Wooden construction is always in great demand, so the lumber market is constantly replenished with new offers. With such an abundance of wood, logs and logs chopped, timber in different variations (ordinary, glued, bulky, profiled, whole) is easy to get lost, especially to a person who has not previously encountered this issue.
Manufacturers come up with new methods of processing and drying in order to give the timber additional properties and eliminate existing flaws characteristic of natural wood. But are all the corrections good, do they have a negative effect on other properties? We will talk about all this further, and also try to find the answer to the question, which beam is better for building a house?
Varieties of lumber
Only two types of wood are widely used:
- Glued beam.
- Profiled.
There are several reasons why it is better to give an advantage to the beam for building a house:
- Plain and smooth wall surfaces.
- Light weight material.
- Geometric accuracy of the entire building.
- Reliable connection of the bars to each other. This ensures that no cold penetrates the room and no gaps appear.
- Aesthetic appearance and pleasant atmosphere both inside the building and outside.
You think which beam is better to choose for building a house? The most popular materials are glued and profiled wood. They compete with each other and each has adherents and opponents.
The difference between profiled and glued beams
Glued beams are characterized by high strength, which is achieved by pressing and gluing. The moisture content of the material is about 14%, thanks to this indicator it does not dry out, the percentage of shrinkage is not more than one. However, during operation, it absorbs moisture, and as a result, the indicator increases and approaches the profiled wood in dried form.
For gluing individual lamellae, an exclusively environmentally friendly adhesive solution is used. It belongs to the FC0 group, which means that the amount of formaldehyde in the composition does not exceed 0.5 mg / l.
The price of glued beams is much higher than for profiled wood. But the structure of it does not require decoration and additional care. In addition, due to the use of the adhesive composition, the timber is less susceptible to decay and pest damage.
As for the profiled beam, it has strictly established dimensions, and does not accept either blowing or mixing joints. Profiled wood has a high external performance, therefore, finishing work on it is optional.
What's better
In order to answer the question of which beam is better for building a house - glued or profiled - it is necessary to consider the features and properties of each of them. So, let's compare materials on several characteristics.
Raw materials used
Profiled lumber is made from a solid wood. At the initial stage, the raw materials are rejected, and then sent to natural or chamber drying and a secondary inspection for defects and mining on a profiling device.
Glued beams are made by gluing pre-dried lamellas. This makes it possible to reduce defects, since the damage is repaired on the lamellas. In addition, the possibility of cracking and twisting of tree species is excluded. For the production of one beam, 2–5 lamels are taken. Thus, the manufacturer can change the cost through the use of various species of wood. For example, the middle can be from pine, and the outer part from needles or larch.
Sizes of a bar
Do not know which beam is better for building a house? The thickness and size of the bars is of great importance.
For a profiled beam, this parameter is limited by the parameters of log blanks. As a rule, the normal length is about 6 m. P. Or a multiple of 2 and 3 m. P., And the section standards are set as follows: 10 * 10, 20 * 20, 30 * 30. If desired, you can order from the manufacturer non-standard volumes of profiled timber for a specific project. But the cross section of such products occasionally exceeds 20 * 20, this is due to the complex drying process. The thicker the log, the more difficult it is to dry it evenly.
Thinking about which beam size is best for building a house? It depends on the dimensions of the structure itself and the selected type of lumber. Glued wood has large dimensions, the maximum width is 27.5 cm. Since the lamellae can splic together in length, in some cases it can reach up to 18 m. This is done only on order.
Environmental friendliness
Eco-property is almost the main argument in the debate about which timber is better to use for building a house and which one is safer for the environment and people.
The first thing to note is that during the production of glued beams involved an adhesive solution containing synthetic compounds. The lamellas are glued together with a polymer or polyvinyl acetate paste. To the adversaries of glued wood, this gives reason to say that in this situation there can be no question of the environmental friendliness of the material.
But it should be noted that adhesive solutions differ in composition and are divided into classes - from harmless to dangerous. The buyer has the right to demand from the seller documents indicating the class of affiliation.
Profiled wood is also treated with flame retardants and antiseptic composition. And also in the process of manufacturing the material, only the inner side of the tree is used, freed from the protective bark. This means that the wood is loose, and in order to preserve the operational properties of a structure made of profiled timber, the surface of the walls needs to be covered with protective compounds from time to time. They will provide protection from ultraviolet radiation and other adverse weather events.
Breathability
The degree of vapor permeability of the profiled beam directly depends on what kind of wood it is produced from. The wood massif is able to hold good conditions in the room, and this is very important for private buildings.
In glutinous wood, air impermeability is much lower. This is explained by the different arrangement of lamellas and the presence of a layer of glue. It does not allow air to move freely through the woody pores.
Humidity
You do not know which beam is better for building a house - natural humidity or dry? The indicator of the natural moisture content of the material depends on the origin of the tree and the period when the workpiece was made. Humidity can reach up to 40-50%. According to GOST, only material whose moisture content does not exceed 15% can be used for exterior decoration.
To reduce this figure, as well as to exclude cracking and twisting of the tree species, manufacturers dry the timber. For this purpose, there are two ways: natural drying and forced, in special chambers. The lower the moisture content in the lumber, the less shrinkage will the structure built from it.
For glued wood, the recommended humidity is up to 14%, and for profiled wood, up to 18%. However, during operation, the tree will absorb moisture from the environment, so little by little the performance of both types of timber will be equal.
Shrinkage
Glued log shrinks about 1%.
Profiled wood during chamber drying - from 3 to 5%, with natural drying - about 8%.
Strength
Thinking about which beam is better for building a house? The strength of glued beams is much higher than that of profiled wood. This is due to the fact that for the production of the first pre-prepared strong lamellas are used, cut from various parts of the logs. It can be the central part, annual rings or heart-shaped rays. And for the manufacture of profiled timber, only the central part is taken, and, as you know, it is the most loose.
Deformation
Subject to storage rules, deformation of wooden elements is excluded. If we talk about the possibility of cracking already on the finished structure, then it exists in both cases, both in profiled (not more than one millimeter wide) and in adhesive (depends on the quality of gluing).
Biological immutability
During production, each type of log is processed using a special composition. Therefore, the possibility of mold, mildew and other troubles is minimal.
Fire safety
Glued beams perceive the flame worse and burn much more slowly. This factor is important to consider if you plan to build a bath.
Appearance
You do not know which beam is better for building a house - regular or profiled? Both types of material are subjected to high-quality processing of the front surface, this makes it possible to do without a subsequent external cladding of the structure. And both with the interior decoration of the house, and with the exterior. But, most often for construction, elements of size 15 * 15 are used, so there is a need for additional insulation of the building.
As for the installation of windows and doors, the warm contour of the structure erected from glued beams allows installation to be carried out immediately after its assembly. A shaped structure shrinks, so it is advisable to wait about six months or use casing.
Cost
If we compare only the cost of the material, then the profiled beam will cost 30 percent less than glued wood. However, during operation, the first option requires significant investment to preserve the appearance of the structure. Therefore, consider for yourself!
The likelihood of counterfeiting
Profiled wood is manufactured on high-quality equipment and is sold in large volumes, but it can be profiled in artisanal conditions. Reliable will only be the house that was built from quality material.
It is much more difficult to make counterfeit products of glued timber, since it is rather difficult to glue lamellas not at production.
As you can see, the question of which beam is better for building a house - glued or profiled - does not have a clear answer. Each material has both disadvantages and advantages.
The main thing is to buy lumber from a reliable and trusted supplier. This will help to avoid purchasing low quality products. As for the construction of the building, both materials are suitable for self-installation, and in order to entrust the matter to professionals.