Turnkey frame houses are offered by many construction organizations, but what is a prefabricated structure? The future owner of a low-rise building would like to know in more detail the pros and cons of a frame house. We will try to determine the effectiveness of the construction step by step and identify shortcomings. Let's understand the thermal insulation materials used and construction technology.
In recent years, a residential building called “ frame house", is becoming more and more popular. Installation organizations have in their arsenal standard designs of frame houses, and also offer individual construction. Currently, there is no perfect construction technology that would be superior to others and would not itself have obvious disadvantages.
However, according to statistics, frame houses are most often built. In the domestic (and not only) construction market, obvious advantages have ensured that frame houses are in demand, even despite some minor drawbacks.
Quickly built houses are attractive because they can be built on a ready-made basis in record time. Just two people, having a frame house project in their arsenal, are able to independently build a frame house in about a month. Taking into account the fact that it will be built by inexperienced builders.
DIY frame house without lifting mechanisms
And all thanks to step-by-step assembly - repetition of simple steps. Only one thing is important - to know how to correctly assemble each of the nodes. If you have instructions and understand the principle of construction, anyone can assemble a house from a frame.
Construction frame house It also attracts with its low cost. The specific amount depends on the size of the house and the building materials used (type of wood and finishing). One way or another, this option is rightfully considered one of the affordable and budget-friendly ones.
What are frame houses?
Frame houses are a special type of structure in which all load-bearing parts are closely interconnected. This type of construction of low-rise buildings has gained great popularity in America, Germany and Eastern countries.
It is noteworthy that in German cities, frame buildings began to be built nine centuries ago. To date, some details have undergone many changes, but the basic principle of operation remains the same as centuries ago.
At the very beginning, the main structure is built from timber, which is gradually filled with thermal insulation materials and sheathed with protective elements.
Technology and construction of frame houses
The basic principle of the technology for constructing frame buildings is a stable frame and fillers with low price and thermal conductivity. Basically, such a structure is made of wood or metal.
Accordingly, beams, boards or zinc-coated steel are used for this. And to sheathe the walls, they usually take oriented or
Thermal insulation components used:
- Wood fiber wool;
- Polyurethane foam;
- Cellulose ecowool.
Typical, multi-layer insulation scheme for frame houses The most common option among builders of private houses in the Russian Federation is basalt. It has many advantages, including:
- Long service life;
- Non-flammability;
- Excellent sound insulation;
- Moisture repellent.
He honestly deserved the “Silver Medal”. It is used for the production of sandwich panels and for the construction of frame-panel houses using Western technology. Eco-friendly cellulose wool rounds out the top three.
There are only three methods for constructing low-rise buildings:
- . The plant produces shields of the same type, consisting of a pair of sheets of oriented strand boards and a layer of expanded polystyrene between these shields. The panels are cut out at the site of the proposed construction. Houses made of sip panels often become an alternative, displacing frame-panel houses.
- . OSB is cut into panels of the required size while still in production. Already at the construction site, they are sewn onto the frame and insulation is carried out.
- German. Frame-panel houses are made up of factory-prepared panels. They are delivered to the construction site with glazed window frames and ready-made door panels.
The first couple of options can be completely done without unnecessary equipment - several people can handle them. As for assembling the building from huge panels, you will have to use a crane for the work.
Panel house on a screw foundation Insulation of a frame house
As for the internal arrangement of the walls, frame houses can be panel or frame. The first type is a kind of construction kit, made from parts assembled in production, which just need to be assembled into a single whole. Frame frame houses involve the installation of a skeleton made of metal or wooden profiles, as well as cladding and thermal insulation.
Frame houses are subject to mandatory insulation Using the latest technology allows you to fully control the quality of materials and the entire assembly process. Each of the stages. In contrast, the construction of panel houses takes much less time. The only thing you should carefully monitor is the quality of the purchased shields.
The walls of typical private houses consist of many layers, including:
- OSB or DSP boards on both sides;
- A special lattice that forms;
The frame with internal insulation can be single or paired. In areas with a mild climate or for a dacha that is not intended for permanent residence, the first option is quite suitable.
The thickness of such walls is up to ten centimeters. In areas with cold winters, it will be better to have thick walls - fifteen centimeters or thicker.
SIPs are filled with expanded polystyrene, and the ends are filled with beams. Their presence will allow you to get by with a less powerful foundation during the construction process. Partial load is taken by SIP panels.
The main advantages and disadvantages of frame low-rise buildings
Currently, frame buildings are extremely popular, and all thanks to the short construction period, reliable design and relatively low costs for building materials. Nevertheless, frame houses include pros and cons, which are described in the reviews of the owners.
frame house on stilts - photos of staged construction If you have a strong desire and the necessary skills, you can even build such a house yourself. Of course, all these undeniable advantages inspire many enthusiasts to lean towards this particular option for a private home.
But we must not forget that frame buildings, for all their quality, also have some disadvantages that should not be ignored. Let us consider the advantages and disadvantages of this building in more detail.
Frame houses advantages:
1. An excellent prospect to hide and lay electrical and plumbing communications directly in the walls;
2. High pace of construction;
3. Low level of thermal conductivity - frame houses are very warm and are inferior, perhaps, to a log house;
4. Finishing can begin immediately after roofing work;
5. Low weight of the structure, n the point does not shrink;
6. Cheap construction work. Panel cladding of the frame will cost several times less than brick walls.
7. Lack of seasonality. Frame houses can be built all year round.
8. Improved wall insulation. The cavity between the wood studs provides ample space for insulation.
9. Speed and cost-effectiveness of construction. Wooden frame walls are built much faster and, in the case of complex buildings and window configurations, they will cost much less. Among other things, it is much easier to lay utilities through the wall.
The basic advantage of this design is the overall lightness of the entire house. This, in turn, allows, in most cases, to carry out construction work without the presence of special equipment.
a frame house is indistinguishable from ordinary buildings and is suitable for year-round living Frame houses do not require a massive foundation; there is no need to lay it as deep as under a brick house. In this ratio, only aerated concrete blocks compete with frame houses covered with insulated wooden panels.
Frame houses cons
Now about the disadvantages of frame houses. Although there are relatively few of them, they are still worth mentioning:
- The project proposal must come from organizations with extensive experience. Otherwise, you may not even think about the durability and strength of the frame, which is the “skeleton” of your home;
- If the house does not have forced ventilation, be prepared for the room to be quite stuffy;
- Expanded polystyrene, like polyurethane foam, are not environmentally friendly materials;
- Lumber is flammable and this is also worth taking into account;
- Frame buildings are much less resistant to storms and strong winds compared to concrete. Timber frames, like concrete buildings, must be tested to meet the same sustainability building code standards. And yet, buildings made of wood are lighter.
- You will often have to deal with attacks from termites and ants, because their wood content is much higher. Prevention in the form of special traps, baits and antiseptics will help protect your building from pests.
- A frame house is not as resistant to water penetration. The outer layer of a wooden frame building is covered with a moisture-resistant shield that carefully hides all openings. But if water penetrates a wooden wall, it will cause much more damage to it than a wall made of concrete or brickwork.
Video review - the pros and cons of a frame house:
If we talk about the fire safety of wood, this can only apply to untreated frames. If the wood is impregnated with a special substance, it will be too tough for fire.
In most cases, all the disadvantages of frame buildings are attributed mainly to gross mistakes by the builders. Or due to inexperience in the details of construction technology. Among such disadvantages there are even far-fetched ones.
The main problem that residents of frame houses face every now and then is stuffy rooms. The walls of such a house, indeed, almost do not allow air to pass through. On the one hand, this means significant savings on heating costs. On the other hand, there is a need to install forced ventilation.
The main threat to frame construction is called:
- Wood rot;
- Termites;
- Hurricanes.
In the last few decades, fires have also been added to them. Including cases where the fire occurred in the forest, near residential buildings.
Modern technology in the construction of frame buildings
The technique of constructing frame buildings allows you to build a house in the shortest possible time, with a relatively small budget. If you build the same house from concrete, beams or brickwork, the same building will end up being much more expensive. But you can live in such a private house for up to a hundred years!
frame panel houses construction technology On the other hand, a lot can depend on the details, including the quality of the material and the climatic conditions in the area of construction.
It is worth remembering that the main danger for a frame house is water. No matter how hard you try to protect the wood from water, you won’t be able to do it 100%.
photo of frame houses using Canadian technology from sip panels Advanced frame houses are always the optimal engineering design. They fully comply with the intended task of reducing the amount of lumber used and generate the least amount of waste during construction.
wooden frame house Modern construction methods that use frame homes improve energy efficiency by replacing lumber with insulating material while maintaining the structural integrity of the home.
Insulation of a frame house, performed using technology, improves the value of thermal conductivity by reducing the thermal bridge through the framing and maximizing the insulated wall area.
In order to master the step-by-step construction of a frame house, at least in its simplest version, it is enough to master the basics of the crafts of a carpenter, mechanic, finisher, etc. We are talking about ordinary housekeeping skills from the professional arsenal of the majority of the male population. Of course, the actual labor costs and immersion in theoretical issues already depend on the chosen approach to construction (type of project, method of erecting the frame, participation of assistants in the production process, etc.).
If everything is done correctly, then within one season, with relatively small financial investments, you will be able to become the owner of your own home. Therefore, and also taking into account the optimal ratio, private developers often choose it.
What and how to build from
Before you build a frame house with your own hands, you should carry out a number of preparatory activities, select a design and materials, understand the nuances of technological stages, etc.
Choosing a construction method
If you have already decided to do without the involvement of installation crews, you still have several possible ways to erect the building.
1. Frame-panel technology
It has several implementation options. You can order a “house kit” made from multilayers or with design parameters at a specialized enterprise. A construction kit made from fitted elements, supplied with instructions for assembling a frame house, will be delivered to your site. This is not cheap, but the least labor-intensive way. It allows you to become the owner of your own home in a short time. For example, a box of ready-made elements is mounted on a prepared base within a day. Of course, for this you will have to invite a couple of assistants and rent a truck crane.
Panels can also be made by hand directly at the construction site. Their assembly is carried out in a horizontal position on a flat platform of suitable size. Next, the finished wall parts are installed and secured vertically. This method allows you to achieve good accuracy in the independent production of building elements, and the help of assistants will only be required to lift and fix the panels in the designed position.
2. Frame technology
With its classical method of implementation, a frame house is built step-by-step from the assembly of its entire skeleton, which is then filled with insulation and lined. On the one hand, the advantages of this method are that it is less demanding on the accuracy of the geometric parameters of lumber. Each rack or jumper is installed individually and immediately in its design position. This allows you to level out some defects in the geometry of the frame elements on site. On the other hand, such a frame-frame assembly is quite difficult to implement independently at any of its stages. It is almost impossible for one person to simultaneously hold a stand or jumper, align and secure it at level.
A certain optimization of the process can be achieved by a method of constructing a frame house, partially combining panel and frame assembly. For example, you can order wall and ceiling frames from the company. You will receive high-quality products at an affordable price, the installation of which does not require the use of lifting equipment. You can also make the frames yourself, and start filling and covering them after assembling the skeleton of the box and covering it with a roof.
The main materials used for enclosing structures
The prototypes of domestic frame frames are objects built using the technologies of Canadian-American and European craftsmen. This continuity is even confirmed by the fact that one of the main industry standards SP 31-105-2002 “Design and construction of energy-efficient single-family residential buildings with a wooden frame” was developed on the basis of Canadian housing construction rules.
Frame
Indeed, the skeletons of the predominant number of frames are constructed from boards or timber. For example, in many standard projects of residential buildings designed for a temperate climate zone, softwood lumber is used:
- for load-bearing walls and external thermal circuit walls – board 150*40 mm (H*W) or 150*50 mm;
- for floors - a board of 200 * 40 mm or 200 * 50 mm, as well as a beam of identical height with a thickness of 100 mm or 150 mm.
When choosing lumber, preference should be given to planed products dried to a standard moisture content of 12-18%. They are more expensive than edged boards for general construction purposes, but saving on them will subsequently cause many problems, in particular:
- wet wood warps greatly when dried, which leads to deformation of the panels, as well as opening of the joints between them;
- Initially, crooked boards significantly complicate and slow down the installation process, and its aesthetic results leave much to be desired.
Important! The elements of a frame house can be connected using steel angles, nails or self-tapping screws. In this case, preference should be given to nails with a textured surface, for example, anchor nails (brushed, corrugated).
Filling the frame
It is recommended to fill the frames of internal floors and partitions with fibrous soundproofing materials. Often, mineral wool with special acoustic properties is used for this. To confirm its specialization, the packaging of the material must be marked accordingly.
The external thermal circuit is assembled on the basis of any effective insulation with a thermal conductivity parameter not exceeding 0.1 W/(m* 0 C). In this case, filling the frame with bulk material is allowed only in floors or attic roofs with a slope of no more than 1:5. For thermal barriers of walls, slab (roll) fiber, foam or spray insulation is used. A frame house assembled with your own hands is most often insulated:
- stone wool with a density of 30-50 kg/m³;
- glassy density 15-20 kg/m³;
- expanded polystyrene with a density of 15-25 kg/m³.
Frame covering
The technology for constructing a frame house involves gradually covering the structural skeleton with layers of vapor and waterproofing, as well as protective or protective-decorative cladding.
Of particular importance is the creation of a reliable vapor barrier from inside the room. The thermal contour of the building is built using a thermos system with a relatively thin shell. In the cold season, its internal and external surfaces are affected by a significant temperature gradient and partial pressure of water vapor. Humid air tends to escape outside, including through walls and ceilings, where condensation falls out of it. And this is no longer acceptable, as it threatens to damage the thermal insulation, frame elements and cladding.
Therefore, for vapor barrier on the inside of the frame, roll materials with almost zero vapor permeability are used. These are:
- special vapor barrier films (anti-condensation, laminated, foil-coated, etc.);
- polyethylene fabric made from primary raw materials (thickness 150-200 microns);
- kraft paper.
In contrast to assembly from ready-made factory panels, step-by-step construction of a frame house with your own hands also involves installing waterproofing on the outside of the thermal contour panels. Preference should be given to membranes that do not prevent the free escape of steam from the thermal insulation. If external cladding with a ventilation gap is installed, the waterproofing must also have windproof properties.
Further covering of the steam and hydrobarriers is carried out with any sheet or piece material that satisfies the operating conditions and the wishes of the owner: clapboard, OSB, plasterboard (inside only), corrugated board, DSP, etc.
How to save material
To simplify all stages of building a frame house, you can take a standard project as a basis and customize it to suit you, spending very little time. Of course, we are talking about minor changes. It is better to adjust the dimensions of wall and ceiling panels, door and window openings, as well as the spacing of posts, joists, and beams of the structural skeleton, where possible, taking into account their multiple of the overall parameters of the insulating filler and sheathing sheets. Thus, it will be possible to minimize the amount of trim and save time on cutting mineral wool, OSB, plasterboard, etc.
For example, the practiced strut spacing of 400 mm allows for vertical installation of 1200*2500 mm gypsum boards without side trimming. But mineral wool with a roll (slab) width of 600 mm fits comfortably only into the gap of “European” racks.
It is more difficult to select the multiplicity of the outer skin. Thus, when some popular sheet products are oriented horizontally, they will be installed without trimming at the next step of the racks:
| Material | Sheet length, mm | Number of racks per sheet (excluding the last one, common with the adjacent sheet) | Pitch, mm |
| DSP | 2700 | 4/5/6 | 675/540/450
640/533,3/457,1/400 |
| OSB | 2440 | 4/5/6 | 610/488/406,6 |
| Cement Aquapanel | 1200 | 2/3/4 | 600/400/300 |
The table shows that external gypsum boards with a length of 3200 mm, with a rack pitch of 400 mm, or Aquapanel (steps of 400 mm and 600 mm) will correlate well with internal gypsum boards. You can use 2500 mm OSB sheets by installing gypsum boards horizontally (500 mm pitch). But in this case you will have to deal with trimming the mineral wool.
Consider the offers of the retail network
When adapting a frame house project to waste-free technology, you first need to decide on the materials that are desired and available in your region. Check their exact dimensions. The same mineral wool is not always 600 mm wide. It has a significant variation in size, depending on the manufacturer. For example, the width of popular mineral wool slabs or rolls, mm:
- Isover – 565, 600, 610, 1180, 1190,1200, 1210,1220;
- Knauf – 570, 600, 610, 100, 1100, 1200;
- Ursa – 600, 610, 1200.
Important! When measuring the width of the thermal insulation and the pitch of the racks (lag), do not forget to take into account their thickness. In this case, slabs or strips of mineral wool rolls must be laid tightly and without gaps. Therefore, their width is taken to be at least 20-30 mm greater than the width of the frame opening.
Do not violate the design parameters!
Being carried away by achieving waste-free construction, you can unacceptably deviate from the design characteristics laid down by the developer of the frame house project. Changes to it should be made extremely carefully. For example, an excessive increase in the pitch of the racks can lead to a significant loss of strength of the building. On the contrary, frequent installation of racks will lead to a decrease in the thermal resistance of external panels, since the thermal conductivity of wood is several times higher than that of mineral wool. Therefore, if a total reconstruction is planned, then you will have to resort to the help of a specialized engineer or thoroughly study the calculation systems yourself.
Stages of building a frame house
Foundation
Frames are one of the lightest capital construction structures. Therefore, for their installation, the least material-intensive prefabricated foundations are often used. For example, from screw piles. Their supporting structures are assembled based on groups of steel pipes linked into single spatial systems.
The form factor and immersion depth of the supports depend on the load applied to them, bearing capacity and freezing of the soil. Thus, the main characteristics of the pile are:
- the diameter of the screw blades, which decreases with increasing rock density. Weldable screw surfaces can be completely replaced with threaded threads for particularly dense soils or permafrost;
- diameter of steel pipes - the larger it is, the greater the load the support bears. At the same time, without the use of equipment, you can screw in piles up to Ø 108 mm. Frame houses are usually built on them with their own hands;
- immersion depth, averaging 2-2.5 m. The blades of the supports should be placed below the freezing depth of the soil in its dense layers;
- treatment with anti-corrosion compounds.
Installation of wine foundation
You will need the help of 2-3 people to screw in the screw piles. Before their installation, trees, bushes, and large objects are removed from the site, as well as near it. The installation sites for supports are marked on the site. It is convenient to do this in accordance with the construction scheme of a frame house and its foundation part. The supports are installed at all nodal points (wall crossroads) and on straight sections in increments of 1-3 m (no more than 3.5 m).
In order not to look for or make special clamps or grips for screwing in piles, you can drill a couple of holes in their upper parts. The ends of the gate levers will be inserted into them. During the process of immersing the supports, their verticality should be adjusted.
After installing the last pile, they are cut in one horizontal plane, and the pipes are filled with concrete mortar.
The framing beam (grillage) is made of rolled metal or wood. In the first case, a frame of I-beams or channels is welded onto the pipe sections, repeating the projection of the walls. In the second, platforms are made of sheet steel 8-10 mm thick. A frame made of timber with a cross section of 150 (200) * 150 mm is attached to the platforms with bolts.
All metal elements are treated with anti-corrosion compounds, and gaskets made of 2-3 layers of roofing material of any type are installed under wood parts.
Floor (floors)
Step-by-step instructions for building a frame house with your own hands may include the next step either installing walls or ceilings. In the case of a screw foundation, it is more convenient to make a floor slab, and then start working on the walls.
If the grillage is a wooden beam, which is better if it is completely manually assembled on a construction site, then beams (joists) or a finished skeleton of the floor frame are immediately installed on it. For free spans up to 3 m, a single board on an edge (200*50 mm) is used, for wider spans - a double board or timber 200*100 mm. At the stage of installation of screw supports for the foundation of a frame house, the installation of additional piles may be provided, and at the stage of laying the framing - additional transverse beams of 200 * 150 mm to strengthen long spans of floors.
The choice of lag step is also important. The recommended thickness of the flooring for rolling the upper subfloor or sheathing elements will depend on it. In addition, we do not forget about the principle of multiplicity of materials, which helps to save them. For example, if the lag pitch is 600 mm, then to arrange the upper subfloor you should take a board at least 35 mm thick.
Example of a floor assembly
The structure of the floor slab of a frame house is shown below. For the lower rough rolling, take an unedged board with a thickness of no more than 25 mm. Set up staggered. Wind protection can be laid freely, but vapor barrier requires gluing the joints with mounting tape. The overlap of both types of canvases is at least 15 cm. The lathing on top is made of boards 35*100 mm or timber with a side of 40-50 mm. The thickness of OSB should be commensurate with the frequency of the sheathing, but be at least 12 mm.
Important! The step-by-step assembly of the floor of a frame house is distinguished by its variability, which depends on the materials chosen, the preferences of the owners, as well as accessibility to the lower part of the slab.
The optimal option is when the floor frame is made separately in the form of a panel skeleton with a padded lower part (from rough knurling and wind protection) and end boards. Then it is turned over, installed in the design position and its further equipment is carried out (insulation, vapor barrier, etc.). With this method it is convenient to install the lower subfloor and wind barrier.
At the same time, according to established tradition, logs are often initially installed on the harness. Then they are lined with unedged boards and a wind barrier is laid, as shown in the figure below. This leads to some difficulties at the stage of attaching the padding, as well as not entirely correct operation of the wind barrier.
It remains to add that the interfloor ceilings are assembled according to a similar pattern. The main difference is that instead of the lower rough beating, decorative finishing (plasterboard, tongue-and-groove boards, etc.) is installed over a slatted or timber sheathing, and instead of a wind barrier, a sealed vapor barrier is installed.
Wall assembly
Despite the fact that with any assembly technology the structure of the finished walls will be basically the same, the following points should be taken into account:
- When making panels in a horizontal position, do not forget that in finished form they have a specific gravity of 30-50 kg/m2. Therefore, in order to later be able to freely put sections of walls in place manually, they must have a small quadrature. Otherwise, it is better to assemble on the site only the frames of the house panels from 150 by 50 (40) boards;
- to give rigidity and stability to the vertical frame, use temporary diagonal elements from boards of the same section;
- Permanent braces should be installed inside wall panels in cases where subsequent cladding on either side cannot provide longitudinal rigidity. For example, if there is plasterboard on the inside and lining on the outside. If you install an OSB or DSP board outside, then there is no need to leave braces inside the frame.
It is better to start laying out a vertical frame with your own hands from the outer cladding. Those. A waterproofing membrane (wind barrier) is attached to the posts and covered (with or without a ventilation gap) with façade cladding. Next, thermal insulation is laid between the racks, a vapor barrier and internal lining are installed. An example of such a layout is shown in the figure below.
Roof
The roofing structures of a frame house are no different from those built over any other type of building. You also have two main options - to assemble a cold roof with a ventilated attic or an insulated one, under which you can arrange another attic floor or mezzanine.
The least labor-intensive option is to assemble a pitched flooring over an unused attic space. After all, its structure lacks layers of insulation and vapor barrier, and often, the design of internal decorative lining. However, in this case, you will have to take care in advance of careful heat, steam and waterproofing of the upper floor above constantly used utility and residential premises. If the project for the construction of a frame house involves the construction of a warm attic floor, then it is better to lay acoustic insulation in the interfloor ceilings. At the same time, the presence of a vapor barrier film is only required over wet rooms (kitchens, bathrooms, baths, etc.), but, for example, it does not need to be installed above the living room.
The structures of warm roofs with different types of coatings differ fundamentally only in the way the sheathing is installed:
- under soft coverings, such as bitumen shingles, it is assembled with a continuous roll of boards, moisture-resistant plywood or OSB;
- under coverings made of hard materials (slate, corrugated sheets, metal tiles) - often made of slats (bars) with a certain pitch, but sometimes a continuous roll of wood materials.
You can read more about the arrangement of roofs
Prefabricated houses are attractive because once the foundation is ready, the house itself can be erected very quickly. For example, building a frame house with your own hands, with the help of two people, is possible in a month without haste. And this is if inexperienced workers are involved in the construction, who only know how to hold a hammer in their hands. This is because the assembly occurs step by step: regular repetition of simple actions. It is only important to know how to correctly assemble each unit. Having instructions and understanding the principle of construction, anyone can assemble a frame house on their own.
Frame construction is no less attractive because it can be done at minimal cost. How much money will be required for construction depends on the size of the house and the materials used (type and grade of wood, finishing materials). But in any case, this is one of the cheapest methods. (
Timber frame houses are not the only ones. There are regions where wood is a luxury. They put it there. Despite the fact that metal is not cheap today, it still turns out to be relatively inexpensive.
One more thing. Many people are interested in whether it is possible to leave a frame house unfinished, and if so, at what stages. The answer is yes, and the first stage is known to everyone: the finished foundation is left to winter. The following wintering options are also possible:
- foundation + frame + roof (without floor);
- foundation + frame + roof + external cladding OSB + wind protection;
- foundation + frame + roof + external cladding OSB + wind protection + mounted and insulated floor and ceiling + partitions.
It is dangerous to leave windows and doors unattended over the winter. In other options, delaying the completion of construction is even a good idea: the wood will dry out. In winter, as a rule, there is low humidity and drying is active. At the same time, identify all the jambs in the already assembled part.
After pouring the piles, a grillage is installed, and the reinforcement is laid and tied into it. Longitudinal rods are connected to bent reinforcement outlets from the piles. At this stage, holes are left in the tape for supplying communications and (insert sections of plastic pipes across the tape).
The strapping beam will subsequently be attached to the foundation strip. To install it, studs are fixed in the tape. They are installed in increments of 1-2 meters. From each corner, 30 cm are retreated in both directions. Here, studs are required, the rest depending on the dimensions of the house, but at least every 2 meters. Please note that it is the studs that connect the frame of the house to the foundation. That’s why it’s better to deliver more often. And one more thing: no matter how short the wall is, there must be at least two studs.
When everything is ready, the concrete is poured.
After pouring the concrete, so that it does not dry out, but gains strength, it is better to cover it with polyethylene (look at the photo). If the temperature after pouring the foundation remains within +20°C, construction can continue after about 3-5 days. During this time, under such conditions, concrete will gain more than 50% of its strength. You can work with it freely. When the temperature drops, the period increases significantly. So at +17°C you need to wait about 10 days.
Step 2: Bottom Rail and Floor
To prevent the wood of the frame from drawing moisture from the concrete, cut-off waterproofing of the foundation is necessary. The safest way to do this is with bitumen mastic. And it’s better - in two layers. You can also use roll waterproofing. Roofing felt is cheaper, but it breaks over time. Waterproofing or other similar modern material is more reliable.
You can coat the grillage once with mastic, and roll out waterproofing on top. Another option for cut-off waterproofing under a frame house is two layers of waterproofing coated with mastic: the closer the groundwater is, the more thorough the waterproofing should be.
The first layer is liquid waterproofing. While it is not dry, you can glue a layer of rolled waterproofing on it.
Then the beds are laid - boards measuring 150 * 50 mm. They must be dry, impregnated with bioprotective and fire-retardant compounds. The edge of the bed is aligned with the outer edge of the foundation. In the necessary places, holes are drilled for the studs (the diameter of the hole is 2-3 mm larger than the diameter of the stud). Then the second board is laid. It is placed so as to cover the joint of the first row. It turns out to be a castle.
The second board is laid so that the joints overlap
In general, you can lay one beam of 100-150 cm, but its price is much higher than two boards, which together give the same thickness, and properly fastened two boards have a greater load-bearing capacity, although their installation takes more time. To make them work as a single beam, they are knocked down with nails in 20 cm increments in a checkerboard pattern.
We install the harness and logs
The next stage is installation and installation of the logs. These are the same 150*50 mm boards placed on edge. They are attached with two oblique nails (9 cm) at the end to the trim board, two nails on the right and left to the bed. So each lag is on both sides.
The photo shows that the first joist is installed close to the second - this way the load is better transferred to the foundation. It is installed along the second edge of the bed. The installation step is 40-60 cm. It depends on the length of the span and the cross-section of the lumber used: the longer the length, the smaller the step.
If the logs are long and there is a cross beam, as in the photo above, to prevent the logs from “moving away,” jumpers are placed above the cross beam. Their length is equal to the step of installing the logs minus the double thickness of the board: if the step of the log is 55 cm, the thickness of the board is 5 cm, then the jumper will be 45 cm long.
Insulation and flooring
After the base for the flooring has been installed, it is time to insulate the floor. It can be done in different ways, with different materials. We will show you an economical option - with polystyrene foam boards with a density of 15 kg/m3 (more is possible, less is not possible). It is, of course, not environmentally friendly, but it is the only one that is not afraid of moisture and can be installed without a subfloor. The estimated thickness of the insulation is 150 mm, two layers are laid: one 10 cm, the second 5 cm. The seams of the second layer should not coincide with the seams of the first (they shift).
To begin with, a 50*50 mm cranial block is packed along the bottom edge of the log. It will hold the foam.
The foam is cut with a regular hacksaw. The blade can be used on wood - it cuts faster, but you get a torn edge, or on metal - it goes slower, but the edge is smoother. The cut slabs are laid in two layers, the seams overlap. Then they seal the perimeter with sealant to ensure waterproofing.
Next, lay the subfloor from boards, level it and lay plywood on top (preferably FSF 5-6 mm). To prevent the rough flooring of boards from warping, lay the boards alternating the direction of the wave. If you look at the cross section of the board, the annual rings go in a semicircle. So, you need the arc to look up and down (see photo).
You can do without plank flooring. Then the thickness of the plywood should be at least 15 mm. Consider what is more profitable in your region and choose.
In any case, the sheets should be laid in a spaced pattern - the seams should not match (as in brickwork). Also, do not forget to leave a gap of 3-5 mm between the sheets of plywood to compensate for changes in size when humidity changes.
The plywood is attached with self-tapping screws 35 mm long (preferably white ones - less waste) around the perimeter in increments of 12 cm, inside in a checkerboard pattern in increments of 40 cm.
Step 3: Frame Walls
There are two ways: the wall frame is assembled (all or part, depending on the size) on the floor, then raised, positioned and secured. Sometimes with this method, OSB, gypsum fiber board, or plywood are attached directly to the floor on the outside of the frame: the rigidity is greater. This technology is called frame-panel or “platform”. Factories generally operate according to this principle: they build ready-made panels according to the design in the workshop, bring them to the site and only install them there. But frame-panel house construction is possible with your own hands.
The second method: everything is assembled gradually, locally. The beam of the bottom frame is nailed, the corner posts are set, then the intermediate posts, the top frame, etc. This is the technology called “frame house construction” or “balloon”.
Which one is more convenient? It depends on how many people work and whether it is possible, at least periodically, to attract help. Working on the floor is faster and more convenient than jumping up/down a stepladder countless times. But if the section is assembled large, then it will be difficult even for two people to lift it. The solution is either to call help or to break the wall frame into small segments.
Installation step and cross-section of racks
Corner posts should be 150*150 mm or 100*100 mm, depending on the load and the required width of the insulation. For a one-story frame house, 100 mm is enough, for a two-story frame house - at least 150 mm. The intermediate posts are the same in depth as the corner posts, and their thickness is at least 50 mm.
The installation step of the racks is selected taking into account the load, but in reality it is more often selected based on the width of the insulation. If you will be insulating with mineral wool in rolls or mats, first find out the actual width of the material. The gap between the posts should be 2-3 cm less than the width of the insulation. Then there will be almost no waste, no gaps and cracks through which heat will escape. The density of installation of insulation in frames is the main point, because only it will serve as protection from the cold. The slightest violation will lead to the fact that the house will be cold. Therefore, the selection of insulation and its installation must be treated with full attention.
Fastening the racks is possible in several ways: with wooden dowels, with a notch or on corners. The cut into the board of the bottom trim should be no more than 50% of its depth. The corners are attached on both sides. Fastening with dowels is an old technology, but difficult to implement: long dowels are planed, a hole is drilled obliquely through the stand and beam of the lower trim, a wooden tenon is driven into it, the excess of which is cut off. It works well if the wood used is dry. If not, drying out and loss of fastening rigidity is possible. Installation on reinforced corners is much easier.
According to Canadian technology, the beams to which windows and doors are attached are made double. There is more load here, therefore the support must be more powerful.
Reinforced counters near windows and doors are a must. This is the only way a frame house built with your own hands will be reliable
Bevels or braces
If the outer cladding is planned to be made of high-strength slab material - OSB, gypsum fiber board, gypsum fiber board, plywood - temporary slopes are installed from the inside of the room. They are needed to level and maintain geometry until the outer skin is attached. The strength of this material is sufficient to create the required structural rigidity.
If the cladding is planned to be made up of linings, etc. installation of permanent jibs is required. Moreover, the best option is not those that are placed on several racks, but four small pieces for each: two on top and two on the bottom (as in the photo below).
Please note that in the photo above the racks are prefabricated: two boards are nailed together along the entire length in a checkerboard pattern. Such racks have even greater load-bearing capacity than solid ones and cost less. This is a real way to reduce construction costs without losing quality. But construction time increases: you have to hammer in a lot of nails.
Corners of a frame house
The most questions arise when constructing corners. If you place a beam in a corner, then there seem to be no difficulties, except that the corner turns out to be cold. In regions with short and mild winters this is not a problem, but in central Russia it requires some kind of solution.
There are several ways to make the corner of a frame house warm. All of them are shown in the diagrams, so it’s clearer.
After assembling the frame, it is most often sheathed on the outside with OSB, plywood or other similar material.
Step 4: Covering
The floor beams rest on the beam of the upper frame. There are several mounting methods:
- on supporting steel brackets;
- on the corners;
- with insert;
Notching - the depth of the cut should not exceed 50% of the thickness of the top frame timber. It is hammered in from above with two nails, which must go into the harness at least 10 cm. Corners are the usual method. You can use reinforced, but not necessarily perforated staples - the shape may vary
The dimensions of the beams and the pitch of their installation depend on what will be on top. If the second residential floor or, the cross-section is taken larger, the step is made smaller: so that the floor does not sag. If only the roof and attic on top are assumed to be non-residential, these are completely different calculations and dimensions.
If a second floor is being built, the ceiling is sheathed with the subfloor of the second floor. This will make it easier to work on creating the second floor of a frame house. Its assembly is no different from the construction of the first one. The only reason is that all the lumber has to be hauled to the second floor.
Step 5: Rafter system and roofing material
When developing a house project using frame technology, the most popular are or. Their device is no different. All the same principles and calculations. The only limitation concerns the weight of the roofing: it must be a light material, the load from which wooden beams and ceilings can withstand.
To fix the rafters in a given position before the sheathing was filled, temporary jibs were used
Another relatively inexpensive technology
Step 6: Insulation
A frame house can be insulated with any of the materials available on the market with the appropriate characteristics. All of them are imperfect, but all problems have standard solutions.
The most popular insulation for frame walls is basalt wool. It is available in the form of rolls or mats of different densities. It is more convenient to install mats in walls: they are denser and hold themselves well due to the pushing force. To do this, as mentioned above, their dimensions should be 2-3 cm larger than the distance between the frame posts. The mats, of course, are additionally fixed with special fasteners, but it is more convenient to work with than with a soft roll.
Mineral wool has high thermal insulation characteristics and good sound insulation. But there is also a serious drawback: it is afraid of getting wet and it must be protected on all sides not only from moisture (rain), but also from the penetration of steam. Therefore, from the side of the room it is covered with a layer of vapor barrier membrane, which prevents vapors from penetrating inside.
On the street side, the thermal insulation made of mineral wool is covered with another membrane, but of a different type with different characteristics: a hydro-wind-protective vapor-permeable membrane. It is not blown, does not allow moisture in liquid or gaseous states to pass through from the street, and vapors can escape from the insulation: vapor permeability is one-sided. After installing the insulation, only finishing work remains. Actually, that's it, construction is over.
Now you know how to build a frame house. The detail of some processes is far from complete, but you have a general assembly sequence. Perhaps another video from a professional carpenter who has been building frame houses for decades will help you (see below).
Video instructions for installing frame houses
These are three videos of excellent carpenter Larry Hohn. Each of them lasts more than an hour. The technology for building a frame house on a finished foundation is described in great detail.
According to these instructions, self-construction is possible without any questions: all stages of building a frame house and small details are commented on and explained, down to what nails, what length, how many pieces in what increments, should be hammered into each node. The main problems that may arise and methods for correcting them are demonstrated. If you decide to build a frame house with your own hands, take the time to watch the movie. Much will become clearer to you.
The first part is the lower trim and the floor.
The second part of the video is the design and assembly of frame walls.
The third part is building the roof of a frame house.
If you still doubt whether to build a frame house, it’s probably because you’ve heard that this is a bad technology, that it doesn’t work for us. There is such an opinion. But it is based on the fact that Canadian and American frame houses are built from dry wood, with moisture. no more than 20-22%. In our conditions, wood is brought from the sawmill with almost natural humidity, and this is up to 60%. That’s why the houses twist and turn, they become cold.
But if you are planning to build a house with your own hands, what will stop you from using dry wood? Kiln drying is expensive, the difference per cubic meter is very significant - almost twice. But by stacking the wood on the site in ventilated piles, it can be dried to the same 20-22% within a year. You decide for yourself whether or not to impregnate it with bioprotection before drying. Dry wood does not rot or be damaged by fungi, but it is advisable to impregnate it with bioprotection against insects.
An example of this opinion is in the video. With an explanation of why the technology is bad...
It has long been known that frame construction is the fastest and most economical option for building a wooden house. Frame houses have several varieties, namely:
frame.
frame-panel;
The technology for constructing a frame house, depending on the insulation used and the structure used, is divided into Finnish and Canadian. The basis of any frame building is a wooden frame with insulation embedded in it, which is most often fire-resistant mineral wool. The house is covered with siding, clapboard, imitation timber and other materials. Thanks to its lightweight and durable construction, a frame house can become an object for implementing design ideas for home decoration.
What you need to know about frame houses
Before erecting the walls of a frame house, it is necessary to decide on the purpose of its use: will it be a temporary home (country house) or a house for permanent residence. The structure itself is a combination of vertical posts and horizontal frames. The building can be assembled block by block from ready-made panel walls, or a three-dimensional “skeleton” of the building can be erected on a ready-made foundation, and then sheathed with sheet material.
The decision to build a frame-panel house with your own hands will allow you to significantly save on building materials and earthworks. In addition, such houses have significant advantages: structural strength, the shortest construction time and low cost of materials. The production of trusses and wall panels is carried out from dried lumber, which completely eliminates possible shrinkage of the structure.
On a note: Work on the construction of a frame building can be carried out all year round, since there are no “wet processes” during the assembly process.
When building a house, you should take into account that a typical “pie” wall of a frame house does not have a ventilation gap. This entails the formation of condensation under the skin due to temperature changes, which in turn leads to damage to the wood. To avoid this, you can install an additional frame, which will increase the total, but will also reduce possible costs for reconstruction and repair of the house in the future.
Choosing a foundation for a frame house
When laying the first stone of a future home, you need to be 100% confident in the strength and reliability of the building. That is why the choice of foundation should be approached very carefully. So which one should you choose? There are several options suitable for the power of the future home and the geological conditions of the site.
A strip foundation is the best option under conditions of dense soils and shallow freezing of the ground. Suitable for one-story construction, has uniform settlement, high reliability, at the same time labor-intensive and materially expensive.
Columnar foundation - made of concrete, brick, wood. Suitable for all types of frame houses, durable with minimal investment.
Pile foundation - used if there is a layer of silt or peat in the soil layers. Screw metal piles can support the weight of a two-story frame building. It is the most economical option of all listed.
A monolithic slab is the most expensive foundation option, which also serves as the ceiling of the first floor of the house. There is a high probability that the slab can tilt the house, so this issue is resolved when designing and studying the soil of the site.
On a note: Due to the fact that a frame house is light in weight, material costs, time and effort for laying the foundation can be successfully reduced.
Is it necessary to insulate a frame house?
Comfortable living implies the warmth and coziness of a home, which is why insulation of a frame house is considered the most important stage in its construction. Thermal insulation of walls not only prevents the penetration of cold into the room in winter, but also serves as protection from heat in summer. The technology for insulating the walls of a frame house consists of laying a layer of insulation between the frame posts.
The following types of insulation exist:
Mineral wool is the most common material for insulation. Available in the form of slabs and rolls, it has excellent sound and heat insulation. It is toxic and does not tolerate moisture well, as a result of which it must be used in conjunction with additional waterproofing.
Ecowool is a natural material that includes shredded newsprint impregnated with boric acid salts. Non-toxic, quickly installed, however, the installation itself requires the involvement of specialists.
Polystyrene foam is a lightweight and cheap material that does not absorb moisture, which means it does not require additional moisture-proof membranes. The disadvantage is flammability, which releases toxins, and poor sound insulation.
Polyurethane foam is a liquid component that is applied to the surface of the walls through a sprayer, foams and hardens, thereby providing good thermal insulation. It is non-flammable and non-toxic, and has a high cost compared to other insulation technologies.
On a note: When insulating with mineral wool, preference should be given, and it must be laid in layers of 50 mm with an overlap in order to prevent the penetration of cold.
Vapor barrier of walls - a whim or a necessity?
In order to avoid water vapor getting inside the insulation, which entails its damage and loss of heat-insulating properties, a vapor barrier is installed on the walls of the frame house. The vapor barrier membrane has a multilayer porous structure, which ensures air circulation not only through doors and windows, but also through walls.
The membrane has a smooth surface on one side and a rough surface on the other. Moisture settling on the rough side gradually evaporates, preventing the formation of mold and mildew inside the wall. It should be remembered that the installation of the membrane is carried out with the smooth side facing the insulation, and the rough side inside the room.
On a note: The vapor barrier membrane should be glued with special tape, avoiding the formation of tears and folds. Otherwise, the insulation will become unusable after 2-3 seasons.
Materials for exterior home decoration
It not only serves as the “face” of the house, but at the same time protects it from bad weather. The exterior of a frame house is finished using a variety of materials, the main ones being:
Siding is an affordable, durable and aesthetically attractive material that protects the walls of a house from snow, wind and rain. Currently, many types of siding have appeared - steel, wood, cement, vinyl. The fastening is carried out on a wooden sheathing and can be done on your own.
Decorative brick or stone - create the illusion of a stone cottage. A huge selection of various colors and textures allows you to turn a frame house into a work of art. The disadvantage is the weight of the structure and the high cost of materials.
A block house is a high-quality and economical option for finishing a house, reliably protecting it from bad weather. Self-installation allows you to significantly reduce the cost of facing work.
On a note: If desired, you can combine various techniques for decorating the facade, which will help give the building additional respectability, maximum security, as well as visually lighten, or vice versa, add volume to the structure.
The technology for constructing a frame house makes it possible to erect a building of this type within a period of 2 to 5 months, and weather conditions do not affect the construction. Frame houses maintain indoor temperature 2 times longer than houses made of blocks or bricks. However, in Russia they have not yet received due demand due to the insufficient number of professionals in this field.
Frame house construction technology video: