Fachwerk architecture can be recognized immediately. It is associated with the houses of Germany and Europe. Often the roofs in such structures are covered with a tiled roof. To date, this canonical type of residential buildings is used as a design refinement. On the other hand, it is a symbol of German quality. But in fact, buildings of the 15th-16th centuries have been preserved in Germany, which are currently in operation. Therefore, many argue that German technology houses have an extended service life.
History of German houses
In fact, the famous German houses, whose photos are fascinating, appeared for a reason. Structures of structures in which the main material is wood are typical both for wooded areas and for coastal ones. In the countries of the B altic and North Seas (Germany, Denmark, Great Britain, Holland, etc.) there were many skilled carpenters who built high-quality ships. These craftsmen knew how to correctly build a reliable wooden structure, so they started building structures.
For the construction of the first houses, the pillars were dug directly into the ground, and connecting beams and rafters were laid on top of them, after which they proceeded to the construction of the roof. Of course, byafter 15 years, the pillars rotted relatively quickly. Over time, they began to be installed on the prototype of a stone foundation - huge boulders previously dug into the ground. The service life of the pillars, and hence the structures, has increased tenfold. But it was necessary to compensate for the binding to the ground with many transverse slopes, rods, puffs and ties.
For skilled carpenters, such a connection was not a problem. They were carried out according to naval methods and techniques. Today, all connections have been replaced by simpler ones, using steel fasteners (anchors, screws, brackets, threaded rods).
Design Features
Actually, a German house is a special frame made of elements of large and medium section, with filling of the sinuses of the external temperature circuit. The remaining elements of the structure (roof, foundation, partitions, walls) can be made in the same way as in other houses.
Strong frame is no problem for skilled carpenters. But filling the sinuses is a difficult task. After all, the quality of the walls depended on this, and consequently the fate of the entire structure. At that time, the sinuses were filled with adobe or adobe material. This material has been used on all continents. Today it is also becoming popular, being used in green building.
Slots were cut in the beams, into which a paired or wicker lattice of rods was inserted. They applied adobe on it. Sheet material for the exterior of the building was not invented at that time, and it was too expensive to use boards for this purpose. Therefore buildingsplastered, but at first it was not possible to apply the mortar to the wooden beams.
Therefore, the walls remained with visible beams, which later became the hallmark of German houses.
A hallmark of a half-timbered house
Many old German houses have one distinctive feature. Looking closely, you can see that each new floor of the house hangs over the previous one. At first glance, this looks unusual. The explanation for this design is quite simple. In coastal areas, it often rains and rains, flowing down the walls, water fell on the lower floors. Their walls were very wet. The upper floors dried quickly due to wind and sun. The lower ones could rot due to moisture, and this is unacceptable. Therefore, the upper floors were carried forward.
This feature of construction has become ineffective with the invention of high-quality waterproofing materials in the construction industry. Modern facades, foundations, walls and wood are reliably protected from frost and moisture. Therefore, modern German houses have completely flat wall planes.
Changes also affected the roofing material, due to the weight of which it was impossible to take out the visor even half a meter. Today, light sheets are used that can divert water from the wall for a meter, or even more.
Canadian or German technology?
Old German houses can be safely called the basis of all frame construction technologies. Indeed, in modern construction using frame technology, almost everything is repeated. ATsystems there are no transverse beams, supports, slopes. Today, experts only use a different thickness of the material (modern beams have become a little thinner). Many believe that frame construction technology is Canadian, but finished structures are often referred to as both Finnish and German. And rightly so, because buildings were built using this technology even before the discovery of America.
Today it is hard to see old European houses in frame houses, because they have a characteristic advantage - sheathing with high-quality sheet material and finishing the building from the outside. The design of the building has been improved, and nature has benefited, because the consumption of wood has been significantly reduced.
Ancient building method and modern materials
With solid OSB sheathing, the structure is even stronger, tougher and more reliable. Now you do not need to use powerful beams and racks at the initial stage. Exterior finish and sheet material reliably protect the wooden frame from negative environmental influences: solar burnout, weathering, freezing. Thanks to this protection, the life of the structure has increased significantly.
A solid German house has a visiting card - the visible beams of the structure. Today they are used only for decorative purposes. Of course, walls made of adobe and clay are a thing of the past, and the space is filled with high-quality and environmentally friendly insulation. Today straw is also used as filler.
Sinus trim used to be a problem, but todaythis process takes as much effort as the interior decoration of the walls. Thanks to the use of modern facade putties, this process is easy and simple.
The frame of the structure has remained a model of the reliability of the entire structure. Metal elements helped speed up and simplify the process of installing a German house.
Conclusion
The German house is a high-quality reliable building. Its construction is practically no different from other houses. Remember, by deciding to build such a house, you can fulfill your dream and live in a European-style house.
