Wooden houses in recent years are actively gaining popularity. Today, there is no ideal technology for their construction, which would have no obvious shortcomings and at the same time be superior to all others. At the same time, frame houses are mainly built , the pros and cons of which have provided them with great popularity, including in the domestic market.
General
The frame is the foundation of the house, consisting of individual elements: beams, boards, beams. In other words, it is a prefabricated structure that takes on all the loads acting on the house. Separate components for frame houses are manufactured in enterprises. Before the construction, preliminary calibration of building structures is carried out, which can significantly save on financial costs and time.
Which house to choose
Which frame houses are better? There are the following varieties: frame, panel and frame-panel. They differ in construction technology and materials used. Frame houses are not inferior to traditional brick and stone in comfort, sound and heat insulation characteristics. In general, they have proven themselves well, including in domestic climatic conditions.
Frame houses: pros and cons
Frame houses, like any others, have their own characteristics, construction technology, advantages and disadvantages. The buyer has the opportunity to familiarize themselves with their qualities and choose the appropriate option.
Advantages :
- Low cost. The technology for the construction of frame houses requires little financial investment. This is associated with their great popularity around the world.
- Quick construction. Excluding preparatory work (foundation and finishing), a construction team of 5 people is able to build a house in 1 month in the warm season.
- Minimum retention costs. Frame house does not require constant maintenance.
- Good soundproofing. The use of special materials, such as ecowool, allows you to achieve high levels of sound insulation that unprepared frame houses do not have. The benefits of using sound-absorbing materials are clear to any person.
- No shrinkage. After the construction of the frame house, you can immediately proceed to its decoration and settlement in the near future. For example, log houses immediately after their construction cannot be populated, since you need to wait for their final shrinkage. The process can take from 6 to 10 months.
- Low thermal conductivity of building envelopes. It makes it possible to retain more heat in the winter and keep cool in the hot season.
- Environmental friendliness. Wood is an environmentally friendly material that does not pose a threat to human health.
- Lightweight foundation. The technology makes it possible to use lightweight foundations. This saves you money and time.
- Accessibility and simplicity of interior decoration. Unlike concrete or brick buildings, where the walls on the inside must be plastered without fail, in frame houses it is enough to putty the joints and places for screwing in screws. After that, you can proceed to gluing the wallpaper, since the walls are even by definition (provided that the technology of their construction was followed).
- Seismic stability. Frame houses for permanent residence are widely used in a country such as Japan. This is due to the fact that they are able to withstand a load of up to 9 points on the Richter scale, and for this country frequent earthquakes are characteristic.
- A large number of freeze / thaw cycles. For example, if the frame house serves as a summer residence, then it is enough to warm it up only upon arrival and not maintain the temperature in your absence.
- The possibility of building at any time of the year is an important advantage that frame houses have. Construction is carried out under the condition that the ambient temperature is not lower than -15 degrees.
- The absence of gaps. Smooth walls have virtually no gaps and leaks. If any, then they are filled with insulation. In addition, the use of hydro- and windproof membranes prevents the penetration of air masses into the walls.
- The ability to repair frame houses with your own hands quickly and at minimal cost. The house can be dismantled, transported to a new place and reassembled. This is feasible only if such an opportunity was provided in advance at the stage of housing design.
- Optimum microclimate. Using wood as a building material allows the house to preserve its properties, thereby creating a special microclimate. In other words, the walls of such housing "breathe." And this is another important advantage that frame houses have.
Cons :
- Ease of construction. This disadvantage is characteristic of all wooden walls and floors.
- Need the appropriate qualifications of builders. In the technological part, frame houses are complex, and their construction requires appropriate tools and skilled craftsmen.
- Fire hazard. The problem is solved with the help of special compounds that impregnate the wood.
Frame houses: instructions for increasing the period of their operation
When constructing a frame house, builders adhere to several basic principles. Their observance is mandatory, as this can significantly extend the period of operation of housing.
Solid foundation
The construction of the foundation is the first and one of the most important stages in the construction of any house, ensuring the stability of the structure. Significantly increase the service life of the house is the quality of foundation preparation for the foundation, the correct knitting of reinforcement and the use of inventory formwork.
Good ventilation
Effective air exchange between the soil and the floor beams is carried out using through holes, also known under the term "product". They are made in the ground part of the foundation tape. This eliminates the accumulation of moisture and, as a result, the formation of mold under the house.
High-quality anchoring of the binding board
When the foundation is prepared, they carry out the laying of the strapping board on a waterproofing material, the main function of which is protection from the external environment. Next, diagonals are measured, flat angles and walls of future housing are displayed. It is important to fix them firmly. To do this, carry out the anchoring of the strapping board with the foundation. At the same time, they adhere to a certain step. Proper fastening will ensure even distribution of load on the surface, eliminating the possibility of shifting the board during construction. To build frame houses with your own hands is a laborious business requiring specific knowledge. Not all builders have thorough construction skills.
Construction impregnation
Despite the fact that the frame structure is inside the wall and is not subject to external influences, it must be protected. For this, special compositions are used that increase the fire resistance of the material. Also carry out antiseptics of wood. As a result, one of the disadvantages that frame houses have is minimized. There is no need to list the pros and cons of the compositions, since the owner of the house will benefit from their use.
Wood is impregnated from four sides simultaneously. The substance should penetrate deeply into the material. It minimizes the possibility of mold, rot and blue, both in the outer layers and directly inside the log.
Robust main frame
The quality of building materials directly affects the longevity of the frame as a whole. It is well known that wood is characterized by “shrinkage”, in which it tapers by 5-7% in width and thickness, and in length - by 1%. But frame structures practically do not shrink, since the uprights play a supporting role in them.
Fungal infections of wood in a closed box are one of the most common problems that frame houses “suffer” from. Cons like this are easily eliminated. For the manufacture of the frame, it is recommended to use dry wood with a permissible moisture content of 10-15%. It is characterized by high strength and resistance to environmental influences. In addition, this will not seriously increase the financial costs of frame houses.
The construction of houses of this type is also carried out in areas characterized by earthquakes, floods and other disasters. Frame structures are able to withstand seismic shocks up to 9 points.
Quality insulation
The stability of houses even at extremely low temperatures provides a heater based on mineral wool 15-20 cm thick. This is equivalent to a brick wall 1 m thick.
Use of vapor barrier and diffuser membranes
The insulation directly affects the heat-insulating qualities of the room. For example, a wet insulation does not fulfill its tasks and, as a result, the house will be cold. It can be maintained in optimal condition using vapor barrier and diffuser membranes.
A vapor barrier membrane is applied to the inside of the wall. It prevents the penetration of steam from the room to the insulation. Sheets of material are overlapped, which ensures their most efficient operation. Seams are glued with duct tape.
A diffuser membrane is applied to the outside of the house. It simultaneously performs two functions: it removes the formed moisture through a ventilated gap and prevents its penetration from the outside. Correct frame houses without fail have both membranes.
Permanent Home Care
Caring for such a house is simple and requires compliance with simple rules. The owner should conduct a regular inspection of the condition of the house, which will allow timely detection of malfunctions. The owner can easily replace the insulation, elements of internal or external decoration, frame and other structures. For example, in a brick house, such manipulations are problematic.
Summary
The durability of the frame house depends on the observance of the technological features of its construction. The presence of drafts, the formation of condensate, heat loss - a building defect. Frame houses, the pros and cons of which are described above, are distinguished by their durability, strength and thermal insulation properties.