Types of log houses: which is more practical and economical?

Types of log cabins

To build log cabins, a careful preparation of a set of materials is required. The main elements of a wooden structure in a log house format, by modern standards, are round timber or timber. When preparing, it is important to consider the degree of drying of the material or the condition of the material leaving the sawmill after direct cutting. Carpenters prefer planing logs or expertly debarked trunks. Log houses are often built using a carriage - blanks hewn with a cleaver (parallel on both sides). Material of natural moisture is not used in the construction of turnkey houses. For these works, material dried in drying chambers is used using specialized technologies. The forms of popular log houses are represented by the following types:

Quadruple - rectangular design;
Octagon - an octagonal frame;
Shesterikom - hexagonal building;
Gorodnya - a log house with structural filling with stone;
Five-wall - a structure with the arrangement of an auxiliary wall (partition);
Povalushey - a large-sized log house in the tower format.

Modern log houses differ in the technology of cutting corners and the unique specifics of construction. Briefly about technology

Traditional rules of wooden architecture are subject to change with the development of modern technologies. In the modern outlines of log houses, technologically advanced structural units with improved technical elements have appeared. The construction of a high-quality log house begins with dense laying of log rows. The laid rows of a log structure are indicated by crowns. The bottom row of logs is called the mortgage. Subsequent rows of crowns are considered overlapped. For each log, characteristic grooves and locking corner joints are arranged. Preliminary drying of the wood material replaces the shrinkage of the log house and allows for immediate finishing (not after 12 months). For finishing finishing, dried materials (imitation timber) are also recommended.

Cutting "in the tail"

This method of manual cutting is the same bowl, but improved. Corner structures have a more complex configuration - the presence of an additional spike called a fat tail. It allows you to form a stronger and tighter connection. In this case, the recess (bowl) can be oriented both up (traditionally) and down.

The type of log cutting “in the tail” makes it possible to avoid the wind blowing through the walls of the house. A home built in this way is warmer, more comfortable, and has less heat loss.

Comparative characteristics of types of log houses

For a correct assessment and understanding of log houses, it is necessary to study the types of corner chopped joints (lock joints). Corner cutting is considered the main element in the construction of log walls. Different types of cabins are characterized by: the complexity of design options, the required set of parts and the practicality of the lock (heat saving). Corner joints are characterized by 2 types of cutting: – without residue (to the paw) – oblique (dovetail) and straight; – with the remainder (in a bowl or bowl).

Device in the paw

The claw connection is characterized by its advantages. This construction significantly reduces the cost of expensive wood and overall construction costs. The future premises are distinguished by outer rectangular corners and a larger area compared to the chopping block. The main disadvantage is the reduced strength of the connection. The log house is blown and is critical to the effects of climatic conditions. Additional external cladding is required to eliminate deficiencies.

Device in a bowl

When cutting with release or residue, a longitudinal groove is created in the bottom log. Here a special bowl is cut in the form of a semicircular cavity for laying transverse logs. The method is not labor-intensive for creating the upper lunar groove - the log does not need to be turned over. This method is characterized by its own set of disadvantages. The performance properties of the connection when the bowl is positioned upward are reduced by poor protection from atmospheric phenomena. Moisture in the bowl and inter-crown groove joint wets the insulation, the result is gradual rotting. The plane of the bowl connection is easily blown through when the logs dry out naturally. A good bathhouse is practically not sold. Periodic caulking of gaps is required. Other types of devices are represented by cutting: In the chopping block. The inverted version of chopping into a bowl is known to experts as ohlupen. The nuance lies in the design of the inter-crown groove with a bowl, which are located in the lower roundness of the upper log. Stable corner connection against falling precipitation. The work requires increased labor costs with skillful execution. The logs are repeatedly turned over during careful adjustment; In the fat tail. Connection with a structurally improved bowl, in which a structural spike is installed - fat tail. A groove is made on the directly opposite part of the log to accommodate the tenon of the subsequent log. Indicative strength and corner sealing with the exception of blowing; Canadian. The design features are similar to the fat tail device, with a significant difference in the shape of the connection.
The Canadian version, in contrast to the rounded Russian bowl, is represented by a trapezoidal notch - selected at the bottom of the log.

Two hundred and one defect

When choosing a log house, the main thing is to make sure that it is made of suitable material, because, of course, logs are different from logs. To begin with, you can arm yourself with knowledge about visible defects in logs, which number not even in tens, but in hundreds.

Even a seemingly ordinary knot (when a branch grows into the body of a log, and when cut, a characteristic round pattern is obtained) has 27 varieties. Visible wood defects are described in a separate document - an interstate standard, which is based on several GOSTs. This is a very fascinating read: in addition to 27 types of knots, here you can get acquainted with 17 types of cracks, 57 types of trunk defects, 5 types of chemical stains (including those resulting from drying), 23 types of fungal infections and rot, 11 types of biological damage (including wormholes and damage caused by birds), 34 types of mechanical damage to wood and 7 types of warping.

And then this interesting document describes in detail how all these defects are measured and how to properly classify them. There are also detailed drawings from which you can learn to distinguish wood defects. Separate chapters are devoted to round timber (this is what interests us when choosing a log house), veneer and lumber (these chapters will also definitely come in handy a little later, when you start finishing and deal with interfloor ceilings and other “wooden” construction work).

Photo: sekretymastera.ru

A humorous warning: if you are planning to build a wooden house, then you should read this standard in detail only if you have strong nerves - so that it doesn’t turn out like Jerome Klapka’s hero Jerome, who read a medical encyclopedia and, as a result, found everything described in it. diseases other than puerperal fever. However, it also contains reassuring information: not all types of visible wood defects affect its performance properties. Many of the two hundred defects described affect only the outside, in appearance.

Heat loss during winter operation of the house for each type of log

According to professionals, a significant percentage of heat loss occurs on the walls of buildings. The loss rate increases with noticeable external and internal temperature changes. The amount of heat loss in winter is reduced by correct selection of wood with the best thermal conductivity. Different wood densities have a direct effect on heat loss. When making calculations, craftsmen use the concept of heat transfer resistance ® - a value that characterizes the heat-shielding qualities of wood. With known temperature differences, the heat loss characteristic (Q) helps to estimate the amount of heat lost per 1 m² of wall. Calculation of heat loss is carried out according to the formula - Q = S * ΔT/ R, where: ‣ Q - Quantitative expression of losses; ‣ R—heat transfer resistance; ‣ S—structural area of the building; ‣ ΔT - external and internal temperature difference.

Wood type

Pine is most widely used in construction due to its optimal price-quality ratio. The distinctive features of pine rounding are its beautiful structure, strength, relatively low thermal conductivity, resistance to external influences and affordable price. Arkhangelsk pine stands out because it practically does not crack.

Spruce can be considered an analogue of pine. It has fewer knots and is easier to process.

As for cedar, its spread is hampered by its high price.

The same judgment is true for larch. Which is the most suitable raw material for the production of rounded logs. Larch is resistant to temperature changes and moisture, has high density and strength. However, the cost of a rounded larch log is twice the price of a similar pine log. Such characteristics of larch logs have led to the fact that it is used as the main one when forming the lower crown of a log house.

Practicality and cost of building a house (capital costs for construction)

A high-quality house using specially dried material has higher prices. Unscrupulous builders who carry out turnkey work often use raw lumber and promise to complete construction in 3–4 months. Windows and doors are cut in with increased gaps with the expectation of being blown in with foam.

When working with material of natural moisture, it subsequently squeezes out and warps the slopes. High-quality expensive finishing is distorted. A scrupulous developer needs to competently approach the practicality of a log house made from a specific material.

Types of sealants for log joints.

Our website presents a number of log house projects, for example: Or you can see all prices for log houses. You can calculate the house or bathhouse you need with maximum accuracy using our log house cost calculator. To order and buy a log house, call:

Vologda
Moscow,

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What parameters of logs need to be taken into account?

Logs of various tree species are used to build walls for bathhouses, country houses and other buildings. The most popular of them are coniferous species (cedar, pine, spruce, larch). The appearance of the structure, its quality and performance properties, as well as the price of the planned construction, depend on well-chosen wood.

The highest quality are considered to be northern types of pines (Leningrad, Karelian, Finnish), which are cut down in winter.
At this time, the wood is maximally saturated with resins, less affected by parasites and contains a minimum of moisture.

To make it easier to erect a structure, the material must be calibrated - this will help make more accurate calculations during the project and minimize “adjustment”.

When choosing a log for construction, you should clarify the humidity parameter - it should not be higher than 22%. The material can be dried or have natural moisture. The lower the humidity level, the sooner shrinkage will occur, and finishing work can begin.

For the construction of walls, logs with a diameter of 140 to 320 mm are produced. For country houses that are used in the warm season, without the use of heating devices, logs with a diameter of 140-200 mm are suitable. The same blanks can be used for small buildings.

For houses being built in central Russia with a total area of 250 sq.m., wood with a cross-section of 220-280 mm is suitable, as it can withstand heavy loads.

Material with a diameter of 280 mm is used mainly in the northern regions . Such logs are most often used to decorate a building, as well as to emphasize its individuality and originality, and are placed in certain places of the building.