Building a house from timber from scratch. House made of timber - we build a warm and beautiful home ourselves

With my own hands. This question is relevant, because wooden buildings are very warm, in addition, they are completely environmentally friendly and look very unusual.

How to choose quality material

Compliance with all construction technologies does not at all guarantee that the house will be strong and durable. As one of the most important requirements for obtaining reliable construction favors use quality material. Most often for construction wooden house are used conifers wood. This is due to the fact that such material meets sanitary and hygienic standards. In addition, it is more resistant to rotting than others, cracks do not appear on it (provided it is used correctly), and it is easy to handle, as well as to install, which is explained by its low weight.

Before you build a house from timber with your own hands, you need to select a material that has undergone a high-quality drying process. This will make the shrinkage less significant. After all, it not only makes the original height of the building smaller, but is also accompanied by the formation of grooves between the logs, which then have to be filled.

In addition, to build a house, you can choose solid or profiled timber (the latter, by the way, only requires assembly on the site of the work). After completing the process, you will receive a building that is resistant to deformation. External weather influences are not dangerous for profiled timber, since the logs fit as tightly as possible. After shrinkage, the walls of the house will not have to be caulked, which makes operation more pleasant.

Characteristics of solid timber

Before we begin directly discussing the question “how to build a house from timber with your own hands” (photos of finished buildings, by the way, you can see in the article), let’s say a few words about such an option as solid timber. It looks, of course, not as attractive as a profiled one, but it also has a lot of advantages. Among the main ones we can highlight the affordable cost. But before purchasing, you need to pay attention to the quality of the material, since it has natural humidity and may be affected by fungus. In order for the building to retain heat, it will have to be insulated during the construction stage; moreover, the process should be repeated after shrinkage.

Construction of the foundation

Before you build a house from timber with your own hands, you need to build a foundation. An excellent base would be a ribbon structure. Initially, marking is made. The territory is cleared and removed from it upper layer soil, the thickness of which is approximately 7-10 cm. Next, you can dig a trench 1.5 m wide, while its depth should be 2.5 m. Now you can install the formwork. It should contain reinforcement made of steel rods Ø1.5 cm, their length is limited to 2-2.5 m.

If a private developer is faced with the question of how to build a house from timber with his own hands, then he should know that the foundation must be of the highest quality. It cannot be made as such unless a bedding is placed at the bottom of the trench, which should consist of hydrogenous material and have a thickness of 30-50 cm. The next stage is pouring concrete. It is preferable to order the solution from the factory or rent a concrete mixer. As mandatory condition When forming the foundation, the next layer is poured before the previous one is covered with a crust. The base is left in the poured state for up to five days. It is recommended to cover the foundation with waterproofing before building the walls; for this, rolled roofing felt, which is laid on bitumen mastic, is suitable.

Walling

You should know what work needs to be done at the stage of wall construction even before you build a house from timber with your own hands. Photos of such buildings are presented in the article, so you have visual material. To do this, you can purchase timber with a section of 200x200 or 150x150 mm. First you have to choose one of the cutting methods. For example, walls can be assembled into a paw. To cut using this technology, you have to place a couple of logs opposite each other on the foundation. After that, another pair is folded perpendicularly, so as to form a square. On next stage A “nest” should be formed in each log for fastening. It should be shaped like a trapezoid. It is necessary to install the next log in the resulting recess, and make the same “nest” in it. It is necessary to carry out such work until the walls reach the design height.

Alternative cutting options

If you are still thinking about how to build a house from timber with your own hands, you can learn more about this in this article.

So, another cutting option is called “ dovetail" It is similar to the previous one. But the "nest" in in this case it should not have a perpendicular appearance, it must be done at an angle, which will allow each subsequent log to be laid in the recess of the previous one. In order to cut “into the bowl”, you have to use a tool called a “dash”. It resembles a compass and is used to make correct markings. A “bowl” is made in each log from below. At the next stage, it is necessary to place the next log so that the “bowl” on top of the installed beam follows the contours of the lower one. This cutting technology allows for excellent stability. designs

Before you build a house made of timber with your own hands with a basement, you need to lay the foundation. For example, a strip base is suitable for this. After the foundation has been erected, you can proceed to the construction of the walls; they can be assembled using the “half-tree” cutting method. This technology requires making small holes for the keys. It is recommended to place them in places that are located near the junction of the corners. When choosing the length of the veneer, you must take into account that it should be enough for more than one crown. You can use a more popular version of this technology, which requires folding and installing dowels into the joints of logs. This will improve the reliability of the corners.

Features of wall assembly

What else is needed to practically resolve the question: “How to build a house from timber with your own hands?” Projects! You can take as a basis those presented in the article. It will be easiest to assemble walls from profiled timber. The crowns can be fastened together using dowels. They will prevent the log from twisting. You can make such a fastening element using wood or steel. The latter option will last much longer, as it is more durable. They are installed through two crowns, and then through one. Why is a hole made in the log, the diameter of which is 3 cm. The step between the dowels should be at least 1.5 m.

A compactor should be laid between the rows. At points where external walls meet, it is recommended to use the so-called “warm corner” lock. To form it, a tenon is made in one log and a groove in the other. Both elements must exactly match each other in terms of parameters. This allows for a rigid structure.

Installation of partitions

Partitions should be embedded into the structure of the main walls. In order to line them up, you need to use a beam whose cross-section is 100x150 mm. The formation of partitions should be done only after the construction of the log house. If you have chosen a house project consisting of two floors, then the first floor must have at least one partition. She will act as a support.

Working on the floor

Before you build a house from timber with your own hands, you need to step by step understand the processes to be performed. For example, it is recommended to assemble the floor using thermal insulators. The floor structure should be double, this will guarantee the preservation of heat in the rooms even in cold weather. Initially, the rough ceiling is installed. To do this, it is recommended to use an edged board. Usually the material is hemmed from the bottom. But it is worth considering that this technology does not guarantee receiving reliable design, and the boards may come off. In order to eliminate this phenomenon, it is necessary to connect the boards together. At the next stage, the cranial beam comes into play, which is fixed to the lags. Insulation is laid between two layers of flooring.

Construction of ceiling and roof

If you are thinking about how to build a house from timber with your own hands, the ceiling, or rather, the method of arranging it, should be thought out to the smallest detail. It is also important what material will be used as roofing. This could be roofing felt or metal tiles. But first you need to install ceiling beams and rafters, which is done after the walls are built. The logs should extend somewhat beyond the wall, about 50 cm. It is recommended to use timber with a cross-section of 150x100 mm as the material for them. Its installation is carried out on the edge in increments of 100 cm.

Then you can proceed to installing the boards that will form the basis of the rafter system. The fastening must be rigid. Now you can lay the gables, which are formed from 150x150 mm timber. Do not forget about waterproofing, which must be installed before the ceiling screed is installed. For a log house, it is best to use poured or rolled waterproofing.

Formation of openings

If you are thinking about how to build a house from timber with your own hands, the instructions will not hurt you. You can find it in this article. It is also important to know how the joint is produced. It is recommended to make openings after complete completion of construction, then the work will be simplified compared to marking and cutting openings during the laying of walls. We should not forget about the pigtail: this is due to the fact that this process will allow the structure to be left intact. Among other things, this manipulation has another advantage, which is to prevent the lateral rims from moving during shrinkage.

Completion of the construction process

So, you already know almost everything about how to build a house from timber with your own hands. We've covered where to start, now we'll discuss how to finish. One of the advantages of a wooden house is that its walls do not require finishing. This applies to both the internal and external surfaces. Moreover, in the first year after completion of construction this cannot be done at all, as the house will shrink. The only thing to do with the log is to cover it protective equipment, which will not allow the wood to rot and burn. Of course, it will not be possible to make walls completely fireproof, but if treated with appropriate compounds, the wood will not ignite so quickly when directly exposed to flame.

Tools and materials

Finally, let’s pay attention to one more important point, without which it will be impossible to solve the question of how to build a house from timber with your own hands. Tools (and you need a lot of them) will be needed by any craftsman - both beginner and professional. So, you need to prepare the following minimum set:

electric or chainsaw;
hacksaws with large and small teeth;
drills of different diameters;
hammers;
level;
nail puller;
several tape measures;
jointer for processing, etc.

After completion of the work, you can immediately move into the house, which is highly appreciated by consumers. And if you choose unique project, then your home will look very interesting.

For hundreds of years, our ancestors built houses from wood, during which time many new, modern building materials, but people invariably return to natural materials and the best of them is considered to be wood.

Wooden houses:

warm,
reliable,
beautiful,
durable.

But they have another important advantage: a wooden house is quite simple to build. Having 3 people who know how to use carpentry and plumbing tools as assistants, in one season you can build a good wooden house, from profiled or laminated timber, and with your own hands.

Important: You can lay the foundation in advance while it’s warm, and build the house itself when the cold weather sets in.

What is timber

The most popular are two types. Profiled timber is wooden product, square or rectangular section.

The beam can be smooth, geometrically correct in shape. Or profiled, having a certain profile that allows the product to be joined more tightly at the mating points.

Glued laminated timber appeared relatively recently; it can be called a product of new, advanced technologies.

Visually, it looks like a profiled one. But the production technology is more complex. Glued laminated timber consists of several layers of wood, bonded using a special technology. It is stronger, more durable, and easier to work with.

Important: Profiled timber can shrink up to 50 mm per 1 m, depending on the dryness of the timber. Glued laminated timber shrinks, on average, by 10-15 mm.

The thickness of the timber ranges from 90 mm to 275 mm.

The most popular profile cross-sections are:

100 mm by 150 mm.
100 mm by 200 mm.
150 mm by 200 mm.
180 mm by 200 mm.

With a maximum standard length of up to 12m.

Wall length

Wall width

Wall height

Beam section

150x150 mm. 180x180 mm. 200x200 mm.

Beam length

5 m. 6 m. 7 m. 8 m. 9 m. 10 m. 11 m. 12 m.

We are preparing a project

You won’t be able to build from timber without a project.

It is no secret that in the vast expanses of the CIS there are many countries, but the level of bureaucracy is practically the same. We provide a list of the main documents that you will need to prepare.

A foundation drawing is required, along with a detailed description with a full breakdown of the material, composition, depth, etc. As well as detailed data on the soil, composition, quality, groundwater etc.
Next number, the building plan. You prepare it based on the foundation drawing, but also with detailed description.
Afterwards you need a floor-by-floor detailed plan. In it, indicate in detail the partitions, stoves, fireplaces, windows, doors, etc.
Another really important document is the planking. Simply put, this detailed drawing cross-section of the walls of the house. After screeding, you can place an order for the production of timber, they will make it for you and label it like a designer. Next, just look at the numbers and collect.
Specification of every detail of the house.
Detailed drawing of the roof, with a detailed description of all layers.
Final view of the house.

Please note: take seriously the description of the timber itself, what kind of wood, what kind of profile, level of dryness of the timber, etc. This will eliminate any misunderstandings when ordering.

The package of documents is solid, of course, you can resist, although the work is painstaking, you are quite capable of it yourself. But advice, don’t waste your time. Collecting papers may take longer than the construction itself. Trust the professionals, on our website they will be happy to help you and it will cost you much less than doing it yourself.

Laying the foundation

To build houses from timber, a capital, expensive foundation is not required. These buildings are relatively light in weight.

For construction

Shallow strip foundation. This type of foundation is laid in a trench and has a maximum depth of 50 cm.
Mixed or strip-column foundation. This type is similar to the tape type. But in all important nodes, has reinforcement in the form of concrete pillars.
Columnar. This foundation is based on pillars connected by a concrete or metal grillage.
On screw metal piles or piles with screws. A product of modern technology. Corrosion-resistant metal piles are screwed into the ground and connected with a grillage. The foundation is convenient, also because it is easy to repair.
On wooden stilts, is rarely used at this time since wood, no matter how you treat it, still deteriorates in the ground.
On concrete piles. The foundation is excellent, but expensive. To drive a concrete pile, you will need special construction equipment.

To build from timber, the first 4 options are enough. The instructions below, with minor amendments, are suitable for the first 3 types of foundation.

Tape

Any foundation begins with markings. For marking we use ordinary wooden pegs and fishing line. At a distance of 30-40 cm from the designed wall, we drive in pegs and stretch the fishing line.
The body of the foundation will be marked not by driven pegs, but by a fishing line.

Important: after stretching the fishing line, you should measure the diagonals. The distance along the diagonals must be strictly the same. Even the slightest discrepancy indicates incorrect angles, and you will end up with an asymmetrical foundation.

We remove the soil to a depth of 50 cm. Consider the thickness of the formwork. Check the bottom of the trench for level.
Next we make 2 pillows up to 10 cm each. Sand, plus crushed stone.
Let's start installing the formwork.
We put in waterproofing, the most budget option is roofing felt or thick, technical polyethylene.
We weld or knit a reinforced metal frame.
We fill it with concrete; it is better to fill it all at once, comprehensively. Order a mixer, pour the foundation in one go and wait for it to harden.
Remove the formwork and add a cushion of crushed stone in its place.

Mixed foundation

It differs from the previous strip one by the presence of reinforcing pillars at the corners of the structure and in the most stressed nodes. Therefore, to the above, we add instructions on how to fill the pillars with your own hands.

We drill a hole under each pillar to a depth of 1 m.
We make a similar layer of sand and crushed stone.
We roll up a pipe from roofing felt in 2-3 layers and secure it with tape.
We insert the pipe into the hole and install it reinforcement cage, 200 mm high above the general foundation level.
Before the main pouring, make the base of the pillar. To do this, pour the solution into the pipe and lift the pipe, allowing the solution to spread. When the solution has hardened a little, begin pouring the entire foundation.

Columnar foundation type

The pillars in this foundation can be made as in the previous version, from concrete. So, lay it out of brick, in the form of a cabinet.

Just lay out the cabinet with a well, insert a reinforcement cage inside and fill it with concrete.

The cabinets themselves are leveled and a grillage is mounted on them.

The grillage can be concrete, then formwork is made on the pillars in the form of a bathtub, waterproofed, reinforcement is installed and concrete is poured. Or it is welded from metal, which is attached to the reinforcement frame of the poles.

Making crowns

The crowns are the first row of timber. To build from timber good house, pay careful attention to the installation of crowns.

The video in this article clearly shows installation with dowels.

Making the floor

At this stage, you should lay the foundation of the floor, a rough version. The final finishing will be done along with the interior finishing.

If you are building a relatively small building, bathhouse or garden house. It will be enough for you to lay an additional belt of timber around the perimeter, fasten it to the crown and mount logs on this belt.

But if the house occupies a large area, the approach will be slightly different.

If the square footage is large, separate pedestals should be laid out to support the floor, something similar to a separate foundation for the floor.

Depending on the composition of the soil, we lay the columns to a depth of up to half a meter.
We make them square 40x40 or 50x50. Laying pitch is from 50 to 90 cm.
We lay and compact sand and crushed stone in layers up to approximately 10 cm.
We make a small reinforcement frame, up to 10 cm high, install it and fill it with concrete.
Next, we waterproof this base and lay out the brick cabinet up to the level of the beams.
We put waterproofing again and install the beams.
We attach the logs to the beams with self-tapping screws.
Between the joists, using a corner, we install waterproof plywood.
We waterproof and tape all joints.
We lay insulation on top and cover it with a subfloor.

We build walls

If you did everything correctly before, then building walls from timber with your own hands will not be difficult for you.

The profiled timber already has special grooves, they will facilitate the connection.
Make the corner connection as you like; there are 3 types of corner joints:

Back to back.
Half a tree.
Through the root thorn.

Be sure to lay insulation between the beams.
Check the level of each laid beam and fix it with a dowel.
In the window area, leave technological gaps for shrinkage.

Important: when you install in the house load-bearing wall or support columns under the roof, they should not be rigidly attached to the roof at first. Secure with self-tapping screws and that’s enough. When the house starts to settle down and you walk around, you will have to adjust the height of the support. When it sits down, secure it completely.

This video will tell you about the intricacies of building walls.

We begin installation of the roof

Roof is enough important stage construction, but you can install it yourself.

First, knock down a template from light boards. You will install the rafters along it.
Next, we set the beginning and end of the structure according to the template.
Between installed rafters, at control points, according to the level, we pull the strings from the fishing line.
Guided by the strings, controlling the level and template, we install the remaining rafters.
We stuff the sheathing on top and fasten it underneath with a stapler, overlapping the vapor barrier.
We lay insulation under the vapor barrier, between the rafters, and cover it with another layer of vapor barrier.
Next, we finally fix it with the bottom layer of the sheathing; you can now attach the cladding to it according to your taste and budget.
From the top budget option, is a covering on the top sheathing of roofing material and on top of it sheets of slate.

I wanted to build a house. I immediately encountered the problem of choosing a material. There wasn’t much money, but I wanted a house that was reliable, warm and durable. Having studied the offers of the modern construction market, I decided to settle on

On the forums they advise building houses with a cross-section of 15x15 cm. But I had to build it myself, sometimes with a friend, i.e. I didn’t want to involve outside workers, so I decided not to use a heavy 15-centimeter beam. Instead, I bought dry material with a cross-section of 15x10 cm. Then, when the wood shrinks, I will insulate the walls from the outside mineral wool, and the house will be warm.

To further save on construction costs, I decided to use only local materials. You can take my story as an example of guidance and navigate the situation.

Pouring the foundation

First, I cleared the area under the house from debris, bushes and other things that were in the way. After this, I began laying out the foundation.

I had to think for a long time about what type of foundation would be suitable specifically for my area. I studied the geological conditions, learned the composition of the soil and the level of groundwater. Specialized reference literature helped me with this. Additionally, I asked my neighbors what foundations their houses were on.

I live in the Ryazan region. Local conditions make it possible to save on the construction of foundations, so most neighbors have houses on light supports made of limestone and concrete. Most often, they even refuse reinforcement - such is the wonderful soil we have. The soil is sandy, therefore, it is not “heaving”. The water runs deep, and wooden houses weigh little. Therefore, there is no need to install buried monolithic supports in my region.

I started by digging a trench. To begin with, I removed the fertile ball. Sand appeared. To make it seal better, I filled it with water. Then he lined the trenches with stone and laid two reinforcing bars. I tied them up in the corners. I think that the tape is best reinforced both at the bottom and at the top. So I did.

To save yourself from unnecessary work, you could order ready-made construction concrete for delivery. However, in my region this turned out to be unrealistic - there are simply no such proposals. And my plot is such that the truck would have to go through the garden, but I don’t need that.

Alas, you won’t be able to save this much in every region. For example, if I lived somewhere in the Moscow region, I would have to make formwork, install a spatial reinforcing frame, and only then pour in the building mixture.

While the concrete gains strength (and it needs 3-4 weeks for this), I will start preparing consumables.

Prices for timber

Find out more detailed nuances from our new article on our portal.

Preparatory activities

Preparing dowels

The connection of the beam crowns is carried out using wooden dowels. I decided to make them from scrap boards left over from other construction projects. In my case it was the installation of roof sheathing.

For dowels, use wood that is as hard as possible. The process of making fasteners is extremely simple. I took some scrap boards and edged them on one side using a matching saw.

Then I set the stop and started sawing to size. In my situation, the size was 12 cm. As a result, I received neat and beautiful blanks.

I sawed the planks using band saw. On the way out I received a whole box wooden sticks. Next, I sharpened the blanks with an ax on each side and got my dowels.

Moss preparation

Dowels, sphagnum peat moss and boards

The technology requires that between each crown of timber be laid. Professionals usually insulate roll materials. Working with them is easy and convenient - just roll out the material on top of the laid crown and you can continue working. However, convenience and ease of processing come at a price.

I decided not to waste money and use moss. Firstly, this material is abundant in nature - go and collect it. Secondly, moss is not only a decent insulator, but also an excellent antiseptic. Additionally, I studied thematic forums: moss is actively used as interventional insulation, and there are no negative reviews about it.

Red or peat moss is best suited for insulation. The first one is different high rigidity. The second one becomes brittle after drying. If possible, it is best to use red moss. It's easy to recognize him - this is long stems with leaves resembling a Christmas tree.

Making joints

I make them for every door and window opening. For this I use flat timber. If possible, there should be no knots at all. For greater convenience, I made an impromptu workbench directly next to my stack of lumber. Made longitudinal cuts. A circular saw helped me with this. Excess material was removed using a chisel.

Do correct jamb Not even every professional carpenter can do it. Therefore, I decided to make window jambs using simplified technology. In every window opening I will install only a couple of vertical jambs. The window block itself will be responsible for the horizontal connection.

To install the block you need a “quarter”. However, here too I figured out how to simplify the task. Instead of sampling (it's shaded in the photo), I decided to glue in a strip. To do this, I sharpened the plane in advance. The result was no worse than it would have been in a situation using a quarter.

It is impossible to reduce the number of jambs in the doorway - all four are needed. However, the shape of the products can be significantly simplified.

I chose grooves in the block, which in the future will serve as a threshold, similar to the recesses in the side jambs. This allowed me to slide the bottom timber over the tenons of the opening. However, at this stage, the timber would have to be cut with a chisel across the wood fibers - not the most pleasant or simple task. I found a great way out of this situation! Taking a circular saw, I prepared the cuts by first setting the appropriate output of the disk and making rip fence.

Then I took a feather drill and made a hole 2.5 cm in diameter, just like for the dowels. Finally, I cut out an even rectangle across the wood grain. A reciprocating saw helped me with this.

Carpenters usually make two rectangular nests in the threshold, and at the bottom of each vertical jamb they create a counter protrusion, cutting down and sawing out excess wood using a chisel. I decided to make holes as for fastening dowels, and hammered in a couple of fasteners. I made similar holes at the bottom of the jambs.

Upper horizontal beam I haven’t touched it yet, but nailed a small board to the threshold - it will take on the functions of a “quarter”. The design of the opening turned out to be extremely simple, but this does not interfere with its ability to cope with its main function. Later I will plan the opening and glue the “quarters”.

Required Tools

To build a house from wooden beams, I used the following tools and devices:

hammerless electric drill;
circular saw;
roulette;
sledgehammer;
electric plane;
square;
reciprocating saw;
plumb line;
hammer;
water hose;
axe.

I bought a circular saw to cut wooden beams. I had to cut in two steps. First, I drew a line along the square, after which I cut, turned the beam over and made the cut again. It is best to transfer the line to the second edge of the beam using a square. If you are confident in your “eye”, you can cut “by eye”.

Using a circular saw, I made tenons and grooves for corner connections bars When arranging the tenons, I lacked a slight depth of cut, so I had to make a couple of extra movements with a hacksaw.

We are building a house

Rules for laying the lower crown

Laying the starter crown is traditionally done with a joint known as "into the wood floor". This unit can be made without any problems with a circular saw - just cut the material lengthwise and crosswise. In some areas the depth of the cut turned out to be insufficient - here I worked with a hacksaw, after which I got rid of excess material using a chisel. By the way, in my case, the lower crown is the only one that is connected with nails.

I placed the lower crown on board linings. There are gaps between the elements - in the future I will make vents there. In my region they are usually in the wall, not in concrete base. This option has its advantages. Firstly, making vents in the wall is easier and faster. Secondly, at a certain elevation the wind moves at a higher speed than directly near the ground, due to which the underground will be better ventilated.

Cutting timber. Half-tree connection

I'm going to mount the floor beams on the pads - this way, I think, the loads on the base will be distributed more evenly.

The linings and timber of the lower crown were covered. As practice shows, the material laid at the very bottom rots most quickly. In my situation, there are pads underneath, and not the timber itself. In the future, if the boards rot, they can be replaced with much less effort than the beam of the lower crown.

Reciprocating saw prices

reciprocating saw

Features of laying the second and subsequent crowns

Starting from the second crown of masonry, work is carried out in the same order. At the corners I connected the timber with the help of root tenons - the usual joining of elements is unacceptable here.

Taking a circular saw, I trimmed a couple of cuts. I transferred the cutting line to the second face using a square. The root tenon is easy to do, everything is demonstrated in the photo. If the disk output is insufficient, the depth can be increased with a hacksaw. The groove is made even simpler. Also demonstrated, but in the photo.

Important note! Keep in mind that in tongue-and-groove joints there should be approximately a 0.5-centimeter gap for laying the seal. A connection in which the wood simply touches the wood is unacceptable.

I first set the cutting depth I needed. With my saw, you can change the output of the blade without any problems - you just need to loosen the lever. The add-on is convenient to use. If in traditional carpentry production the master sets some parameter of the working tool and prepares required amount blanks of the same type, then in carpentry the situation is somewhat different: the material is dragged onto the workbench, and the depth of the cut is adjusted directly as the work progresses.

My saw is equipped with a thin disk - it takes much less effort to cut. The safety guard moves very smoothly and does not interfere with the cut in any way.

The walls of my house will be longer than the timber, so I will have to join the building material. To do this, I made a notch at both ends of the long beam, removed the excess with a chisel, and got a tenon in the middle. The ledge is ready, now we need a groove. Cutting wood with a chisel across the grain is impractical. I used a trick and drilled a simple through hole in the second beam. The length of the drill was not enough to create through hole, so I had to drill from both sides. Next, I cut off the excess wood from the workpiece, made markings and cut the timber along the grain using a chisel. Connected the spliced beams. The gaps were filled with moss.

Helpful advice. In the crown, which is the beginning of the opening, it is better to immediately make spikes for the jambs of this opening. In the process of cutting timber, it will not be possible to completely make tenons with a saw; you will need to additionally chisel with a chisel to complete the process. On next photo you see the bars already with fastening spikes. Thresholds for door openings are shown as templates.

I laid the second crown on the lower one, correctly performing the corner joints and the necessary splices along the length. It's time to make markings for installing dowels - the connectors of the crowns of my house under construction. I took a square and made vertical marks on the bars at the bottom and top, in the places where the fasteners would be placed. Turned over the top beam. I moved the markings to the center of my beam. Then I drilled holes for the fasteners and drove the dowels into them using a hammer.

What do you need to know about dowels?

Logically in round hole it would be necessary to drive in a round dowel. Builders adhere to a different technology and use square dowels. Such fasteners are simpler to manufacture and hold the connection much more reliably. In this case, a short dowel will not interfere with the process of shrinkage of the structure.

The problem is that to drill hand drill a strictly vertical hole without the slightest deviation is impossible. When installing the beam of the next crown on a pointed and slightly protruding dowel, the first one will wobble a little. In order for the timber to be firmly fixed, it must be additionally hammered with a sledgehammer.

The dowels I use work for shear and ensure correct shrinkage even if there are slight deviations from the vertical in the mounting holes. There will be no gaps. Firstly, the timber will shrink. Secondly, the space between the crowns is filled with insulation, which I will discuss later.

Once I had to observe how builders made holes in a wall made of timber using a long drill and drove long round pins into them, which looked like the handles of a shovel or rake. Were such holes vertical? Naturally not. Ultimately, the beam did not settle, but seemed to “hang” on the dowels, which led to the formation of impressive gaps between the crowns.

Having driven in the dowels, I laid tow and moss on the crown. He laid the tow across the beams. The moss was simply thrown over the tow. As a result, tow hangs from the walls. This will make it easier for me to caulk the walls in the future. Moss will provide adequate insulation of the building.

I installed the beams on the dowels, laid the tow, threw on the moss, sieged the crown with a sledgehammer, but for some reason it is still wobbly. This happens due to the presence of gaps in the corner joints. In my situation, the dimensions of these gaps were up to 0.5 cm. I filled them tightly with moss. A spatula and a narrow strip of metal helped me with this.

The attentive reader will ask: what about tow? Shouldn't it be put in the corners too? No no need. Firstly, as I said earlier, moss is a very good natural antiseptic. My house will stand for quite a long time without any finishing, and sedimentary moisture will continually flow into the corners. Moss will prevent the wood from rotting in these places. Secondly, in the future the timber in the corners will probably have to be planed. Moss will not interfere with this. Tow can cause the plane to break.

Prices for tow

Now my corners are strong, insulated and windproof. At the end of the day I covered the corner joints to protect them from possible precipitation.

In the picture you can see that one of my beams is located higher than the other. But they must be at the same height. We are not in a hurry to immediately turn on the electric planer - such a problem can be easily dealt with using a simple sledgehammer.

I worked with a plane at the very end, when the obstacle to the installation of the next crown became clearly visible. I used a plane to compare small “screws” and “humps”. I compensated for more significant differences in height with the help of tow and moss - their arrangement takes much less time than processing wood with a plane.

Why should we build a house?

You have already become familiar with the basic principles of laying each crown. Eat important nuances. Firstly, the crowns must be laid with alternating corner joints. Secondly, the internal load-bearing wall of the house must be connected to the longitudinal wall. This is done through one crown. For binding I use an already proven and familiar connection. Only I drill the holes for the dowels “checkerboard” in relation to the lower rims. After this, I lay down the tow and moss, and placing each beam in its designated place, I seal the joints in the corners.

That is, the procedure for building a house is extremely simple:

I'm laying out another crown;
I make markings for dowels;
I drill holes;
I drive in wooden fasteners;
I lay down the tow and throw moss on it;
I repeat the sequence.

Along the length of the beams I join using the “staggered” method.

Having reached the height of the window sill (this is my seventh crown), I made markings for arrangement window openings. I calculated the width of each opening by adding the dimensions of the jambs and sealed gaps to the width of the purchased window block. There should be a pair of gaps on each side of the opening - between the jamb and the one being installed. window block, as well as between the jamb and the wall of the house. As a result, in my situation, the required width of the window opening was 1325 mm. Of this, 155 mm was spent on gaps.

Based on the calculation results, I installed a crown with a window opening, having previously cut tenons in the bars, similar to the stage with openings for doors.

The next crowns with a window opening were laid from timber without tenons, observing the same overall dimensions.

I constructed all the window openings from “short pieces”, the evenness of which was disrupted during the shrinkage of the timber - such material is not suitable for walls, and it would be a pity to throw it away. I didn't make any jumpers. While arranging the opening, I constantly checked its evenness using a plumb line. I also checked the walls.

I temporarily secured the separate partition with slats so that it would not fall during the work. The T-shaped structure, as well as the corner, do not require additional strengthening - they are perfectly supported by their own weight.

Important note! In places where the tenons of the opening and the cutting line are arranged, i.e. just a few centimeters from the edge, I did not lay the oakum, because... when cutting it would wrap around cutting disc. In the future, the tow can be tapped from the ends without any problems.

After laying the last crown with the window opening (it needs to be laid temporarily without fastening or compacting), I removed the top beams and made cuts for the tenons. He put blunts on them. Having set the saw blade to the required depth, I installed a parallel stop to maintain the required distance from the edge. It didn’t take me much time to do this kind of work. I was unable to cut the timber to the required depth with a circular saw - I had to finish it with a hacksaw.

I made tenons at the lower rim of the opening to control my assembly. I didn’t do this in the last crown - in the future, tenons will still have to be created in each beam.

On personal experience I was convinced that assembling the entire height of the opening for a window without a connection, and from not quite “short” ones, is not the easiest task.

Light and short cuttings can be tried on before creating a recess or tenon. It may well turn out that a block deviating to the right will fall on a beam that deviates to the left. As a result, a flat wall will be built. If both beams have a deviation in the same direction, you can’t count on the evenness of the wall.

To eliminate deviations, you can plan the “screws” using a planer or lay the timber “ladder”. I had exactly the second case. I also eliminated the gap using a plane. At each stage, I checked the verticality of the openings being constructed using a plumb line.

Installing jambs and finishing work

The upper crown was laid. It's time to install the jambs of each opening. Thanks to these simple elements the strength of the finished structure will be significantly increased. The bottom beam of each opening is equipped with a full-fledged tenon. On the upper beams there are cuts in the required places. I apply the guide, set the desired cutting depth and make the cut with a circular saw. After this, I draw a couple of lines from the ends according to the dimensions of the tenon and get rid of excess material using a chisel.

My tenons are smaller than the grooves. I fill the gaps with thermal insulation material. If you wish, you can make the tenons wider, and only then, at the stage of finishing the house, cut off the excess material and fill the gaps with sealant.

I inserted temporary spacers between the jambs. In the future, I planned to add a veranda to my house. If you are planning to make an extension, do not lay the top crown of the timber before starting its construction. I also mounted a smaller one on the crown.

The box is ready. I covered it with a temporary roof, closed every opening and left the house until the next season. The timber will have time to shrink. After that I will continue, which I will definitely tell you about in my next story.

Instead of a conclusion

While the house is shrinking, I decided to take stock. Firstly, I was pleased that I had to spend much less money on the foundation compared to other types of supports. It took a little money to dump the stone. There is also a lot of sand in my region - you can dig it yourself and bring it. Most of the money was spent on cement and reinforcement.

Secondly, I was pleased with the affordable cost and relatively low consumption of building materials. When the timber was delivered to me, I laid it out in a stack about a meter high and two meters wide. At first it seemed that I had miscalculated somewhere and that I would not have enough material. As a result, about 20 beams remained unused. In general, for the construction of a house with dimensions of 6x10 m (the timber part of it is 6x7.5 m), I spent about 7.5 m3 of timber with a cross-section of 15x10 cm. For timber 15x15 cm I would have spent 1.5 times more money. And additional labor would have to be hired, which is also not free.

Thirdly, I saved on fasteners and thermal insulation. Nageli made it himself, the moss is free. My friends gladly gave the oakum to me after finishing their construction work.

Fourthly, I did not have to buy highly specialized and expensive tools. Everything that I used for construction will be useful to me on the farm in the future. I am especially pleased to have purchased a good circular saw and concrete mixers.

Now about the speed of work. I didn’t have much experience in timber construction. As practice has shown, in a whole day, working with one hand and provided the weather is good outside, you can lay out one crown with a partition. You can do this either faster or slower, I won’t argue.

And the main advantage of such construction is that you do not need to have any special skills to carry it out. And I was personally convinced of this.

I hope that my story will be useful to you, and you can, just like me, make your dream of owning your own home come true.

Video - DIY timber house

Wood is one of the most environmentally friendly building materials, so the desire to have a wooden house is understandable. Timber buildings are becoming popular today, so construction companies already offer ready-made options, but they are usually not cheap. Making a house from timber with your own hands is not particularly difficult, so we will now look at the principles of this matter.

At correct processing and laying wood, the structure turns out to be durable, but in practicality it cannot be compared even with frame house. Not long ago, wood for buildings was taken whole log due to difficulties in processing it. Now a popular option is timber. We will tell you how to build a house from timber.

Peculiarities

During construction, timber has a significant advantage over logs - less of it is needed, but there are also disadvantages. The seams between adjacent products are poorly protected from all kinds of precipitation, so they require special processing. It is possible to sheathe a structure from timber certain material, but if this is not planned, then you need to chamfer 20 by 20 mm from each beam.

The timber may also be subject to helical deformation, but modern technologies helped get rid of this by creating a profiled beam with complex “protection”. Manufacturers of the material dry it thoroughly, which helps avoid shrinkage.

There is also glued laminated timber with increased strength indicators. Its important advantage is geometric stability, which does not allow the material to change shape under the influence of moisture.

Assembly technology

You can buy it at the manufacturing plant already ready set for construction and upon arrival at the site, simply assemble it according to the plan. During installation, ties are used - metal pins with a special anti-corrosion coating. They are necessary for reliable fixation of the bars in a certain place.

Assembly order:

Foundation.
Geometry check.
Laying waterproofing followed by installation of the first level of timber.
The material is stitched longitudinally with a cross for attractiveness.
Assembly of beams on wooden dowels with laying insulation between them.
After the walls are erected, they are mounted interfloor ceilings, including floor beams.
Rafter system. When developing it, 2% shrinkage of laminated veneer lumber is taken into account. The design uses sliding fastenings rafters
Laying roofing.
Interior arrangement. Insulation of floors and walls, production of partitions and other work. This stage also includes the laying of utility lines.
Terrace. If it is provided, then it is necessary to start laying the floor from a special impregnated board, made with the expectation of long service life when exposed to external factors.
Installation of windows and doors.

Now let's look at the main points of how to build a house from timber in a little more detail.

Foundation

The foundation can be columnar, strip and slab. The columnar foundation is one of the simplest. To make it, you need asbestos-cement pipes, which will need to be inserted into the prepared holes. This type of foundation also has the disadvantage of a lack of connection between the resulting pillars. It is more practical to choose a pile analogue, in which the piles are connected by a reinforced concrete slab.

Slab foundation – reinforced concrete slab, on which construction will continue. It will require concrete and reinforcement in large quantities.

Strip foundations are the most common due to the many options with different functionality. For heavy loads, a type of foundation with the same cross-section is used, while for light houses a shallowly buried type is used, which costs less but is not inferior in reliability.

Walls

The walls must be assembled directly on the site. At the corners, the timber can be connected in one of two ways - with or without a protrusion. First, the strapping crown is laid on the prepared foundation and connected into half a tree. This type of fastening is used regardless of the selected connection of subsequent rows. The first floor should be about three meters high. When the walls are laid to the required level, they make the ceiling and begin the second floor, if one is planned.

You cannot build turnkey houses from timber! You need to first install the timber frame for shrinkage, and only do everything in the second stage, 4–6 months after the shrinkage Finishing work, otherwise there may be big trouble.

Materials

The seal is used for wooden houses Often. Moss, felt or hemp are sold in convenient rolls, so cut into strips required sizes they are quite simple.

Floor

Insulation plays an important role in laying the floor, so the structure is made double. Insulation is placed between the two layers, which also soundproofs the room well. By using edged boards a subfloor is created.

It is customary to hem this material from the bottom, but such fastening is not reliable. To improve the characteristics of the building, a cranial beam is used, which must be attached to the joists.

By following simple rules, you can easily build any shaped house from timber. Such buildings are distinguished by practicality, speed of construction and aesthetics.

After preparing the tools, you can begin purchasing timber.

Which material is better to choose

For construction, you can use solid and profiled timber. Advantages of the first option:

Solid ones are several times cheaper than similar building materials.
Buying it is not a problem - it is sold on any construction market.
Such timber does not lose natural moisture, so the time for preparing wood is greatly reduced.
Where solid timber is used, there is no need to use special construction equipment.

The disadvantages when choosing solid timber are as follows:

Additionally, you will have to spend money on finishing. Since solid timber in itself is not beautiful, it is sheathed with clapboard or siding.

The tree in this version does not undergo a special drying procedure, so it may be damaged by fungus. To avoid this, treatment with special impregnations should be carried out in advance, and this is an additional expense.
If you use timber in whole the room will be less warm, since the roof joints are well ventilated.

Attention! Timber without a profile cracks after shrinkage. Solid wood housing needs sheathing on both sides.

Profiled version - as the name suggests, this type of timber requires the presence of a profile. Connections (tenons and grooves) are installed along its entire length.

The advantages include:

During construction, the walls turn out to be very smooth.
Profiled timber does not need cladding - it looks great on its own.
Intervention seams during construction are very tight, and the inside of the room is correspondingly warm.
Water from precipitation will not be able to get into the tight seams, which will prevent the wood from rotting.

Attention! Profiled timber has a small percentage of moisture, so it burns easily. Before construction, it must be treated with special fire-prevention impregnations.

Of the obvious disadvantages that this option has, we can note:

In the warm season, such timber may crack.
Walls made from this material are quite thin and require additional insulation outside.

Design and laying the foundation

Build beautiful house made from timber cheaply is quite possible. A self-made project will help reduce the construction budget. It roughly looks like this:

The house itself has a rectangular shape.
The roof is gable, maximum five. Angles and skylights increase the cost of work by approximately 40%.
There is no basement. This provides significant savings, since its presence increases costs by at least 30%.
The foundation is shallowly buried.
The building has 1 floor and few window openings.
There are no columns, balconies or bay windows.
The walls are decorated very simply.
The windows are of standard size.
The facade is traditional.

Once the project is approved, you can begin laying the foundation.

A timber house is built on concrete or wooden base. The first option is most often used. First, concrete is poured, then a brick base is built on it. Only on top of this structure do they begin to lay timber. Several types of foundation can be used as the basis for a wooden house:

recessed;
shallow;
tape type;
columnar.

In most cases, under wooden building Shallow and strip versions are prepared. The laying depth is 50-70 cm.

How to build walls, a roof, arrange a floor and decorate a home

On ready foundation The timber is laid in rows one on top of the other until the walls are of the required height. There are grooves made in the tree, with the help of which the logs fit tightly to each other. To make the walls stronger, be sure to use spikes designed for connection.

Attention! All seams must be caulked. This will make the walls windproof.

It is better not to skimp on materials when arranging a roof. You can choose a lot of options for different budgets. Experienced builders advise to equip various areas roofs with planks different sizes. For example, a board of 140x40 mm is required for rafters, and 100x40 mm for braces and racks.

When arranging the floor, you should also be guided by your own preferences. There must be a waterproofing layer under the screed, for which several material options can be used:

jellied composition;
coating materials;
roll waterproofing;
penetrating moisture protection.

The interior design of the floor also needs to be approached with careful consideration of all the details.

Advice. For housing built from beams, wood-based coatings, that is, parquet and laminate, are best suited.

The next stage of construction is the arrangement of heating, energy supply, sewerage, and water supply. At the same stage, doors between rooms are installed, finishing coat floor and ceiling.

External wall decoration is also selected based on the preferences of future residents. Siding, lining, paint will do. In the case where the timber has excellent appearance, you can leave outside without finishing.

Photos and video materials attached to the article will help you get more information about construction. Of course, self-build houses made of timber are not an easy task. However, if you maintain the technology, you can get a reliable, beautiful and inexpensive home for yourself and your family.