We are building a country house from timber. Construction of a country house from timber. Video: installing a frame house

It is clear that you first need to make a house project, calculate materials, purchase these materials: all these points are described in various articles on our website. This time we will focus on the actual construction.

The first stage of cottage construction in Tyumen is the creation of a foundation for a future dacha made of timber. Before deciding what kind of foundation you will have, you need to know what kind of soil is on your site and what the groundwater level is. Based on this information, decide on the type of foundation and purchase materials for it. We will consider the option of arranging a strip foundation. Trenches of the required thickness are dug for it (depending on the walls). We water the bottom of the trenches with water to compact it. After this, we fill in crushed stone or stone, put several rods of reinforcement with dressings at the corners. Pour concrete into the prepared trenches to ground level. The part of the foundation that should be above the surface is constructed from stones and thicker mortar; you must not forget to put reinforcement in the upper part of the foundation. Next, the foundation must harden and stand. This option is very economical, but if you don’t skimp, you can build formwork for the foundation, and then pour concrete. In addition, reinforcement can be done in other ways.

The second stage is, in fact, the assembly of the dacha from timber. Such houses are assembled on wooden dowels. To make them, you can take old boards or scraps. We trim these scraps on one side, and then saw them to the required size - for us it is 120 millimeters: you should get neat planks, as in the photo. Next, we saw these planks into square sticks, sharpen the ends and the dowels are ready.

You also need to prepare insulation. You can take ready-made rolled moss, you can use moss for these purposes.
For construction you will also need jambs for doors and windows. You can order their production, or you can try to make them yourself from timber: but this is a very complex process that not every carpenter can do.

When everything is prepared, we begin construction. A cottage made of timber, built with your own hands, will become your real pride!

When the second crown is ready, it is necessary to mark and install the dowels that will connect the beams. To do this, marks are made on the upper and lower beams, holes are drilled and dowels are driven in. After this, you need to spread moss and tow on the logs for insulation. After the next crown is laid, it is advisable to plant it with a sledgehammer. You also need to stuff moss into the gaps in the corner joints. Do not forget to alternate connections in the corners from crown to crown.

After all the crowns have been laid, taking into account the openings, we install the window and door jambs. Next, we arrange the roof and move on to finishing. This will be discussed in more detail in the following articles.

Frame construction is becoming more common. The main reason for the popularity of this method lies in the significant reduction in labor costs; in addition, frame technology allows for significant savings in money. The operational characteristics of houses built using this technology make it possible to use frame houses even in the climatic conditions of most of the territory of Russia.

In addition to the benefits of saving time and money, timber frames are sometimes used for architectural reasons. In this case, part of the beams acts as an architectural element of the facade. In such cases, a rounded log or profiled beam is used.

Types of frames for houses made of timber

To create a frame, both beams and boards can be used. Glued laminated timber is also quite popular. The only advantage of a frame made of boards is some savings in lumber, but this will have to be paid for by reducing the rigidity of the final structure. Therefore, a frame made of timber can be called the best option.

In addition, according to the technology for installing the frame of a house made of timber, there are 2 ways of performing the work:

• when the structure is assembled in a vertical position. In this case, it is especially difficult to control the verticality of the elements.
• a technology in which the frame is assembled in a horizontal position, and then, using a conventional winch (or manually), is installed in a vertical position.

Tools and materials for frame installation

For frame construction you will need the following set of materials and tools:

• the lumber itself;
• nails;
• anchor bolts (necessary for attaching the bottom frame to the concrete foundation), be sure to use nuts with wide washers, this will prevent the nut from sinking into the wood and ensure proper fastening;
• set of carpentry tools;

• wood processing substances;
• casein glue;
• plumb line, building level;
• reinforced corners, perforated brackets;

• winch, if the frame will be mounted on a horizontal surface and then raised to a vertical position.

How to make a timber frame with your own hands

To ensure durability, it is necessary to protect the tree from insects and climatic influences (treatment with an antiseptic and antipyretic); this can be done at any stage of construction.

The frame of a house made of timber can be divided into upper and lower frames, racks, elements that give the frame additional rigidity (mitters) and special elements (with their help, door and window openings are created). It is recommended to perform the work in the following sequence:

Installation of the bottom trim

Before installation of the frame begins, the foundation concrete must have time to harden. Since the weight of a wooden frame is much lower than the weight of, for example, a brick wall, most often a strip foundation is used rather than a solid one.

The construction of pile foundations is allowed. Before laying the bottom frame beams, it is necessary to additionally level the surface of the foundation, for example, using a thin concrete layer. Although leveling can be done after attaching the bottom trim to the concrete - using an electric planer.

Before laying the beams on concrete, it is necessary to lay a layer of waterproofing(regular roofing material will do).

Roofing felt should be laid immediately before installing the lower trim. It is forbidden to leave roofing material just lying on the foundation for a long time.

Most often, beams are attached to the foundation with anchor bolts. You can also leave the reinforcement outlets at the stage of pouring the foundation, this will make it easier to attach the beams. The length of the anchor bolt must be selected based on the fact that at least 100 mm of the bolt must be in the concrete.

The maximum step between anchors should be within 1.0 - 2.4 meters. If the beam is short, then it must be secured with at least 2 anchor bolts.

In the corners, the beams are connected to each other, despite the many connection methods, the most often used connection is a claw or half-tree connection. For greater reliability, the corner connection is reinforced with nails or using a wooden dowel.

To prevent the wood from splitting, the nail must be driven in at a distance of 1.5 - 2.5 cm from the edge of the beam.

The wooden dowel is made from hard wood and has a cylindrical or 4-sided shape. It serves simultaneously to connect the beams of the lower trim and to install corner posts. The length of the dowel is selected based on the fact that it should rise at least 100 mm above the surface of the beams of the lower trim.

When installing the dowel, you can lubricate the hole under it and the dowel itself with casein glue.

Installation of racks

The first step is to install the corner posts. If the beams were connected by dowels, then the racks are simply mounted on it. It is first necessary to drill a hole of the required diameter and depth in the end.

Otherwise, the racks are attached to the beams using steel angles. In this case, it is best to use galvanized screws. If your budget allows, it is recommended to use corners for attaching intermediate posts.

To save money, you can use another fastening method - the cutting method. In this case, grooves are made in the timber with a depth of up to half the thickness of the timber. Then the bars are inserted into these grooves. Before starting installation, it is advisable to carefully mark the design position of all vertical posts. This is important, because under window openings and in the area of ​​doorways, you may have to change the selected step.

Before installing the racks, it is also necessary to check their thickness. If they are fastened using corners, then their length should correspond to the height of the floor. If fastening using cutting is used, then the length of the rack is equal to the height of the floor + 2 thickness of the cutting.

Installing racks using the cutting method is more economical, but requires much more time. In addition, the beam of the lower trim is significantly weakened.

But fastening the racks only in the lower part is not enough; until the upper trim is installed, the rigidity of their fastening will be insufficient. Therefore, each rack is secured with a temporary bevel. You can use one long slope that covers several posts at once. Without these bevels, the racks may become loose during the installation of the frame.

To save lumber, temporary cuts can be made from unnecessary boards. For example, from dismantled formwork that was used when pouring the foundation.

Installing the top trim

Includes connecting beams to each other and attaching racks to them.

Braces

The resulting structure still does not have sufficient rigidity; to eliminate this drawback, diagonal braces are attached to the vertical beams. Their cross-section may differ to a smaller extent from the cross-section of the racks themselves.

In this case, the braces must be placed flush with the inner surface of the racks.

Ceiling beams

The final stage in creating the frame of a house made of timber can be considered the installation of ceiling beams. Beams can be attached to the top frame in several ways: using special brackets, notching or using corners.

When using the cutting method, grooves are made in the beam itself at the edges of the beam. The width of the groove should correspond to the width of the beam, and its depth is 30% - 50% of the thickness of the beam. To fasten the beam to the beam, nails should be used, the length of which should be such that the nail enters the beam at least 100 mm. Floor joists are attached in a similar way.

At this point, the creation of the timber frame can be considered complete. All that remains is to mount the frame for the roof. For rafters, boards with a section of 50x150 mm are used. To give rigidity to the structure at the top, they are connected by small planks; at the bottom, ceiling beams act as an additional connection.

Also, at all stages of installation, it is necessary to monitor the compliance of the frame with the required geometric parameters.

One of the most interesting, popular and widely used materials for the construction of private houses and cottages today is timber. The construction of a residential building from timber requires much more modest financial investments and time costs than building a house from more conventional materials. Moreover, in the case of timber, you can carry out all construction activities with your own hands.

Before starting any work, you need to draw up a plan for your future home. If you do not have design skills, entrust this work to some third-party organization or select suitable drawings from open sources.

Before you start designing, you need to establish the optimal dimensions of the future structure. When choosing the optimal dimensions, focus primarily on the available space, as well as your personal needs.

If you have a small family and a little free space, you can give preference to a small log house measuring 3x4 m. If properly arranged, even in such a small building there will be enough usable space. The lack of space can be compensated for by a terrace or attic space.

If there are no special problems with space, but you still don’t want to build a huge building, build a house measuring 5x4 m.

The standard sizes of summer and country log houses are 6x6 m, 6x8 m, etc. Such a house can already be made two-story without any fear.

For the rest, focus on the conditions of your specific situation. The larger your family, the larger the area the house should have. In most cases, everything is limited solely by the size of the plot and the available budget.

Buy timber whose cross-section best matches the dimensions of the future home. The thicker the timber, the less money you will have to spend on thermal insulation material and sound insulation.

Typically, 200x200 mm timber is used for the construction of load-bearing walls. To build a small house in a region with a mild climate, you can use material with a cross-section of 150x150 mm or even 100x100 mm.

During the process of assembling the walls, it is necessary to lay a sealant made of flax or jute between the rows. This seal allows you to get rid of all the cracks and additionally insulate the walls.

Before starting construction work, be sure to study the properties of the soil on your site. It is quite difficult to cope with such work on your own - it is better to immediately contact a specialist. Additionally, you need to find out the level of groundwater flow.

Select the length of the beam in accordance with the size of the house. The standard length of the elements is 600 cm. If the walls of your future home will be longer, try to find a company that can produce timber to your dimensions. This will require additional financial investments, but solid timber is superior to prefabricated elements in all respects.

The timber requires mandatory finishing treatment with a water-repellent composition. Without such impregnation, the material will very soon begin to become moldy and rot, and as a result will be completely destroyed.

If it is necessary to insulate a finished house, it is best to place thermal insulation materials from the inside. Mineral wool thermal insulators are excellent for insulation, with the obligatory laying of waterproofing material between the thermal insulation and the walls.

If possible, it is better not to do the external cladding of a timber house - such finishing will hide all the aesthetic beauty of the building material.

Pre-calculate the required amount of materials to avoid problems with selling excess timber or purchasing additional missing elements in the future.

First step. Determine the height of the house and calculate the perimeter of the walls of the building. Choose the height of the ceilings taking into account the thickness of the ceilings and floors. Calculate the area of ​​the internal and external walls, taking into account the thickness of the beam section.

Second step.

Calculate the total number of beams. To do this, you need to divide the height of the house wall by the height of one element. This way you will know how many beams will be needed to build each wall. Calculate the length based on the length of the walls. Sum up the number of beams needed to build all the walls of the house.

Third step.

Add to the calculated value a 5-15% reserve for defects or unexpected damage during the construction process.

Initially, the walls of your house will have a height slightly higher than the design value. This increase will occur due to the use of an insulating gasket between the crowns. Over time, the wood will shrink and the height of the walls will be restored to the design height.

Guide to building a house

Purchase the required amount of finished timber and begin construction. Start by preparing the site and laying out the foundation.

Foundation

First step. Remove debris and all obstructive objects from the construction site. Mark the area using pegs driven into the ground and a rope stretched between them.

Second step.

Dig a trench for the foundation. Log houses are traditionally built on strip foundations with a depth of up to 80-100 cm. Select the specific depth taking into account the conditions of your specific situation.

Third step.

Fill the bottom of the trench with a layer of sand and gravel. Compact the backfill thoroughly. For better compaction, spill the backfill with water.

Fourth step.

First step. Coat the frozen foundation with molten bitumen and lay a layer of roofing felt on it for waterproofing.

Second step.

Proceed with laying the first crown. Pre-soak all wooden elements with an antiseptic. Traditionally, the first row of timber is laid using the “half-tree” method. To make such a connection, you need to saw off the lower part of one beam, and the upper part of the other.

Third step.

Lay out the bottom crown. Adjust the bars as carefully as possible.

At the same stage, prepare wooden dowels. Using these elements you will connect the rows of timber. It is advisable to make dowels from the same type of wood that was used for the manufacture of the main building elements. Make holes for the dowels in advance. The optimal pitch between fasteners is 1.2-1.5 m.

Form the first row of walls and proceed to further work.

Walls

Continue laying the walls in even horizontal rows. Make the cut directly into the lower crown using the dovetail method. Place floor beams in increments of no more than 40 cm, otherwise the floor will sag.

The walls are laid out according to an extremely simple principle: you lay the beams, connect them together in the corners using the “root tenon” method, connect the top row to the underlying row using dowels. Drive the dowels about a third of the depth of the beam of the bottom row, i.e. With the help of one dowel you can connect 2-3 rows at once. Be sure to lay insulation between the rows. You can use jute or moss.

Check each row with a building level. Use a sledgehammer to level the rows.

Lay out the walls of the house at the required height using the same pattern. All rows laid above the lower crown are arranged according to the same principle.

There is no need to secure the top two crowns. You will remove them before you begin installing the roof and installing the ceiling beams.

Start arranging the roof. If you are planning to make a residential attic space, use timber measuring 15x20 cm for the ceiling beams. Fix the beams themselves in increments of about 1-1.1 m.

Finally, all that remains is to lay the final roofing covering with the preliminary installation of steam, heat and moisture insulation layers.

After this, you can, if necessary, insulate the house and perform finishing work. Laying communications, installing doors and window structures, lighting, furniture and other aspects - all this is at your discretion.

In the case of kiln-dried timber, finishing can begin almost immediately after completion of construction work. When using another material, you will have to wait until the wood shrinks. This requires at least 6 months.

A log house built in accordance with all building codes and recommendations will serve you well for many decades. Follow the instructions, and very soon you will be able to enjoy comfortable living in a reliable home built with your own hands.

Good luck!

Video - DIY timber house

I wanted to build a house. I immediately encountered the problem of choosing a material. There wasn’t much money, but I wanted a house that was reliable, warm and durable. Having studied the offers of the modern construction market, I decided to settle on

On the forums they advise building houses with a cross-section of 15x15 cm. But I had to build it myself, sometimes with a friend, i.e. I didn’t want to involve outside workers, so I decided not to use a heavy 15-centimeter beam. Instead, I bought dry material with a cross-section of 15x10 cm. Then, when the wood shrinks, I will insulate the outside walls with mineral wool, and the house will be warm.

To further save on construction costs, I decided to use only local materials. You can take my story as an example of guidance and navigate the situation.

Pouring the foundation

First, I cleared the area under the house from debris, bushes and other things that were in the way. After this, I began laying out the foundation.

I had to think for a long time about what type of foundation would be suitable specifically for my area. I studied the geological conditions, learned the composition of the soil and the level of groundwater. Specialized reference literature helped me with this. Additionally, I asked my neighbors what foundations their houses were on.

I live in the Ryazan region. Local conditions make it possible to save on the construction of foundations, so most neighbors have houses on light supports made of limestone and concrete. Most often, they even refuse reinforcement - such is the wonderful soil we have. The soil is sandy, therefore, it is not “heaving”. The water runs deep, and wooden houses weigh little. Therefore, there is no need to install buried monolithic supports in my region.

I started by digging a trench. To begin with, I removed the fertile ball. Sand appeared. To make it seal better, I filled it with water. Then he lined the trenches with stone and laid two reinforcing bars. I tied them up in the corners. I think that the tape is best reinforced both at the bottom and at the top. So I did.

To save yourself from unnecessary work, you could order ready-made construction concrete for delivery. However, in my region this turned out to be unrealistic - there are simply no such proposals. And my plot is such that the truck would have to go through the garden, but I don’t need that.

Alas, you won’t be able to save this much in every region. For example, if I lived somewhere in the Moscow region, I would have to make formwork, install a spatial reinforcing frame, and only then pour in the building mixture.

While the concrete gains strength (and it needs 3-4 weeks for this), I will start preparing consumables.

Prices for timber

Find out more detailed nuances from our new article on our portal.

Preparatory activities

Preparing dowels

The connection of the beam crowns is carried out using wooden dowels. I decided to make them from scrap boards left over from other construction projects. In my case it was the installation of roof sheathing.

For dowels, use wood that is as hard as possible. The process of making fasteners is extremely simple. I took some scrap boards and edged them on one side using a matching saw.

Then I set the stop and started sawing to size. In my situation, the size was 12 cm. As a result, I received neat and beautiful blanks.

I sawed the boards using a band saw. At the end of the day I received a whole box of wooden sticks. Next, I sharpened the blanks with an ax on each side and got my dowels.

Moss preparation

Dowels, sphagnum peat moss and boards

The technology requires that between each crown of timber there be laid. Professionals usually insulate with rolled materials. Working with them is easy and convenient - just roll out the material on top of the laid crown and you can continue working. However, convenience and ease of processing come at a price.

I decided not to waste money and use moss. Firstly, this material is abundant in nature - go and collect it. Secondly, moss is not only a decent insulator, but also an excellent antiseptic. Additionally, I studied thematic forums: moss is actively used as inter-crown insulation, and there are no negative responses about it.

Red or peat moss is best suited for insulation. The first is characterized by high rigidity. The second one becomes brittle after drying. If possible, it is best to use red moss. It is easy to recognize - it has long stems with leaves that resemble a Christmas tree.

Making joints

I make them for every door and window opening. For this I use a flat beam. If possible, there should be no knots at all. For greater convenience, I made an impromptu workbench directly next to my stack of lumber. Made longitudinal cuts. A circular saw helped me with this. Excess material was removed using a chisel.

Not even every professional carpenter can make the right joint. Therefore, I decided to make window jambs using simplified technology. I will install only a pair of vertical jambs in each window opening. The window block itself will be responsible for the horizontal connection.

To install the block you need a “quarter”. However, here too I figured out how to simplify the task. Instead of sampling (it's shaded in the photo), I decided to glue in a strip. To do this, I sharpened the plane in advance. The result was no worse than it would have been in a situation using a quarter.

It is impossible to reduce the number of jambs in the doorway - all four are needed. However, the shape of the products can be significantly simplified.

I chose grooves in the block, which in the future will serve as a threshold, similar to the recesses in the side jambs. This allowed me to slide the bottom timber over the tenons of the opening. However, at this stage, the timber would have to be cut with a chisel across the wood fibers - not the most pleasant or simple task. I found a great way out of this situation! Taking a circular saw, I prepared the cuts by first setting the appropriate blade exit and making a rip fence.

Then I took a feather drill and made a hole 2.5 cm in diameter, just like for the dowels. Finally, I cut out an even rectangle across the wood grain. A reciprocating saw helped me with this.

Carpenters usually make two rectangular nests in the threshold, and at the bottom of each vertical jamb they create a counter protrusion, cutting down and sawing out excess wood using a chisel. I decided to make holes as for fastening dowels, and hammered in a couple of fasteners. I made similar holes at the bottom of the jambs.

I haven’t touched the upper horizontal beam yet, but I nailed a small board to the threshold - it will take on the functions of a “quarter”. The design of the opening turned out to be extremely simple, but this does not interfere with its ability to cope with its main function. Later I will plan the opening and glue the “quarters”.

Required Tools

To build a house from wooden beams, I used the following tools and devices:

• hammerless electric drill;
• circular saw;
• roulette;
• sledgehammer;
• electric plane;
• square;
• reciprocating saw;
• plumb line;
• hammer;
• water hose;
• axe.

I bought a circular saw to cut wooden beams. I had to cut in two steps. First, I drew a line along the square, after which I cut, turned the beam over and made the cut again. It is best to transfer the line to the second edge of the beam using a square. If you are confident in your “eye”, you can cut “by eye”.

Using a circular saw, I made tenons and recesses for the corner joints of the beams. When arranging the tenons, I lacked a slight depth of cut, so I had to make a couple of extra movements with a hacksaw.

We are building a house

Rules for laying the lower crown

Laying the starter crown is traditionally done with a joint known as "into the wood floor". This unit can be made without any problems with a circular saw - just cut the material lengthwise and crosswise. In some areas the depth of the cut turned out to be insufficient - here I worked with a hacksaw, after which I got rid of excess material using a chisel. By the way, in my case, the lower crown is the only one that is connected with nails.

I placed the lower crown on board linings. There are gaps between the elements - in the future I will make vents there. In my area they are usually in the wall rather than in a concrete base. This option has its advantages. Firstly, making vents in the wall is easier and faster. Secondly, at a certain elevation the wind moves at a higher speed than directly near the ground, due to which the underground will be better ventilated.

Cutting timber. Half-tree connection

I'm going to mount the floor beams on the pads - this way, I think, the loads on the base will be distributed more evenly.

The linings and timber of the lower crown were covered. As practice shows, the material laid at the very bottom rots most quickly. In my situation, there are pads underneath, and not the timber itself. In the future, if the boards rot, they can be replaced with much less effort than the beam of the lower crown.

Reciprocating saw prices

reciprocating saw

Features of laying the second and subsequent crowns

Starting from the second crown of masonry, work is carried out in the same order. At the corners I connected the timber with the help of root tenons - the usual joining of elements is unacceptable here.

Taking a circular saw, I trimmed a couple of cuts. I transferred the cutting line to the second face using a square. The root tenon is easy to do, everything is demonstrated in the photo. If the disk output is insufficient, the depth can be increased with a hacksaw. The groove is made even simpler. Also demonstrated, but in the photo.

Important note! Keep in mind that in tongue-and-groove joints there should be approximately a 0.5-centimeter gap for laying the seal. A connection in which the wood simply touches the wood is unacceptable.

I first set the cutting depth I needed. With my saw, you can change the output of the blade without any problems - you just need to loosen the lever. The add-on is convenient to use. If in traditional carpentry the master sets some parameter of the working tool and prepares the required number of blanks of the same type, then in carpentry the situation is somewhat different: the material is dragged onto the workbench, and the depth of the cut is adjusted directly as the work progresses.

My saw is equipped with a thin disk - it takes much less effort to cut. The safety guard moves very smoothly and does not impede the cut in any way.

The walls of my house will be longer than the timber, so I will have to join the building material. To do this, I made a notch at both ends of the long beam, removed the excess with a chisel, and got a tenon in the middle. The ledge is ready, now we need a groove. Cutting wood with a chisel across the grain is impractical. I used a trick and drilled a simple through hole in the second beam. The drill bit was not long enough to create a through hole, so I had to drill from both sides. Next, I cut off the excess wood from the workpiece, made markings and cut the timber along the grain using a chisel. Connected the spliced ​​beams. The gaps were filled with moss.

Helpful advice. In the crown, which is the beginning of the opening, it is better to immediately make spikes for the jambs of this opening. In the process of cutting timber, it will not be possible to completely make tenons with a saw; you will need to additionally chisel with a chisel to complete the process. In the next photo you see the beams already with fastening spikes. Thresholds for door openings are shown as templates.

I laid the second crown on the lower one, correctly performing the corner joints and the necessary splices along the length. It's time to make markings for installing dowels - the connectors of the crowns of my house under construction. I took a square and made vertical marks on the bars at the bottom and top, in the places where the fasteners would be placed. Turned over the top beam. I moved the markings to the center of my beam. Then I drilled holes for the fasteners and drove the dowels into them using a hammer.

What do you need to know about dowels?

Logically, a round dowel would need to be driven into a round hole. Builders adhere to a different technology and use square dowels. Such fasteners are simpler to manufacture and hold the connection much more reliably. In this case, a short dowel will not interfere with the process of shrinkage of the structure.

The problem is that it is impossible to drill a strictly vertical hole with a hand drill without the slightest deviation. When installing the beam of the next crown on a pointed and slightly protruding dowel, the first one will wobble a little. In order for the timber to be firmly fixed, it must be additionally hammered with a sledgehammer.

The dowels I use work for shear and ensure correct shrinkage even if there are minor deviations from the vertical in the mounting holes. There will be no gaps. Firstly, the timber will shrink. Secondly, the space between the crowns is filled with insulation, which I will discuss later.

Once I had to observe how builders made holes in a wall made of timber using a long drill and drove long round pins into them, which looked like the handles of a shovel or rake. Were such holes vertical? Naturally not. Ultimately, the beam did not settle, but seemed to “hang” on the dowels, which led to the formation of impressive gaps between the crowns.

Having driven in the dowels, I laid tow and moss on the crown. He laid the tow across the beams. The moss was simply thrown over the tow. As a result, tow hangs from the walls. This will make it easier for me to caulk the walls in the future. Moss will provide adequate insulation of the building.

I installed the beams on the dowels, laid the tow, threw on the moss, sieged the crown with a sledgehammer, but for some reason it is still wobbly. This happens due to the presence of gaps in the corner joints. In my situation, the dimensions of these gaps were up to 0.5 cm. I densely filled them with moss. A spatula and a narrow strip of metal helped me with this.

The attentive reader will ask: what about tow? Shouldn't it be put in the corners too? No no need. Firstly, as I said earlier, moss is a very good natural antiseptic. My house will stand for quite a long time without any finishing, and sedimentary moisture will continually flow into the corners. Moss will prevent the wood from rotting in these places. Secondly, in the future the timber in the corners will probably have to be planed. Moss will not interfere with this. Tow can cause the plane to break.

Prices for tow

Now my corners are strong, insulated and windproof. At the end of the day I covered the corner joints to protect them from possible precipitation.

In the picture you can see that one of my beams is located higher than the other. But they must be at the same height. We are not in a hurry to immediately turn on the electric planer - such a problem can be easily dealt with using a simple sledgehammer.

I worked with a plane at the very end, when the obstacle to the installation of the next crown became clearly visible. I used a plane to compare small “screws” and “humps”. I compensated for more significant differences in height with the help of tow and moss - their arrangement takes much less time than processing wood with a plane.

Why should we build a house?

You have already become familiar with the basic principles of laying each crown. There are important nuances. Firstly, the crowns must be laid with alternating corner joints. Secondly, the internal load-bearing wall of the house must be connected to the longitudinal wall. This is done through one crown. For binding I use an already proven and familiar connection. Only I drill the holes for the dowels “checkerboard” in relation to the lower rims. After this, I lay down the tow and moss, and placing each beam in its designated place, I seal the joints in the corners.

That is, the procedure for building a house is extremely simple:

• I'm laying out another crown;
• I make markings for dowels;
• I drill holes;
• I drive in wooden fasteners;
• I lay down the tow and throw moss on it;
• I repeat the sequence.

Along the length of the beams I join using the “staggered” method.

Having reached the height of the window sill (this is my seventh crown), I made markings for arranging the window openings. I calculated the width of each opening by adding the dimensions of the jambs and sealed gaps to the width of the purchased window block. There should be a pair of gaps on each side of the opening - between the jamb and the window block being installed, as well as between the jamb and the wall of the house. As a result, in my situation, the required width of the window opening was 1325 mm. Of this, 155 mm was spent on gaps.

Based on the calculation results, I installed a crown with a window opening, having previously cut tenons in the bars, similar to the stage with openings for doors.

The next crowns with a window opening were laid from timber without tenons, observing the same overall dimensions.

I constructed all the window openings from “short pieces”, the evenness of which was disrupted during the shrinkage of the timber - such material is not suitable for walls, and it would be a pity to throw it away. I didn't make any jumpers. While arranging the opening, I constantly checked its evenness using a plumb line. I also checked the walls.

I temporarily secured the separate partition with slats so that it would not fall during the work. The T-shaped structure, as well as the corner, do not require additional strengthening - they are perfectly supported by their own weight.

Important note! In places where the tenons of the opening and the cutting line are arranged, i.e. just a few centimeters from the edge, I did not lay the oakum, because... when cutting, it would wrap around the cutting disc. In the future, the tow can be tapped from the ends without any problems.

After laying the last crown with the window opening (it needs to be laid temporarily without fastening or compacting), I removed the top beams and made cuts for the tenons. I put blunts on them. Having set the saw blade to the required depth, I installed a parallel stop to maintain the required distance from the edge. It didn’t take me much time to do this kind of work. I was unable to cut the timber to the required depth with a circular saw - I had to finish it with a hacksaw.

I made tenons at the lower rim of the opening to control my assembly. I didn’t do this in the last crown - in the future, tenons will still have to be created in each beam.

From personal experience I was convinced that assembling the entire height of the opening for a window without a connection, and from not quite “short” ones, is not the easiest task.

Light and short cuttings can be tried on before creating a recess or tenon. It may well turn out that a block deviating to the right will fall on a beam that deviates to the left. As a result, a flat wall will be built. If both beams have a deviation in the same direction, you can’t count on the evenness of the wall.

To eliminate deviations, you can plan out the “screws” using a plane or lay the timber “ladder”. I had exactly the second case. I also eliminated the gap using a plane. At each stage, I checked the verticality of the openings being constructed using a plumb line.

Installing jambs and finishing work

The upper crown was laid. It's time to install the jambs of each opening. Thanks to these simple elements, the strength of the finished structure will be significantly increased. The bottom beam of each opening is equipped with a full-fledged tenon. On the upper beams there are cuts in the required places. I apply the guide, set the desired cutting depth and make the cut with a circular saw. After this, I draw a couple of lines from the ends according to the dimensions of the tenon and get rid of excess material using a chisel.

My tenons are smaller than the grooves. I fill the gaps with thermal insulation material. If you wish, you can make the tenons wider, and only then, at the stage of finishing the house, cut off the excess material and fill the gaps with sealant.

I inserted temporary spacers between the jambs. In the future, I planned to add a veranda to my house. If you are planning to make an extension, do not lay the top crown of the timber before starting its construction. I also mounted a smaller one on the crown.

The box is ready. I covered it with a temporary roof, closed every opening and left the house until the next season. The timber will have time to shrink. After that I will continue, which I will definitely tell you about in my next story.

Instead of a conclusion

While the house is shrinking, I decided to take stock. Firstly, I was pleased that I had to spend much less money on the foundation compared to other types of supports. It took a little money to dump the stone. There is also a lot of sand in my region - you can dig it yourself and bring it. Most of the money was spent on cement and reinforcement.

Secondly, I was pleased with the affordable cost and relatively low consumption of building materials. When the timber was delivered to me, I laid it out in a stack about a meter high and two meters wide. At first it seemed that I had miscalculated somewhere and that I would not have enough material. As a result, about 20 beams remained unused. In general, for the construction of a house with dimensions of 6x10 m (the timber part of it is 6x7.5 m), I spent about 7.5 m3 of timber with a cross-section of 15x10 cm. For timber 15x15 cm I would have spent 1.5 times more money. And additional labor would have to be hired, which is also not free.

Thirdly, I saved on fasteners and thermal insulation. Nageli made it himself, the moss is free. My friends gladly gave the oakum to me after finishing their construction work.

Fourthly, I did not have to buy highly specialized and expensive tools. Everything that I used for construction will be useful to me on the farm in the future. I am especially pleased with the purchase of a good circular saw and concrete mixer.

Now about the speed of work. I didn’t have much experience in timber construction. As practice has shown, in a whole day, working with one hand and provided the weather is good outside, you can lay out one crown with a partition. You can do this either faster or slower, I won’t argue.

And the main advantage of such construction is that you do not need to have any special skills to carry it out. And I was personally convinced of this.

I hope that my story will be useful to you, and you can, just like me, make your dream of owning your own home come true.

Video - DIY timber house

It doesn’t always make sense to build a permanent house on a summer cottage, suitable for living in both summer and winter. If the size of the plot is small, and the house itself will be used only for short-term recreation, then it makes sense to choose the option of a small, cute house. In addition to saving money, this will also significantly speed up construction.

Methods for constructing country houses

The labor intensity, price and time spent on construction greatly depend on the chosen material and size of the house.

The following construction methods can be used:

• brick construction. It is used mainly for medium-sized houses and is characterized by a fairly large investment of time. For a small house there is no particular point in using it;

• buildings made of monolithic concrete– practically not used, especially for small buildings;
• frame construction– can be called a universal technology, used both for the construction of small cabins and for the construction of large two-story houses;

• country houses made from block containers- allow you to eliminate the construction stage altogether, you only need to work with metal, cut holes for windows and doors.

Features of placing a country house

In relation to the development of the site, one should be guided by such standards as:

• SNiP 30-02-97 - issues of planning and location of individual buildings are considered, the project of a small country house is being prepared mainly taking into account this document;
• SP 11-106-97 – concerns the legal side of the issue (development, coordination, approval).

When locating a building, it is necessary to take into account fire safety requirements and sanitary and hygienic requirements.

Note! Fire distances should only be taken into account for houses located on different sites.

Fire clearances depend on the building material used. So, if a house is built of stone and reinforced concrete, then the minimum distance between houses on neighboring plots should be 6 m. But in the case of a frame house using low-flammable building materials, this distance increases to 10.0 m.

As for sanitary and hygienic standards, even a small country house must be located at the required distance, for example, from a cesspool, compost heap, well, outbuildings, etc. For example, the distance to the restroom should be at least 12.0 m, and to the bathhouse or shower - 8.0 m.

Frame construction

Briefly, this technology can be described as follows: a building frame is created from beams and wooden planks, then the frame is sheathed. After this, only the interior and exterior decoration remains. Moreover, the technology does not change much, regardless of whether a small cottage or a large building is being built.

What should the foundation be?

Since the load on it will be minimal, you won’t even need a strip foundation. Its role is not to carry a significant load, but rather to raise the structure above ground level. This must be done in order to protect the tree from rotting.

For small buildings, a columnar foundation can be made not even from concrete or brick columns, but from wooden beams dug into the ground. Of course, the durability of such a structure is lower than that of concrete or brick, but the price of such a foundation is minimal.

Note! In this case, the part of the column located in the ground must be impregnated with protective compounds and wrapped in waterproofing material.

Installation of lower rails

Small country houses weigh very little, so if the bottom frame is not securely fastened, the structure can easily slide off it, for example, in a strong wind.

You can go two ways:

• use anchor bolts;
• leave reinforcement outlets in the concrete of the columnar foundation itself. Then you will need to make a hole in the beam equal to the diameter of the reinforcement and simply put the beam on it. The excess metal is simply cut off. This method is useful because the beams can be easily replaced during repairs; you just need to raise the houses above them.

As for the corners, the bars are connected to each other “in a paw”; there is no point in messing around with more complex options. For additional strength, both beams are connected with wooden dowels. Floor joists are laid.

Frame installation

The frame for a small country house is made of beams (10x15, 15x15 or 10x10 cm) - installed in the corners, the top trim is also made from them, wooden planks (4x10 cm) - suitable for logs, rafters and floor beams, as well as wooden planks ( for example, 8x3 cm) - for frame posts.

The installation instructions look like this:

• racks made of beams are installed in the corners; for greater strength, they are put on the dowel connecting the beams of the lower frame. Additionally, they can be fixed with metal corners;

• racks can be attached to the lower frame either only with metal corners, or by complete or incomplete cutting;

• the bars of the upper trim give rigidity to the structure;
• floor beams are laid;

• the rafter system is installed;
• The frame is being covered.

Note! The frame posts are fixed with temporary braces during construction, then they are removed and permanent braces are installed.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the roof. Since the load on the rafter system will be small, you can use a hanging rafter system.

In this case, the load will be transferred to the walls of the house. The crossbar is responsible for the rigidity of the rafter frame.

Container houses

Ordinary shipping containers can be turned into beautiful small cottages. In this case, the size of the building is limited by the size of the container itself; if desired, several containers can be combined at once.

All work in this case comes down to transporting the container and its external and internal decoration. When upgrading an ordinary container, it is enough to simply cut holes in the metal for windows and doors, while the metal must be left in the corners, otherwise the rigidity of the structure will be insufficient. If there are problems with the power supply on the site, then renting a diesel generator for the dacha will help.

The inside of the house will definitely need to be insulated. This must be done even if you plan to stay exclusively in warm weather. The fact is that the heat insulator is also a good sound insulator.

The frame for insulation is assembled from wooden blocks, and the space between them is filled with any suitable material; there are no special restrictions. You can use polystyrene foam, mineral wool, mineral wool boards, etc.

Note! The container can easily be stolen; to prevent this from happening, it is advisable to weld its lower part to the foundation posts.

The result is a building quite suitable for living. As for the size, even the smallest country house is quite capable of providing a comfortable overnight stay for 2-4 people; for the average family this is quite enough.

Summarizing

There is a small house on almost every summer cottage. Every summer resident can build a small country house with his own hands, and the information in this article will help you decide on the optimal construction technology. The main attention is paid to frame technology, as the most promising for solving this kind of problems ().

The video in this article shows the process of building a small country house.