the material - how “clean” it is, but whether dangerous emissions, for example, formaldehyde, are foreseen.

If the construction is made from ordinary timber, then it is recommended that the insulation and wall cladding be made exclusively with natural materials. Only in this case it is possible to achieve an ideal result, having received an environmentally friendly house.
Frame construction. In this case, it is more difficult to achieve “complete purity” of the structure, since the frame is usually sheathed with one of the types of plywood or OSB sheets, in the production of which formaldehyde-based compounds are most often used. Instead of plywood, you can use moisture-resistant drywall or other modern sheet material on natural basis by closing it from the outside with a waterproofing windproof membrane. And as a heater, use not mineral wool, which still contains the same formaldehyde resins, but linen, woolen, cork heaters, or cellulose ecowoolcompressed into mats.

From the above, we can conclude that both one and the other design can be environmentally friendly when used. natural materials, the choice of which depends on the desire and capabilities of the future owner of the house.
Maintenance costs
Maintenance costs depend on the frequency and complexity of preventive and ongoing repairs. One of the most important factors, on which the need for regular intervention depends, is the protection of the external surfaces of the structure from both negative atmospheric effects and biological damage.
House built from timber with a section of 200 × 200 mm, as a rule, is not lined both outside and inside. Therefore, if there is no initial high-quality treatment of wood with antiseptic agents, then the risk of damage to it by a fungus or wood-boring insects is quite high. And in order to protect the building from insects, one antiseptic treatment is often not enough. It is necessary to seal all the interventional joints between the timber with a special sealant.
frame structure subject to construction technologies and subsequent finishing, it is protected from external influences of moisture, ultraviolet radiation, wind and dust, as well as from water vapor concentrated inside the premises. However, the scaffold structure, which is closed on both sides, is much more difficult to control for damage and lesions, unlike always open walls built from timber.

Due to the fact that for interior and exterior decoration frame structure modern materials are used that are less susceptible to biological influences, the cost of its maintenance will be much lower. Again, when answering this question, one should take into account the quality of installation and facing work.
From these characteristics, we can conclude that a high-quality frame structure will require less preventive and repair work than a brick house. But at the same time, we do not forget that its theoretical age is almost half as long.
Thermal insulation qualities of walls
Another issue that affects the comfort of living in a house, as well as the cost of its full heating, is how warm it turns out.
As you know, wood is rather low thermal conductivity, and this quality is given as the main argument in favor of a block structure. You can estimate how warm a house will be by knowing the characteristics of a particular material.
Thus, the coefficient of thermal conductivity of pine, which is most often chosen for the construction of houses, is 0.1 W / m × ˚С, and mineral wool is 0.04 W / m × ˚С. That is, the thermal insulation characteristics of the insulation are almost two times higher than those of wood.
Simple calculations show that the wall of a frame house sheathed with OSB and insulated mineral wool, much more effectively retains heat in the paving than laid out from a bar. And this means that a frame house built in compliance with the technology will be more than twice as warm as a cobbled uninsulated house with an equal wall thickness, say, 200 mm.
In addition, the frame structure allows you to equip the wall with a heater of any thickness, which is difficult to do in a block structure.
Fire safety
Both in the frame and in the block construction, the main material is wood, which belongs to the highest combustibility group - G 4. Based on this, it becomes clear that both options are potentially fire hazardous.
Unlike a block structure, it is easier to protect a frame structure from rapid fire by choosing a non-combustible insulation and sheathing the walls with a material with low flammability and the ability to prevent the spread of fire.
Walls built from timber can be protected, only by impregnating them with flame retardant solutions. And, this process is recommended to be carried out every 2-3 years, depending on the means used for this purpose, since the coating loses its protective qualities under the influence of wind, sun and moisture. But it does not guarantee complete protection against ignition under the influence of an open flame.
Construction cost
When determining which design is better and more profitable, the issue of construction cost cannot be bypassed. And this is quite understandable - the financial factor can dramatically affect the choice of one or the other option.
Of course, it is impossible to determine the exact cost of a house being built, since it consists of its design features. However, you can try to make an estimate by the number of items of required materials. Due to the fact that the frame and block houses have the same roof structure, its cost will also not differ, but the walls will require different materials and their quantity.
The list of materials needed to build a cobbled house includes:
A beam with a cross section of 200 × 200 mm, the amount of which will depend on the area of \u200b\u200bthe walls of the house.
Mezhventsovy insulation, laid between the timber of the walls.
Antiseptic solution for wood protection.
Varnish on wood for external use.

To build a frame frame house, the list of necessary materials is somewhat larger, and consists of the following items:
Timber for the construction of the frame - it will require 12 ÷ 15% of the total area of \u200b\u200bthe walls.
Insulation material - 85÷88% of the wall area.
External cladding, which is most often used as OSB sheets with a thickness of 10 ÷ 12 mm.
Internal lining - it can be wooden lining, drywall, etc.
Facing facade material chosen to the taste of the owner of the house - ventilated facade, brickwork, ceramic facade tiles etc .
Vapor barrier and waterproofing membrane.
For interior decoration you will need putty, plaster, paint, wallpaper, ceramic tile and etc.

Having studied the lists of basic materials presented, without taking into account fasteners, you can see that a cobbled house will require more wood and less finishing materials. For frame structure will require significantly less natural wooden parts, but a lot of other materials will need to be prepared. And, additional materials in the total volume will most likely cost no less than a wooden beam.
According to the list of necessary materials for the construction of walls, it is easy to imagine the number of diverse stages of work that will need to be done, bringing the walls to full readiness. From which it can be seen that the construction of a frame house is a more time-consuming and lengthy process.
Now, having received information about the design features, about their advantages and disadvantages, it will be easier to make the right choice. You can find out the cost of materials in the region of residence and proceed to the calculations, focusing on the proposed plan of your future possessions. Then the picture will become even clearer.
At the end of the publication - an interesting video in which the author shares his vision of the advantages and disadvantages of frame and block houses.
Video: Comparison of timber and frame houses in terms of wall thickness and their thermal insulation qualities