Which is better: a house made of timber or logs. What is better: profiled timber or rounded logs for building a house? Comparison of logs and profiled beams

You have decided to build wooden house, but you can’t decide - from logs or from timber? In our article we will try to help you choose material for your home.

View of the facade.

There are projects that look better in logs, others in lumber, and many that are equally attractive in both materials. For most standard projects, we have built many houses both in logs and timber. You can choose a project, and we will send you photos of houses built according to it in different materials.

House according to the “European” project made of timber

House according to the European project made of logs

Price.

We build houses that do not require further insulation. Therefore, we do not use thin, cheap timber as wall material. In our company the most inexpensive material is a rounded log. The next most expensive will be profiled timber natural humidity, a little more expensive - profiled timber of chamber drying (dry timber), and the most expensive material is laminated veneer lumber. The price of a log house made of laminated veneer lumber is 75% higher than the cost of the same structure made of logs with a diameter of 220 mm. When constructing walls from dry timber, their cost will be 35% more expensive than log walls of the same diameter. When choosing a log of larger diameter, the difference in the cost of a log house made of logs and timber is reduced.

It is worth noting that the cost of a log house is only 1/3 of the price that you will have to pay for a turnkey house. The remaining 2/3 will be the cost of the foundation, roofing, painting of exterior and interior walls, installation of windows and doors, installation of floors and partitions, installation engineering systems. The price of these works almost does not depend on the wall material. Therefore the real difference in price finished house from laminated veneer lumber and the same from logs is no more than 20%, and from dry timber the cost of a turnkey house is only 10% higher than its cost from rounded logs.

What's warmer?

The warmth in a wooden house directly depends on the correctly selected wall thickness, on the technology and quality of assembly of the log house.

Log houses are assembled from profiled elements with bowls cut in production, which, when assembled, form a labyrinthine castle. Jute (a natural inter-crown insulation with antiseptic properties) is placed in the grooves between the crowns, and the bowls are wrapped with the same insulation. This technology minimizes blowing both between the crowns of the structure and in the corner joints.

For log cabins, the “cutting” of the material is carried out in production using the “lunar groove” technology. As well as in timber houses, jute is placed between the crowns and in the bowls. But, labyrinth bowls on a log are not sawn, so a log house made of logs is less airtight, and after shrinkage, caulking of the bowls of the outer walls is often required, and sometimes caulking between the crowns.

Thus, subject to construction technology, houses made of logs and timber are equally warm. The main thing is to correctly select the thickness of the wall material depending on the size of the house and the seasonality of living in it, and ensure high-quality assembly by a professional team.

Cracks.

In rounded logs, the formation of cracks occurs more intensely than in profiled timber from kiln drying. And if in dry timber small cracks Although they may exist, they are practically absent in glued wood.

We draw your attention to the fact that we are talking only about material that has undergone chamber drying in full compliance with its technology, and in the production of laminated veneer lumber, high-quality glue is used, and the moisture content of the lamellas does not exceed 12%.

It is worth noting that if you want to build yourself a house from logs, then cracks are not at all a reason to give up your dream. Their appearance can be minimized if you cover at least with white covering material or mesh during the shrinkage period. sunny side, where the most cracks form.

Construction timeframe.

The log is a material of natural moisture. Therefore, before you begin finishing work in a house built from this material, you need to let it dry. To do this, after assembly, it will take 6-12 months for shrinkage, which will be about 7%.

Kiln-dried profiled timber has a moisture content of 15-20%, laminated timber has a moisture content of 10-14%. Long-term shrinkage is not required for log houses made of dry materials. But if you built big house with a complex roof, then before finishing work it is better to let it stand under a temporary roof for about 2 months in the warm season.

What did our clients choose?

We have built more than 400 houses. About 60% of our clients chose logs, 30% preferred dry timber, 10% preferred laminated timber. Houses made of timber with natural humidity in Lately almost never order. Compared to dry timber, the difference in price for wall material is insignificant, and the advantages of dry timber over “wet” timber are obvious: it does not shrink significantly, cracks do not appear on it, and such timber will not “lead” during shrinkage.

As a conclusion, it is worth noting that when asking the question “what is better - a log or timber?”, in most cases, clients already know the answer to this question. Some people like the originality of a round log, while others are attracted by its aesthetics smooth walls timber houses.

When building your own wooden house Every customer faces the problem of choosing a material. Developers offer a lot of options: houses made of profiled, glued and non-profiled timber, rounded logs and logs manual cutting, and frame houses. How to choose the best solution in this variety?

Today we invite you to take a closer look at houses made of timber and compare them with handmade log houses.

Houses made of timber are popular, primarily due to their low cost. Coniferous species are usually used for timber harvesting: pine, spruce, larch or cedar. The timber gets its shape when sawing: timber is cut from ordinary round timber at a sawmill the right size, with rectangular or square cross-section. Next comes sorting, when lumber with defects is rejected. As a result, a healthy beam remains, then it is calibrated by length and cross-section.

After calibration, the beam should dry. Timber with natural moisture does this in natural conditions; it is stacked on the site and covered. In this position, the logs are protected from rain, but can still be ventilated. Drying the timber can take up to several months.

There is another option - forced drying. It takes place in a special drying chamber, where the timber is placed for 2-4 weeks. After this, the material is sanded on a sawmill and then packaged for further transportation.

Today, houses made of timber are built using three main technologies: profiled timber, non-profiled timber and laminated veneer lumber.

Non-profiled timber

For houses made of non-profiled timber (natural humidity), timber with a humidity of more than 20% is used. The technology is suitable for those who do not have a large construction budget, and the duration of the process is not critical for the customer. Natural moisture timber differs from other technologies in the absence of long-term forced drying and sharpening. It doesn't pass drying chamber and dried in the open air. It is thanks to this that its cost is low.

Pricing is also influenced by the cross-sectional size of the timber, the amount of lumber (depending on the size and number of floors of the log house), the type of wood (usually spruce or pine) and the cutting season. Winter forest It is considered to be of the highest quality, which is why it costs more.

Of all the types of timber, this is the one most often chosen due to its low cost. But in pursuit of profit, it is important to know the main disadvantages of non-profiled timber:

• Large shrinkage. In houses made of timber with natural humidity, water occupies a little more than 1/5 of the entire log house. This means that in the first year such a house will undergo significant shrinkage. During this process, the timber is often cracks and loses its attractiveness Therefore, finishing work is required.
• Low resistance to environmental influences.
• The appearance can be spoiled not only by traces of bark beetles, but also by inter-crown insulation and noticeable seams.
• Due to the absence of tenons and grooves, a house made of non-profiled timber is more ventilated. The owner, as a rule, has to additionally insulate the facade after some time.

Thus, the cost of construction increases due to log care products, insulation, heating and other factors.

Profiled timber

Profiled timber, like non-profiled timber, is most often made from coniferous species wood: pine, spruce. Less often - from larch or cedar. Glue and others chemical substances are not involved in the process. Essentially, this is the same timber with a rectangular cross-section, but now a tenon and groove are added to it on the top and bottom surfaces. It can be dry and of natural moisture, but the former is used extremely rarely, since it “leads” when shrinking. Among the advantages of profiled timber are:

• Low price of building materials.
• Windproof. It is ensured by a tight tongue-and-groove connection.
• Compared to conventional timber, profiled timber provides fewer gaps between the crowns during shrinkage. However, on the beam itself, cracks will sometimes form as thick as a finger or palm. There is no escape from this, because the top, densest layer - the sapwood - has been removed from the log.

Disadvantages:

• Cracks appear on the timber one way or another, the house requires external and internal finishing, additional insulation.
• It is possible for the beam to twist, because The top dense layer of the log has been removed.
• Dry timber and timber with natural moisture differ greatly in cost.

What are hand-cut log houses?

The hand-cutting technology has been passed down from generation to generation for many centuries and is today actively used for the construction of natural log houses.

First of all, we select on the plot best logs, which are suitable for building a house according to a specific project. First of all, we look at the length, diameter and general state logs (no traces of bark beetles, blue stains, fungus or cracks). The bark is carefully removed from suitable logs. In order not to damage the sapwood, we remove upper layer bark by hand. Save is very important, since it is the natural protection of the tree from the above negative factors. If the log is not devoid of sapwood, then even shrinkage will occur more evenly and without cracking. The value of this layer of bark is difficult to overestimate.

Next, the log is marked according to design measurements and the first crown is made - the strongest. It will bear the main load. In each subsequent crown, a longitudinal groove, a lock and a bowl are marked. It is selected with an ax so that the top log fits tightly and is wedged into the lock. This way we get windproof corners and ensure the strength of the entire structure.

After laying the last crown, the logs are numbered and they are sent to the customer’s site. There, according to the markings, the log house is assembled back, already on the finished foundation. Jute insulation is placed in the grooves and bowls. After the “house box” is assembled, installation begins rafter system, roofs. In this form, the house remains standing for about another year - during this time, things happen. If you ignore this stage and start finishing the doors, then all your efforts will be in vain. After all, in the first year the log house shrinks by about 8-12 cm. We strongly recommend that you do finishing work only after shrinkage.

The log houses themselves look more representative than timber houses, but this is a matter of taste, and it may differ. Therefore, it would be much more correct to list the objective advantages of manual cutting:

• The log has low thermal conductivity: the house will be cool in the heat and warm in the winter. The tree “breathes” and creates a comfortable microclimate inside the log house.
• The log does not deform due to the preservation of sapwood.
• You can choose the desired log diameter, up to 40-44 cm or even more. Large diameter makes the house warmer, more interesting in terms of appearance and architectural possibilities.
• Wood debarked by hand with a scraper hardly cracks (no more than 1-2 mm), retains its cone shape and natural texture.
• A log house does not require additional finishing.
• Many available: in the paw, in the bowl, Norwegian cabin, frame-log technology.
• The average life expectancy of such a log house is 100 years.

But even this one quality technology has its drawbacks. We include:

• Higher cost compared to laminated and profiled timber.
• Increased requirements for the qualifications of the construction team and the experience of the developer.
• Longer construction times - most of the work is done manually and with great care. Average felling period log house 100 sq. meters takes about 2 months.

Which technology to choose?

We compared two technologies: manual cutting and timber, so that you can accept correct solution and build a high-quality, durable log house.

If you trust the experts, they will unanimously make a choice in favor of manual cutting. We have already compared it with laminated timber, and in both cases, the advantages of cutting were undeniable. By choosing this method, you are guaranteed to receive a warm and, most importantly, reliable home!

Plastic, plastic all around... And I really want to wake up in a wooden house, take a deep breath, feel the light, barely perceptible smell of freshly cut wood. You know, even the morning light pouring through the windows of a wooden house is somehow special, unusual. It seems to be illuminated with amber or has absorbed the warm smell of resin. I can’t, I can’t express this feeling in words, but I remember this feeling, it’s somewhere there - in childhood, when I was in a house nestled under a spreading fir tree.

Now there is neither a fir nor a house. In their place a five-story concrete box has long since grown, the residents of which constantly complain about damp, cold walls, echoing entrances and cracks in the ceilings. Well, yes, it turned out to be an unsuccessful house; there are much better and more comfortable buildings made from the same reinforced concrete blocks or bricks. But none of them can compare with a wooden house. We have already forgotten what it is, but our body remembers, joyfully responding with good health and high spirits to our visit to a house built of wood. Dreaming, or what? Or it’s better to talk to the point, because who knows, tomorrow you won’t have to decide what to build a house from. Made of wood, of course! But which one? Tree is too general a concept. And you can build a house from laminated veneer lumber or galvanized logs. Or maybe you'll think the best option profiled timber? Each of these options has its own characteristics, more or less significant. What should you give preference to?

Very often for construction wooden houses Today, profiled timber is used, which is a high-tech and easy-to-use natural building material. Profiled timber is made, as a rule, from coniferous wood by planing or milling. The beam can be given different shape. Often, the outer side of a profiled beam has a convex surface, and the inner side, facing “the house,” is flat.

However, the beam may be flat or convex on both sides. The upper and lower sides of the beam are mirrored in the form of a tongue and groove. Buildings made of profiled timber, and these can be residential buildings, both bathhouses and gazebos look neat and beautiful immediately after construction - they do not require additional external finishing, the surface of the profiled timber is planed to a hollow smoothness (according to the first class of cleanliness). Such timber is dried under natural conditions.

Advantages of profiled timber

• Profiled timber is a solid material, 100% wood, which does not contain any chemical or synthetic additives. A house made of profiled timber breathes; the natural structure of the wood is not disturbed. Thanks to this, an optimal level of humidity is naturally maintained in the house and air exchange occurs.
• A house built from such timber has a finished look immediately; it does not require additional external finishing in the form of cladding or cladding. This house looks neat, like a tower from a picture.
• Due to the perfect fit of the beams of adjacent crowns to each other, it is achieved good thermal insulation- such a house is not blown by the wind, and rain and melt water do not get into the grooves between the beams, which eliminates the occurrence of spots of rot.
• Building a house from profiled timber is quite economical. This building material itself is much cheaper, for example, than laminated veneer lumber - the estimated cost of profiled timber is half the cost of laminated veneer lumber. At the same time, at home from this building material very warm.
• The most complex corner structures can be ordered at the factory, which greatly facilitates installation work.
• Profiled timber gives minimal shrinkage to operating humidity, which, in accordance with GOST, is 14-16% for timber. The shrinkage of timber from pine and cedar is approximately 3.5%, and from larch - 4.5%. Moreover, after the building shrinks, in this case, additional caulking of the joints between the beams is not required, as in the case of building a house from rounded logs. The jute is laid in the grooves when constructing the walls and no other insulation is required.

Disadvantages of profiled timber

Non-profiled timber has few disadvantages. Perhaps, among the significant disadvantages, only two should be noted.

• Final finishing of the house is possible only after the timber from which the house is built reaches the required relative humidity.
• As the material dries, cracks may appear in the timber. Their size and quantity depend, first of all, on the air temperature at the time the house was built. The lower the temperature, the fewer cracks will appear and the smaller they will be. Also, the number and size of cracks is influenced by factors such as the cross-section of the beam. Due to internal stresses that arise due to different degrees of shrinkage in different sections, cracks appear on the side with a larger area. If square timber is used, cracks will form on all sides. However, the process of crack formation on the timber can be, to some extent, brought under control - there is a special technology in which preliminary cuts are applied to the timber, allowing you to set the crack line.

Although profiled timber is not the cheapest option for constructing a wooden house, it is considered the most rational, judging by the ratio of price, complexity of construction and its performance qualities.

When making laminated veneer lumber, logs are cut into boards or, in other words, lamellas. The cutting dimensions can be different, for example, 52x205x6150 mm or 52x155x6150. This depends both on the technological process and on the planned shape and size of the timber. The prepared lamellas are dried in special chambers until a residual moisture level of 10-12% is reached.

The dried lamellas are treated with antiseptics and fire retardants, connected in a special way - on a microspike, sharpened and glued into beams. Moreover, the lamellas in the finished timber can be located both vertically and horizontally. The number of lamellas can be from two to five pieces. The maximum thickness of the finished timber is 250 mm. The finished laminated veneer lumber can have either a natural profile or one obtained by milling a beam.

There are several types of laminated veneer lumber. This can be a wall beam, which is actually used for construction residential buildings, window beams and load-bearing beams.

Advantages of laminated veneer lumber

• Houses made from laminated veneer lumber are very beautiful; they require virtually no external finishing. This is explained by the highest quality of the front side of the timber. The boards used for the front surface are made from high-quality wood, all knots and other defects are removed from them, the blanks for the timber are carefully selected according to color and texture, so a structure made from such material has an almost flawless appearance.
• Glued laminated timber retains its shape and dimensions during operation. Due to the fact that pre-dried boards are used for its production, and in the finished timber there are no internal stresses characteristic of solid wood, glued laminated timber does not shrink significantly, does not crack, does not bend or twist.
• Laminated wood has significant strength. This indicator for laminated veneer lumber exceeds that of solid wood by 50-70%. This is partly explained by the fact that during the manufacture of laminated veneer lumber, the opposite direction of the wood fibers in the lamellas is set. The same factor eliminates deformation of the timber when humidity changes - laminated veneer lumber “does not move”.
• Construction of a house from laminated veneer lumber occurs quite quickly. Wall installation is carried out in short time due to the fact that all parts are manufactured in the factory and fit together as accurately as possible. Installation of laminated timber walls takes 5-6 weeks. Moreover, it can be carried out almost at any time of the year. In addition, the shrinkage of a finished laminated timber building is about 1%. This means that after the construction of the house, there is no need to wait for shrinkage, which in the case of using solid wood can reach 7%, and you can immediately begin installing windows, doorways and decorative elements.
• Structures made from laminated veneer lumber are less susceptible to pathogenic microflora and pests, more fire-resistant and durable.

Disadvantages of laminated veneer lumber

• One of the most significant disadvantages of laminated timber as a building material is its high cost. The rather complex technological process of manufacturing laminated veneer lumber also determines its price - the cost of buildings made of laminated veneer lumber can be 2-3 times higher than the cost of building a house made of solid timber.
• The second drawback is, naturally, the less environmental friendliness of structures made from laminated veneer lumber. Although manufacturers claim that when gluing the lamellas, a special adhesive composition, which allows you to maintain the ability of wood to “breathe”, however, laminated veneer lumber is no longer an absolutely natural material.

And yet, the totality of performance qualities of houses made of laminated veneer lumber makes the popularity of this material well deserved and justified. It’s not for nothing that laminated timber is being used more and more often in cottage construction today.

Most traditional material, used for the construction of wooden houses for a very long time - these are logs. For centuries, wooden houses were built from chopped logs - the so-called log houses. Judging by the illustrations in children's books, huts on chicken legs in fairy tales were built exclusively from this material. However, if such a hut were being built today, most likely rounded logs (OCB) would be used in its construction. This is the same log, only processed special equipment to achieve the same diameter along the entire length and give it the desired profile.

A rounded log is made from ordinary saw logs, pre-sorted according to the diameter of the top part. The diameter of the workpiece must exceed the final diameter by 20 mm. The diameter of the finished log may vary. Logs with a diameter of up to 24 mm are used for the construction of bathhouses, summer cottages, and guest houses. Thicker logs, the diameter of which can reach 380 mm, are used in the construction of residential buildings and cottages. After the log has been processed on a special machine, it is cut using disc or chain saws on elements of the future design. A special corner connection, the so-called “bowl”, is made on a special bowl cutting machine. If the production of rounded logs is carried out in the warm season, then each log is treated with an antiseptic, this helps prevent contamination of fresh wood by microorganisms.

IN modern conditions The rounded log is manufactured with the highest precision. After processing, the log profile can be given any shape. Each log has a special groove, which allows you to connect the logs with the highest possible accuracy and tightness. Rounded logs can be of two types:

• Natural humidity - dry gradually under natural conditions.
• Dry logs are dried in special ovens.

Rounded log: “for”

• A rounded log retains all the advantages of natural wood: low thermal conductivity, healthy energy, and the ability to provide natural air exchange.
• The identical diameter of the logs and their precise processing allow the logs to be adjusted very precisely to each other, which improves the thermal insulation qualities of this material and prevents blowing through the walls of the house.
• Buildings made from rounded logs look very beautiful - this is traditional appearance a wooden house, from which it smells of something familiar and very well known to us since childhood.

Rounded log: “against”

However, today OCB is often inferior to other wooden wall materials due to its shortcomings.

• A very noticeable disadvantage of this type of building materials is associated with the moisture content of the wood. If logs are dried in special ovens, it is extremely important to follow all the technology. Otherwise, the wood will crack and become deformed. Logs with natural moisture shrink significantly. The shrinkage of the lower floor of the building in this case can be 10-15 cm. For dry OCB this figure is slightly less - 6-8 cm.
• After shrinkage, in any case, additional caulking will be required, although in the case of using dry logs this is required to a lesser extent.
• During the process of shrinkage and final drying of logs, cracks can also form, into which external moisture then penetrates, thereby creating pockets of rotting.
• Even a “settled” structure will continue to shrink, so when finishing a house you should take this nuance into account and select the appropriate technologies and materials.
• A house built from central fiber or chopped logs is perhaps the most fire-hazardous option. It is mandatory to treat the material with fire retardants. But the condition of the heating system and electrical wiring should also be given the closest attention.
• Weak resistance of wood to aggressive influences external environment causes quite high costs for maintaining the exterior of the house in proper condition. For example, even logs coated with special glazing antiseptic compounds become gray over time.

All this is very short about what you can build a wooden house from today. As you can see, there are enough options. You just need to carefully weigh the pros and cons when choosing material for building a house. One thing is certain: a wooden house is ideal for living; the atmosphere of such a house is incredibly favorable for humans. Whatever you choose, be it solid or laminated timber, rounded or even chopped logs, you are choosing a harmonious environment for yourself and your family. This is the biggest plus.

Natalya Vilyuma, especially for rmnt.ru

Lately it's become quite popular construction a house made from environmentally friendly materials such as wood. Firstly, such houses create coziness and comfort, secondly, you will definitely not be at risk of various kinds of allergies, thirdly, it is prestigious, fourthly, in this way you can show the social status of the family. Many people have appreciated the value of houses made of wood and now choose a specific material for its construction - logs or timber.

A house made of ordinary timber is a convenient and rational construction, since there is no need to customize wooden elements, there are huge opportunities to work with interior decoration, and this is greatly appreciated by those who love an individual approach to design solutions.

You can now buy timber for building a house in any construction company because it is the simplest material of all existing species timber. It is worth noting that this is also the most environmentally friendly material, since people put the least amount of effort into it. True, the appearance of unplaned ordinary timber is very modest and not as presentable as that of profiled or glued timber, and it also needs finishing works and sometimes for independent preparation for subsequent work. But there is also positive point– the price of ordinary timber is much less than other types of this building material.

Advantages of ordinary timber

1. Price. Due to the fact that the production process of this material is very simple, its price is very low compared to other types of wood.
2. Easily accessible material - available at all construction companies.
3. Easy to build walls.

Disadvantages of conventional timber

1. Cracks often appear after shrinkage.
2. The outside requires additional improvement - for example, cladding with a different material.
3. Very often, the timber begins to deform, after which gaps appear and the walls of the building become warped.
4. If you do not treat the timber with an antiseptic, the wood may turn blue.

When building houses today, profiled timber is often used - this is a high-tech natural building material that is very convenient in construction.

This type of timber is usually made from coniferous trees. The manufacturing technology is as follows: first they plan, and then the process is underway milling. During all these manipulations, the timber is given its own shape - and it can be very diverse.

As a rule, the outer side of a profiled beam has a convex surface, and the inner side, which faces the house, has a flat surface. But some manufacturers make the timber flat on all sides, or convex on both sides.

The top and bottom of the profiled timber have notches in the form of a groove and a tenon - they are mirrored.

Profiled timber is a very good solution for various residential premises. This material makes very beautiful cottages And country houses, which do not require any additional work By exterior decoration, thanks to the perfectly smooth surface of the material. Your building will definitely look neat and cute after the timber has dried in natural conditions.

Advantages of profiled timber.

1. Profiled timber is a 100% natural building material that does not contain synthetic or chemical components.
2. Profiled timber is solid wood, qualitatively processed on the outside.
3. Houses made of profiled timber are able to “breathe”, since these materials do not affect or disturb their natural structure.
4. Thanks to the natural structure of profiled timber, the house will always be supported optimal humidity and air exchange will occur easily.
5. Profiled timber gives the house a finished look - there is no need for the owner to think about finishing - this is completely unnecessary, since the external appearance of such a structure is excellent - it is neat and very attractive.
6. The profiled timber fits perfectly against each other - this provides excellent thermal insulation.
7. A house made of timber is not blown by the wind.
8. Profiled timber protects the house from the occurrence of spots of rot, since, thanks to strong adhesion, water from rain and after snow melts does not get into the grooves.
9. Houses made of profiled timber are more expensive than those made of regular timber, but cheaper than those made of laminated veneer lumber. It is believed that profiled timber costs two times less than laminated timber.
10. Houses built from profiled timber are very warm.
11. To facilitate the installation of the building corner elements can be ordered in advance from the factory.
12. Profiled timber gives the most minimal shrinkage, unlike regular and laminated timber. Cedar and pine shrink about 3.5%, and larch about 4.5%.
13. A building made of profiled timber does not require caulking at the junction of the beams, which is mandatory when building a house from logs.
14. Profiled timber does not need additional insulation - it will be enough to lay jute in the grooves.
15. Profiled timber is considered the most rational decision when building a house, since it perfectly combines price and quality, and also, it is not difficult to build from it.

Disadvantages of profiled timber.

1. The house can be finished only after the profiled timber has reached the required relative humidity.
2. When the profiled timber dries, cracks may appear in it, which depend on what time of year the structure was erected. If the house was built at a low temperature, then there will be few cracks, and they will be small, but if the house was built at a hot temperature, then there will be more cracks and they can be of impressive size.
3. The total number of cracks after the profiled timber has dried can be influenced by its cross section. Due to the fact that due to internal stresses arising from different degrees of shrinkage, cracks will appear where the cross-section has a large area.
4. Profiled square beams form cracks on all sides.
5. To control cracks on profiled timber, it is necessary to make cuts - they will later define the crack line.

Glued laminated timber, as the name suggests, is boards glued together. The manufacturing technology of this building material is very expensive - both in time and in money, so laminated veneer lumber is much more expensive than profiled timber.

The technology for gluing timber is as follows:

• Logs are sawn into boards (their sizes vary depending on what ultimate goals pursued, that is, what shape and size the timber will have).
• Boards - they are also called lamellas - are dried. This occurs in special chambers where the material can reach a residual moisture level of 10 to 12%.
• After the chambers, the boards on top are treated with antiseptics.
• After processing, the lamellas are laid on top of each other and connected using a microspike.
• The resulting blanks are sharpened and then glued into finished beams.

The lamellas in the finished building material – laminated veneer lumber – can be positioned both vertically and horizontally. The number of boards can be from two to five, so the maximum thickness of the finished profiled timber is 250 mm. As a result, a fully finished laminated veneer lumber has a natural profile or the one obtained as a result of milling the beam.

Currently, laminated veneer lumber has several varieties according to its purpose: wall, window, load-bearing.

Advantages of laminated veneer lumber.

1. A house made of laminated veneer lumber is very beautiful - it does not require any finishing, since this building material has high quality front side. The boards used for this are high-quality wood from which defects and knots have been removed. At the same time, all boards for laminated veneer lumber are selected according to color, texture, structure, which allows you to have finished timber perfect appearance.
2. In operation, laminated veneer lumber does not lose its shape and does not change its size, because dried boards are used to make this material, which means that the finished laminated veneer lumber will not have internal stress, which is typical for solid wood.
3. Glued laminated timber is known for the fact that it does not shrink, it does not crack, curl or bend.
4. Glued laminated timber is a very dense and durable building material. It exceeds the performance of solid wood according to these criteria by about 50, or even 70%.
5. When making laminated veneer lumber, specialists set the opposite direction for the wood fibers in the boards, thanks to which deformation of the timber is eliminated; even if the humidity changes, this type of timber will still “not move”.
6. A house made of laminated veneer lumber is built very quickly, since installation does not take much time. All this is due to the fact that the parts are manufactured at the factory and fit together perfectly. On average, the installation of a house made of laminated veneer lumber takes just over a month.
7. A house made of laminated veneer lumber can be built at any time of the year, since the shrinkage of this material is no more than 1%. That is, it can be improved immediately after construction.
8. Glued laminated timber is not susceptible to pests and pathogenic microflora.
9. Glued laminated timber is considered more durable and fire resistant.

Disadvantages of laminated veneer lumber.

1. The high cost of the material due to the complexity of manufacturing laminated veneer lumber. On average, the price is three times higher than the cost of solid timber.
2. Glued laminated timber is no longer considered an absolutely environmentally friendly building material, despite the fact that its manufacturers claim the opposite, saying that the adhesive composition that holds the boards together is absolutely natural and does not interfere with the “breathing” of the laminated timber.

Our distant ancestors built houses from solid logs - just remember the log houses, many of which have survived to this day. Moreover, builders in those distant times could build a house without a single nail, using only one ax. And although since those times there are practically no craftsmen left, today the popularity of wooden house construction is again gaining momentum.

Advantages of a solid log

• A protective layer on logs that is rich in tree resins.
• If the log is processed manually, as in the photo, it will crack much less.
• A house made of solid logs is considered one of the most reliable buildings.

Disadvantages of solid logs

• The cost of construction is very expensive, since the log itself is known for the fact that its price is sometimes exorbitant.
• Construction is not progressing quickly; additional time is needed for work.
• For the house to shrink, you need to wait about two years.
• Shrinkage can sometimes reach 12%.

Rounded logs (OCB) are logs that are processed on special equipment until they reach the same diameter along the entire length and the desired profile is given to the log. After all these manipulations on factory equipment, the log trunk acquires an aesthetic appearance, however, the logs lose their protective layer, thanks to which the tree lasts longer and the building lasts a very long time. But here, too, modern compounds come to the aid of logs, which help the wood compensate for the lack of a protective layer.

Advantages of rounded logs

• Construction of a house from a log takes little time, unlike log houses.
• Rounded logs are cheaper.
• Houses made from rounded logs are very beautiful.
• Houses made of rounded logs maintain low thermal conductivity, natural air exchange and healthy energy.
• Thanks to the precise processing of logs, they fit neatly to each other - this improves thermal insulation.
• Walls made of rounded logs are not blown through even by strong winter winds.

Disadvantages of rounded logs

• A house made of rounded logs also takes a long time to shrink.
• After shrinkage, additional caulking is required.
• Logs have little protection from various weather factors.
• Logs can crack - sometimes there are a lot of them, and if moisture gets in, the tree will begin to rot.
• A house made of rounded logs is the most fire-hazardous building option, so heating and electricity systems need to be given close attention.

Before building a wooden house, you need to choose a building material. When choosing, you should make balanced arguments and under no circumstances rely on “maybe”. Remember, no matter what building material you choose - timber or logs, the most important thing is that your house will be built from natural material. It will be an environmentally friendly and harmonious home that will delight not only you, but also your children and even grandchildren.

Both timber and logs have positive and negative components, therefore, only you can decide which material to give preference to.

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Many fellow citizens encounter the difficulty of selecting building materials for building a house outside the city. So, the question is: what to build houses from, rounded logs or blocks? In this note, we will consider the distinctive characteristics of one or another material under conditions of natural humidity, and decide on good qualities and disadvantages.

Profiled timber

Calibrated log

• Saves time thanks to short shrinkage. Both materials undergo shrinkage. Similarly, after raising the walls, you need to take a break, during which the structure will take the desired shape.

Non-fixed costs that are needed for shrinkage should be regarded as a minus. But if the subsidence of a structure made of logs continues for 6 months or more, as the instructions require, then a similar process in buildings made of square beams proceeds an order of magnitude quickly.

The difference in numerical shrinkage indicators for these building materials is explained special design professional timber.

Houses made of rounded logs or blocks are in great demand

• No gap. When deciding whether a calibrated log or a profiled beam is better, you need to understand that log buildings need caulking (coating the cracks between adjacent logs with sealant).

By using a larch block, you can save money on caulking, since the presence of a special profile eliminates the possibility of a gap. Also, the presence of a specific profile on such lumber guarantees that there are no drafts in the house.

Laying the block

• No tendency to crack. It is clear that a profiled product is much more profitable and more important than a rounded similarity. But do you know what is better: laminated veneer lumber or calibrated logs? Glued profiled wood products are significantly superior to logs in terms of reliability and durability.

After all, wood is round, during the operation of the finished house, however, it will crack. The formation of cracks is the beginning of a destructive process that is very difficult to stop. The block, thanks to the compensation slots, will not crack.

In the end, it will always remain a beautiful building material with the same degree of thermal conductivity.

• No deformation during storage. Long-term preservation of rounded wood will cause helical and longitudinal deformation. In particular, incorrectly prepared wood is prone to such distortion. In other words, an insufficiently dried rounded tree will probably change its shape after just a couple of months of saving.

Important: Profiled timber also, in most cases, becomes deformed under conditions of improper conservation. But the degree of distortion of such products is despicable in comparison with the deformation of a log.

• Low thermal conductivity. When choosing a laminated laminated timber house or rounded logs, remember that a house that will be truly warm will not be made from these materials, but from corrugated timber. According to statistics, the heat conductivity of corrugated timber with a cross-section of 200 by 145 mm is equivalent to the properties of a rounded log with a cross-sectional diameter of 340 mm.

Comfort in a log house

• Lower cost of manufacturing a finished house. Using timber as a building material makes it possible to save money. Profiled timber, unlike logs, means less wood consumption and low labor costs. After all, the cost of such a house is slightly lower than the cost of a log building.
• Durability. The presence of a specialized profile makes it possible to combine adjacent bars almost into one. As a result, moisture does not get inside the walls - you can watch a video about this in this article. Therefore, the process of rotting will not occur in the walls. Logs cannot boast of the presence of such a profile, and their rounded shape encourages the appearance of abundant moisture between the crowns (read also about the advantages of laminated larch beams).

What to choose for construction work?

It seems that everything is very clear, since laminated timber exceeds logs in all respects. But our fellow citizens are still purchasing rounded beams as building materials.

What to choose?

The priority of round wood is considered custom design construction projects built using similar materials. In other words, if you are going to build a hut in the theme of an originally Russian log structure, beams with a square section will not be appropriate.

Use of logs

• No cracks. Again, if after some time the house built with my own hands made of logs, will be covered at the ends with characteristic cracks, this will add to the design of the housing the appearance of a hundred years ago.

You need to pay attention! By the way, this is one of several, or generally only one reason, why a person of our time, who has planned to build a house outside the city, prefers this material.

• Saving raw materials. An essential point that people pay attention to when choosing the main building material for a home is accessibility. In other words, the raw materials for making profiled boards are more popular and accessible than the raw materials for making. A calibrated log is round, and therefore a tree with the appropriate trunk diameter must be used to make it.

Samples of professional timber

The cross section of a square beam is much smaller than a log. As a result, a large trunk, cut in half, or trunks of thinner trees can be used to produce corrugated timber. Due to the great availability of raw materials, the cost of timber made from wood is lower than the price of logs.

• Interesting transportation. Speaking further about the price of building materials, take into account the distinctive characteristics of transportation. Due to the rectangular cross-section, timber with a square cross-section is placed more compactly in vehicle. A calibrated log, on the contrary, due to its round cross-section, fits into such a means of transport in smaller quantities.

Distinctive characteristics of savings

Also, when saving, square timber, as we see in the photo below, takes up little space. In other words, a room or area with a smaller area can be used for storing corrugated timber than for storing logs. All this, in the end, helps reduce the cost of a finished wooden house.

Distinctive Application Characteristics

Now a few words about what is harder to lay down: parts made of profiled boards or rounded logs. Any specialist related to construction work houses made of wood probably knows that using wood with a quadrangular cross-section is an order of magnitude easier than its analogue with a round cross-section.

• Rounded surface, not paying attention to the presence of a wide semicircular groove, makes the log “slippery” and inconvenient when laying.
• At the same time, a profiled beam is a product with a flat bottom and top surface. That’s why a house made from such building material is assembled like a construction kit "Lego".

Tips for choosing warmer building materials

As we have already said, a block and a log differ in different degrees of thermal conductivity. Again, different heat conductivity is characteristic of the walls of construction projects built using these building materials.

How does it turn out that wooden walls show different thermal conductivity indicators. It’s all about the so-called “thin places”, which can be identified with a thermal imager. Having analyzed the readings of this device, we see that cold bridges begin to appear not just anywhere, but in the crowns.

In log walls, the landing spots are an order of magnitude thinner than the cross-sectional diameter of the boards with a circular cross-section, and this means guaranteed heat loss. In walls built using a rectangular beam, the thickness seat and the thickness of the building material itself is equal, and therefore there is almost no heat loss.

Conclusion

So, let's draw a conclusion based on all of the above. What should you order to build your own home - profiled timber or logs? Depending on how you want to see own house, and what needs do you have for its further operation.

If you need a house that is similar in all its properties to the rural hut of past centuries, then your choice is rounded wood. If you are interested in quickly building a convenient and energy-efficient construction project, you will want to choose the right laminated timber (see also timber bathhouse projects).