A beautiful warm house is the dream of any family. The main selection criteria for any architectural project are convenience and affordable price. Every year the number of those who use a calibrated log in the construction of a dacha, bathhouse or country house is increasing. Antique-styled houses look "rich" and, most importantly, elegant.
What is this?
In the old days, all houses were built from wooden logs. To make the wall perfectly even, and most importantly, to keep the house warm, craftsmen cleaned off all the branches and bark from the trunks. Each used trunk became a continuation of the previous one, the carpenters knew their work so well.
In the modern world, those who can cut down a house with one ax are almost gone. It was replaced by technologies that allow tree trunks of different sizes and diameters to be adjusted to the required standards.
A calibrated log is a log that has been mechanically cleaned and has the same diameter along its entire length. Such logs are also called round logs.
Calibrated log dimensions
Rounded logs of standard size, most developers adjust to this length. Most often logs have a length of 4 m, 6 m, 7 m, 13 m.
Their diameter also fluctuates - from 180 to 240 mm. When choosing logs, it is worth specifying the length and width, since all these parameters significantly affect the cost of construction, as well as its aesthetic side.
Features
Masters who constantly assemble wooden structures note that a calibrated log is a good material that retains its original properties. First of all, this is due to the fact that after cleaning the harvested trunks from bark and branches, they are dried in special chambers.
When installing houses from calibrated logs, projects always take into account the possible shrinkage or swelling of wood. In order to prevent cracks from forming in the walls, the logs are stacked one on top of the other, making a “bowl” in each of them at the corner joint for a snug fit.
Modern wooden buildings are like a huge puzzle. Parts of such a “toy” are brought to the installation site in numbered packages. If the wood is not treated, it is impregnated with a solution from pests, and then with an antipyretic.
Only after the preparatory work, laying begins.
Construction use
Any building made of calibrated logs (baths, houses, cottages) requires the use of a foundation. It will serve as additional protection.wood from moisture, fungi and smoldering, and will also protect the structure during various natural disasters.
On stable soils, owners can use a conventional cement strip foundation, but it should be borne in mind that after pouring it is necessary to wait for drying and shrinkage. In rocky areas, developers suggest using piles.
The base of the piles will not only securely fix the initial layers of logs, but also significantly reduce the installation time of the walls. An additional advantage of such a foundation is a rod welded to the pile head at the corners.
Through holes are made at the junction of the rod with the logs, and the processed trunks are simply put on them. From one to three levels of calibrated logs can be fixed in this way.
In order for the tree not to deteriorate and not dampen at the points of contact between the foundation and the laid logs, it is necessary to separate the base with a substrate in the form of a hydrobarrier, roofing felt or, in the old fashioned way, moss.
Window openings are cut down as the frame of the house is assembled. In the right places, marks are made, and the craftsmen use tools to cut a hole of the required size.
Standard and custom designs
So that the customer does not hesitate for a long time how his house will look like, the developer can offer a choice of several standard projects of houses made of calibrated logs. If you decide on the proposed option, you will not only save money, but you can also be sure of the warmth and comfort of the new building.
Typical projects counttaking into account the standard length of the calibrated log. Often it can be a house 66 m, 713 m or 44 m.
For large houses, the project proposed by the architect 66 m or 713 m is perfect. But the second option will go as a special order. To implement it, you will have to order a non-standard log length, which will entail additional costs for processing and delivery.
Family log cabin projects look like a quadrangle or a rectangular box. At the request of the customer, the craftsmen can offer more interesting options - with protruding outbuildings and outbuildings.
The specificity of such houses made of calibrated logs is increased heat transfer at the junctions of logs. In order for the house to be warm and less energy-intensive in winter, all joints will have to be additionally insulated.
The construction of houses, baths from calibrated logs also requires careful selection of the width of the logs. After all, if this is a residential building, then rounded round timber with a maximum diameter is preferable for it. The rooms will not only look great, but will also be a great place to spend winter evenings, while maintaining their original qualities.
For baths or outbuildings, you can use logs with a small diameter. The buildings will be strong and will also retain heat when the interior is heated, but will look less massive against the backdrop of the main house.
Ifthe customer requires a large house, but does not want to increase the area due to additional meters of wood, the developer can always offer combined construction as an option: wood - stone.
Such a dwelling can have a stone foundation (foundation, basement or first floor) and a wooden attic. In addition, architects often offer projects for log cabins of two floors. Thus, the newly minted owners not only save their time on construction, but also get a solid building, insulated due to the least number of joints and seams.
How to decorate such a house?
People who decide to build a wooden house are definitely ready to decorate it. Indeed, most often, choosing this particular material, they leave the walls of the finished house in its original form.
Beautiful peeled logs smell like wood for a long time. The smell of resin brings warmth and comfort to the atmosphere of the house. In order for the fibers to deteriorate less, knowledgeable people suggest periodically opening calibrated logs with varnish.
Thus, the tree retains its marketable appearance for a long time, in addition, even when it dries out, it does not leave gaps and cracks. If desired, the owners can level the walls with plasterboard sheets and already glue wallpaper or apply plaster on them.
Things are a little more complicated with the design of baths from calibrated logs. Yes, a warm steam room is definitely a plus! But the project used for construction must take into account all the nuances (high humidity, good thermal insulation, the presence of the necessarynumber of rooms), as well as the presence of a stove for heating the room.
Dignity
Why do you love calibrated log projects so much? First of all, the speed of their construction captivates. In the skillful hands of the installers and with the right selection of the base (foundation), as well as the type of wood, the construction can be completed six months after it began.
Basically, the speed of erection depends on the quality of the preparatory work carried out, as well as the size of the building. The smaller the size, the faster the construction will be completed.
The second plus is excellent thermal insulation, which allows you to save on heating in the winter. In addition, summer heat is much easier to endure in houses made of natural wood.
After primary cleaning from bark and knots, as well as after drying, the wood is coated with special solutions that increase the life of the material. This treatment avoids not only rotting, but also the occurrence of mold, fungi and wood damage by pests.
The environmental friendliness of the materials used is also considered a valuable factor. Wood not only maintains the optimal microclimate of the structure, but also, when heated, releases natural substances that are not harmful to he alth.
But the biggest plus is still the best price. In addition, rounded logs have a great look, which significantly reduces the cost of interior decoration.
Flaws
The only disadvantage of wooden buildings, according to experts, is the care of an already finished building. This is due to the fact that during the initial processing, the trunk loses its protective layer. The inner layers are more susceptible to external factors (wind, temperature changes, moisture).
It is for longer operation that treatment with special solutions is necessary, and preferably several times. In addition, experts advise to carry out several such treatments in the first six months after the construction of the house.
In order for the logs to last as long as possible, this treatment must be carried out annually.
Price
Thinking about building a house from a calibrated log, it should be borne in mind that the cost of such a project directly depends on the type of wood, as well as its size.
The most affordable for customers will be houses with a house size of 66 m, with a log diameter of up to 240 mm. The more individual the architectural idea, the more expensive the material and its transportation will cost.
On average, the price of a calibrated log per square meter is from 25 thousand rubles.
The desire to have your own home sooner or later appears in every person. But how it will look and what material it will be built from depends only on your financial capabilities and aesthetic taste.
