Timber or log: which is better for construction? What is better to choose: regular timber or glued timber? Which timber is better glued or regular

Wooden construction is currently at the peak of popularity, and the lumber market is replete with various offers:, chopped), timber (regular and profiled, solid, massive and glued).

Manufacturers are changing drying and processing technologies to give lumber additional properties and eliminate the disadvantages inherent in natural wood. As usual, making adjustments that are designed to improve some properties can have a negative impact on other characteristics of wood.

One of the demanded materials is profiled timber, which has such characteristics as:

• stability of linear dimensions;
• strong joining of the beams, which eliminates the appearance of intervent cracks and moisture leakage;
• good thermal insulation properties;
• ease of installation;
• aesthetic appearance;
• an acceptable combination of quality and cost;
• long period of operation.

Note that these advantages are typical for all types of processed timber. However, one of the most heated debates that flare up around the topic of choosing a tree for building a house is comparing profiled solid lumber and glued laminated lumber. Opinions differ, there are many arguments arguing the advantages and disadvantages, all other things being equal.

Glued laminated timber or profiled timber - which is better to choose?

Let's analyze the characteristics and properties in order to understand what is the difference between these materials made from the same raw material using a similar technology, comparing them in a number of parameters:

1. Feedstock

Made from solid solid wood. The feedstock is sorted out, then a long process of natural or chamber drying, re-examination for defects and processing on profiling equipment.

Produced by gluing prepared lamellas dried in a chamber. This approach allows to reduce the percentage of scrap, due to the ability to eliminate the defect on the part of the lamella. And also to exclude cracking and twisting of wood.

For the manufacture of timber, from two to five lamellas are used. This allows the manufacturer to vary the price also through the use of different types of wood.

For example, the central lamellas can be made of pine, and the front lamellas can be made of larch or cedar. The material was prepared for the site www.site

2. Dimensions of timber

The dimensions of the profiled timber are limited by the length of the wooden blanks. The standard length of a bar, as a rule, is 6 r.m. or multiples of 2 and 3 m.s.

Standard sections include: 100x100, 150x150, 200x200. Manufacturers also offer non-standard sizes made for a specific project, but their cross section rarely exceeds 200x200, which is due to the complexity of drying. The thicker the array, the more difficult it is to ensure its uniform drying.

The dimensions of glued beams vary over a wider range, and the maximum width reaches 275 mm. Due to the fact that the lamellas can be spliced ​​along the length, in some cases the length of the glued beam can reach 18 r.m. This length is made to order (transportation to the construction site and the complexity of working with a long beam leaves its mark on its length).

Note that the greater the width of the timber, the higher the thermal conductivity of the structure.

3. Eco-friendly

Eco-characteristic is the main argument in the dispute about what is the difference between profiled and glued beams and which one is safe for humans and the environment.

The main emphasis is on the fact that glue is used in the production of glued laminated timber, which contains chemical compounds. The lamellas are glued together using polyurethane or polyvinyl acetate glue. Opponents of glued beams, this gives reason to assert that the environmentally friendly cleanliness of glued beams has to be forgotten.

But, adhesive mixtures are not homogeneous in composition and are classified from dangerous (FC2) to safe (FC0). Timber manufacturers are required to provide a document containing data on what kind of glue was used in production, and confirming the level of formaldehyde content.

It is worth noting that the profiled timber also undergoes additional processing with antiseptics and flame retardants. In addition, in the production of timber, only the inner part of the log is used, which is freed from the protective bark, and is more loose. And this means that in order to maintain the performance characteristics of a house made of profiled timber, its walls must be periodically re-coated with special compounds designed to protect the wood from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation and other atmospheric phenomena.

4. Air exchange

The vapor permeability of profiled timber corresponds to the indicator for the type of wood from which it is made. Also, solid wood retains the ability to maintain a favorable microclimate, which is very important for a private house.

In a glue bar, this figure is much lower, because. the lamellae are arranged differently, and there is also an adhesive layer that prevents the partially free movement of air through the pores of the wood.

5. Humidity

The natural moisture content of wood depends on the species and season of the harvest and can reach 40-50%. But, material with humidity not higher than 15% +/- 3% is suitable for construction (for outdoor work, according to GOST 8486-86).

To reduce the level of humidity, as well as to avoid twisting and cracking of wood, manufacturers subject the timber to drying: natural or forced (in chambers). The drier the beam, the less shrinkage the building built from it will give.

The optimum moisture content of glued laminated timber is 11-14%, profiled timber - 15-18%. But, we note that over time, both types of timber will draw moisture from the external environment and gradually their performance will be approximately the same.

6. Shrinkage

An indicator derived from humidity. Glued laminated timber shrinks 0.4-1%, profiled timber - 3-5%, natural drying - up to 8%.

7. Durability

According to this indicator, glued is superior to profiled, because. for its production, denser lamellas are used, cut from different parts of the log (core, heart-shaped rays, growth rings), in the production of profiled timber, only the core, the loosest part of the trunk, is used.

8. Deformation

The torsion of the timber with proper storage is excluded. As for the appearance of cracks on an already finished structure, the probability of their occurrence remains for both types of timber, both profiled (with a width of not more than 1 mm) and glued (depending on the quality of gluing).

9. Biological stability

Both types of timber are processed during the manufacturing process with special protective compounds. Therefore, the likelihood of fungus, mold or wood bugs is minimal.

10. Fire safety

Glued laminated timber burns much more slowly, this factor is very important for a bath.

11. Aesthetics

Profiled and glued laminated timber has a high quality of front surface processing, which makes it possible to do without additional finishing, both internal and external. However, often, construction is carried out with a beam 150x150 mm thick and there is a need for additional insulation.

As for the installation of window and door frames, the warm contour of a house built from glued laminated timber can be performed immediately after erection (assembly). But the profiled one shrinks - you need to wait up to six months or use casing boxes.

12. Price

If we compare the initial costs, then the cost of profiled timber is 30% lower than the price of glued laminated timber. But, during operation, higher costs are required to maintain the appearance of a house made of profiled timber.

13. Possibility of counterfeit

Profiled timber is sold in large volumes. You can profile the timber in artisanal conditions. The possibility of reliable installation will provide only material made on high-precision equipment. It is more difficult to make counterfeit glued laminated timber, because it is difficult to ensure the process of gluing the lamellas.

Which is better, profiled or glued laminated timber - table

Summary data on the parameters being compared (what to choose, which beam is better, what differs, and which one should be used to build a house) are listed in the table

As you can see, the question of which is better, glued or profiled timber, does not have an unambiguous answer, and the choice has a rather high degree of subjectivity.

For materials with close technical specifications and used to solve similar engineering problems, constant comparisons are commonplace. That is why questions like “Which bath is better - from a bar or a log?” are so common. or “What is the difference between timber and cylindering?”.

Taking into account that it is impossible to find the only correct answer to such questions in principle, we will nevertheless try to give in this article the most detailed comparison of these types of building materials.

Material features

Before deciding what is best for the house - a log or a bar, it is worth taking some time to study the materials themselves.

• A rounded log is a tree trunk, peeled of bark and branches, which was given a certain shape during processing. In the process of cylindering, the workpiece is aligned in diameter, and at the output we have an almost perfect cylinder.

• Today, construction log blanks are immediately impregnated with an antiseptic immediately after manufacturing, which provides the structures being erected with resistance to the effects of fungi and bacteria.
• Unlike Also, the workpiece can be subjected to profiling, in which locks are formed on the lower and upper planes for more efficient connection of parts to each other.

• If the log is most often solid, then from several strips of wood. In this case, for the production of the material, pre-dried and antiseptic-treated boards are used, which are interconnected with a resin-based adhesive.

However, external differences and design nuances are far from everything. You can see the difference between materials only by analyzing the features of their use in construction.

log houses

Design

When choosing which log house is better - from a bar or a log - they often stop at a more traditional option. What are the features of log structures?

The log has been used as a building material for a very long time, but rounding is a relatively young technology. This type of processing provides a significant increase in the strength of the structure being erected, since the loosest parts of the tree trunk are removed during the cylindering.

Houses built from logs are distinguished by high strength and significant thermal insulation performance. The connection of individual elements in the frame occurs through special grooves and crown cups, which (of course, subject to high-quality workmanship) make it possible to minimize gaps.

Note! As a rule, a separate set of logs is produced for the construction of a house, with grooves and bowls in the appropriate places.

Pros and cons

The advantages of buildings from this material are as follows:

• Provided that a set for a log house is made with sufficient accuracy, assembly does not take much time. At the same time, labor costs for craftsmen are significantly reduced.
• Installation of a log house can be done with your own hands, especially if there is an experienced mentor nearby or at least detailed instructions.
• The connection of the logs to each other provides sufficient tightness of the building. At the same time, it is possible to increase the resistance to heat transfer through the use of effective sealing materials.

• The attractive appearance of log walls makes additional finishing unnecessary. Perhaps, it is for this reason that when thinking: “A bathhouse made of timber or a log - which is better?”, Many choose the second option.

As for the shortcomings, they are as follows:

• Significant shrinkage. Since the log is a natural material, in terms of deformation, it significantly loses to glued beams. The "box" of the building must stand for at least a year before the start of finishing work.

• If you decide to finish the internal walls, you will have to suffer, because the crate will need to be fixed to an uneven surface.
• Another disadvantage is significant flammability. It is possible to reduce the risk of fire by impregnating with flame retardants, but it will not work to completely secure the building.
• Also, a log, especially its ends, is very susceptible to external influences. If you neglect the protective treatment, then after a few years the log house will lose its attractive appearance.

Summarizing, I would like to note that the last two minuses will also be characteristic of the timber. But the strong shrinkage and the complexity of the interior decoration are disadvantages that are specific to the log. They must be taken into account at the planning stage.

The use of timber in construction

Technology features

When building houses from wooden beams, a variety of technologies for connecting elements can be used. From this point of view, the profiled material looks more advantageous, since it makes it possible to ensure the most hermetic joining of the crowns to each other.

The connection of the bars is carried out either with the help of metal nails or with the help of wooden spikes. The second method is more “warm”, since the metal acts as a “cold bridge”.

As with the construction of a log cabin, a sealant is laid between the bars. An important argument in favor of the use of profiled blanks is the fact that the seam is practically windproof due to the special configuration of the locks on the planes.

As for glued laminated timber, it is many times superior to solid timber in terms of stability and strength. Glued parts practically do not warp or deform, which makes it possible to reduce the time for the log house to stand before finishing.

Wall length

m

Wall width

m

Wall height

m

Bar section

150x150 mm. 180x180 mm. 200x200 mm.

Beam length

5 m 6 m 7 m 8 m 9 m 10 m 11 m 12 m

Advantages and disadvantages

The popularity of the timber is due to the advantages that it provides:

• Firstly, the installation technology is very simple and does not require special costs.
• Square and rectangular blanks are easy to process and, if necessary, they can be made into almost any shape.
• As a result of the construction, we get a house with smooth inner and outer walls, which are easily finished in a variety of ways.

There are also cons:

• The use of natural moisture timber can lead to a change in the geometry of the wall. This is primarily due to uneven shrinkage.
• When mounting walls from non-profiled blanks, rather large blown slots are obtained. They must be hidden behind the skin, because otherwise the heat loss will be very large.

• Profiled glued products are devoid of these disadvantages, but their high price significantly limits the distribution of this material.

Note! Even when using a beam glued from a chamber-drying board, the log house must stand for at least six months before finishing. This is due to the residual deformations of the base and interventional sealant.

As you can see, there is no ideal. Both materials have pros and cons, and the main task of the master is to analyze them and make the right choice.

Conclusion

Given all of the above, it can be noted that the answer to the question "Which is better - glued laminated timber or a log?" depends on the source data. If finances allow, then you need to choose glued profiled timber - with it, work will go easier, and the building will look more neat and modern. If you want to save money, then it is better to take a quality log.

In the presented video in this article you will find additional information on this topic.

A solid wooden house, beautiful on the outside and cozy on the inside - what could be better? But in order for the cottage to meet these requirements, it is important to choose the right ordinary timber or profiled timber. What is better, even experts cannot always say. The difficulty is that initially the material is created from the same raw material, and the main difference lies in the further processing of wood. What is better? Let's try to figure it out.

Ordinary bar: what is it?

First, let's figure out what a regular beam is and what it is made of. Note that any kind of this material is made from coniferous trees - spruce and pine. Many people choose either ordinary timber or profiled timber for construction. Which is better, they do not think, because it seems that in fact it is one and the same material. But there is a difference.

The production of the material is carried out from round timber of high humidity, that is, wood is not always dried. They brought the material to the base, cut it into timber and immediately sold it. Accordingly, under conditions of natural drying, the tree begins to deform, warp, become covered with cracks, since drying occurs unevenly. The production technology itself involves only a simple sawing of edges from a log from four sides.

Unplaned is rarely used in the construction of permanent residential buildings. Most often, garden and country houses are built on its basis, it is also used as a building material when installing balconies or logs, erecting partitions - that is, where you do not need to take care of external beauty.

Popularity Secret

Many refuse to choose profiled timber. It’s just that timber is better, in their opinion, due to the low cost of the material itself, its wide distribution and short production time. On the other hand, it should be understood that due to the lack of proper drying, the tree will dry out, respectively, the structure itself may be deformed. But if you are planning to build a non-residential facility or an outbuilding, ordinary rough timber is ideal for this.

Profile is convenient

When choosing a regular bar or a profiled bar, which is better, it is not always possible to determine. If an ordinary beam is practically not processed in any way, with a profiled one, the situation is completely different. Such material undergoes careful mechanical processing, during which it receives a certain shape, smoothness. It is clear that this material will cost more, but it is more aesthetic and it is much easier to build from it.

The difference between the profiled material is the locking connection, which ensures a tight joint of the crowns with each other. The profile itself can be different - multi-ridged or Finnish, that is, with notches. Harvesting of wood for production is carried out in winter, since it is precisely such raw materials that meet the requirements of strength and reliability.

Let's compare properties

Thus, it is immediately clear what distinguishes a regular beam or a profiled beam. What's better? It's up to you to decide. But remember that you can’t save on construction, as any savings will affect the further operation of the residential facility.

Features of glued laminated timber

Wood is an ideal building material. And most often its varieties are used - profiled or glued beams. The first is good because it has clear geometric shapes and sizes, is cleaned of all defects, and has a locking connection system. But there is another variety - glued laminated timber. It is widely used in the construction of country houses, despite its high cost. How to choose - glued laminated timber or profiled timber? What's better? To understand the difference, let's talk about a number of features of the last material.

Glued laminated timber is produced by sawing softwood into lamellas, which are planed to obtain smoothness, and then glued with a special glue. It is environmentally friendly and harmless. After that, the material is dried and re-planed, then placed under the press. To understand which timber is better - glued or profiled, we offer another summary table.

Glued or whole?

Beam or timber?

The traditions of Russian housing construction are based on the use of wood as the main material. Therefore, many people have a reasonable question: "Which is better - a rounded log or a profiled beam?" We have already talked about the profiled material, now we will say a little about the second material.

It is produced using a special technology that makes the thickness of the material the same along the entire length. The logs are supplemented with special mezhventsovye grooves, which ensure the efficiency of the assembly of the log house. Depending on the climatic conditions in which the log house will be operated, the log itself may have a groove of different widths - from 10 to 16 cm.

Table of differences

Both profiled timber and round logs essentially have the same texture and meet environmental requirements, so it is not always clear whether to choose profiled timber or log. What's better? To understand this, we offer a table.

We have indicated only those characteristics for which there are differences between the types of wood. This building material is the most popular due to its environmental friendliness, ease of installation. What to choose? Proceed from your own aesthetic and financial considerations. But remember: wood is a tricky material that needs to be processed in a timely manner to protect it from external factors.

Often those people who have planned the construction of a wooden house ask themselves the question: “What is better than a beam or a log?”. Below we will try to objectively compare these materials on many key characteristics and provide recommendations based on this comparison.

Below we will consider:

	Bar characteristics: description, properties, price.
	Log characteristics: description, properties, price.
	Comparison of timber and rounded logs.
	Conclusions.

Description of materials

With the current variety of materials, it is not enough just to decide what is best for timber or logs for building a house or some other structure. It is important to be specific about what material is being discussed. Today, builders are offered the following options.

Attention! Wood that has been dried in a vacuum chamber may have a moisture content reduced to 0%. But completely dry material requires immediate conservation to protect against atmospheric moisture and is usually not used in construction.

How do the costs of different solutions compare? Here is the average value for pine - the cheapest and most common wood.

Attention! For glued beams, the price is presented for the size closest to 200x200 - 190x202 mm.

The choice of material (including wood species) has one subtlety. Deciding which is better - timber or logs for construction, you can choose lumber from spruce, pine and other cheap and durable species.

If you decide what to build a bathhouse from - from a bar or a log, then it is better for you to give preference to a more rot-resistant type of wood (for example, larch or aspen).

But note that they have a higher cost:

• A cube of hardwood profiled timber with natural moisture will cost you 19,500 - 20,000 rubles.

• For a cube of profiled aspen material of natural humidity, you will have to pay 9000-9500 rubles.

Log characteristics

Here, builders are offered a slightly smaller choice.

The log can be:

• Planed. The bast is removed from the bark; smooth surface greatly simplifies the installation of crowns. Although the conical shape of the lumber is preserved, and the logs need to be sorted by size.

• debarked. In this case, the log retains its natural structure (in particular, the bast is not damaged), which increases the life of the material. But the conical shape of the trunk, which has a thickening to the butt, takes a lot of time to select and stack logs.

• Rounded. The ideal geometry and the groove matched along the bottom surface ensure ease of installation; but the rounded log needs mandatory treatment with water-repellent compounds and antiseptics.

Suppliers almost do not offer planed and debarked logs. The cost of rounded is approximately the following:

• Larch - 13,000-15,000 rubles.

• Pine - 9500-11500 rubles.

Comparison of timber and round logs of natural moisture content

• Shrinkage in both cases takes about 1.5 years. From a log or from a bar - the bath will change its height, but in the case of a profiled one, its absolute value will be less by about a quarter.
• A bath made of logs or timber needs additional insulation with a wall thickness of less than 200 mm. But with a minimum thickness of 200 mm, the actual consumption of lumber in m 3 for a log will be large - all this is due to its cylindrical shape.
• The log will give cracks that will negatively affect the quality of insulation. In profiled timber, they are also formed, but in much smaller quantities.
• Log walls need caulking, while timber walls, when laying crowns, it is enough to continue with jute tape.

Timber or glued laminated timber for the construction of a bath?

• High humidity will be safe for both materials in the case of high-quality vapor and moisture insulation of the steam room. Do not forget that, despite the measures to isolate wood from moist air, it is still better to give preference to wood species that are resistant to rot for the construction of a bath.
• Glued laminated timber will not make the owner wait for the structure to shrink. You can start interior decoration immediately after the construction of a wooden log house.
• Moreover, glued timber allows you to forget about cracks that cannot be avoided when using material of natural moisture.
• Wormholes, knots and other wood defects are excluded from the structure of glued beams. They are sawn out at the stage of production and rejection of lamellas.
• Do not forget that the profiled surfaces of glued beams are not blown through even in strong winds, which cannot be said about the competing solution.

What is better glued laminated timber or logs for the construction of a residential building?

All the advantages of glued laminated timber will also be relevant when comparing it with round logs.

Furthermore:

• Thinking about what is better - a bath from a bar or a log, do not forget that the walls of rounded logs are recommended to be examined and updated every year with their protective impregnation. Glued laminated timber will also have to be re-impregnated, but not so often.

• The flat inner surface of the walls is much more convenient in practical terms (for example, when installing hanging furniture).

True, it is worth saying that the last argument is relevant only for a residential building. The bath does not need an abundance of internal shelves and wall cabinets.

Barked and rounded log

The advantages of barked material have already been noted by us above - minimal damage during processing ensures the duration of the operation of lumber, even without resorting to protective impregnations. But construction will be much more difficult due to the conical shape of the trunks. For this reason, for a beginner in wooden architecture, the instructions will be obvious: rounded material will be more preferable.

conclusions

If you carefully study all of the above characteristics, you will notice a clear leader, which is glued beams. But the difference in price between this and the rest of lumber is significant. Therefore, we provide you with the final choice of material for the construction of a bathhouse or a house!

The construction of country houses and bathhouses from timber continues to be very popular with developers who prefer wood building materials. At the same time, many of them think about what type of timber is better, for example, solid timber or glued timber. In this article, we will try to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of both solutions.

Comparing glued and natural moisture timber

A solid beam is obtained by four-sided edging of logs. Due to the ease of manufacture, this material is one of the cheapest. But you need to understand that this is a timber of natural humidity, therefore, a house built from it will give a long and significant shrinkage. Despite this, for the construction of inexpensive country houses, such building materials are most often used.

Glued laminated timber is produced according to a complex technology, which includes obtaining boards from logs, drying and processing them, gluing the boards and subsequent cutting of the timber. Thanks to this, it becomes possible to obtain a building material with certain properties and minimum values ​​​​of shrinkage and shrinkage (for a house built from it).

Below we have presented a comparative table in which we compared solid and glued beams according to the main, as it seems to us, indicators, including:

• price;
• environmental friendliness;
• durability;
• performance characteristics, etc.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that glued laminated timber has clear advantages over conventional solid timber. In turn, it is quite appropriate to use the material of natural moisture for the construction of country houses that do not claim high performance. Such a house will be more environmentally friendly and suitable for seasonal living.