Build a half-timbered house. Half-timbered houses

The sight of cute houses built using half-timbered technology pleases the eye and makes you want to touch these with your hands. beautiful buildings, settle in them. Put such a beautiful house on your suburban area can be done without any problems, for this it is necessary to observe all the subtleties of half-timbered technology and choose high-quality materials for construction.

What is half-timbered

Translated from German, this is a panel in operation, i.e. This frame construction, which was used in medieval architecture in Central and Northern Europe. Presumably, it arose as a result of processing the construction techniques of the ancient Romans.

Back in the first centuries AD, the ancient Romans built military camps using so-called Roman concrete. The Romans, during construction, wooden log houses hammered with a mixture of cement and gravel, i.e. built a wooden frame, then filled it with stone or brick with cement mortar, A vertical racks, struts, horizontal beams were not hidden inside, but brought to the surface of the wall.

The base of the frame was whitened with lime and chalk, but the frame itself remained dark, the natural color of wood. Thus, a unique pattern was created, with a decorative motif, and in the urban development of the 14th-16th centuries in the cities of Germany and England, the half-timbered pattern was quite complex.

Construction of the foundation

Before constructing a building, the site should be prepared and the soil examined. To build a house using half-timbered technology, any foundation used in construction is suitable wooden houses.
But it must be taken into account that a half-timbered building, like any wooden frame structure, is quite light, therefore bearing structures will not put significant pressure on the foundation.

If this building is being erected on a site where there are heaving soils, it is necessary reliable foundation, preventing it from being squeezed out by groundwater into winter time. In conclusion, we can say that the foundation should be chosen, first of all, focusing on the characteristics of the soil. It can be strip, slab, columnar or pile.

Frame installation

To isolate from moisture, a layer of waterproofing is laid on top of the foundation, then the first piping crown is installed from timber with a cross-section of 50x200 mm. The timber must first be treated with antiseptics. The parts of the lower part of the frame are attached to the strapping crown.

The rigidity and strength of the frame of a half-timbered house is given by various connections of parts, such as: a hidden tenon, dovetail, half-wood, wooden dowels are used to secure the parts.
Many thousands of wooden houses in Europe, which have been standing for 300-500 years, were built in this way and this is the best proof of the reliability of this technology.

Dovetail mount

This is an old way of fastening wooden parts, a rather complex and labor-intensive type of connection, it is not necessary to use it often; it is enough to fix the wooden elements at a distance of 3-4 meters to ensure the necessary rigidity of the structure. “Dovetail” is used when connecting elements of a supporting structure in the most critical places.

Main distinctive features

Half-timbered houses have a rigid supporting frame made of vertical posts, horizontal beams and braces (diagonal elements), which are the main distinguishing feature of the half-timbered structure.

Braces provide stability to frames. In order to hide the fastenings, visible parts of the frame, not covered by the casing, are connected to each other in a groove and tenon.

Rack installation step

The installation step of the load-bearing racks depends on the requirements of the project, where door and window openings are taken into account; they can be different in width, which affects the distance between the racks, but not more than 3-4 meters.

Connection of floor beams and rafters

For floor beams and rafters, use an edged board of one section 50x200 mm, pre-treated with fire-bioprotective agents.

All elements of the wall frame, which will be hidden under the cladding, since they are not visible parts of the half-timbered structure, are mounted from edged boards with a cross-section of 45x145 mm treated with fire-bioprotective preparations.
Upon completion of the installation of the walls, they install rafter system hipped roof. The technology of building a house, until the walls are covered, differs little from a conventional frame one.

Installation of wall cladding elements

Modern technologies, when insulating walls, no longer use reeds and clay for these purposes, which previously filled the space between the load-bearing beams.

Currently used for these purposes modern insulation materials type basalt wool, gas silicate blocks. The main distinguishing feature of a half-timbered building is that the posts, beams and braces in the wall of the outer plane must remain visible.

DSP wall cladding

The outer walls of the house are covered with cement particle boards, after which a windproof material is laid, then a layer of insulation, such as basalt wool, is covered. vapor barrier material, and then they sew up the wall from the inside with the same slab for interior work, plasterboard or glass-magnesium sheets.

Glass magnesium sheet

Glass-magnesium sheet (FMS) is a new, high-quality building material; it can replace plasterboard, gypsum fiber sheet, asbestos-cement boards and fiber cement panels.

LSU is not flammable and moisture resistant; in addition, it has good impact-resistant characteristics, like fiber cement panels; it is quite difficult to break it.

Choosing roofing material

In the modern construction of such houses, metal tiles are chosen as the roofing material.

Finishing of external walls

Ready Wall panels plastered and painted with white paint, leaving the tops of the floor beams visible (since roof overhangs are not sewn up using this technology, this is also a distinctive feature of half-timbered architecture), and also wooden elements frame (posts, beams and braces) are coated with tinting impregnation for wood based natural oils, preferably dark shades.

Frame elements visually break up the white walls and give the house special expressiveness. Designers use different colors, from light brown to black, to create very interesting design projects. Modern market is a large assortment plastic windows whose prices are not so high. Combination of plastic windows beautiful shape with a variety of colors, gives an individual look to the building.

Features of interior decoration

Beams ceilings, inside the house, also remain visible and act as elements of home decoration.

Half-timbered houses are a type. A building built using this technology can be easily recognized by its characteristic wall paneling. This type of construction is most common in Europe. In our country, this technology is not yet very popular.

However half-timbered construction is gaining more and more supporters, which is not surprising. Thoughtful design, use of natural environmentally friendly pure material- these are not all the reasons why the number of half-timbered houses increases every year.

Features of half-timbered houses

Half-timbered structure (German: Fachwerk - frame structure, half-timbered structure) is a type of building structure in which the supporting base is a spatial section of inclined (at different angles) beams.

These beams are visible from outside home and give the building a characteristic appearance; the space between the beams is filled with adobe material, brick, and sometimes also wood. Half-timbering appeared in the 15th century in Germany and became very popular in Europe, especially in the northern part (from Britain to Poland). In the 20th century, this style experienced a new heyday thanks to the medieval flavor and the effect of natural building materials.

Half-timbered technology refers to low-rise construction, most often such houses have 1 - 2 floors and less often 3 - 4. It can combine several materials: wood, stone, glass. The basis of the building is a frame made of laminated veneer lumber. In this case, the timber is connected at different angles, which gives the frame additional rigidity.

Video: Construction of a half-timbered frame house

Filling the gaps is done with a wide variety of materials. At first, the filling was done with adobe, but now they use brick, glass, OSB, etc.

The walls in half-timbered houses are not load-bearing; the load is taken by the frame, which is not hidden under the cladding, but rather stands out and is the main architectural element.

A building built using half-timbered technology is warm due to the use of insulation. An additional bonus is the possibility of unlimited redevelopment. Since the walls are load-bearing, they can be moved or removed without the risk of collapse.

The installation of such a house is quite complicated, but if you have experience working with wood, you can easily handle it yourself. Of course, professionals will cope with this task faster and you can be confident in the quality and reliability of the design.

Construction of a half-timbered building

Half-timbered construction begins with a project. Therefore, it is better to entrust the construction of houses using this technology to specialists. Since the frame uses connections characteristic only for this type of construction, it will be difficult to make independent calculations.

In order to correctly position such connections as: man, half-man, corner man, wilderman or St. Andrew's cross, you need to know this style well and have knowledge of spatial geometry.

Foundation and frame assembly

When the project is already in hand, you can start pouring the foundation and preparing material for the frame. It is better to perform these two actions simultaneously - while the foundation is being poured at the site, frame parts are being made at the factory.

A house built using half-timbered technology is not heavy, so a shallow foundation can be used. After the base is ready, waterproofing is laid on it and piping is done.

Used for strapping wooden beam which is secured with anchor bolts. Then the remaining elements are connected in strict accordance with the project.

Wall material

After installing the frame, you can begin to fill the gaps, that is, mount the walls. Any material you like is suitable for these purposes: brick, foam concrete or gas silicate blocks, stone, cement - particle boards, OSB, gypsum fiber, lining () and others.

The main thing is that they meet the following requirements:

• moisture resistance;
• good heat saving indicators;
• strength;
• light weight;
• environmental friendliness.

When using materials with heavy weight, the foundation must be adequate. When making walls, it is worth considering that the frame of half-timbered buildings must be open from the outside.

The façade can be finished with decorative plastic slabs imitating brick, but most often it is used.

Roof

Of all types of roofs for half-timbered buildings, the gable roof is most often used. Distinctive feature Such a roof is the absence of an attic or attic, and large overhangs. Wide overhangs protect the walls from rain and the room from excess sunlight.

The materials for the roof can be: ondulin, metal tiles and other lightweight materials. Ceramic tiles It is not suitable for half-timbered houses due to its heavy weight.

Advantages of half-timbered buildings

A half-timbered house has a large number of advantages:

1. a massive foundation is not required - the structure is light, so it is enough to make a shallow-depth tape;
2. the building does not shrink much - therefore there is no risk of distortion;
3. half-timbered technology allows you to hide any communications in the niches of the walls or floor;
4. aesthetics is the main advantage, the house looks as if it came out of a picture of some fairy tale.

It is for these reasons that today more and more people are paying attention to half-timbered construction.

Flaws

Of course, we should not forget about the disadvantages:

• High cost of design and installation of the structure;
• The frame requires constant protection from weathering, mold and fire;
• In regions with a cold climate, additional thermal insulation will have to be done, which will increase the cost.

The technology for constructing half-timbered houses is considered the most complex, so it is very difficult to build such a house on your own. Therefore, it is better to invite specialists to build half-timbered structures.

Watch the video: ASSEMBLY OF A FACULTY TIMBER FRAME

Frame-panel buildings and structures belong to group II of housing capital. First of all, it includes half-timbered houses.

As an independent style of house construction, half-timbered houses originated in Germany in the 15th century. The word "half-timbered" is translated from German as a panel (panel) structure (Fach - panel, Werk - structure). Half-timbered structures were used for construction in a wide variety of areas. Houses, warehouses, hospitals, town halls and even small churches were built on wooden frames. Wooden structures perform both frame and decorative function. Today, half-timbered houses in the West are returning to modern life due to the large area of ​​glazing.

Half-timbered houses in the center of Europe gave the medieval city its originality, but were quite harsh in terms of everyday comfort. Due to the fact that the enclosing structures of these structures had high thermal conductivity (in most cases their thickness did not exceed 14-16 cm), device on extensive unheated attics living quarters for servants - reduced heat loss through the coating. With numerous design flaws, considered cold even for the mild winters of Holland, these houses, nevertheless, became an integral element of the local color. In addition, frame housing made it possible to quickly minimum investment solve the most pressing housing problem. However, even well-preserved buildings in the historical zones of Western European cities have numerous destructions and cracks along the southern facades, since this is where the consequences of uneven overheating first appear.

The reconstruction of old half-timbered buildings abroad is accompanied by the restoration of reprints of the early 18th-19th centuries on the construction of half-timbered houses, starting with the study of the most important components from the point of view of reconstruction. The richest material, even in terms of local history, was collected in Leipzig and other cities that suffered during the war.

Solutions for curtain rod assemblies still cause many difficulties. In spring, in our cities everywhere you can see wet walls in the under-eaves with numerous cracks from the corners of the building. Classic cornice solutions always remain relevant.

The enclosing structures of the half-timbered house are a double system of intersecting wooden beams, the space between them was filled with roughly burnt clay blocks, many of which were poorly preserved at the time of reconstruction. If local materials were available, sandstone, etc. was used instead of clay fragments. materials that do not have sufficient durability. Fragments of wooden sheathing in many places were rotten, collapsed and required replacement.

A half-timbered structure consists of a wooden frame and filler - clay or bricks, which fill the gaps between the beams. Structural elements it also performs a decorative function. Wooden beams visible from the outside give the viewer a clear idea of ​​the structure of the building, hence the need for such standard elements classical architecture, such as cornices, friezes or pilasters, is eliminated.

But wooden half-timbered buildings had a serious drawback: vulnerability to fire (although oak wood is relatively resistant to fire) high temperatures). In addition, wood in contact with the filler was subject to increased rotting and biological damage.

City authorities often took fire precautions by prohibiting thatched roofs or by erecting thick stone firewalls (as, for example, in Osnabrück).

Replacement was encouraged in cities wooden facades stone, like in Nuremberg. This process apparently began earlier than many researchers assume. For example, house 12 Ober Krämergasse in Nuremberg acquired a stone façade no later than 1398. However, on appearance this had almost no effect on the building, with the exception of the configuration of the windows.

Initially they were grouped in threes, and the middle window in each trio was located slightly higher than the side ones (this arrangement of windows was common throughout Upper Germany and Switzerland). The neighboring buildings with a wooden frame on stone plinths (houses 16 and 18 Unter Kremergasse) date back to a later period, 1452 - 1560.

The materials used for the construction of the building were not always determined by the prosperity of the city dweller-customer. The quality of some half-timbered buildings, commissioned by powerful guilds or wealthy patricians, was exceptionally high. A typical guild building from around 1480, the Brotherhood of Michael guild stands on the market square of the wooden town of Fritzlar. It is clearly distinguished from neighboring residential buildings by a hall located on the ground floor, into which two arcades with pointed arches lead, and a bay window spanning three floors - from the second to the fourth. At roof level, this bay window transforms into an octagonal tower with a spire. Such a narrow building is the result of legislative restrictions related to city planning: small plots were allocated for houses with facades facing the street. The design of this guild building dates back to the Franconian tradition wooden architecture, common in Central and Western Germany.

In Ehingen (Swabia), the new building of the Hospital of the Holy Spirit, built in the characteristic Alemannic tradition of half-timbering, which prevailed in all southwestern German states, has survived to this day. Her distinctive features, in particular, are small windows squeezed into narrow spaces between jumpers, and large distances between frame posts. These posts, together with the struts, form various geometric figures, which were given anthropomorphic names. On the first floor of this hospital there was an almshouse, on the second and third floors there were rooms for the so-called “scientists” and servants. The kitchen was originally also located on the third floor.

The house on Knochenhauerstrasse in Braunschweig can serve as an example of the half-timbered structure typical of Lower Saxony (although this type wooden structures also found throughout northern Germany). True, only fragments of the ancient building have survived, but they clearly demonstrate character traits of this type: all the beams are located at right angles to each other, the upper floors project far forward, the frame posts are separated by narrow intervals, and, finally, rows of windows placed closely together form the so-called “clerestory”. The window sills, decorated with carvings, a screw frieze, inscriptions and typical late Gothic ornaments, anticipate the lavish decorative carvings of the 16th century.

In 1480, the Junker-Hansen Tower was erected in Neustadt near Marburg - a round fortified building of mixed construction, in which stone was combined with a wooden frame. This tower served to protect the castle and a small village. Architecturally, it is a cross between a castle donjon and a fortress wall bastion.

In Germany, for more than ten years, there have been special excursions - “Fachirwork Street”.

Half-timbered houses are also found in France, Great Britain, Austria, Belgium, Holland, and Scandinavian countries, but Germany is especially famous for them.

In modern Germany there are about two million half-timbered buildings. But, of course, the excursion route does not cover them all. The first part of the German “half-timbered street” was laid from Weserbergland to Vogelsberg back in 1990. And now “Fachwerk Street” covers more than 2.6 thousand kilometers and passes through more than 100 cities in different federal states.

Today there are nine routes along roads and towns, which are monuments to the seven hundred and even thousand-year history of the country (construction using this technology began a very long time ago, but its peak was in the 16th century). The oldest surviving half-timbered houses are located, in particular, in Esslingen. The buildings of this city are about 750 years old. The oldest houses in Limburg an der Lahn were built in 1289 (however, there are older buildings of this type in Germany).

A “half-timbered house” is a house built according to a certain model: a rigid supporting frame of posts (vertical elements), beams (horizontal elements) and braces (diagonal elements), on which the roof rested. Beams were most often made from durable and strong oak. Upper floors sometimes they were built from pine or spruce. It’s amazing, but even today, several centuries later, you can sometimes notice Roman numerals on the beams - with them, even on the ground, before assembling the frame, the builders marked the place of each beam in the overall structure.

To save money, only plinths were built from stone. More prosperous people allowed themselves to build the entire first floor of stone in two or three-story houses.

The builders filled the space between the frame elements with reeds, branches, chips, straw and other things mixed with clay. construction waste(and in England they also added for warmth sheep wool). Thus, wood was saved during construction,
and besides, the filled “cracks” allowed the house to breathe - it was neither particularly hot in summer nor cold in winter. Later they began to fill the space with bricks, and often they also laid it out with beautiful ornaments.

The resulting panels were plastered, and the frame itself was usually left in sight. Half-timbered buildings still catch the eye today with their clearly separated dark and white elements. Rich townspeople filled the inter-frame space with carved wooden panels. These architectural delights became especially popular at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries.

Half-timbered buildings have their own terminology, used for centuries. Basically, it indicates the peculiarities of the location of beams in buildings. Thus, the form of crossing, similar to the Latin letter “x”, is called “St. Andrew’s Cross” (after the name of the Apostle Andrew, crucified on such a cross). Based on the “St. Andrew’s Cross,” a richer ornamental motif appeared, similar to the Russian letter “zh.” It became a symbol of fire and at the same time protection from fire. The other form is called "Man", or " Wild man" In it, the lateral obliquely located sections of beams intersect at a third or in the middle of the height of the load-bearing vertical beam. A design in which the oblique sections of the beams do not intersect is called the “Swabian woman”.

On the corner beams of the walls you can often see ornamental curls similar to the letter S. They served as amulets against lightning. Frightening masks in the corners of houses are also “security”. Rosettes were symbols of the sun and were believed to bring fertility and abundance.

Half-timbered houses in Europe are distinguished both by style and by national characteristics. For example, British and French half-timbers have a distinctly vertically striped appearance, while German ones have several variations, but with one common tendency towards original ornamentation on the facade.

Half-timbered buildings were influenced by fashionable architectural trends: Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance. The facades of half-timbered buildings built during the Renaissance period are decorated with decorative elements typical of that style: rosettes, shells, acanthus leaves, wreaths, garlands, vases of flowers, mascarons, etc.

From the Baroque, half-timbered frames have allegorical figures and high gables with powerful curls at the edges. Often, on the corner of the building or on the console supporting the bay window, figures of burghers or characters from Sacred History appeared.

Dates, coats of arms and entire boards with inscriptions located on the facades became a special part of the decor. They indicated who owned the house, what craft workshop the homeowner belonged to, or what he did professionally. And sometimes they wrote something additional on the façade: wishes for well-being, various moralizing sayings. Actually, this is the prototype of our current house numbering.

Half-timbered buildings began to go out of fashion in the mid-18th century. Wealthier townspeople wanted to use modern utilities, but they did not go well with the half-timbered structure. And only in the 20th century, nostalgia for the old days forced engineers to come up with ways to combine modern and ancient construction: this is how reconstructed half-timbered buildings appeared in many towns, and even in large Frankfurt. Left in them external walls, and the “filling” was completely replaced with a modern one.

The construction of frame houses is the main direction in construction today. The foundation of a frame structure is most often made using the columnar-ribbon type. A wooden frame is installed on the foundation, which is assembled according to the honeycomb principle in increments of 5-6 centimeters. The frame is made of timber made from coniferous wood, dried to 15% moisture content.

The wood is pre-treated with impregnations against insect damage, rotting, fire, as well as antiseptics. After installing the supporting structure, it is sheathed on the outside with a moisture-resistant slab, and the inside of the wall is filled with various fire-resistant insulation materials. To prevent wind and moisture from destroying your frame, it is sheathed on both sides with a vapor-permeable membrane, i.e. frame house- a “breathing” house.

Inside, after installing the membrane, the frame is sheathed with plasterboard. After this, networks and communications are laid out, also covered with plasterboard. The result is a wall 20 cm thick, with all communications hidden in the walls.

Plus frame house is that finishing of the living space can be done immediately after construction work. That is, from the idea of ​​creating a house to moving in, no more than 3-4 months will pass.

It is believed that these houses are very economical due to thinner walls compared to houses made of logs or timber. If, in accordance with the climatic characteristics of Russia, the external walls log house should be at least 20 cm, then for a frame house 15 cm is quite enough. However, it should be remembered that the durability of a wooden house is 50 years, and a frame-panel house – 30.

Thanks to the effective combination of wood, insulation and insulating materials, it is possible to build a frame house suitable for almost any climate zone. It is the versatility of this technology, the ability to develop a project for each individual order that has made the construction of frame houses so attractive today.

Due to their low durability, reconstruction of half-timbered houses continues today. But now they are approaching it more boldly, which allows for vast accumulated experience.

The old roof, covered with polyethylene, is being rebuilt as an additional floor, and a building is being built above it. attic floor, exactly following the contours of the old roof. And, although there is practically no structural timber left in Europe, all work is carried out using wooden load-bearing structures, since their low weight does not add additional load to the existing foundation.

In Western Europe, when during the reconstruction of historical half-timbered buildings, the appearance structures - load-bearing structures and thermal sanitation of the structure are carried out only from the inside of the building, due to the reduction of the internal usable area.

After the refurbishment of the wooden half-timbered structures, a thick wall was erected inside the building. 24 cm, most often from porous hollow bricks in such a way that between it and half-timbered wall there is a gap in 12 cm: 8 cm- for styling thermal insulation material, A 4 cm– for ventilation of a half-timbered wall.

As a result of the measures taken, the thickness of the external walls, as a rule, increases to 56 cm, which reduces living space. In this case, the question arises about populating the attics. To do this, it is necessary to replace those not designed for the increased constant load. wooden beams floors, which by that time in many structures have completely exhausted their service life. In addition, during the reconstruction of half-timbered houses, a device is made modern bathrooms, including in the attic floors.

When solving the problems that arose, European builders took the most difficult path for themselves, completing projects and carrying out all work in the most gentle manner for ancient buildings. The inner wall is made of half-timbered walls, with exact adherence to the ligation system that the outer walls had, so replacing floor beams does not cause difficulties, since the new beams rest on the half-timbered walls interior wall, which had a higher load-bearing capacity.

The need to preserve the ancient appearance also complicates the exterior decoration. The outside of the house is plastered in three layers, each layer having to dry completely before the next one is applied. The amount of cement binder decreases from the inner layer to the outer one. Mineral is applied on top facade paint. The seams of the renovated wooden half-timbering are not only carefully preserved, but also deepened, and the preserved details of the external clay walls remain in their original form.

Since the main heat loss in a building occurs through windows, window openings there were few in such structures; they were made small, since they were fitted between the half-timbered beams.

That's why interior spaces were not sufficiently insulated. When constructing new window openings during reconstruction, we tried not to interfere with the existing half-timbered system. Towards the attic, the step of the half-timbered frames at the ends of the structure was further reduced; the installation of windows could completely change the architectural appearance of the structure. At the end of the 40s of the twentieth century, the first models of Swedish-made inclined roof windows appeared. When reconstructing historical buildings, they were given preference, first of all, because they practically did not change the existing appearance of the building merging with pitched roof. And only during the period of operation it was found that roof windows let in 40% more light than ordinary ones.

Reconstruction of half-timbered houses of 49 and the end of the 80s of the outgoing century. The first dormer windows were made blind, without the possibility of opening

After the reconstruction and renovation of the housing stock of historical buildings, the attitude towards attics has changed. With water supply, elevator, electrical wiring attics acquired the status of elite housing. Modern communications have not only made the attic floor equal to any other, but even made it more preferable in terms of comfort.

The construction of houses using this technology consists of constructing monolithic foundation, with a pre-calculated depth, depending on existing climatic conditions.

Next, walls are built, for example from laminated veneer lumber, which should be covered antiseptics, and then, after building the frame itself, with varnish that protects it from environmental influences.

As building material mainly used conifers. Half-timbered houses have a load-bearing rigid frame made of vertically placed posts, beams placed horizontally and diagonally located braces, which constitute the peculiarity of the entire structure.

The empty space between the walls of such houses must be filled various building materials, and the building will receive rigidity thanks to the same braces. Fastening the structural parts will increase the strength level of the frame.

Any plot of land can be selected for the construction of a house using half-timbered technology. When constructing a half-timbered building, it becomes possible to turn absolutely any architectural plans and fantasies into reality.

Fachwerk is one of the types of frame house construction. The supporting basis of the structure of a half-timbered house is a frame of pillars, beams and struts connected into a single system. Born in medieval Germany, such houses for a long time determined the appearance of European cities and became a kind of symbol of that era.

Origin and stages of development

This technology has its roots in ancient times, when Germanic tribes lived in forests and their main building material was wood. At first, the construction of pillar structures was not something complicated: the supports were simply placed on the ground. But many years of observations separation of craft from trade and advanced training of carpenters contributed to the spread and improvement of this technology.

Medieval Germany

Written sources indicate that such houses appeared in Germany in the 10th century, but such construction became widespread in the 15th century. They didn’t know how to make wooden beams at that time, so the frame of the house was made of logs. It was placed on stones dug into the ground to avoid rotting. The space between beams, braces and pillars was filled with clay, straw, small stones and other cheap materials. Rich people could afford bricks. The outside of the house was whitewashed; wealthier citizens also used more expensive finishes.

Distribution throughout Europe

The ease of construction has made half-timbered buildings a very popular type of urban development in Europe. TO XVI century it spread to England and Poland, then to France, and with German merchants it reached southeastern Europe. In some places this technology became predominant, in other places it coexisted and complemented the local one. So, in a number of cities the first floor was stone, and the second half-timbered.

In each country, such houses had their own national characteristics, but there were also a number of common features. Thus, the second floors of buildings hung over the first. Scientists are still arguing about what was the reason for this. Perhaps the owners were expanding living space in the crowded conditions of the city, or maybe in this way they tried to protect the first floor from the rain. Most likely, both factors played a role, because in regions with large Due to the amount of precipitation (for example, in Normandy), this problem led to the expansion of the roof and the appearance of numerous canopies.

Current state of historical buildings

Today, half-timbered houses built in the Middle Ages still serve as housing. The oldest such building, located in the German city of Quedlinburg, is almost 700 years old. The historical quarters of European cities are still built with them, That is best advertising such technology.

It cannot be said that the preservation of these houses is impeccable: they also require maintenance and repair, and in some provincial cities some of these buildings are located in in emergency condition. Nevertheless, in Germany, the birthplace of technology, there is no rush to demolish half-timbered houses - after all, they are witnesses of history and part of the national culture.

After the 18th century, half-timbered wood lost its popularity. They returned to it later, when they appreciated the test of time and environmental friendliness of such houses. Of course, it is not always possible to follow exactly old technology, And modern house will be different from its predecessor.

A significant advantage of building such a house is that there is no need for heavy equipment. You can build a half-timbered structure with your own hands; this is easiest for people with carpentry skills. Such houses do not require massive foundations even in Russia with its frozen soil. If there is no groundwater in the area, a shallowly buried strip is sufficient; if the groundwater level is high, it can be arranged columnar foundation with a grillage.

Frame design

The peculiarity of half-timbered timber is that the frame is not covered with external finishing, but remains on outdoors. Therefore, when choosing a material, pay attention to this feature and the climate in your region. In medieval Germany, the frame of the house was made of oak. This wood is now expensive, so the following materials are suitable for the frame:

• dry coniferous timber;
• larch timber;
• laminated veneer lumber.

Softwood lumber best quality in Russia they are produced in Karelia and the Arkhangelsk region. Larch is a Siberian tree, very resistant to decay, but with one drawback - it is expensive.

The frame will have to be designed in advance. All its parts are connected to each other by various studded fastenings (secret tenon, dovetail, etc.) and dowels, which cannot be made by weight. Rigidity is provided by a system of braces, which have special names depending on the location of the beams:

• half-man;
• corner man;
• small man;
• wilderman;
• corner wilderman;
• St. Andrew's cross.

When you have prepared all the details of the frame, you can begin its installation. It begins with a strapping, which is laid on a layer of waterproofing and secured with anchors to the foundation. Then the pillars and purlins are installed, and after them - the braces. After their installation, the structure will be rigid, and you can begin to cover and install the second floor.

The roof truss system is part of the frame and the same fasteners are used when installing it.

Despite the fact that in the old days hardware was not used to connect parts, in especially loaded parts of the frame are better together with studded apply and fastening corner.

Wall materials

Previously, the gaps between the frame parts were filled with adobe - a mixture of straw and clay. This is an affordable and lightweight material that served as both fencing and insulation. Nowadays people prefer more modern materials, and used in filling:

• brick;
• aerated concrete;
• OSB sheathing with cellulose or mineral wool insulation.

In Russian conditions, filling can be combined. For example, use foam glass as the outer layer, and aerated concrete no more than 25 cm wide as the inner layer. Foam glass has very good adhesion to the plaster, and the appearance of such a house will be quite traditional. It is not worth making the filling from heavy materials, and if you decide to do this in advance, take care of the appropriate foundation.

The interior decoration of such houses can be anything. You can leave the frame visible (in our conditions we will have to make it from thick timber), or you can close it. A half-timbered structure will allow you to realize all your fantasies regarding the internal structure of your home.

Modern trends and old problems

In recent has intensified for two decades the trend of filling walls with continuous glazing. Such houses look very interesting, the rooms in them have excellent insolation and allow you to have a wide view: you are in the house and at the same time you can watch nature.

Half-timbered technology came to the USA with the first settlers, but now such houses are built somewhat differently. There is no frame on the outside, and the fact that the house is half-timbered can only be recognized from the inside, that is, the aesthetics of the external facade have been transferred inside.

In Germany, old houses - a big problem for restoration and reconstruction. At one time, the walls of such houses were reinforced with internal self-supporting walls in order to relieve the load on the frame and repair it. This reduced the usable area of ​​the premises, which is why living rooms began to appear in the attic - sometimes even more than one floor. But this did not solve the problem, because the rafter system also rested on the frame, and modern communications (the same bathrooms) weigh much more than the old traditional furnishings.

Despite its long history, half-timbered wood has inherent disadvantages, which forced Europeans to abandon it in the century before last. First of all, it is a fire hazard. When there is only one such house on the entire street, this is not a problem, but when they stand for entire blocks close to each other, as was the case in medieval cities, the fire of one house could lead to tragedy. There was a time when Nuremberg even gave subsidies to those who replaced half-timbered houses with a stone house. This problem can be partly solved today, but certain rules must be followed when operating such houses.

The second problem with such houses is getting wet. Firstly, it leads to rotting, and secondly, on the south side, thanks to the sun, cracks form due to constant drying out. For decreasing negative impact external environment, the outside of the frame has always been painted, and this treatment is still required. Modern impregnations help with this even better, but if you want to preserve the texture of the wood, you should choose transparent options for such impregnations.

Half-timbered buildings as an architectural phenomenon

Half-timbered technology is traditional for wooden architecture in Germany, where each historical region has its own traditions of such house construction. It has never been typical for Russia. We are more familiar with the aesthetics of such houses, sometimes called gingerbread houses. If it is not practical to build a real German house on the site, facade imitation is often used, which can be either painting in the appropriate style or decorating the facade using polyurethane and composite boards.

But the principle of the supporting frame itself had a significant influence on construction technologies. A continuation of the half-timbered houses is frame house construction, although there is no external resemblance. Even in industrial construction, frame has become the dominant type of construction. If an engineer who is not closely familiar with German traditions is asked what a half-timbered structure is, a metal brace will come to his mind first. The frame made of rolled metal - channels and I-beams - is made precisely according to this principle; the only difference between such systems and classical ones is the bolted connections of the structural parts.

All that prevents the wider distribution of half-timbered houses in the world is the low heat capacity of such houses. This is a common problem in frame buildings, and so far there are no technological solutions that can eliminate it. For Russian conditions this is especially true.

Half-timbered houses appeared in Europe in the Middle Ages. Their walls were a frame made of timber, the voids of which were filled with stone, rubble or brick. A frame made of timber divides the half-timbered façade into rectangles and triangles, which gives the building a distinctive design.

Modern half-timbered houses

A modern half-timbered structure resembles its predecessor only in that it is made in the same architectural style. The projects stipulate that the beams and racks of the frame are made of antiseptic-impregnated or laminated veneer lumber, and the jibs are made of edged boards. Insulation - mineral or stone wool - is placed in the voids of the frame. This half-timbered structure has good strength and heat-saving characteristics. On the facade, only areas filled with insulation are covered, leaving the frame free.

Nowadays the Art Nouveau style dominates in half-timbered architecture. Projects of half-timbered houses in the Art Nouveau style are different:

• large roof overhangs;
• wide beams;
• glass walls and large windows.

This creates a visual effect of the absence of complete walls and only the frame catches the eye. The popularity of half-timbering has led to the fact that not only frame buildings, but also houses built using other technologies. At the same time, materials imitating timber give the façade its characteristic appearance.

Glass half-timbered walls are used to decorate verandas, living rooms, summer houses. For all their attractiveness, they do not provide good thermal insulation houses.

Stages of construction of half-timbered houses

The construction of half-timbered houses includes several stages, each of which determines the service life and operational characteristics of the buildings, so deviations from the project are unacceptable.

Preparatory stage

The first step is:

• purchase a plot of land;
• select a project;
• bring temporary communications to the site;
• prepare materials.

When choosing a land plot, the proximity of communications, consumer services and trade enterprises, the condition of roads and the environmental situation are taken into account.

A standard project will cost much less than an individual one. It practically eliminates errors and the construction technology is worked out in detail. Based on a standard project, you can order a house kit, which will greatly simplify and speed up the assembly of the frame. House under construction individual project, is expensive, but the developer has the opportunity to live in the house of his dreams.

After choosing a project, electricity and water are supplied to the construction site, the area is fenced and materials are delivered.

Foundation

Half-timbered construction technology allows the construction of lightweight walls, so the requirements for foundations are significantly reduced - it is enough to build columnar or pile foundations. Concrete foundations should gain strength within a month, the foundations are screw piles can be loaded immediately after screwing in. Two layers of waterproofing are laid on top of the foundations.

Walls

The technology for constructing half-timbered walls is as follows:

• to the foundation on anchor bolts fasten the beams of the lower trim (beam 150x150 - 200x200 mm);
• racks (beams or edged board 50x150 mm);
• assembled at the level of floor beams top harness from timber;
• level the frame and install permanent jibs.

Roof

Wooden floor beams are laid on the top frame, the mauerlat is laid and the rafter system is assembled. The sheathing is nailed to the rafters and roofing material is laid. Heavy roofing materials use is not recommended.

Completion of construction

At the final stage:

• fill window and door openings;
• insulate walls and roof;
• lay internal communications;
• perform internal and external cladding walls;
• lay floors and sheathe the ceiling.

House insulation technology half-timbered style has no features - slabs stone wool inserted between the frame beams in several layers and covered windproof membrane from the street side. Communications are laid inside the walls. Any finishing materials can be used for internal cladding; for external cladding - OSB, moisture resistant plywood, siding, cement fiber boards.

Advantages and disadvantages of half-timbered technology

Half-timbered houses have the following advantages:

• unique style of façade design;
• strong and durable half-timbered structure;
• high speed of construction;
• environmental and fire safety;
• warm walls.

Disadvantages arise when construction technology is violated and low-quality materials are used.

Anyone who is familiar with carpentry can build half-timbered houses with their own hands. If you assemble a frame in the half-timbered style from a house kit, the requirements for the qualifications of builders are much lower.

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