Frame houses can solve several problems at once in the construction and operation of housing. Such facilities are being built in a few days, they are distinguished by a high energy-saving function and affordability. It should also be remembered that the technology of prefabricated houses came to Russia from Canada, where the requirements for the naturalness of building materials are quite high. Therefore, an eco-friendly frame house is absolutely harmless to humans. Today, disputes are underway for each of these advantages, especially when compared with competing construction technologies. However, the desire of companies to move forward and develop the ideas of prefabricated eco-houses in these areas is not only declared, but also confirmed by the huge number of implemented and conceptual projects.
The technology of building a frame eco-house
Despite the wide list of fundamental positive characteristics of the frame house, the technology of its construction is not so complicated. Those who want to become the owner of such housing need to go through several stages. First of all, this is the choice of the project: you can buy one of the existing standard options or order development from scratch. Further, in accordance with the design decision, a semi-finished material will be produced at the manufacturing plant, from which workers will assemble a ready-made eco-friendly frame house at the construction site. Eco-construction involves the use of natural raw materials, so harvesting kits mainly consist of wood materials. Depending on the project, these can be either solid elements or wood-based chip products. At the final stage, when the base of the building in the form of a frame is assembled, finishing work begins. Cladding material is also selected with the expectation of environmental friendliness. As a rule, these are wood panels, lining and natural thermal insulation.
The principles of construction of frame houses
At first glance, the technological principles practically do not differ from the construction of conventional log cabins. But such a conclusion can be made only by the criterion of environmental friendliness. Otherwise, serious differences are assumed, which makes the technology unique. So, the principles by which an eco-friendly frame house is being built can be represented as follows:
- The maximum use of natural building materials.
- Minimum negative impact on the environment during the operation of the house.
- Minimum requests for energy consumption.
- Healthy microclimate inside.
- Affordability for a wide range of customers.
Of course, far from all companies manage to fully follow these principles. However, the emergence of new technologies facilitates the implementation of the stated goals in different directions.
Heating and insulation
The main source of energy for the supply of frame houses are power plants. Autonomous heating systems in the form of boilers and fireplaces are also common. Although construction companies seek to minimize heat loss by improving the performance of basic materials, these measures are not enough. Accordingly, the question arises of how to insulate a frame house. Insulation materials should also be selected from environmentally friendly materials, but with sufficient thermal conductivity. Actually, this choice is small and suggests only two options: stone mats and ecowool. Both insulators provide a favorable microclimate in the house and fully comply with environmental requirements. But there is one caveat. Unlike ecowool, stone slabs require additional waterproofing.
As an alternative, thermal insulation can be literally made from household products. It can be an eco-friendly insulation for a frame house in the form of a mixture of clay, straw, sawdust and shavings. Adherents of such decisions are bribed by the undisputed naturalness and free material. However, the effectiveness of clay-straw mixture in terms of thermal insulation function is low and is unlikely to satisfy the requirements for houses in cold regions.
Energy Reduction Concepts
Perhaps this is the most urgent task in construction, which is not only facing technologists of frame houses. One of the key areas is the creation and operation of infrastructure that will allow the use of wind and solar energy. This approach is fully consistent with the principles of green building. The fact is that the ecological problem of frame houses is still persisting due to the consumption of gas, coal and oil for their content. On the other hand, electricity from traditional stations is not cheap, and this in itself contradicts the principle of low cost homes. Therefore, the leading market participants in this segment of construction are working hard to create new networks that take energy from alternative sources. There are also smaller projects, within which energy-saving technologies are being developed.
Pros of frame ecological houses
The advantages of such houses are much greater than the number of mentioned positive qualities. In general, the following advantages are noted:
- The favorable atmosphere inside, which can only be provided by a breathing eco-friendly frame house assembled from natural building materials.
- The minimum load on the foundation, which expands the range of technologies for the formation of the foundation.
- The speed of construction. A week is the average time it takes for a company to finish building a house. The rest depends on the owner, who is engaged in exterior and exterior decoration.
- Low cost. This advantage in the construction market is perceived by many with suspicion. Even if the costs of the project are really minimal, will the result be truly high-quality? Just at this moment, it is worth addressing the shortcomings of such houses.
Cons of frame ecological houses
Positive characteristics at a low cost quite naturally led to the shortcomings of the frame house. Environmental friendliness, for example, does not allow the use of high-strength synthetic building materials, and the concept of reducing energy consumption limits the possibility of using convenient heating equipment in operation. In addition, there are other disadvantages:
- Exposure to destructive biological processes. Again, the naturalness of the materials makes itself felt - the wood undergoes rot, damage by rodents and insects. However, the use of protective equipment can minimize this drawback.
- Susceptibility to burning. Frame houses may include the use of wood impregnated with resins that enhance the intensity of combustion. Therefore, individual fire safety measures should be provided at the design and construction stages.
- The layout of the walls already determines other disadvantages of frame houses. Frame technology involves dense paneling with good sealing. As a result, almost every home requires the installation of special ventilation.
How are green houses rated?
In Russia, the concept of home environmental friendliness usually implies that only natural materials were used in the construction process. However, in world practice, the eco-house is primarily energy-saving. That is, it has a minimal impact on the environment and at the same time requires the use of a small amount of energy. How eco-friendly frame house meets these requirements, expert checks show. In particular, building materials, decoration elements, the project itself, as well as construction methods and energy consumption indicators, are subjected to a special examination.
How economical is the frame eco house?
On average, eco-friendly frame houses are 25% more economical in maintenance than other structures of a similar purpose. Today, not only materials and structural features of such houses contribute to minimizing energy costs. Companies offer a comprehensive approach to this problem. In particular, an eco-friendly frame house can be equipped with solar collectors and heat recuperators, which reduces energy consumption. At the same time, elements of smart homes are being introduced. These are systems that minimize costs by optimizing the operating modes of electrical appliances.
How much does a frame ecological house cost?
The technology of constructing frame houses in Russia has been practiced for several years, but there is no clear understanding of the approaches and calculations in the implementation of such projects. Therefore, the prices are “floating” and much depends on the supplier of the material and the team that will assemble the eco-friendly frame house. The price of construction work is about 300-400 thousand rubles. About the same amount costs the material itself. For 1 m 2 workers usually ask for 1-1.5 thousand rubles. But it is important to understand that there are few specialists in frame houses, especially in the provinces, and professional services can be much more expensive.
Reviews
It is generally accepted that unrealizable and fantastic, at first glance, ideas involve fraud and fraud. Environmental friendliness, low energy consumption, unpretentiousness in maintenance and comfort in operation - these are the qualities that an eco-friendly frame house should have. The price of 1 million rubles seems too attractive and dubious. However, in practice, the owners of such houses leave a lot of positive reviews. This applies to build quality, as the material is usually used factory, that is, free from defects, and to thermal insulation. Negative reviews, by the way, mainly relate to the need for additional finishing work. Having received the “box”, it must be designed from the inside, faced, insulated, provided with ventilation, etc. All this also affects the cost, it takes time and effort. However, the same can be said of other technologies for the construction of private houses.
Conclusion
In some ways, a frame house can be compared with traditional wooden structures. Their feature is the speed of assembly and the generally lightweight approach to construction. The naturalness of the materials in this case corresponds to the same log cabins. However, the quality and reliability of the prefabricated structure will lose to the technique of laying the beam. In addition, Russian wooden houses often do not require finishing, and thermal insulation works are incomparable in scale, as is the case with frame analogs. Despite this, prefabricated buildings have one significant advantage - they were originally designed for high energy efficiency. Each building element is subordinate to this idea. Accordingly, in terms of operating costs, such houses are really profitable and fully justify themselves.