The smell of dry wood, walls that are pleasant to run your hand over, a garden that is beautiful at any time of the year ... Landscape designer and student of the "Details" school Elena Polevaya built wooden house from hewn log in the Kaluga region.
The layout is very simple: hall, living room-kitchen and bedroom with bathroom.
Lunch group. Furniture from "Inlavka" collection "Estate" and "Province".
The wooden house, according to her, is assembled quickly, but it did not work out quickly here: there was not enough money, so the construction was delayed for several years. It took about a year to design and build a log house, another year the house was on the shrinkage. The hostess worked on the interior for only two months.
Almost all the furniture was bought in Inlavka, it was on budget and was in stock. Elena didn't want to wait.
“For me, the most important thing is the atmosphere of this house,” says Elena. - The closer you get to it, the brighter the feeling that you find yourself in a magical place where time stops. It's like opening a grandmother's chest with things dear to the heart!”
The kitchen is combined with the living room and dining room.
The magical atmosphere is created not so much by things as by the walls: the house is built from a single log house, the diameter of the logs reaches thirty centimeters. The smell of dry wood, walls that are pleasant to run your hand over, a garden that is beautiful at any time of the year ... What else is needed for happiness?
The house was built easily, the only difficulty was the small area and limited budget. BUT great advantage- the height of the ceiling, in the ridge it reaches five meters. It gives air to the space and pushes the boundaries.
Today we propose to figure out what material is better to build a house from, what qualities does this or that construct have? I would immediately like to put aside the aesthetic component of a particular design - the fact is that all this is a purely individual aspect: someone understands the value of wood, loves how a log house looks like, someone likes flat walls more, others need a finish from modern materials. Every wish has the right to exist. We just want to reflect all the pitfalls of the main wood building technologies.
So, let's begin. We will divide the article into two parts, the first materials of natural moisture, in the second, those that have undergone the drying procedure.
Construction from edged timber of natural moisture.
bar- Inexpensive and practical, at first glance, material. A log cabin is one of the cheapest in construction. But all this is only at the first stages. The thing is that a log house is not yet finished house, as it often seems to many customers. Yes, indeed, if we compare the cost per cubic meter of 200 * 200 timber, on average it is 7,000 rubles, at the time of writing. However, you need to understand that timber is bought with a margin of 10% to 30%, depending on the specific project and the purchased moldings. The work of assembling a log house from a bar usually costs more than assembling a finished house kit, since it takes more time to wash down the locks and adjust the crowns. The quality of these locks remains on the conscience of the carpenters.
After the assembly of the log house, a fairly long-term shrinkage of the house up to 2-3 years is required. Interval gaps are often formed in a log house from a bar, the geometry of the walls is violated. The thing is that when the timber shrinks, the effect of warping occurs. The beam twists with a screw, this is due to the different density of the layers.
The figure shows exactly how the beam is made. It is not profitable to produce timber from small-caliber timber, since a lot remains for waste. They saw it from a large-caliber forest. Thus, the core of the tree, the densest layer, rarely gets into the center of the beam, which is clearly visible in the photo above. The warping of the beam is a source of violation of the geometry of the walls, and, as a result, inter-crown freezing of the log house.
After drying the log house, it is necessary to proceed to finishing work- this is the most significant pitfall. Here it is necessary to take into account not only the cost of the finishing material, but also the cost of additional elements, Supplies, all kinds of putties, grouts, wallpaper, as well as the cost of work.
Therefore, the savings in the construction of timber is imaginary, if we compare the cost finished house, and not a log house.
The beam is perfect for people who are limited in the initial budget, ready to wait until the log house shrinks. People who prefer modern solutions design, who like to periodically change the look of the house. Often, customers of log cabins from timber perform finishing work on their own, saving money on this. But the construction and further repairs can stretch for many years.
Building a house from hewn logs. 
This technology is considered traditional. A house built using this technology can rightfully be called a Russian hut. Log - construction material who came to us through the ages. hewn log- this is a mechanically processed log, in which the bark is separated from the log with an ax or a plow (scrape). In the production of hewn logs, the structure of the tree is not disturbed, there are no warping effects, as is the case with timber.
The cost of a house kit is the main disadvantage of such a log house. Hewn log cabin is made by hand, so this material is quite expensive, and the process is far from fast. The log house must be assembled at the production site, then disassembled again, brought to the construction site and assembled again on the foundation. Moreover, when paying, the customer pays for cubic meters of raw materials, and not the finished product. The cost per cubic meter of a house set made of hewn logs cut into a cup is approximately 12,000 rubles. The thickness of the walls in such a house can vary from 200 to 500 mm. Therefore, it cannot be said that the entire volume of the log is stacked effectively. A house made of hewn logs, as well as a house made of timber, requires a long shrinkage time. In addition to interventional shrinkage, the shrinkage factor will also be important here, since the log house is very voluminous, it will dry noticeably. The advantages include the fact that the log does not require expensive finishing options. The house can simply be impregnated with protective compounds and enjoy the view of a valuable material - wood.
A hewn log house is perfect for connoisseurs of traditional materials. Such a house will be warm and comfortable housing. Open wood, able to breathe and accumulate heat, will always delight its household with an optimal microclimate.
Construction from the rounded log.
rounded log- This is enough modern material, produced on machines, the workpiece is clamped in the centers. Therefore, there is no warpage effect. This material absorbs the advantages of hewn logs, losing its disadvantages. Namely, the customer pays for a cube of the finished product, and not for raw materials, receiving logs of the same diameter already fitted to each other. To date, the cost of a cube of a house kit of 220 logs is 8,000 rubles. The house from the central bank does not require long terms shrinkage. In three months, up to 80% of the total shrinkage of the house will occur. There is an opinion that during the production of OCB, the densest or most protected layer of sapwood is removed. We will not dwell on this in detail, we will only mention that sapwood is a less dense, young layer of a tree, along which sap flows in the trunk, and it is protected only as long as the tree grows. Therefore, having removed the sapwood, we did not spoil the log, the material only gets better. The house is quite easy to install, does not require control assembly procedures. In the house, it is possible to immediately insert windows and doors, leaving a compensation gap for shrinkage, laying it with soft insulation. The OCB has a lunar groove - a kind of thermal lock that protects the wall from through interventional freezing, as is the case with a beam.
The log cabins from the OCB still remain 100% environmentally friendly, they also do not require expensive finishing. Therefore, such houses will suit the widest range of customers. Able to understand the benefit of the one-time cost of structural material and further savings on finishing and operation.
Construction from profiled timber of natural humidity. 
Profiled timber of natural moisture- planed material, with a slaughtered profile. Along with rounded logs, it does not require finishing. Has not high price, about 8500 rubles per m3 of a house kit. The profile performs the function of a thermal lock that protects against through freezing. However, the main disadvantage of a log house made of profiled timber is natural humidity and still the same difference in the density of the layers as with a conventional beam. Therefore, the same warping effect, all the same long-term shrinkage and shrinkage as with a beam.
In principle, a fairly good material, given its cost, can also count on the mass market as an alternative to logs, with some drawbacks.
Construction from dried profiled timber.
It differs from profiled timber in the procedure for pre-drying the workpiece before cutting the profile. Ideal bar - devoid of all flaws edged timber, and most importantly, it is devoid of the effect of warping during shrinkage due to the absence of this process in the finished product. It has all the advantages of profiled, except for one - the price. You have to pay for the ideal, moreover, a lot of about 20,000 rubles per m3.
Such housing is suitable for a fairly wealthy person. The log house does not require shrinkage, so you can move in immediately. It comes as a house kit, so installation is quick, no finishing required.
Construction from a glued bar. 
Glued laminated timber is a material consisting of separately dried lamellas glued into an array. It has a profile that acts as a thermal lock, it is supplied as a ready-made house kit. Similar in quality to dried profiled timber. It is also quite expensive about 21,000 rubles. The main disadvantages include the construct of the beam itself. The customer sees the outer layers of the array, which, as a rule, look quite aesthetically pleasing. However, there is no way to look inside this design, which creates a huge field for all kinds of fraud on the part of the manufacturer. An unscrupulous manufacturer is able to put wood with flaws and flaws into the mass, covering it all with pretty front panels. No one knows how the connecting element will behave in 25 or 50 years in our climate. And because of the use of glue, the house can hardly be called 100% environmentally friendly.
Nevertheless, high-quality glued laminated timber remains one of the promising materials. Splicing of lamellas in the massif allows using only a suitable part of the board in production, cutting off defects and shortcomings, thereby significantly reducing production waste.
An alternative to dried profiled timber. The house does not require shrinkage and shrinkage, it is immediately ready for living.
There are many variations of wood construction technologies, we have touched on the main ones used today. All of the above does not claim to be the ultimate truth, but is part of the experience accumulated by our team. We are happy to discuss and listen to the opposite point of view of opponents. The choice of our company is round logs and dried profiled timber.
21.11.2012
During the debate that flared up after the publication of the article "Ours in America", a reader who wished to tell about his personal experience. Vyacheslav has been living with his family in a house made of a solid log for four years now. And according to him, if he knew all the "nuances" at the time of choosing the material, he would build a house of brick or blocks. Below in the text - his personal "Top reasons why you should not build a house from a log house." To maintain authenticity, we left the text almost unchanged, making only light stylistic changes.
Why did we want a wooden house?
1. Once we saw with our own eyes a log house - we immediately liked it, it looked very beautiful, we wanted the same one for ourselves.
2. For practical reasons: initially it was assumed that we would come on weekends, heat a solid fuel boiler and quickly warm up the house (the concept changed during the construction process).
3. Environmental friendliness: I wanted the house to breathe easily, smell like a pine forest. Generally liked traditional concept living in a private house wooden frame, grass near the house, forest nearby, etc.
summer house
Start of construction
back view
Here we managed to learn a little from the mistakes of others. My friend, in order to save money, bought the wood himself. As a result, a timber truck came to him, the cutters selected suitable logs, half of the timber truck went back ... As a result, 120 cubic meters wood turned into 200 for him. I worked with contractors who sorted wood at their base, and only what really went into work was brought to the site.
view from the yard
Initially, I did not worry about the construction process, as I trusted the contractors. In the course of the work, they nevertheless “screwed up” in places, but not much (more on that below). The logs were laid on the moss. Chopped and hewn - by hand. After they made a “box” with a roof, the house stood for a year.
from the entrance
Of the interesting things in the construction process, I can note the discrepancy real sizes rooms to their visual perception until the moment the ceilings are covered. I personally measured a 19-meter kitchen with a tape measure, because visually it seemed that there were 7-8 meters. And so - with all the rooms.
Finishing
The most interesting thing began at this stage. First of all, the whole house needs to be sanded from two sides. This work is dreary and not cheap - you can look for prices for work on the Internet, four years ago it cost us a pretty penny (375 sq. M. At $ 5 per 1 sq. M.). Moreover, when estimating the area of work, the bend of the log is added to the formula "height for length" - the area increases.
top plinth - curved fit
Then - impregnation ($ 0.7 per 1 sq.m.). Then - painting in one layer. Then - in the second (both - $ 1 per 1 sq.m.). Moreover, in order for the materials to lay down with high quality, paint the house by hand(which stretches the process in time). After all these procedures, the question of a "breathing house" and "the smell of pine" was removed by itself.
We did not make a basement, so our foundation is simple: PGS pillow, insulation, concrete. The builders pouring the floor did not cut the lower logs to the end in doorways. As a result, a year later in these places it “broke” floor tiles(porcelain stoneware). I had to remove the entire damaged tile, cut out the logs, fill the floor with a new one. It turned out to be easier than somehow cutting out the laid tiles - not every tile cutter takes porcelain stoneware.
a crack in the tile remained in the doorway
To the "pleasant" moments of finishing is added regular finishing off the moss stolen by birds, and sealing joints with sealant. This work is long, costly and dreary. Fortunately, there is a sealant manufacturer in Belarus that offers products at reasonable prices. If I had missed the import, I would have gone bankrupt to hell.
Laying communications in a log house also becomes a problem. Plug socket into round log- the same task (and the "tariff" is appropriate). You can't hide pipes inside. Attaching a plinth to an uneven log is also not an easy task, you will have to “think” and work with your hands.
plinth - plank + mastic
Due to the long shrinkage of the house, doors and windows were inserted into the frame of the boards. If you try to bet on a "live log" - the risks of getting "sloppy" increase significantly. Like risk of damage to the door or window. But even this “trick” did not help us personally: for 4 years of operation, the doors were adjusted twice. And some windows still "siphon".
House operation
kitchen box (on the left against the wall)
The house is constantly "breathing". When the heating is on, when it's not, everything moves. To hang the kitchen, it was necessary to build a metal frame, sheathe it with drywall, and only attach the kitchen to it. No other way. So loved by our citizens sliding wardrobes it is absolutely impossible to establish - there is nothing to "attach" to, and the wall and ceiling live their own lives. The ladder, which was “tied” to the wall, ended up warped, the railing was torn out.
instead of wardrobe...
Any decorative boxes covering communications turn into a work of art - they need to be somehow combine with log wall , and this process turns into a jewelry fit with a construction cutter in hand.
The joints smeared with sealant were greased twice in 4 years. Doesn't matter - cracks appear. Wooden floor on the 2nd floor it also dries out, there are also cracks, and this is inevitable.
crack between logs
By autumn mice enter the house, in the gap between the lower log and the foundation. It is not yet possible to block this road for them, since the interface line is very uneven. And if on the main "animal paths" this phenomenon can be "nullified" with the help of poison and mousetraps, then when mice frolic between logs without coming "to visit" - nothing can be done with them. Damn it.
Also between logs every year wasps make their nests. The issue is resolved with the help of Dichlorvos. But it still has to be decided.
In autumn and early winter on the second floor - the kingdom of flies. First flies get in the cracks for the winter. Then the house becomes warm - and they climb inside. Against this brethren, we have not yet come up with any other means than a vacuum cleaner.
And also we - best friends sellers of Tikkurila paint. There need to tint, here you need to tint: steps, joints, terrace. They did not keep accurate records of production, but a lot of buckets of paint were bought over 4 years.
In spring, when pine blossoms (and then also birch), the whole the house is covered yellow pollen. And - a thick layer. On a flat vertical wall it just wouldn't accumulate that much. This issue is solved by washing the walls with a jet from Karcher. But again, it needs to be addressed.
Bath
Inside the house dust accumulates on the bend of the logs. Here already universal means no - the dust can only be removed manually, the old fashioned way.
Sometimes spontaneous, inexplicable bursts of life happen inside the house - some bugs, midges, insects appear, but I have not installed any system here yet.
In the bath, near the bed for guests, some perky creature lives in a log, crunching on a log all night. It is not possible to find and kill her.
And finally - about the famous "winter" forest. My house was cut down from February. Bath - from the August. Haven't noticed a difference yet.
Issue price
Given all of the above, such housing cannot be called cheap. House with total area 240 sq. m. (with a small attic floor) cost me $ 40,000 only at the first stage: foundation, box and roof. Then the project expanded, we also built a utility building, a bathhouse from the same “round timber”, ennobled the territory, the street next to the house. All this (together with materials, finishes, windows, doors and a geothermal boiler) cost us $ 180,000 in total.
shrinkage to the roof
Conclusion: What we got for these torments is very beautiful house. And some indescribable pleasure from the feeling of a thick, uneven log, its rough appearance, rich texture ... Friends who began to build across the site from mine listened to approximately the same text, my complaints and advice to build from blocks. And in the end ... they also cut down the log house. Here, of course, everyone decides for himself. But I gave you fair warning.
Interviewed by: Dmitry Malakhov
A house made of debarked logs looks like round logs, but has a number of significant differences. Such material is processed manually. The main advantage is processing technology. The bark is removed in a thin layer, allowing you to save a layer of resin that protects the tree in the future.
Turnkey barked log house: pros and cons
Undoubtedly, manual technology wood processing allows you to carefully preserve protective layer wood, maximizing the life of the structure. This approach allows you to make the cottage warm and durable. At the same time, reduce financial expenses for the construction of a house from barked logs.
First, we note the advantages of the material:
- Low thermal conductivity (almost half can reduce the cost of space heating).
- Phenomenal durability (the log house is highly resistant to aggressive environment).
- Environmentally friendly material.
- A special microclimate that is created in the cottage.
- In such housing there will always be Fresh air and there will be no humidity. This ability is provided due to the fact that the tree "breathes".
- No additional wall processing required.
- The amazing beauty of the log house, due to the unique pattern of logs.
Among weaknesses the following can be distinguished:
- The price of a house made of debarked logs is quite high, it will be cheaper to build from logs. This is due to the fact that the painstaking work of carpenters eats up a significant part of the costs.
- Over time, the color of the log house can change from light to dark. Don't be scared, it's natural process, which is on performance characteristics houses made of sanded logs are not reflected in any way.
- Like all wooden structures, they are subject to shrinkage. It is necessary to start finishing work no earlier than in a year and a half.
- Lack of craftsmen Today, finding truly professionals in their field is not an easy task. Therefore, the price of a turnkey barked log house is quite high.
In any case, you should not refuse such a noble material as a debarked log. Modern construction companies who are building log cabins, are able to offer the client not only projects of houses made of debarked logs, the prices are objectively justified, but also specialists who are able to skillfully master the skills of manual debarking and assembling a cottage.
Projects of houses from hewn logs
This building material has received particular positive feedback from consumers. Like debarked houses, hewn log houses are made by hand, so the procedure for processing and laying a log house is far from the fastest process, but worth it.
Why is the material so popular? A cottage from such a forest is original, it is impossible to find an identical building. This feature brings such buildings closer to the traditions of Russian architecture.
Even though it is difficult to build such housing, however, hewn log in terms of its properties, the material is more durable and less susceptible to negative impact environment. Manual felling increases the wear resistance of the material, due to the fact that during processing the protective layer of the resin is not completely removed. And additional antiseptic impregnations can further extend the life of the log house.
However, the prices for hewn log houses are quite high. But such an investment is worthwhile.
Among all the variety wood materials it is hewn logs that often become the foundations of modern private houses. Why? The answer lies in the features and properties of the material itself, which are achieved during processing.
Unlike rounded logs, hewn options do not have an absolutely identical shape, which has a positive effect on appearance buildings, bringing it closer to a traditional Russian hut.
However, this is not the only difference. Hewn log retains its natural protective layer (resin layer), which increases the resistance of the material to environmental influences. Additional processing and antiseptic impregnation increase the durability of wood by a few more points.
Technology developed over the centuries
In the process of implementing a project, Marisrub specialists use the very construction technology that has proven its effectiveness and has stood the test of time.
Of course, we use much more modern devices and tools to speed up the construction process and bring the quality of the result to the maximum possible. However, the basis is still the same technology that our great-grandfathers used.
To build a house from hewn logs, special types of wood are used:
- pine;
- deciduous;
- cedar.
- the correct geometry of the trunks, which are easy to work with. The minimum number of knots and distortions allows you to save a maximum useful properties wood;
- a feature of pine resins is a healing effect. It has been known since ancient times and has a positive effect on the health of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases;
- high strength, durability and excellent thermal insulation performance.
"MariSrub": we will build a house that the neighbors will envy
Becoming our client means getting all the benefits of cooperation that every customer is looking for:
- reliability and stability in meeting deadlines;
- competent architectural and planning solutions;
- a full range of construction services (from design to turnkey implementation);
- Availability finished projects and architects ready to implement individual orders.
We work on a staged payment system, which is also strong point companies. Marisrub clients do not need to spend the entire construction budget on the day the contract is concluded. Instead, there is a stage system that allows you to split the payment into parts and pay them after the acceptance of the work of each construction phase.
The result of the work of the company's specialists is always houses that can last for many decades, admire their external beauty and make the neighbors sigh enviously.
