Self-construction of a frame house. How to build a frame house? Bottom strapping, installation and floor insulation

We all know that a man must do three things in his life: plant a tree, raise a son and, of course, build a house. In this article, we will talk specifically about the construction of a frame structure with our own hands.

In some regions where wooden building materials are considered in short supply, a metal frame is used. But, despite the increased cost of metal structures, equal to frame technology for the price is not. Such a house will be an excellent option for both seasonal and permanent residence. It can be built in a fairly short period of time, two inexperienced craftsmen will cope in one or two months, but if you do not have an assistant, then construction works may be delayed, so we recommend starting the construction of the dwelling in the spring.

There are several different types technologies for installing a wooden frame. In this article we will look at what is called the Canadian construction method, also known as the platform method. Its peculiarity is that first the floor is mounted, and then the frame of the walls themselves. It is about him that we will tell.

Design and preparatory work

The first thing that needs to be done before the actual construction is to draw up a project for the future construction. It is best to ask for help from the specialists of design agencies, as they will be able to draw up an individual building plan, taking into account your wishes and financial capabilities. As the saying goes, "a miser pays twice," so we recommend saving wisely at all stages of construction, so that later you do not have to redo something.

The drawing should indicate all the main points: the total area, the dimensions of the rooms, the height and number of floors, the wiring map of all communications, the materials used and even the tools, and so on.

As soon as the finished drawing is in your hands, you can proceed to the calculation and purchase of the required materials, the preparation of all woodworking and other tools.

In order to draw up a holistic project, it is necessary to analyze the soil on which the construction is planned, since a lot depends on this. Having learned the composition of the bend, its properties, the level of freezing and the location of groundwater, you can easily choose the type of foundation that would be ideal for your area. Also the choice of the basis for frame house also depends on the planned number of storeys and the overall dimensions of the building. Experts strongly do not recommend the construction of more than a two-story frame structure.

Well, when the project is completed, everyone necessary materials purchased, and the tools are prepared, you can proceed to the first stage of construction - the preparation and marking of the site.

Site preparation is a very important stage and it is not advised to neglect it, since in the future the territory cleared of various debris and vegetation will speed up and simplify the marking procedure. If the site has a small angle of inclination, then in order to make life easier for yourself, it is worth spending an hour or two to align it to the level of the horizon.

The next step is markup. To do this, use small wooden pegs that can be found in the surrounding area. They are driven in at the corners, along the perimeter along the outer and interior walls, and tied together with a regular thread for clarity. In order for the foundation and walls to correspond to the planned project, it is necessary to carry out the marking of the territory as efficiently as possible, a tape measure and a construction square will help you with this.

Earthworks: selection and construction of the foundation

Having in your arms finished project the future home, as well as after cleaning and preparing the territory, you can proceed to earthworks... The type of foundation depends on many factors, such as the depth of the groundwater, the level of freezing of the soil, the amount of precipitation, the height and weight of the building, the strength of the wind and many others. Since the frame structure is considered one of the lightest, the foundation can also be built using lightweight technology, thereby saving money. The most common are considered pile-screw, tape shallow and columnar. Let's briefly talk about the main nuances of each type of structure.

Pile-screw

The pile-screw foundation is quite popular among residents of the southern regions of our country. It consists of special metal piles, at one end of which there is a screw, and on the other - a cap, on top of which a grillage is subsequently installed. A feature of this type of foundation is that anyone can handle the installation of a pile without the help of construction teams. Suitable for watery and swampy soils.

For beginnings, in pre-marked places with a step of one and a half to two meters, a nest is pulled out at a depth of at least half a meter deeper than the level of soil freezing.

Remember! Do not unscrew the screws again, as the integrity of the soil is compromised. Even if one of the piles was installed incorrectly, it is best to leave it in this position.

At this stage, below the freezing level of the soil, special trenches are being dug, where sewer and water supply pipes are laid. They lead to the place where the bathroom is planned to be located, and so on. When constructing a pile-screw or columnar foundation, experts recommend insulating the distance from ground level to the place of entrance to the house. You can build brick walls around the pipe, and fill the resulting space with insulation.

To dig holes for piles, use a manual or motorized drill, which can shorten the digging time and make the task much easier. Then metal supports are screwed into the pits. If a hat was not provided by the manufacturer, then it can be manually welded. Use a sheet of metal 25x25 cm and a thickness of 5-6 cm, in the future, I-beam metal or wooden beams are mounted on it. In addition to these materials, a metal channel or concrete tape can play the role of a grillage.

Tvutavr and the channel are welded to the supports, the bar is fixed, for example, with anchor bolts or the so-called wood grouse - large screws with a hex head, and the bud tape is mounted to the support using fittings protruding from the upper edge of the supports.

Shallow tape

It is used as often as the pile-screw. The strip foundation is more reliable and stable than its "colleagues", but a careful approach is required to it, since not a single mistake should be made when pouring the base, because reworking the foundation is a rather time-consuming and costly process.

It is used in regions with clay, stony or crushed stone soils. To begin with, it is necessary to dig a ditch 50-60 cm deep. A layer (15 cm) of sand is poured onto the bottom, moistened with water and carefully compacted. The same must be done with the next layer (15 cm) of rubble.

A formwork is installed on top of the formed pillow. It is necessary to use material without cracks, chips and other defects. If a tree is used, then it should be moistened with water or wrapped in plastic wrap, since the tree can pick up moisture from the concrete solution.

A reinforcement belt made of metal rods 1.2-, 1.5 cm in diameter is installed in the formwork. They are tied together with a rigid wire. All this is poured with concrete. The solution can either be bought ready-made or mixed by yourself. Then it is necessary to additionally buy sand, crushed stone and dry cement of the brand not lower than M400.

The height of that part of the foundation that rises above the ground level usually reaches 0.5-0.8 meters. The formwork can be removed if the average daily temperature is +20 degrees Celsius, after 5-7 days. The lower the temperature, the longer you will have to wait. After removing the formwork, further construction work can be carried out, but the foundation will become as strong and stable as possible only after 28 days. The first few days, so that it does not crack, it must be moistened with water two to three times a day.

Also, do not forget to leave holes in the walls of the foundation for ventilation and wiring communications. If it is planned to equip the basement, then the base must be additionally insulated, if not, the formed space between the soil surface and the finished floor can be covered with fine crushed stone, and under it lay a couple of layers of geotextile or roofing material overlap, the seams between the waterproofing sheets should be smeared with liquid bitumen.

As soon as the foundation dries up, turning into a monolith, several layers of waterproofing are laid on top of it. Only after that you can proceed with the installation of the lower strapping.

Columnar

A columnar foundation is a cross between a strip and a screw foundation, as it has some similarities in installation technology.

The first step is to dig holes along the load-bearing walls with a step of one and a half to two meters deep at least half a meter deeper than the level of soil freezing. A layer of sand and crushed stone moistened with water is poured onto the bottom, tamped tightly. After that, the formwork is mounted, several metal rods are installed in it and tied together so that a square or triangle is formed, and it is also necessary to cut and insert the reinforcement rods so that they stick out by 0.5-0.8 m.This structure with a diameter of 25 -30 cm is filled with cement mortar.

You can also purchase ready-made monolithic concrete supports, the so-called TISE. Their advantage is that they have an extended heel - this allows for increased carrying capacity in heaving ground.

After the supports themselves have been poured, the formwork for the concrete grillage is installed. Metal rods are also inserted into them, they are attached to each other, and also fit with the ends of the reinforcement protruding from the piles.

Since the installation of the lower strapping is expected in the future, small studs are attached on top of the concrete tape. They are installed with a step of 1-2 meters and at least 30 cm from each corner. Regardless of the length of the wall, there should be at least two studs on one side. Then the tape is poured with concrete. From above, so that the cement does not lose moisture, it can be covered with plastic wrap.

After the solution has hardened, work is carried out to waterproof the foundation.

As a grillage, foam blocks are sometimes used or aerated concrete blocks 25x25x30 cm.

Bottom strapping, installation and floor insulation

The floor of a frame house can be either wooden or concrete. The choice directly depends on the type of foundation and financial capabilities. Next, we will consider precisely the installation of wooden flooring and its insulation, both for the strip and for the pile base.

The first step is to install the lower harness. To do this, use a beam with a section of 15x15 (15x20) cm or two boards of 15x5 cm.The second option is slightly cheaper, but requires a little more time for shrinkage.

It is very important to carry out high-quality waterproofing between the surface of the foundation and the beams of the lower strapping so that the waterproofing material has a width of several centimeters more than the base itself. In order to prevent rotting, all elements of the lower strapping must first be treated with an antiseptic or other moisture-repellent substances and dried thoroughly.

Before proceeding with the installation, all the beams are laid on the foundation, horizontality is checked using the building level. If everything is correct, they start processing lumber.

The beams of the lower harness are connected to each other "half-tree". To do this, special "locks" are cut out in the end parts of the beams with an overlap of 20-30 cm, the corners are also joined by themselves. If the foundation is strip, then holes for the studs are drilled in the lower part of the beams, they should be 2-3 mm wider. If the foundation is columnar, then in the heads of the metal supports (or in the grillage), as well as in the beams themselves, small holes are drilled so that they pass through the beam. Bolts are inserted into them, the heads of which must be deepened. To give additional rigidity at the joints, as well as every 50-200 cm, depending on the length of the timber, several nails 7-8 cm long are driven in.

Next, they begin to strap the inner walls of the frame house. Beams of the same section are used and they are attached to the outside in exactly the same way. Also, at the connection points, you can additionally install metal corners and plates.

When the lower trim is ready, proceed to the installation of the floor frame.

Floor frame

At this stage, it is necessary to provide for all communications entering the house (water supply, sewerage, and so on).

On top of the harness, floor logs are installed on the edge of a bar with a section of 5x15 or 5x20 cm.The distance between the logs is determined by the length of the lumber used in the future, the dimensions of the room and insulation sheets. That is, if it is planned to insulate with blocks of mineral wool 100x60 cm, then the distance between the floor beams should be 56-57 cm, so that the insulation fits tightly and there are no gaps.

The first lag is installed close to the second (10-15 cm) - this allows you to smoothly transfer the load from the floor to the foundation. In order for the logs not to "move out" from their positions, jumpers or small recesses are stuffed in the perpendicular beams of the lower strapping into which the logs are attached using nails and metal corners.

To increase the stability of the floor structure, boards with a section of 5x15 (5x20) cm are nailed between the logs.

For sub-flooring, cranial bars are attached to the logs on both sides, which will become a support for installing plywood sheets, OSB or unedged boards. For the subfloor, it is not at all necessary to buy the highest quality material, the main thing is that the material must be well dried.

Then a waterproofing membrane is placed on the subfloor.

Remember! All insulating materials must be installed with an overlap in order to prevent moisture from entering the insulation from the outside or from the inside.

Insulation blocks are placed on top of the membrane. Lay them in a checkerboard pattern so that the seams of the lower row do not coincide with the seams of the upper row. The thickness of the thermal insulation layer is on average 20-30 cm. The next layer is the vapor barrier flooring and another waterproofing layer. After that, OSB sheets, plywood or other material 5-6 cm are installed on the floor logs.

In order to further increase the strength and durability of the floor structure, wooden planks must be laid, alternating the direction of the waves. On each board, in a section, you can see the annual rings that go in a semicircle. So, it is necessary to lay the floor so that these rings look up and down.

Do not forget to leave a gap of 3-4 cm between the finished floor and the insulation in order to prevent deformation of the lumber due to changes in humidity or temperature.

Plywood is fastened with self-tapping screws 3-4 cm long along the perimeter in 15-20 cm increments.

After the floor is ready, it must be covered with several layers of polyethylene until installation. roofing material, in order to prevent the ingress of precipitation and moisture.

Installing the wall frame

Let's summarize

As you can see, building a house with frame technology is still quite easy, fast and inexpensive. Adhering to the rules and tips from this article, you can build your dream home, which will warm and delight you and your family for many years, and you can spend the saved funds, for example, on the arrangement of your backyard territory.

Prefab houses are usually called cheap houses, and they are wary of them. In fact, both economical and elite housing are being built using frame technology. Frame technologies in construction have been used since time immemorial - these are half-timbered houses in Europe, and huts in Ukraine. They were used as the fastest-built and most economical frame houses in the development of the American West, and as the most energy-efficient ones in the development of Siberia.

Principle frame technology consists in the fact that the frame, which is a post-and-beam structure, is erected from durable material- metal or wood, and the walls are filled with heat-efficient and inexpensive materials.

Previously, adobe, clay, porous stone were used in the walls, and today new materials are used to make the house even lighter and warmer. At the same time, the main advantages of such a structure remain unchanged: efficiency, thermal efficiency, speed of construction, space savings due to the smaller thickness of the walls.

	1. OSB board (OSB), the base for exterior decoration; 2. Counter-lattice forming a ventilation gap; 3. Ventilation gap; 4. Wind protection in the form of a vapor-permeable membrane; 5. Fiber insulation (basalt insulation); 6. Independent double frame racks; 7. Vapor barrier; 8. Internal OSB board(OSB); 9. GKL, base for interior decoration; 10. A layer of interior decoration.
	1. Waterproofing, windproof film (diffusion membrane); 2. Thermal insulation 150 mm thick .; 3. OSB sheet with a thickness of 9-12 mm .; 4. Outdoor decoration walls of the house (block house, lining, imitation of timber, siding); 5. Counter battens made of 30x40 mm bars; 6. Racks of the main frame (timber 150x50 mm., With a step of 500-600 mm.); 7. Vapor barrier; 8. OSB sheet with a thickness of 9-12 mm .; nine. Interior decoration walls (drywall, lining).
	1. External wall cladding (ISOPLAAT, ISOTEX, sheet thickness 25 mm.); 2. External lathing (planed board 25 mm thick, with a step of 500-600 mm.); 3. Exterior decoration of the walls of the house (block house, lining, imitation of timber, siding); 4. Basalt insulation with a thickness of 150-200 mm .; 5. Vapor barrier film; 6. Racks of the main frame (timber 70x195 mm., With a step of 500-600 mm.); 7. Internal wall cladding made of OSB, 9-12 mm thick.
	1. External finishing of the house (block house); 2. Lathing made of bars (50x50 mm.); 3. Waterproofing, windproof film; 4. OSB-3 sheet (OSB), thickness 12 mm .; 5. Racks of the main frame (timber 150x50 mm.); 6. Insulation 150 mm thick .; 7. Insulation 50 mm thick .; 8. Lathing made of bars (50x50 mm.); 9. Vapor barrier film; 10. OSB-3 sheet (OSB), thickness 12 mm .; 11. A sheet of drywall 12 mm thick.

Modern frame construction- multi-part, its construction requires knowledge, experience and thoroughness, which are not always inherent in builders. As a result, since frame houses are very sensitive to the quality of construction, a distrustful attitude has formed towards them. Myths about their negative qualities are countless.

Myth 1. A frame house is short-lived

Different types frame houses will last from 30 to 100 years. This indicator depends on the quality of the frame and insulation and their safety in the structure.

To ensure the durability of the materials, it is important to prevent moisture from entering the wall. The durability of wood and metal in conditions of normal atmospheric humidity and with proper processing exceeds 100 years.

The weak link is the insulation. A house with expanded polystyrene insulation will last at least 30 years. The use of hard mineral wool material will increase the service life of the building without repairing the wall to 60 years or more. However, these terms will be justified with high-quality performance at home, when fasteners and protective films have a high degree of reliability, ensuring the tightness of the structure for many years.

The metal frame is reliable and can carry heavy loads

The use of raw wood for the frame significantly reduces the durability of the structure. As the tree in the built house dries up, the racks and beams change their geometry, the cladding breaks down, cracks appear at the joints, so you should carefully monitor the moisture content of the material intended for the frame (for this you can use a special device - a moisture meter). The tree must be dried naturally or artificially (vacuum drying).

Most often, the frame is made of wood.

Summary: the durability of a frame house is 30-100 years, and depends on the quality of materials and work.

Myth 2. The frame house is cold, it will not withstand frost

On the contrary, one of the most important advantages of frame houses is the high energy-saving qualities of the walls. They are provided by a layer of insulation 15-20 cm thick, located inside the wall between the frame posts. But the insulation can be more serious - as in frame houses with increased energy efficiency.

This solution also eliminates the cold bridges that arise at the locations of the frame struts. Wood, although it has a relatively low thermal conductivity, is still greater than the thermal conductivity of the insulation. Heat transfer resistance coefficient outer wall a standard frame house without external insulation is 2.9 m * ° С / W, the structure itself "sheathing-insulation-sheathing" is 3.4 m * ° С / W, and houses with external insulation made of extruded polystyrene foam 5 cm thick - 4.7 m * ° C / W. The lowest value is already in compliance with the regulations. In addition, the variation in the parameters of heaters allows the use of the same structures, both in the southern and northern regions.

Many manufacturers use environmentally friendly cement-bonded particleboards for cladding. In this case, CBPB slabs with stone chips were used.

American frame house lesson

After World War II, tens of thousands of American families moved to the suburbs. This happened thanks to the construction of prefabricated frame houses, which cost several times cheaper than traditional stone houses. The author of the idea was the builder and businessman Bill Levitt. The first town of Levittown (named so later in his honor) was built 50 kilometers from New York. The "construction of the century" began in July 1947, and three months later the first young families moved to new houses, and then 100-150 new settlers came a week.

In four years, the company has erected 17,000 houses near New York. Levitt was accused of building temporary huts, which would fall apart in a few years. But the houses justified themselves and stood for a long time: about a thousand of them are still in operation. Levitt organized factory production and a conveyor belt in construction: ready-made blocks of the house were delivered to the assembly site, the construction teams were narrowly specialized. Almost anyone could buy a house (60 years ago they cost 8 thousand dollars). Levitt's idea led to a revolution in world housing.

Summary: the frame house is warm enough.

Myth 3. All frame houses are built using the same technology

The schematic diagram of the wall for all frame houses is really the same: between the frame posts there is a heater, protected from the inside vapor barrier film, with an outer waterproofing superdiffuse (vapor permeable) membrane. On both sides, the frame and insulation are protected by rigid sheathing, various: oriented strand boards (OSB, OSB), cement-bonded particle boards (DSP), waterproof, gypsum plasterboards (GKL). Overlaps are arranged in a similar way.

However, different types of buildings have significant differences in construction methods, materials and design nuances. Frame houses are prefabricated, since they are assembled from prefabricated structures, the set of which is brought to the construction site. The production of structures must necessarily be factory-based - this approach will ensure dimensional accuracy and completeness of elements. At the same time, the technology for assembling a house can be different:

assembly on site

A wall frame is installed on a pre-prepared foundation, sheathed it, filled with insulation, and protected with insulation. In the same way, floors, a roof are assembled from the prepared elements, then windows, doors, etc. are installed. The assembly time on the construction site is 3-12 weeks. The work requires thoroughness and strict adherence to the installation requirements - it is difficult for a layman to control this.

factory assembly (frame-panel houses)

The assembly of the walls and ceilings of the house is carried out in the factory on special technological lines, and they are brought to the construction site already. They come in different degrees of readiness: from the assembled frame structure to fully finished wall panels (with inserted windows and built-in utilities), multi-layer floor slabs and even roofs. Prefabricated elements must correspond to the design dimensions with an accuracy of a millimeter, and at the construction site they are only fastened together.

The box is erected within 3-7 days, depending on the complexity of the project. To a large extent, the quality of the structure depends on the factory work. Therefore, the prefabricated company must have an impeccable reputation: then the building will be reliable too. The house should be assembled by a specially trained team. However, the kit along with detailed instructions can supply to the customer for self assembly... This practice is found both in foreign and domestic frame construction. Houses are distinguished by frame material:

Wooden frame

Made from a board, solid or glued beams (which is the most durable, high-quality and expensive), as well as wooden I-beam(wood + OSB + wood). The standard section of the rack is 50 x 150 mm. The durability and strength of the house depends on the quality of the tree. The main requirement is that the moisture content of sawn timber should be no higher than 18%. Houses with timber frame the most common.

Metal carcass

They are made from profiles of various configurations assembled on bolts. They must have an anti-corrosion coating (galvanized or painted). The metal frame allows you to arrange large spans of floors and openings in the walls (in this, only a frame made of laminated veneer lumber can be compared with it).

Other differences between frame houses are in the design of the wall. The materials, thicknesses and number of layers of insulation, cladding, steam and waterproofing, floor structures (on beams, trusses or panels) can be different. Thus, the generalized name “ canadian houses”Does not describe the whole variety of frame structures.

There are such types of them:

• timber framed houses and an insulation made of basalt wool and a wall thickness of 18-25 cm (frame and frame-panel);
• houses with a metal frame , with a basalt wool insulation and a wall thickness of 18-25 cm (frame);
• frame panelse at home with insulation made of expanded polystyrene and a wall thickness of 12-25 cm;
• premium class houses with glued laminated timber frame , several layers of insulation and wall thickness up to 35-40 cm.

Summary: frame houses differ in design, assembly technology and heat engineering properties.

How is the frame house insulated?

Insulation materials that are used in the walls of frame houses must provide thermal insulation of the house not lower than the standard with a layer thickness of about 15 cm (this figure is determined by the size of the frame section).

These requirements are met:

mineral (basalt) wool (sufficient thickness - 15 cm). This material also has good sound insulation properties. Insulation plates must be rigid so that they do not shrink over time and reduce the energy efficiency of the walls of the house. Basalt wool is the most common insulation in frame houses.

Mineral wool- one of the most popular heaters

foamed p enopolyurethane (PPU), sufficient thickness 10-12 cm). It is a durable, tough material. Its disadvantage is that it emits poisonous smoke in the event of a fire, so it must be insulated with cladding in the wall (which exactly corresponds to the design of a frame house). Polyurethane foam is used in some types of prefabricated frame-panel houses.

extruded polystyrene foam used as additional insulation (layer thickness - 3-10 cm). Stack it down exterior cladding houses to make them more energy efficient. It is a high quality, durable, expensive material used in premium frame houses.

ecowool - cellulose insulation (thickness 20 cm). The material is a homogeneous mass resembling cotton wool. When walls are insulated, it is poured between the skins or moistened and applied to the insulated surface using blowing equipment. With the wet method of application, the material, while solidifying, adheres tightly to the structures (due to the lignin present in it - wood glue, a natural binder). To reduce flammability, ecowool contains fire retardants.

wood wool - insulation for houses with increased environmental requirements (thickness - 16-20 cm). It is in the form of rigid boards, in which the binder of fine cellulose fibers is natural wood resin.

Another type of environmentally friendly insulation - reed (reed) mats and slabs .

Mineral wool properties

Efficiency thermal insulation material for a frame house consists of several aspects:

• thermal insulation properties,
• environmental and fire safety,
• ease of installation and durability.

These criteria are met by slabs made of mineral wool - a non-combustible material, which is especially important to ensure fire safety timber frame houses. Quality stone wool slabs do not burn, do not emit smoke or flaming droplets, and they also serve as excellent acoustic insulation. Mineral wool is hydrophobic (almost does not absorb moisture) and, in addition, does not absorb moisture from the air. The main raw materials in the production process of this insulation are basalt and gabbro. Rocks melted at a temperature of 1400 ° C are subjected to fiber separation, forming stone wool. Thermal insulation products made of this material, with proper installation and operation, can serve for more than 50 years. The insulation in the frame structure must be laid tightly to the uprights (a rasp is installed), there should be no gaps between heat-insulating plates... Depending on the type of framing structure, vapor barrier and wind protection may be required.

Thermal inertia of the frame wall

Peculiarity frame wall - its low thermal inertia (the ability to accumulate heat and then gradually release it). High inertia is inherent in brick, concrete, less - in wood, so a cold house with stone walls heats up slowly, and when the heating is turned off, it slowly cools down. In the frame wall, in addition to wood, a significant part of the mass is insulation, which does not accumulate heat. This means that a house with frame walls heats up quickly, since no heat is consumed to heat the wall, but it also cools down quickly when the heating is turned off. Low thermal inertia is not a positive or negative quality, but it must be taken into account.

Walls with high thermal inertia smooth out daily temperature fluctuations, and in a house with frame walls, they will be more pronounced. In winter, they will have to be smoothed out due to the dynamism of the heating system (its ability to quickly heat up when turned on and cool down when turned off, which is more inherent in electrical systems). But from a low-inertial wall, there will never be cold and dampness. And if necessary, the thermal inertia of the frame house as a whole can be increased by using reinforced concrete foundation slab(which is very convenient for the construction of such buildings), more massive finishes (for example, when using two layers of gypsum board in the cladding).

Myth 4. The wall of a frame house is fragile, it can be broken and climbed into the house

There is some truth in this - the brick is stronger, but it is unlikely that thieves will break the wall when it is much easier to get into the house through a window or door. The construction of a standard wall of a frame house is similar to that of a roof and has approximately the same thickness. However, it is not easy to destroy it. OSB, with which the house is sheathed from the outside, is stronger than solid wood of the same thickness due to its multi-layer structure. Even stronger DSP. The cladding together with the frame gives the wall the necessary rigidity and stability.

Particularly high strength (due to the rigid interconnection of layers) is distinguished by a wall made of prefabricated panels and walls of houses with several layers of insulation. The strength of the house itself is also sufficient. Many foreign technologies are designed for seismic resistance up to 7 points. In addition, due to the lightness of the structure, frame houses without reinforcement can be built on soils with a low bearing capacity, without fear of distortions and cracks.

Summary: frame houses are durable and resistant to natural disasters, but against a person who is determined to break a wall, he may not resist.

Ready-made panels can be ordered for self-assembly, but it is better if a team of professionals is involved in the construction.

Monitoring the implementation of the foundation of a frame house

For frame houses, they are most often used, or foundations. Savings are achieved due to less material consumption, a small amount of land and installation works... The foundation is the basis of the house, and its construction should be treated with particular care. If the customer is not sure of the high professionalism of the builders, he can control the quality of the execution himself, referring to the drawings. Calculation of foundations and production of working drawings are performed by a professional designer. In the documentation, the customer will find in detail necessary plans, types, sections, specification, material consumption.

When using factory concrete, a certificate for the imported material must be required from builders or suppliers. must correspond to what is stated in the drawings. When using reinforcement, it should be checked whether its diameter and method of linking corresponds to that specified by the designer. You can also take photos of the various stages in the foundation and consult with other professionals.

For timber-framed houses with wood-based paneling, the fire breaks should be larger

Myth 5. A frame house does not breathe, it is always stuffy in it

In fact, in any home a healthy microclimate is provided only by ventilation, regardless of the material of its walls. The myth is based on the misconception that brick walls breathe - allow excess moisture to pass through. However, according to experts, the diffusion of steam through a vapor-permeable wall is insignificant compared to the volume of its accumulation in a living room. In old houses, including brick ones, ventilation was provided by cracks in windows and doors, underground and in the attic.

However, an energy efficient structure, whether made of stone or frame, must have a sealed structure. At the same time, fresh air in the house is provided by an efficient mechanical extraction system. Her project should be part of the plan of each frame house. So that ventilation does not reduce the thermal efficiency of the house, it is advisable to have it in the system. In addition, natural ventilation should be provided - windows in each room should be open.

Summary: in a frame house equipped with a ventilation system with a mechanical hood, even with the windows closed, there will always be fresh air.

Myth 6. A frame house is not environmentally friendly

Most of the frame houses meet the environmental requirements, and many of them have the corresponding European certificates. The wood or metal from which the frame is made is one of the most sustainable materials known. Stone wool, which is usually used in frame houses, is positioned as a neutral material that is not harmful to health (although there are different opinions on this). Expanded polystyrene, which is used in the most economical buildings, does not pose a danger at temperatures below 85 ° C, in addition, in the wall it is completely isolated from the inner space by cladding. Inside, the walls are sheathed with gypsum boards, the environmental friendliness of which is beyond doubt, or OSB, 95% composed of wood (the percentage of harmful binding resins in them is minimized). The insulating films included in the wall are environmentally neutral. Overlappings in frame houses are made on wooden beams, partitions - on the basis of a wooden frame.

Of course, if the frame house is too cheap, the likelihood of using low-quality materials hazardous to health is high. But such a danger can arise not only in the construction of frame houses. In any case, if you doubt the quality of the components, ask for certificates confirming their environmental friendliness and the conclusion of the SES.

Summary: the structure of a high-quality frame house should not contain materials that are harmful to health.

House building technologies and environmental friendliness

Today, there are three technologies for the construction of prefabricated frame houses: 1) frame, 2) panel and 3) frame-panel (Canadian). They differ from each other in design nuances. In the first case, enclosing structures and internal partitions (walls) are mounted on the erected frame. With panel housing construction, the walls of the house do not need additional reinforcement, since they themselves are load-bearing.

Canadian technology for the construction of frame houses represents a kind of symbiosis of the first two, since those used, being load-bearing, are additionally reinforced with a wooden frame. The main structural elements frame houses - wood and its derivatives, or rather OSB. There has been a lot of controversy about the environmental friendliness of OSB. At the very beginning of the production of these boards, manufacturers used a formaldehyde-based adhesive, but after much research, a better solution was proposed that meets stringent environmental standards and requirements. As a result, now we have frame-panel houses that are environmentally friendly and comfortable for living.

Myth 7. A frame house is fire hazardous

In such buildings, all load-bearing elements of walls and roofs must have a fire retardant treatment. It is also desirable to protect them from exposure to high temperatures with sheet or plate materials. These include plating made of DSP and GKL - non-combustible materials. Sheathing of two layers of gypsum board will increase the fire resistance of the structure by 30 minutes (and at the same time improve the sound insulation of the wall). In general, the fire resistance limit of frame house structures is 30-60 minutes, which corresponds to the standards and should be reflected in the manufacturer's certificate. Also, fire safety requirements should be taken into account when placing a house on a site. More is required between frame structures fire distance than between stone.

Summary: the degree of fire resistance of frame houses is lower than that of stone ones; to increase their fire safety, wooden structures are treated with fire retardants and two layers of gypsum board are used for inner lining.

Myth 8. All frame houses are built according to standard designs

Indeed, every company that builds frame houses has at its disposal detailed standard projects, the designs of which are included in factory production programs. But if necessary, the company's design office develops individual project or adapts one that the customer already has for frame structures. Building a house in this case will cost more than a standard project, for which the factory has already established the manufacture of structures. In addition, more time will pass from the beginning of the design to the end of construction.

Summary: a frame house can be built according to both a standard and an individual project.

Features of the metal frame

In our country, some developers are still skeptical of frame buildings. We are accustomed to the fact that a house must be built "for centuries" and from massive materials, while pre-fabricated buildings seem too unreliable. Tough and durable metal carcass as supporting structure allows you to switch to new construction technologies, while remaining true to the traditions of solidity.

A ready-made frame house built on the basis of a metal frame does not outwardly differ from buildings made of other materials.

The metal frame also has a number of other advantages. So, it can withstand heavy loads, for example, beautiful, but at the same time rather heavy natural ceramic or cement-sand tiles. The metal also ensures the stability of the geometry of the house (a wooden structure made from poorly dried and untreated raw materials can lead, and additional preparation is a waste of construction companies try to avoid). Metal also wins in terms of fire safety. Some customers are afraid that metal carcass will be cold or start to rust. But this is just a myth - the metal is covered with a sufficient layer of heat and waterproofing so as not to freeze and serve for many years.

Myth 9. A frame house is unrepresentative in appearance

One cannot agree with this. Frame house- this is just a construction technology. And his appearance depends on the finish and architectural qualities of the project. The finish is the same as for houses from stone materials: plaster, painting, ventilated facade using siding, block house, etc. It is also possible to clad the walls with bricks, and the basement with stone (it is still not recommended to decorate the walls with stone). Architecturally, the project of a frame house does not differ from projects of buildings made of stone materials, and almost any of them can be processed for frame structures... Thus, a frame house can be quite representative.

Houses built using frame technology can look modern and representative.

There are almost no restrictions in interior design: any finishing except perhaps for heavy materials such as stone. However, architecture frame buildings really have features. The frame allows, without additional constructive tricks, to create large open spaces in the interior, arrange wide windows, which, even with small areas, creates a feeling of spaciousness in the house. The idea of ​​the low-budget appearance of the frame structure has developed due to the fact that most often they are built when it is necessary to save money. However, in foreign practice, frame houses are often referred to as objects of modern, progressive architecture: environmentally friendly, economical and lightweight.

Summary: a frame house can look beautiful and solid.

Myth 10. All frame houses are cheap

The cost of building a frame house ranges from $ 150 to $ 1200 / m². Such a wide range is due to various technologies and the possibility for the customer to choose the degree of construction readiness: from purchasing a set of a house for independent construction to turnkey construction. Within the framework of one technology, fluctuations in cost are possible depending on the materials used. For example, a house with a frame made of laminated veneer lumber will cost more than one made of solid wood. The material of insulation and cladding, etc. matters. Houses with insulation from expanded polystyrene are cheaper than from basalt wool, cladding from OSB is cheaper than from CBPB.

With additional insulation, the cost of the house will increase. Some technologies use imported energy efficient windows and doors, especially reliable membranes, which also increases the cost of construction. But in general, in terms of material consumption and labor intensity, frame walls are among the most economical. This is due to the smaller volume of the foundation and walls, as well as the lower price of insulation compared to massive materials.

The cost of 1 m2 of a standard frame wall 20 cm thick is 1.3 times cheaper than a wall made of timber, 1.7 times cheaper than a wall made of foam concrete blocks and 2.2 times cheaper than a wall made of bricks (with the same energy-saving ability and different wall thicknesses required for it achievements). But too low a price should alert: perhaps the frame tree will not be dry enough, the cladding will be of minimum thickness, etc. You should always make sure of the quality of the structures and materials for assembling the house. A reliable indicator of quality is a certificate of technology compliance with European standards (construction, energy saving, environmental), as well as a guarantee provided by the company (for the highest quality frame houses it is 30 years). One of the benefits frame construction- transparency of investments and accuracy of estimates. The cost of a house kit is determined individually after the development of the project and does not change further.

Summary: the price range of 1 m² of frame houses ranges from the cheapest to the elite.