With a lot of undeniable advantages, wooden houses are an expensive pleasure, so not everyone can build or buy such a “nest” for themselves. However, a house with "experience" can be inherited or purchased much cheaper, although its condition will be far from satisfactory. Reconstruction wooden house will make it suitable for comfortable living and return to its original form. And how to continue and how to finish, will be prompted by FORUMHOUSE users who have experience working with wood and are engaged in the reconstruction of their own households.
- Roof reconstruction
- Exterior finish
Problem areas of wooden houses
Age of the bulk wooden houses secondary housing stock is approaching half a century or has already exceeded this indicator, which inevitably leads to decrepitude of the main nodes. If mistakes were made during construction or technology was violated, then certain parts of the structure become completely unusable. The mode of operation is of great importance - they lived in the house permanently, or it was heated occasionally in the winter and serviced at the same frequency. Based on these conditions, the following work may be required:
- full or partial replacement of the foundation or its strengthening;
- replacement of the lower rims;
- full or partial replacement of individual elements or large wall segments;
- repair or replacement of the roofing system;
- exterior finish.
Even if during the initial inspection it seems that it is easier to demolish than to try to restore, you should not despair, it is not for nothing that the leitmotif of the portal users is the proverb “The eyes are afraid, but they do it”.
The lion's share of the houses is visually in a terrible state, but in fact the logs are still strong, and the wood under the layers is beautiful, and the reconstruction will take less time and money than a new construction site.
Reconstruction of an old wooden house: foundation
Age wooden houses are characterized by a tape or columnar foundation. It is very rare if the tape is flooded to the freezing depth, basically it is a shallow deepening, which over time, under the weight of the structure, decently drowned in the ground. The scope of work depends on the condition of the foundation. To assess it, a thorough inspection of the aerial part, if any, is carried out, and the buried elements are dug out and examined. The portal user and part-time head of the team involved in the repair and replacement of the foundations of wooden buildings, Igor Bekkerev, classified the possible scope of work in this way.
Igor Bekkerev FORUMHOUSE member, foreman
The main task of the foundation–This is to transfer the load from the house to the ground. There are various defects in the foundations, there are also different ways repair. It can be one type of work or more often you have to use a complex.
- Insulation of the foundation and blind areas;
- Foundation waterproofing;
- Drainage works (water disposal);
- Strengthening the foundation with an armored belt from above;
- Strengthening the foundation with an external armored belt;
- Replacing the foundation with hanging the building or moving the building;
- Leveling a foundation or leveling a building on a foundation.
To gain access to the foundation, the box is raised to the required height - hung out, its movement is less often used. Hydraulic jacks are used for lifting, the walls are lifted one by one, or the whole box at once. Due to the ability of wood to withstand certain deformations, if performed correctly, this operation does not violate the integrity of the house. Based on the state of the foundation and the proposed work, the jacks are installed directly on the base (strip foundation) or on the ground, on a previously laid thick board or other support. The number of jacks on the wall depends on the dimensions of the box; cuts are made under the jack in predetermined places.
Usually a team of several people is hired for such work, but even one skilled craftsman is able to raise a wooden house in a short time. With such a professional forum member was lucky Arty-CooL, which is engaged in the reconstruction of a log cabin. in a normal state, but it was decided to strengthen it, build it up and immediately fill in a new contour for the extension.
Arty-CooL Member of FORUMHOUSE
Today we completed the lifting of the house and the replacement of the lower crown, the master worked alone, after work I tried to help, although, probably, I distracted from work more. When replacing the crown, overlapping logs were simultaneously cut into the new crown. I did it in 3 days, that's how the masters work!
User family GriNats in such a situation, she managed without the involvement of craftsmen - her husband and sons were used as labor force. The foundation was shallow, rubble, after hanging the box, it was partially dismantled, a new wide tape was poured, and then the basement part was laid out of brick.
GriNata FORUMHOUSE Member
The foundation there is rubble, quite shallow, 40-50 cm, on the outer corner the house apparently began to sag, a rubble was taken out from under the corner and replaced with facing bricks. When we got it out of there, it crumbled into small shards. The lower two crowns are just rubbish, we raked out part of the rubble, put up the formwork, poured it and laid brickwork.
To strengthen the foundation with an external armored belt around the perimeter, a monolithic reinforced concrete tape is poured. The depth of the tape exceeds the depth of the old foundation by the size of a sand and gravel cushion, the average width is 40-50 cm. The surface of the old base is carefully cleaned, all peeling elements are removed. To increase adhesion with the new mortar, the foundation is impregnated with a primer with high penetrating power. As a binder, reinforcing pins driven into old foundation at a distance of 20–25 cm, in several rows. With a new frame, the pins are welded or tied, the mortar is poured into the formwork in layers.
The replacement of the foundation is carried out in stages or immediately, in the first case, the old foundation is dismantled in parts, with the gradual pouring of new fragments. In the second case, everything is dismantled at once, a monolithic tape is poured, poles are cast or piles are twisted. Forum user under the nickname Andryukha052 proposed a phased replacement, but he preferred a simultaneous one, being afraid possible problems with foundation in the future.
Andriukha052 Member of FORUMHOUSE
It was proposed to remove the logs between the pillars, dig trenches between the pillars and pour the foundation there, lay out the masonry between the pillars, put the house on the masonry. Then remove the pillars, dig trenches under the pillars and pour - connect the masonry. I didn’t really like this idea, the foundation will turn out from several sections. If there are any movements in the ground, everything may crack. Even if nothing happens, but I thought it was better to play it safe. Therefore, the house was hung on U-shaped supports, everything was removed at once, a single tape was poured and a single masonry was made.
Reconstruction of an old house: crowns
The lower crowns of wooden houses rot, gradually being saturated with moisture through the foundation. This happens both due to the lack of a waterproofing layer, and due to technology violations. Several members of the forum encountered a strange way to protect a log from water, including val-lel.
val-lel FORUMHOUSE Member
My log house– Built in the 50s, on the foundation tape there was just waterproofing between the log and the base, but! Along the first crown, the edges of this waterproofing were raised and attached to the log itself, and the segment between the foundation and the crown, with the edges of the waterproofing neatly nailed to it, was« carefully spanked» cement mortar along the entire first crown, both outside and inside, apparently so that the log does not move anywhere.
The replacement of crowns is usually carried out together with foundation work, when hanging the box. Whenever possible, materials are used that are as close as possible to the original ones - a log or timber, some replace the rotten parts with brickwork. Arty-CooL used sleepers.
Arty-CooL
I put the sleepers because I got them for free, and it’s easier to work with them (although I didn’t do it), under the weight of the house they won’t go anywhere, and I’ll mount galvanized studs into the foundation, and I’ll plant a house on them. The cost of concrete by volume of sleepers will definitely be more expensive.
When choosing a material to replace the crowns, they mainly start from the intended finish layer - under the siding, the brick can also be hidden. If it is planned to leave the walls in the original version, the new segments should be as close as possible to the existing ones.
Between the foundation and the new crowns, waterproofing is necessarily laid, the wood is pre-treated with an antiseptic.
Reconstruction of the walls of a wooden house
In addition to crowns, other parts of the structure may need to be replaced when the wood is exposed to moisture. Most often this happens with the upper crowns, if the roof is leaking and water accumulates in the insulation. It is also common for the wall around the windows to get wet, although the wood may appear intact from the outside.
Etanol FORUMHOUSE Member
One point that it would not hurt to pay attention to is the logs under the windows. If windows in winter« wept» , logs could rot. Moreover, I saw such that the log rotted from the inside, and from the outside - quite good wood, rot was diagnosed only by drilling.
serwid Member FORUMHOUSE
It happened to me when I changed windows in my house to plastic ones. After I dismantled the old ones, I had to make inserts, since the log under the window had rotted away, but it was not visible from the outside.
You can detect rot in externally normal wood by tapping it with the butt of an ax or a hammer - a rotten filling gives a dull sound, a whole log - ringing. As an alternative to drilling, an awl is used - it will not enter into a normal tree by more than a few millimeters, into a rotten one - it will sink without resistance.
Replacing one element of the box or part of the wall is carried out in pieces - damaged ones are cut out, new ones are inserted, all cracks are necessarily sealed, the wood is pre-processed, as well as the tie-in points. To save time and money, one of the users did the following.
AlexeyTsvetkov Member of FORUMHOUSE
I cut all the rot from the inside with a chainsaw to« alive» wood, impregnated with an antiseptic 2 times and drove inside an antiseptic bar, cut to size« hollow» and stitched with lnovatin, then fixed with 150 mm self-tapping screws on both sides.
Roof reconstruction
Reconstruction of a wooden house for many is an opportunity to increase its area not only through an extension, but also by turning an old cold attic - diameter from 150 to 200 mm, with edged board 50x200 mm.
If there is no need in the attic, you can get by with an audit of the roofing system and replacing elements that have rotted due to leakage or accumulation of condensate. Special attention give the zone of output of the chimney. In most cases, this is where leakage and damage to floors occurs.
Considering that the old slate does not add charm to the structure, it is usually changed to and insulation of floors and under-roof space is usually required. When additional premises are attached to the house on a rigid ligament, the old roof is completely redone in order to bring the entire structure under the new one.
Arty-CooL
I plan to add a part of the house to the entire length, 2.5-3 meters wide, thereby making the house square, and there will be a single attic roof with living quarters.
Exterior finish
To preserve the natural beauty of a wooden house, they refuse to use siding and other facing materials. The walls that have darkened over the years, with various deposits on the surface, are put in order - they are cleaned with a brush and impregnated with special bleaching antiseptic compounds.
It is most convenient to carry out the processing with the help of a grinder and a special nozzle - a brush with iron bristles. All dirt and layers in this way cannot be removed from wood, but significantly improved appearance and show the structure realistically. In the future, you can use wood varnish or paint: tinting agents will level the surface, and new elements will no longer attract attention. Like cladding, paints and varnishes are not only decorative, they effectively protect the surface from external influences.
Consumption ecology. Manor: Where does the construction of a wooden house begin and what should you know before you start it?
Suppose you have long dreamed of a cozy country house or a traditional bathhouse in addition to your existing housing. Whatever the purpose of a new building made of wood, its construction at first glance may seem overly complicated, incomprehensible or unreasonably expensive. Whether it will be like that or not, in practice, is influenced by several factors at once, from the choice of reliable specialists and suitable materials to timely awareness of all stages of construction. Where does the construction of a wooden house begin and what should you know before you start it?
The process of building any wooden building can be divided into two stages: the creation of a wooden house project and its direct construction. Of course, in reality, everything is somewhat more complicated: each stage poses its own tasks for the customer and contractor, requiring well-thought-out solutions. Careful preparation for construction is as necessary a basis for a house as its foundation, and that is why the key role is given to the creation of a detailed project of the future building in the first place.
Based on your preferences and budget, you can:
order a turnkey project - in this case, everything from the base to the exterior is designed according to individual wishes, all your ideas are taken into account and tasks of any complexity are completed;
create a project based on an existing one - any ready-made project that you like can be adapted by specialists to your requirements (for example, the internal layout has been changed);
choose one of the objects under construction - projects under construction or unfinished for any reason houses can become good option for those who prefer faster and more economical construction.
Pick up turnkey solution or to realize an individual project based on sketches, experienced specialists in the field of building wooden houses will help you.
What is a wooden log house project?
A well-thought-out project of the future building solves several problems at once: in the course of its development, all stages of construction are planned, the types of materials used and their quantity are agreed, architectural and Constructive decisions, are considered possible options arrangement of furniture and external decorative elements. In other words, the more carefully the project is prepared, the less likely it is for errors, additional costs and unforeseen situations during the construction process.
What do the specifications for each project include?
House type
Depending on the purpose of the building, the desired style and cost, it can be a frame or log house, a round log or gun carriage structure. The advantages of a log cabin made of round wood are excellent natural thermal insulation and a traditional look; houses made of gun carriage (semi-oval double-edged timber), thanks to flat inner walls, simplify planning and have a large interior space. As yet little known in Russia, Norwegian frame house combines the advantages of chopped and frame structures: buildings of this type are very warm and relatively small in weight and are cheaper than chopped log cabins.
materials
The materials used, from wood to internal insulation, determine both the general appearance of a wooden house and its functionality. In the construction of buildings made of wood, depending on climatic conditions And architectural solutions pine, larch, cedar and spruce are used, differing from each other in terms of moisture resistance, thermal insulation, strength and, of course, appearance. Wood harvesting is a laborious and lengthy process, so it is very important to agree on the types and quantities of all required materials even at the project development stage.
foundation type
The foundation of the house is in many ways the key to its longevity. When choosing the type of foundation (slab, strip, on screw piles, pile-grillage), it is worth considering the landscape and the state of the soil where the building will stand. as well as the materials from which the house will be made. The severity of the log house, the gradual shrinkage of the entire building and natural factors will test the foundation for strength over and over again - by making right choice even at the beginning of construction, it will be possible not to worry about it even years later.
In addition, the project of a wooden house specifies in detail the exact dimensions of the house, linking the building to the terrain, installation schemes and the location of individual elements (door and window openings, support pillars, log slabs, etc.), the technologies used (for example, Norwegian or Canadian felling ), layout, decorative elements, cost and much more. Putting all this together, the project gives the most complete picture of how further construction will take place and what exactly your dream home will be like. published
The construction of wooden cottages does not cease to be popular to this day. And this is not surprising, because such buildings are easily and quickly erected, have good thermal insulation characteristics and are valued for their environmental friendliness. IN wooden house a microclimate favorable for humans is formed, which is achieved due to the special structure of wood. This material provides natural ventilation of the room, maintains optimal humidity and releases phytoncides that have a healing effect. If you decide to build a wooden house, then our recommendations on the choice of material, as well as practical advice on the installation of structures, will come in handy.
The choice of material for the walls
To build a house out of wood, you can use one of two materials: a log or timber. Each of these materials can be divided into several varieties depending on the processing method.
Installation of wooden houses can be carried out using the following types of logs:
- From logs it turns out an even beautiful log house. In fact, this is an ordinary log, from which the top layer was removed to level the surface and give it a cylindrical shape. However, this treatment somewhat reduces the resistance of wood to negative weather factors. This is due to the fact that in the layer under the bark there are many resins that protect the wood, and during cylindering this protective layer is completely removed. That is why this material needs the use of additional protection with the help of special chemical compounds.
- Wooden house built from logs of natural shape, does not have such an attractive appearance. But the strength and durability of this product is much higher due to the presence of a natural protective layer with a high content of resins. The only drawback of this material is that after the walls are erected, they need a decorative finish.
The construction of a wooden house from a bar can be carried out using the following varieties:
- Profiled timber- this is a wall material that undergoes special processing, as a result of which the product is given the correct geometric shape with grooves and ridges on two opposite sides. Thanks to this, you can quickly build a beautiful, even, sealed wall by laying insulating material between the bars. Such a wall does not need external and internal decoration.
- Also, the construction of a house can be carried out using planed timber. The price of this material is more acceptable in comparison with profiled products, but its thermal insulation and aesthetic qualities leave much to be desired.
- If you decide to build a house out of wood, then sawn timber can be used to equip the frame. Thanks to the use of this material, it is possible to significantly reduce the cost of building cottages. With the use of sawn timber, you can build both a one-story and multi-story wooden house.
The construction of wooden houses can be carried out using frame-panel technology. In this case, in addition to a wooden frame made of sawn timber, the following products are used as wall materials:
- OSB - oriented strand board;
- chipboard;
- special moisture resistant plywood.
Chipboard and moisture resistant plywood Lately replaced by the OSB. This material is used for arranging the outer and inner surfaces of the walls of a frame house. In addition, it is indispensable when making a continuous roof sheathing for laying flexible roofing material.
Important: the cheapest will be a house built according to frame technology. Its price is within 190 $/m². A little more expensive ($ 270 / m²) will cost a building made of logs. The most expensive wooden house will be made from glued beams.
Foundation of a wooden house
Answering the question of where to start building a wooden house, we can say that here the technology does not differ from the traditional construction method, and the installation of the building should begin with the arrangement of the foundation. Since wood walls are relatively light, there is no need to carry out an expensive recessed strip foundation, as is usually done in private construction.
You can build a wooden house on a columnar or pile screw base. The choice of one or another type of foundation depends on the characteristics of the soil in the construction area, the depth ground water, freezing points of the soil.
Quite often, a wooden house is built on a columnar base. This is a fairly reliable foundation that does not require large financial and physical costs for construction. The volume of excavation work is also significantly reduced, which also saves money. Home poles can be made from reinforced concrete, steel pipes filled with rebar and concrete, prefabricated blocks, bricks, natural stone, or specially crafted wood logs. The depth of laying such a foundation can vary significantly and depends on geological and weather factors.
Important: columnar foundations should not be made on soils subject to frost heaving forces and unstable foundations.
If the construction of a wooden house will be carried out on sandy soils or in swampy areas, then it is advisable to choose pile screw foundation. It can also be used when building on a slope, on a site with uneven terrain or on soils that are characterized by the presence of loose unstable rocks in the upper layers.
Installation of the pile foundation can be carried out independently without the use of special construction equipment. As screw piles use a steel pipe with a helical blade welded at the end. The pipe is screwed into the ground to a depth of about 2.5 m. After that, reinforcement is installed in the pipe cavity and poured with concrete. Piles are mounted with equal spacing (1-1.5 m) under all load-bearing walls. To give the structure rigidity in the upper part, all piles are connected into a single structure by means of a grillage.
Attention: the installation depth of the pile is such that its base rests on solid rock.
The nuances of the construction process
If the construction of a wooden house is carried out independently, then you should follow the recommendations of experts:
- In a wooden house, you can use the lower crown or the first beam in the wall structure as a grillage. Before laying it, the basement of the house should be isolated from wood with insulating material. Usually two layers of roofing material are used for this.
- If the construction of cottages is carried out from a log, then the elements of the strapping crown are fastened in the corners of the house in half a tree and additionally fixed with dowels made of oak or birch wood. To do this, three holes are made in the strapping beam with a step of 35 cm. The dowels are installed in a checkerboard pattern.
Important: when installing the strapping beam, it is important to check not only the horizontalness of its installation, but also the correctness of the angles. They must be strictly 90 degrees.
- After laying the crown or the lower beam, the installation of beams (lag) is carried out for arranging the floor. They are stacked in increments of 70 cm and fastened to the crown. Boards with a thickness of 40 mm are used as a subfloor. Insulation is placed in the gap between the beams. The finish coating can be made from grooved boards with a thickness of 3.5 cm.
- When laying the lower crown, do not forget about engineering communications. To do this, cuts of a suitable size are made in a bar or log.
- When installing walls from a bar, the gaps between the elements are sealed with jute tape. It increases the degree of tightness of the walls. However, after the installation of all wall elements, the gaps between them will have to be additionally caulked.
- Usually in a wooden house a gable roof is made. This is the easiest option to do it yourself. In addition, under a gable roof, you can equip an attic or make a heated attic, thereby increasing the useful area of \u200b\u200bthe house. The rafter system is made of bars with a section of 150x40 mm. They are mounted in increments of 90 cm. A bar with a section of 100x40 mm is suitable for making braces and racks. To carry out the crate, an unedged board with a thickness of at least 2.5 cm is used. Usually, the crate is installed in increments of 30-40 cm.
- As a roofing, you can use metal tiles, slate, flexible roll materials, corrugated board.
Fungus, mold and bacteria can destroy the wood and the house can start to rot.
The wooden house is made of organic material, which is an excellent habitat for microorganisms, bacteria and fungi. Under favorable conditions, bacteria and fungi can spread to large area and induce the process of decay. An excellent environment for their development are corners and crevices, as well as the space under the floors. To stop the process of decay that has begun, before processing the house, it is imperative to eliminate the cause due to which mold, fungus, etc. occurs.
HOW TO STOP THE PROCESS OF ROT?
The first step is to eliminate excess moisture, after which the affected surface must be treated with a grinder and all darkened areas removed. After that, the tree must be treated with an antiseptic or special disinfectants. But one treatment will not be enough, in some cases the disinfection process will need to be repeated
To protect wood, bleaches and antiseptics are used, which have water-repellent properties and prevent the appearance of rot, mold, etc.
One of the processing options may be copper sulfate. “This is essentially the same antiseptic. But it also has a decorative function. For example, in the Scandinavian countries, some hobbyists still paint the facades of buildings by adding blue vitriol. It works both as a paint and as an antiseptic,” says Avdeev.
If the wood rots strongly, then it is almost impossible to stop this process, the expert notes. Antiseptic in this case will not help, because it has only a superficial effect.
In addition to applying antiseptics, as necessary, it is necessary to seal the joints and cracks in the log house. To do this, special sealants must be applied to problem areas. Wooden structures can also be treated with protective varnishes, waxes and wood oils. They can be used for both indoor and outdoor work.
WHAT MAY CAUSE A HOUSE TO ROT?
leaks
Rotting can begin due to roof leaks, sewers, storm drains, gutters, etc. In this case, the necessary measures should be taken. To protect the walls and foundation from moisture, it is necessary to provide a drainage system, as well as repair problem areas and regularly monitor the roof from the attic or attic. Lichens, fallen branches, leaves and moss should be removed from the roof itself.
Lack of necessary ventilation
In a wooden house, there must be ventilation in the form of air intakes, thanks to which the rooms and underground space will be ventilated. Without them, the space under the floor will be clogged, and the lower logs may begin to rot. If this has already happened, then in this case, you should change the logs, redo the floors and install air intakes. If this is not done, then one day the floor in the house may simply fail, and the fungus or mold in the underground may spread to the walls. Therefore, so that moisture does not form anywhere inside the house, the house must be well ventilated.
Violation of construction conditions
The wooden house is being built in two stages. First, a log house with a roof is erected, and a year later, windows, ceilings, and floors are installed. If the house was built in an accelerated mode, then in some places cracks may form that will have to be sealed in order to avoid excessive moisture. Also, if the material was damp and did not dry out well during construction, then in such a house the roof may warp, resulting in leaks.
