Half-timbered architecture can be recognized immediately. It is associated with houses in Germany and Europe. Often the roofs in such structures are covered with a tiled roof. Today, such a canonical form of residential buildings is used as a designer refinement. And on the other hand, it is a symbol of German quality. But in fact, in Germany, the buildings of the XV-XVI centuries have survived, which are still in operation. Therefore, many argue that houses using German technology have an extended service life.
History of German houses
In fact, the famous German houses, whose photos are fascinating, appeared for a reason. Structures in which the main material is wood are characteristic of both wooded areas and coastal areas. In the countries of the Baltic and North Seas (Germany, Denmark, Great Britain, Holland, etc.) there were many skilled carpenters who built quality ships. These craftsmen knew how to properly build a reliable structure of wood, so they began construction and facilities.
For the construction of the first houses, pillars were dug directly into the ground, and connecting beams, rafters were laid on top of them, after which they proceeded to the construction of the roof. Of course, after 15 years, the poles were comparatively quickly rotted. Over time, they began to be installed on the prototype of the stone foundation - huge boulders dug in the ground beforehand. The service life of pillars, and therefore structures, has grown tenfold. But it was necessary to compensate for the attachment to the ground with a variety of transverse slopes, rods, puffs and ties.
For skilled carpenters, such a connection was not a problem. They were carried out according to naval methods and techniques. Today, all connections are replaced by simpler ones, using steel fasteners (anchors, screws, brackets, threaded rods).
Design features
In fact, the German house is a special frame made of elements of large and medium sections, with the sinuses filling the external temperature circuit. The remaining elements of the structure (roof, foundation, partitions, walls) can be made in the same way as in other houses.
A reliable frame is not a problem for skilled carpenters. But filling sinuses is a difficult task. After all, the quality of the walls depended on this, and therefore the fate of the entire structure. At that time, the sinuses were filled with adobe or adobe material. This material has been used on all continents. Today it is also becoming popular, it is used in green building.
Grooves were cut in the beams, into which a paired or woven lattice of rods was inserted. It was applied adobe. Sheet material for the exterior decoration of the building at that time was not invented, and using boards for this purpose was too expensive. Therefore, the buildings were plastered, but at first it was not possible to apply the solution to the wooden beams.
Therefore, the walls remained with visible beams, which later became the visiting card of German houses.
Distinctive feature of a half-timbered house
Many old German houses have one distinguishing feature. Looking closely, you can see that each new floor of the house hangs over the previous one. At first glance it looks unusual. The explanation of this design is quite simple. In coastal areas it often rains and rains, flowing down the walls, water fell on the lower floors. Their walls got very wet. The upper floors quickly dried out due to wind and sun. The lower ones could rot due to moisture, and this is unacceptable. Therefore, the upper floors carried forward.
This feature of construction has become ineffective with the invention in the construction industry of high-quality waterproofing materials. Modern facades, foundations, walls and wood are reliably protected from frost and moisture. Therefore, modern German houses have completely flat wall planes.
The changes also affected the roofing material, due to the weight of which it was impossible to take out the visor even by half a meter. Today they use light sheets that can drain water from the wall per meter, or even more.
Canadian technology or still German?
Old German houses can be safely called the basis of all technologies of frame construction. Indeed, in modern construction using frame technology, almost everything is repeated. There are no transverse beams, supports, slopes in the systems. Today, experts only use a different thickness of material (modern beams have become a little thinner). Many believe that the technology of frame construction is Canadian, but the finished structures are often called both Finnish and German. And this is true, because with this technology they built buildings before the discovery of America.
Today it’s hard to see old European houses in frame houses, because they have a characteristic advantage - covering with high-quality sheet material and finishing the building from the outside. The construction of the structure was improved, and nature won, because the wood consumption was significantly reduced.
Ancient house-building method and modern materials
Thanks to the OSB continuous sheathing, the design has become even stronger, tougher and more reliable. Now you do not need to use powerful beams and racks at the initial stage. Exterior finish and sheet material reliably protect the wooden frame from the negative effects of the environment: solar burnout, weathering, freezing. Thanks to such protection, the life of the structure has increased significantly.
A solid German house has a business card - visible beams of the structure. Today they are used only for decorative purposes. Of course, adobe and clay walls are a thing of the past, and space is filled with high-quality and environmental insulation. Today they are also used as a filler and straw.
Earlier, sinus decoration was a problem, but today this process takes as much strength as the interior wall decoration. Thanks to the use of modern facade putties, this process is easy and simple.
The frame of the structure has remained a model of reliability of the entire structure. Metal elements helped to speed up and simplify the installation process of the German house.
Conclusion
The German house is a quality reliable building. Its construction is practically indistinguishable from other houses. Remember, deciding to build such a house, you can realize your dream and live in a house in the European style.