In this article we will consider the types of timber for building a house, their advantages and disadvantages. Proper selection of material for the walls of the house will allow you not only to optimize the costs of its construction, but also to further reduce costs during its operation.
Solid bar, unshaped
This type of timber has the simplest manufacturing technology. To obtain it from a log, four sides of the edging are cut off. The most common section of such a beam is 150x150 mm or 150x200 mm. The manufacture of solid timber does not require sophisticated woodworking equipment, therefore, in terms of the number of offers on the market, this timber occupies a leading position.
+ Advantages of solid timber
- Availability. Since the process of manufacturing a solid bar is not complicated, you can purchase it almost everywhere, with a minimum waiting time from order to delivery of products.
- The low cost of this material is due to the simplicity of its manufacture and the lack of costs for drying wood.
- Environmental friendliness. This bar is able to regulate the humidity level in the house, absorbing the excess moisture that accumulates in the premises during the life of a person.
- The disadvantages of solid timber
- The difficulty of laying the log house. Since the beam does not have longitudinal profiled grooves, it is quite difficult to obtain a high-quality surface of the walls of the house when installing a log house.
- Increased construction time. Given that the solid timber has natural humidity, after the end of the logging device, it must undergo shrinkage, which can last more than a year. This process includes additional work on filling the joints with a sealant.
- Cracking of profiled timber. Shrinkage of a house made of wet timber leads to cracks, twists and bends appearing in the timber, which increase the cracks in the joints between the crowns.
- The spatial rigidity of the house throughout its operation is provided only by the strength of the pins, which hold the crowns in a given position, resisting possible deformation of the beam, especially during shrinkage of the log house.
- Significant costs for finishing and insulation work. A solid timber house needs finishing work both inside and outside the building due to minimal aesthetic appeal.
- Susceptibility to fungus. Natural shrinkage of wood does not eliminate the risk of fungus. It can be eliminated with the help of modern means of protection, but this is another, additional, expense item.
As you can see, the list of positive qualities turned out to be quite short. A dry statement of facts and a comparison of advantages and disadvantages shows that the balance is clearly unfavorable for this material.
Profiled solid beam
Like non-profiled, this type of timber is also made from solid logs, but it is subjected to significantly greater processing, as a result of which the finished timber has a complex section profile and high-quality side surfaces that practically do not need additional processing for finishing. Profiled timber can be sold in dry form or in natural humidity.
It is best to use a dry profiled beam for building a house, since it is less susceptible to shrinkage and deformation. Many companies make ready-made house sets from profiled timber, which allows for construction to be carried out in a very short time.
+ The advantages of a solid profiled beam
- The presence of longitudinal grooves on the beam reduces heat loss through interventional joints and increases the spatial rigidity of the finished house.
- The identity of the dimensions of the cross-section of the beam, provided by high-tech manufacturing, significantly reduces the assembly time of the log house and can improve its quality. In addition, additional longitudinal cuts in the beam relieve the internal stress of the wood, which appears during the natural drying of the beam, which reduces the risk of significant cracks and twisting.
- The quality of the side surfaces of the finished walls reduces the cost of their decoration.
- Environmental friendliness. Made from a solid massif, the profiled beam has the ability to regulate indoor air humidity, providing natural ventilation.
- The cost of this bar compared to the non-core is only 40-50% more expensive. But when agreeing on the price, it is necessary to take into account the moisture level of the timber offered to you.
- The disadvantages of a solid profiled beam
- Shrinkage at home. If the profiled beam has natural humidity, this will require a long break in construction, during which shrinkage will occur. The closer the percentage of moisture to the natural level of wood, the longer (up to 12 months) the process of shrinkage of the finished log house of your house will take place.
- Cracks during shrinkage. Yes, they will appear, as this is characteristic of massive wooden elements, although their sizes will be minimal.
As can be seen from the above, a solid profiled beam has significantly better performance compared to non-profiled. But we suggest you pay attention to other types of profiled timber made using modern technological developments and equipment.
Profiled glued beam
The difference of this material from the two previous varieties of timber is that it is made of separate blanks-lamellas of coniferous wood, interconnected using special adhesives. All blanks undergo mandatory drying, processing with flame retardants and antiseptics, which significantly reduces the fire hazard of the finished building and its resistance to the appearance of rot.
In addition, when arranging a beam of the desired cross-section, the lamellas are laid so as to alternate different directions of the fibers in adjacent blanks, which eliminates the appearance of internal stress in the beam due to a decrease or increase in the natural moisture level at different times of the year.
+ Advantages of glued profiled beam
- The construction time of the house is reduced due to the fact that the log house from this material does not need long-term shrinkage.
- Made of dry wood, this timber retains its geometric dimensions throughout the life of the building.
- The surface of the walls of the house from this beam is almost ready for decoration immediately after the end of the log house and does not need additional preparation for applying varnish or painting.
- There is no risk of cracking due to the design of individual lamellas.
- The strength of such a bar is 1.5 times higher than that of an analog made of solid wood, which positively affects the strength and durability of the whole house.
- Good heat-saving performance. The high quality of the horizontal joints between the corners of the log house, as well as the absence of cracks in the beam, ensure a comfortable temperature inside the house, while reducing heating costs.
- The ability to order a beam of the desired section according to your project, as this is not tied to the need to search for solid logs of the required diameter.
- The disadvantages of glued profiled timber
- The cost of glued profiled timber exceeds the cost of its analogue of solid wood 2.5 times;
- Despite the fact that all the adhesive compositions used in this technology are developed on the basis of PVA and comply with acceptable standards, the ability of wood to “breathe” is significantly reduced;
- Since this technology for the production of timber has been developed relatively recently, there is no verified data on its behavior in the construction of a house after half a century or more.
Thermobar
A composite beam of this type consists of lamellas, inside of which there is an insert of extruded polystyrene foam, which allows not only to increase its heat-saving performance, but also to reduce weight. This significantly reduces the burden on the foundation, which makes it possible to slightly ease its construction, and therefore reduce the cost of its construction.
+ Advantages of thermobar
- The increase in heat-saving indicators in 1.3-2.1 times compared with glued beams, which significantly reduces the cost of heating such a house.
- The cost of a thermal beam is similar to the cost of a profiled glued beam.
- No shrinkage.
- Ready surface for the finish immediately after the installation of the log house.
- Strength and durability of walls made of this material.
- Disadvantages of the thermal rail
- The material is present on the building materials market relatively recently. There is no information about his behavior in building structures after several decades.
- The walls of the house do not "breathe" since polystyrene foam is an airtight material.
