Types of Wood Used for Building Houses

In this article, we will discuss the types of wood used for building houses, their advantages and disadvantages. The competent choice of materials for the walls of the house will enable you not only to optimize the costs of its construction, but also to further reduce the costs during use.

A whole unprofiled whole beam

This type of tape has the simplest production technology. To get it, four edges are cut from the log. The most common part of such a strip is 150×150 mm or 150×200 mm. The production of solid air does not require the presence of complex equipment for wood processing, therefore, according to the number of offers on the market, this bar occupies a leading position.

Advantages of solid wood

1. Availability. Since the process of creating solid air is not difficult, you can buy it almost anywhere, with a minimum waiting time from ordering to product delivery.
2. The low price of this material is due to the simplicity of its production and the absence of costs for drying wood.
3. Ecological compatibility. This rod is able to regulate the level of moisture in the house, absorbing excess moisture, accumulating in the premises in the process of human life.

Disadvantages of solid wood

1. The complexity of setting up a log house. Since the beam does not have a longitudinal profiled groove, it is quite difficult to get a quality surface of the walls of the house during the construction of the log cabin.
2. Increased construction time. Since the solid bar has natural moisture, after the end of the frame, it must be subjected to shrinkage, which can last for more than a year. This process involves additional work to fill the seams with sealant.
3. Damn unprofiled tape. Shrinkage of the house from wet wood leads to the appearance of cracks, twists and curves in the beam, which increases the gaps in the crosses between the rims.
4. The spatial rigidity of the house during its operation is provided only by the strength of the wedges that hold the crown in position, resisting possible wood deformation, especially during the log collection.
5. Significant costs for finishing and operation of thermal insulation. A solid beam house requires finishing work inside and outside the building due to its minimal aesthetic appeal.
6. Exposure to fungi. Natural tree shrinkage does not eliminate the risk of fungus. It can be eliminated with modern means of protection, but this is another, additional, cost.

As you can see, the list of positive qualities turned out to be quite short. A dry statement of facts and a comparison of merit and demerit show that the balance is obviously unfavorable for this material.

One-piece profiled beam

As unprofiled, this type of wood is also made of whole logs, but is subject to much greater processing, which leads to the finished wood having a complex part of the profile and quality side surfaces requiring little or no additional processing to complete. The profiled bar can be realized in dry form or natural humidity.

It is best to build a house to use dry profiled tape, because it is less susceptible to shrinkage and deformation. Many companies make ready-made home sets from profiled tape, which enables construction works to be performed in a very short time.

Advantages of solid profile tape

1. The presence of longitudinal grooves on the beam reduces heat loss through the joints and increases the spatial rigidity of the finished house.
2. The identity of the dimensions of the air part, provided by high-tech production, significantly reduces the assembly time of the log and enables it to improve its quality. Furthermore, the additional longitudinal reduction of the rod relieves the internal stress of the wood, which occurs in the process of natural shrinkage of the material which reduces the risk of cracking and significant twists.
3. The quality of the side surfaces of finished walls can reduce the cost of finishing them.
4. Ecological compatibility. Made of solid mass, the profiled rod has the ability to regulate the humidity in the room, providing natural ventilation.
5. The cost of this bar in relation to non-profiled expensive is only 40-50%. But when coordinating the price, it is necessary to take into account the level of humidity at least that is offered to you.

Disadvantages of solid profile

1. Collecting at home. If the profiled strip has a natural moisture content, it will require a long break in the construction, during which shrinkage will occur. The higher the percentage of moisture on the natural level of the wood, the longer (up to 12 months) the process of collecting the finished log cabin of your house will be.
2. Occurrence of cracks in the shrinkage process. Yes, it will appear, because it is typical for massive wooden elements, although their dimensions will be minimal.

As can be seen from the above, solid profiled tape has significantly better performance than non-profiled tape. But we suggest you pay attention to other types of profiled beams, produced using modern technological achievements and equipment.

Glued profiled air

The difference of this material from the two previous varieties of rods is that it is made of individual windows – lamellae of coniferous wood, connected with a special glue. All blanks miss the obligatory drying, treatment with retardants and antiseptics, which significantly reduces the risk of fire of the completed construction and its resistance to the appearance of anger.

In addition, by setting the desired cross-section beams slats stacked so as to change the directions of the fibers in adjacent parts, which allows to eliminate the occurrence of internal stresses in the rods due to falls or increase the natural level of humidity at different ages.

Advantages of glued profiles

1. The time for building a house is shortened due to the fact that a frame made of this material does not need long assembly.
2. Made of dry wood, such a bar retains its geometric dimensions throughout the work of the building.
3. The surface of the walls of the house from this bar is almost ready for finishing immediately after the completion of the log house and does not require additional preparation for varnishing or painting.
4. There is no risk of cracks due to the design of the individual slats.
5. The strength of such a bar in comparison with the analogue of solid wood increases by 1.5 times, which has a positive effect on the strength and durability of the entire house.
6. Good heat saving performance. The high quality of the horizontal joints between the crowns of the frame, as well as the absence of cracks in the air ensure a comfortable temperature inside the house, while at the same time reducing heating costs.
7. The ability to order the right crossbar according to your design, as it is not related to the need to find a complete list of the required diameter.

Disadvantages of glued profiled beams

1. The cost of glued profiled beams exceeds the cost of its analogous solid wood material by 2.5 times;
2. Despite the fact that all gluten compounds used in this technology are developed on the basis of PVA and adhere to permitted standards, the ability of wood to “breathe” is significantly reduced;
3. Since this production technology has been developed at least recently, there is no reliable data on its behavior in building a house for half a century or more.

Thermobus

Composite wood of this type consists of a lamella, in which there is an insert of polystyrene, which allows not only to increase its heat-saving effect, but also to reduce weight. This significantly reduces the load on the foundations, which enables a slight simplification of its design, and thus a reduction in the cost of its installation.

Advantages of thermobus

1. The increase in heat saving parameters is 1.3-2.1 times compared to gluing beams, which significantly reduces the heating costs of such a house.
2. The cost of a thermobus is similar to the cost of profiled glue.
3. No shrinkage.
4. Ready surface for finishing immediately after the structure of the log house.
5. Strong and durable walls made of this material.

Disadvantages of the thermobus

1. The material has recently been present on the construction material market. There is no information about his behavior in building structures for several decades.
2. The walls of the house do not “breathe” because expanded polystyrene is an impermeable material.