Do-it-yourself log house: step-by-step instructions on how to make a log sauna yourself. Chopping into a bowl - the technology of manual chopping of a log house of a bath How to learn how to chop logs with your own hands
Despite the emergence of new building materials, recently there has been an increasing trend towards the construction of housing from environmentally friendly, natural materials. Returning to the days of grandfathers and great-grandfathers, today many people want to build a log house with their own hands. This way you can save a lot of money, and most importantly - personally ensure and control the quality of construction. But before starting work, you should study the theory. Information on how to make a log house yourself will help you do the job efficiently.
Basic information about the structure of a log house
A log house is a structure consisting of horizontally laid logs that form walls. Each row of logs is called a crown, and the lowest one is a cap. A log house consisting of only four outer walls is called a four-walled (the logs are connected in the corners), and if there is one internal partition, it is called a five-walled (except for the corner, there are T-shaped joints).
The structure of the log house consists of walls consisting of logs laid horizontally. For the manufacture of logs, coniferous and deciduous wood is used. It is preferable that the trees were freshly cut, and in winter: such wood contains less moisture. Of conifers, pine is better suited: logs from it last longer and exude less resin.
Corner dressings of the outer walls are performed with or without a residue: in the first case, the edges of the logs protrude beyond the walls, and in the second, they do not. The dressing is carried out by the method "in the paw", "in the bowl", "in the flash" and more simple - "in the end tongue".
Preparatory work
Do-it-yourself assembly of a log house begins with the selection of logs of the required diameter. In areas with cold winters, the external walls of a log house are erected from logs with a diameter of at least 26 cm. For internal walls and for external ones built for areas with a warm climate, logs with a diameter of 22 ... 24 cm will be sufficient. Material with excessive curvature, with rot, with traces insect damage is not suitable for use. After the bark is removed, the tree trunks must be cut in such a way that the length of the blanks is 70 ... 100 cm longer than the length of the walls. Short logs are comb-groove spliced, but the first crown must be solid.
For the lower crown, the highest quality logs are selected, preferably from hardwood. In the following, you must select a semicircular groove along the entire length. From the side facing the inside of the house, the logs are hewn. Designed for interior walls (partitions) are cut from both sides.
The beginning of the assembly of the log house
Log houses are assembled with their own hands after the foundation is ready. On top of the base, built of brick or monolithic concrete, a board impregnated with bitumen is laid. It should be about 150 mm wide and 50 mm thick. The crown is hung from below and laid on the board, and then, after adjustment, the rest of the logs. In this case, the butt must be oriented so that they are on opposite sides in adjacent crowns.
During assembly, it is necessary to control the verticality of the corners and the horizontalness of each crown.
The crowns are connected to each other using dowels (pins) in a checkerboard pattern. The distance between the pins should be no more than 2 m. In the walls, fastening should be done at least twice and at a distance of 150… 200 mm from the edge. The inner partition is connected to the outer wall by means of a vertical ridge expanding towards the end. For this, grooves are cut in the outer walls in a special shape.
In accordance with the project, openings are left for doors and windows. Another method involves cutting openings after assembling the walls (after shrinking the house). The latter method is preferable: it provides a uniform load on the base and does not allow the structure to be skewed. In both cases, the opening is made in such a way that the ends end with a vertical ridge (it is not needed in the upper and lower parts). Between the overlapping crown and the upper part of the window and door frames, a gap of 4 ... 5 cm should be left for shrinkage.
The final stage of the assembly of the log house
After the walls are erected, they are caulked with flax, tow, moss, felt or hemp. There are also sealants made on the basis of natural rubber and artificial materials. The caulking material is tamped into the grooves so that no gaps remain. To do this, use a special tool - caulking and hammer. This work begins with the lower rims around the entire perimeter: processing one wall can lead to a distortion of the structure. First, the outer walls are caulked, after which they move inside.
The wood should be treated with antiseptic material and fire retardants: the latter is mandatory in those places where it is planned to install a stove, fireplace, and also where the chimney will pass. This measure can significantly increase the service life of the log house.
After the end of the assembly of the log house, it is covered with a waterproofing material and left for at least six months: this is necessary for the house to shrink. Then they carry out the installation of the roof and proceed to the interior decoration.
Interior decoration of a wooden house
The walls of a wooden house (log house), if the wood was used of high quality, without defects, does not require special finishing: it is enough to get rid of the roughness and open it with varnish. It can be either colorless or tinted. If the quality of the surface of the walls does not suit you or if you need a different stylistic solution, you can use wooden lining or drywall. In this case, you should first carry out the installation of electrical wiring: from the point of view of fire safety, a cable with copper conductors is used for this, laid in a corrugated metal pipe.
The walls of the log house breathe well, therefore, you should not use plastic and insulating material, such as polystyrene and polyurethane foam. If it is necessary to carry out insulation, mineral wool is used. For flooring, boards with a thickness of at least 40 mm are used: they fit tightly to each other. A properly assembled log house will last for several decades.
The first thing that you need to learn is the professional language in which carpenters speak and in which we will communicate with you throughout the book. So let's start with the terminology.
It is known that a house should stand on a foundation, and one should start with it, but this is a slightly different topic, therefore, instead of a foundation, temporary pads are shown in the figure 1. When an opportunity arises (even after a few years), they will not prevent you from building a permanent foundation ...
A log house is a log structure without a floor, lathing and a roof, that is, the main structural part of the house. It consists of several crowns, the number of which determines the height of the frame. The crown is a rectangular structure consisting of perpendicularly laid logs, fastened together at the corners with a lock connection.
The first crown of the log house is the cap 2, the second and main one is the lower strapping 3, into which the logs 4 are cut. The logs pull the lower strapping and carry the floor, and the cap serves to strengthen the lower strapping and protects it from decay. It can be replaced over time. The crowns from the bottom trim to the beginning of the window opening are called window sills 5. Next are window crowns 6, then - above the windows. The first crown above the window is the closing crown 7. The structure serving as the basis for the roof is called the upper trim. It consists of two upper girders 8 and a rafter 9. What are rafters 10 and corner verandah pillars 11 is clear from the figure.
Let's agree to call the logs in crowns, lying perpendicular to the girders, transverse, and the crowns in which there are window or door openings - split. The logs that form the openings are called "shorty". They can be of different lengths depending on the location of the windows and doors.
Traditionally, as the log house was erected in Russia, logs were processed at a height. In some films, you have probably seen how a carpenter, sitting astride a log, dashingly and quickly wielding an ax. Let's take a closer look at what operations it performs. First of all, he needs to drag the prepared log up. Then, having made a markup, cut it down and lay the log in a certain place. Agree, such work at height requires a lot of qualifications and skill. You, as a novice carpenter, are unlikely to be able to process a log with the required accuracy the first time. You will probably have to repeatedly remove and re-lay the log, adjusting it in place. The slightest negligence during such manipulations leads to injuries. You can facilitate your work and significantly protect yourself by installing scaffolding. They need to be made comfortable and reliable, withstanding not only your weight, but also the weight of the processed log. Therefore, the installation of such scaffolding requires a lot of additional building material and time. But even if all the requirements are met, working at height with an ax (including scaffolding) without sufficient skill is dangerous!
We offer you to build a log house in parts, each of which has the height of a human being. This method is called felling with subsequent transfer. It consists in the fact that the individual parts of the log house after being made on the ground are disassembled and transferred to the main log house. The rebars will allow you to carry out all work with the ax while standing on the ground, and you will not need external scaffolding. In this case, we use two overlays, since, in our opinion, this is the best option for a novice builder. Do not be confused by the time spent on additional disassembly and assembly of crowns. They are more than offset by the convenience and safety of work, because a well-equipped workplace is a guarantee of high labor productivity. You will learn more about how the transfer is carried out later, but for now we will continue our acquaintance with the terminology.
The part of the tree trunk adjacent to the root is called the butt. When you start chopping down a house, you should be aware that there is no perfectly straight log. Any log has skewness, that is, it decreases in diameter from butt 1 to top 2. Therefore, when stacking logs one on top of another, it is necessary to alternate butts and tops.
When assembling a log house, in order for one crown to adjoin the other more tightly, a groove 3 is selected along the logs. Another frequently performed operation when processing logs is to make edging 4.
The end of the log, hewn from two parallel sides, is called "boob" 5, the resulting planes are cheeks 6, and the unworked, convex surface is wane 7.
The main structural elements of the log house, which serve as the locking joints of the logs, are the "paw" 8 and the "dovetail" 9. For additional fastening of the logs in the crowns, a dowel 10 - pocket 11 connection is used, and the pillars and rafters are securely installed using 12 spikes.
You should pay special attention to the selection of the tool.
The most important of them is the carpenter's ax 1. It should fit your weight and fit comfortably in your hand. The purpose of tools such as chisel 2, plumb bob 3, hacksaw 4, two-handed saw 5, staple 6, bayonet shovel 7, as well as tape measures 8, ruler 9, square 10, crayons or wax crayons 11 should not raise any questions. Low-stretch cord 12 and awl 13 are used for marking, and level 14 is used to check horizontal. To make a level, take an elastic rubber hose 5-8 m long, about 1 cm in diameter, the ends of which are put on two transparent glass tubes of the same diameter 15-20 cm long. The resulting device is filled with tinted water. In addition to the level, you yourself need to make a template 15 of plexiglass with a thickness of 2-3 mm and line 16 - the main marking tools, as well as "babu" 17 - the main "percussion" tool made from a birch block with two staples driven into it.
If you have an opportunity to purchase a chainsaw, do not miss it. The chainsaw will greatly facilitate your work, save your energy and time.
To avoid injuries and other "troubles" during construction, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the pages of special working methods and safety precautions.
You need to start construction with logging.
It is best to use conifers - pine and spruce. Aspen is good for making log cabins for baths and wells - it is not afraid of water. But birch cannot be used, as it quickly begins to rot and behaves very "capricious" during processing. Since it burns well and gives a lot of heat, save it for your fireplace. After the forest has been felled, it must be debarked and dried.
| Structural element | Number of logs | Length of logs | Log diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crown wreath | 2 pcs. 3 pcs. |
820 cm 620 cm |
30-50 cm |
| Bottom strapping | 2 pcs. 3 pcs. |
820 cm 620 cm |
30-50 cm |
| Lags | 5-6 pcs. | 620 cm | 20-35 cm |
| Window crowns | 10-13 pcs. | 620 cm | 20-40 cm |
| Split logs (window and door) | 22-27 pcs. | 540 cm | 20-35 cm |
| Closing and above-window crowns | 5-9 pcs. | 620 cm | 20-35 cm |
| Top girders | 2 pcs. | 820 cm | 20-35 cm |
| Podstropilins | 7-9 pcs. | 720 cm | 20-35 cm |
| Rafters | 14-18 pcs. | 520 cm | not less than 10 cm |
| Verandah pillars | not less than 2 pcs. | 300 cm | not less than 20 cm |
| Note: the specified dimensions are taken with a margin for facing. | |||
Now we will choose a location for the construction site.
From the side of the future veranda, it is necessary to provide a place for assembling the constituent parts of the log house. Then you can start marking the plan of the future house, which is performed using a low-stretch cord and pegs. Our task is to get right angles.
THE BASIC RULE OF THE BUILDER - MARKING DETERMINES QUALITY
We will implement it as follows. Determine point 1. From it we set aside 800 cm and get point 2. On a cord 1600 cm long we measure 600 cm and tie a knot. We fix the ends of the cord at points 1 and 2. Taking the knot, stretch the cord and get the desired point 3. Similarly, we find the point 4. We mark the points obtained with pegs and check with a tape measure all the required distances and the equality of the diagonals with an accuracy of ~ 3 cm.
Next, we will make and install the lining for the log house (temporary foundation).
Choose wood chocks about 1 meter long and at least 30 cm in diameter. Aspen is good for linings. It is resistant to moisture if debarked first.
The spacers must be installed under the flange girders, near the corners of the log house, in order to ensure the correct distribution of the load. The installation of the pads is made according to the level with an accuracy of ~ 5 cm.
Edging is the most common operation when processing logs.
In order to complete it, it is necessary to cut the log to size, choose the side for the edging, position the future plane of the edging approximately vertically, secure the log with staples. Do not be alarmed if the log is curved. This will not prevent you from using it.
We draw vertical lines along the plumb line at the ends of the log, defining the edge plane.
We fasten the cord with an awl in the edge plane. Then we make a visual check, looking from the end of the log, and adjust the position of the cord. With a colored pencil, transfer the projection of the cord onto the log. To obtain the second edge line, repeat the same operations, turning the log over.
After that, we fix the log for chipping with staples, but not strongly, so that you do not have to knock them out later with a crowbar. We place the plane of the future edging vertically, make cuts and, having cut the log, we get the edging.
Having a chainsaw, instead of notches, you can make cuts, which will significantly speed up the work.
Finally, let's proceed directly to the manufacture of a log house.
We begin to make a frame with eight-meter logs (girders) of the flap, on one side of which an edging with a width of about 10 cm is made. The edging of the flap will rest on the lining. Now we need to process the ends of the runs.
First, we cut down "dummies" 2 / 3-3 / 4 of the diameter of the log. The length of the "blockhead" L is a constant value equal to the maximum diameter of the logs of the frame.
At the end of the "dummy" select point 1, through it, according to the template, draw a line of the "paws" with an extension inside the house.
Similarly, using the template through point 2 on the outer cheek and through point 3 on the inner cheek, draw a line of "paws".
Draw vertical lines on the cheeks of the log, spaced from the end by the width of the "dummy" of the reciprocal log, and we get points 4 and 5. We make a vertical wash down to line 4-5.
Then it is necessary to lay the cross logs with "blockheads" on the "legs" of the girders and, fixing them with staples, check and correct the dimensions of the frame.
Now you can staple the purlins with backings tightly.
Sketching is a parallel transfer of the points of the fillet lines of the lower log to the upper.
The solution of the line when drawing in the "paw" of the casing is chosen to be minimal, but such that the line of the "paw" of the transverse log does not fall on the wane.
In the process of tracing a log, the solution of the trait cannot be changed! Draw the lines from top to bottom, mark the top of the "paw", and then cut it down. Let's make an average "blockhead" on the runs.
To simplify the cutting of the cheeks of the middle "blockhead", we will make cuts.
Along the width of the "dummy" of the transverse log, we cut the "dovetail" in the run. With the help of a line, transfer the "dovetail" line to the "block" of the transverse log and cut it down. We lay the middle transverse log on the girders.
Now let's do the bottom strapping.
Let's make "dummies" on the girders of the lower harness, put them over the girders of the flange. Using pads and a level, it is necessary to ensure that the upper parts of the purlins are horizontal and lie in the same plane with an accuracy of ~ 3 cm. It should be borne in mind that butts and tops in the crowns alternate. We fix the girders with staples.
For tracing, we choose a line solution corresponding to the maximum gap between the logs, plus 1-1.5 cm.
Let's check the selected solution of the line along the ends of the log. It should be greater than 1-2 at both ends. Point 2 is the border of the wane and the inner cheek.
Let's mark the top of the "paws" for transverse logs.
For further work, we need to master the operation of sampling a groove.
We will make cruciform notches along the entire length of the groove with the "heel" of the ax, and select wood with the "toe" of the ax along the groove lines. A combination of these two operations creates a groove.
After that, you should cut out the "paws" and, having laid the log in place, check the tightness of its fit. For this, the log to be laid must lie on the inner cheeks with a slight overhang. When tipping over, it will easily fall into place. Then we return the log to its original position and evenly lay the underlying log with tow (moss). Now you can finally lay the top log on it.
Next, three transverse logs of the lower harness should be made and laid on the girders. To complete the lower strapping, it remains only to embed the logs. On the girders of the lower strapping, we outline the places of the lag insertion. As the zero mark (the upper level of the lag), we select approximately the middle of the transverse log of the lower harness. We will transfer the zero mark to the corners of the log house and make notches. We put the finished logs in place, outline, and then cut out their contour to the level of the inset. Let's score lags with a "woman".
In the course of work, you may encounter typical errors.
- The log "plays" (the gap between the "paws", a loose fit of the log in the groove):
the reason is a knot on the lower log or poor groove selection; correction - cut off the knots on the lower log, tap the upper log with a "woman", select the places of wrinkles in the groove. - Clearance between "paws":
the reason - the opening of the line when drawing the "paw" was greater than the opening of the line when drawing the groove, or there was a "blockage" of the line; correction - with a line with a solution equal to the width of the gap, draw a groove on both sides of the log and make a selection. - The log "hangs" on "legs" (loose fit of the log in the groove, there is no gap between the "legs"):
the reason - the opening of the line when drawing the groove is greater than the opening of the line when drawing the "paw"; correction - with a line with a solution equal to the width of the gap 1, draw the "paws" 2 and trim them.
It should be said that the following dimensions of the gaps are permissible: in the "paw" - 0.5 cm, in the groove - 1.5 cm.
Now it's time to lay the first window sill crown.
First, let's mark the doorway. It should be noted that openings (both window and door) are made 5-10 cm less than the design size. Split logs are fixed with dowels, for which markings are applied on both sides of the logs.
To mark the center lines of the dowel on both logs, it is necessary to remove the "shorty" (log in a split crown). Then, along the centerline with a chisel, pockets are selected for the dowel. The total pocket depth should be 1 cm greater than the dowel height. The dowel in the pocket should fit tightly.
When laying the crowns, you should constantly check the verticality of the corners with a plumb line. The last crown of the window sill in the doorway is continuous. The uncut log of this crown is also planted on two dowels.
Tow (moss) does not fit under the logs of the last window-sill crown, since this crown is removed for the first transfer. Starting the transfer, first, from the zero level, set aside the same distance up and make notches at the corners of the removable crown. Then we remove the last crown from the window sill and place it on the ground, placing pads 15-20 cm high. In this case, the verticality of the cheeks must be observed. Using a level, we restore the horizontalness of the crown along the notches. Let's check the equality of the diagonals in the corners.
Let's start laying out the window crowns, having marked out the window openings in advance.
Recommended height of openings: windows - 110-130 cm, doors - 180-190 cm. "Shorts" of window crowns are fastened with dowels. We lay the closing crown, which consists of continuous logs, and put it on the dowels, transferring the zero mark to its corners. Draw a vertical line at the corners of the frame to be shifted, which serves for control during assembly.
Now you can, having marked the logs, transfer them to the main frame, laying each crown with moss or tow. For ease of use, we recommend making the simplest scaffolding inside the house at the level of the window sill, for which, install chocks in the corners of the house and fasten them together with poles (two poles along each side of the log house). For the stability of the forests, the poles in pairs must abut against the opposite walls of the log house.
The upper harness consists of two upper girders and a rafter. At the ends of the girders, "dummies" are made, and in the middle - only the inner cheeks. For correction, put the upper runs (eight-meter) on the transverse logs of the last crown above the window (the top of the "paws" on them does not need to be done).
We will check and correct the sizes A-B, C-D.
Using pads and staples, we will achieve the horizontal top of the purlins.
We transfer the lines of the inner cheeks of the purlins to the transverse logs. Having rolled back the girder, we cut down the "paw" on the extreme transverse log, and the "dovetail" on the middle one. Let's make the cheeks in the upper runs according to the "dovetail" of the transverse log. On the underside of the girders, we will make pockets 4 cm deep under the spikes of the veranda posts. We will lay the girders again and, having drawn them, we will embed them in the appropriate place.
We prepare logs for the rafters with a length of 7 m. All of them, except one, should be cut into two parallel edges, obtaining sleepers of the same thickness (at least 15 cm). We will embed the untreated end rafter with a "dovetail" into the girder so that its top is horizontal.
Let's mark the insertion points of the rest of the processed rafters on the upper girders. Then we embed the rafters (checking by level), cutting the girder by no more than 1/4 of the diameter.
You can also correct the upper level of the rafter by cutting it itself, but no more than 1/4 of the thickness.
Next, we make platforms for the rafter legs and under the windboard on the extreme (first) rafter (level with the rest). If necessary, it should be besieged by re-drawing. Pull the cord along the ends of the extreme rafters and align the rest along it.
On podstronilines and girders, make marks for subsequent alignment and mark them.
Mark the pockets for the rafter legs along the cord on all the rafters. Cut them out with a chisel and check with a template.
On the veranda rafter, make pockets for the posts (the number is determined by the design of the veranda). To eliminate the gap between the level of the lower edge of the rafters (ceiling) and the last log of the veranda wall, draw and cut in a log - "plug".
Now let's start making rafters.
The choice of material, marking and manufacturing of rafters require special care and accuracy, since the strength of the roof depends on their quality. The blanks for the rafters are selected with the least amount of knots. In no case should the knots fall on the top of the workpiece, because the thorn in this place will be significantly weakened. It is allowed that the rafters have a slight curvature in the plane of the roof slope. The length of the blanks is determined by the angle of inclination of the roof and the length of the rafters. In our case, the tilt angle is 45 °.
Prepared blanks of rafters must be disassembled in pairs and numbered. On the blanks of the rafters, the side to which the crate will be attached must be flat, without protruding knots.
Let's start marking the base of the rafters
We will make a gash along the line of the ellipse and cut out the workpiece for the thorn, and then, having made an end gash, we will cut out the thorn itself. Next, we mark, grind and cut down the tops of the rafters. We will disassemble the finished rafters in pairs and install them to fit and check the quality of the connections on the rafters. Adjustment is carried out by trimming the spikes or widening and deepening the pockets.
Sometimes they simplify the work on the manufacture of rafters. At the tops, they are connected in half a log, and the bases are attached to the rafters with nails, without making a thorn. Thus, simplifying the task for yourself, you significantly weaken the rafters and reduce the service life of the roof in advance.
Now we will remove the rafters and proceed to the last re-laying, not forgetting to lay the tow (moss). Then we will lay all the rafters, except for the veranda, and fasten them with brackets apart, in order to avoid their rotation along the axis.
We have come to the final stage of construction - the manufacture of poles
In a log house, the pillars form the frame of the veranda and, according to their functional purpose, are divided into corner, door, window and intermediate ones. Corner pillars are a support for the upper girders, door and window frames are attached to door and window frames. Intermediate posts do not carry any additional load and are only a frame for cladding. The largest cross-sectional area should have corner posts, the smallest - intermediate. The distance between the intermediate posts is determined depending on the length of the boards used for sheathing the veranda, but in any case it should be no more than 1.5 m.
The manufacture of corner posts begins with determining their length and marking the pockets. For the convenience of marking, we will make a "fishing rod", at the end of which we will fix a plumb line. With the help of such a device, we project any of the corners of the upper pocket onto the platform of the veranda transverse log of the lower strapping, while we obtain the distance H. According to the projected corner, we restore the reciprocal pocket below.
Corner posts must be processed into three edges, and the distance between two parallel edges must be at least 16 cm. Next, the post should be cut to size.
Then we will make a pocket under the lower thorn with a depth of 7 cm. We will install the corner posts, placing 5 cm high pads, which should be removed six months later, after the log shrinkage.
Having installed the corner posts, we will put the veranda rafters in place and secure them with brackets. The rest of the pillars must be made and installed after the log shrinkage. Door and window posts, as well as corner posts, are processed into three edges, the rest - into two. The lower thorn for all posts, except for the corner ones, should be 3 cm long.
The installation of the remaining pillars should be started from the side of the log house, grabbing the already installed pillars to the upper girder (veranda rafters) with brackets.
The final operation is the installation of rafters.
To complete it, it is necessary to lay a walkway made of poles (boards) across the rafters, prepare jibs from poles about 1.5 m long according to the number of rafters and nails 100 mm long. We lay out the rafter legs on the rafters, orienting the spikes opposite the pockets.
We will nail the tops of the rafters and install them, securing them with jibs. When installing the outer rafters, use a plumb line.
It is more convenient to install the rafters in three. Lifting the rafters, you should simultaneously move forward, and fixing the spikes of the rafter legs in the pockets, fix them with jibs, checking the verticality of the rafters.
It remains only to fasten the rafter legs with the rafters with thin staples.
So, ! But the blockhouse is not yet. Next, you will need to make the foundation, sew up the gables, cover the roof, fold the stove or fireplace, lay the floors, sheathe the veranda, cut in the window and door blocks, etc., in general, a lot of interesting work awaits you.
Our proposed log house project is universal. If its dimensions are proportionally reduced, then you will get a very good log house of a bathhouse, for example, with a size of 4x4 m.By the way, it is better to start learning carpentry from such a building, get the necessary skills, gain self-confidence, and then you can safely offer your services in construction to others gardeners.
Conjugation of corners in a wooden house plays an important role in the comfortable operation of the latter. They are able to take on the cold, become a breeding ground for mold, damp and have other disadvantages. This set of serious defects is possessed by corners cut into a paw or half-tree.They are used when they want to save on material. Indeed, the inner area and outer squares remain the same as stated in the project. But this economy is mythical and they refuse corners in the paw in favor of such a process as the technology of felling a log house into a bowl. The advantages of such an act are below.
Essence and varieties
What is the notorious felling? This is a semicircular notch of a log on the surface. When pairing, the crowns get jammed, and after shrinkage, the strength of the bowl is extraordinary.The wood is marked in such a way that the end of the trunk to the bowl is 25-30 cm, that is, the corners will not be blown by all winds, and, therefore, they react less to temperature changes, which eliminates the appearance of condensation.Canadian and Norwegian craftsmen, famous for their art in the field of manual construction of houses, once simply adopted the method of felling from their Russian neighbors, and many centuries later the name of the technology is considered to have come from another country. Their, or rather our variety, is more reliable than an ordinary bowl, because it has a fat tail thorn, when wood shrinks and gets jammed, it firmly fixes the crowns, not giving them a single chance to move.
In order to accurately cut corners, experience is required, since ignorant home-grown craftsmen are unlikely to succeed the first time. How to chop a log house into a bowl - the process is described below.
Chopping into a bowl - independent work
Correct marking is the key to accurate pairing. Veteran carpenters have a special device for this - the trait. This is a hammer with two sharp rods that allow you to accurately outline the contour of the future bowl, but for the layman this is a difficult process, so you should use ordinary measuring devices and mark each log separately. Further on the process step by step:You can independently cut a log house into a bowl with your own hands. But in the absence of skills, this work will drag on.
Proposals from professionals
As already mentioned, there are a lot of varieties of such pairing. The felling of a log house into a bowl can be Russian, Canadian, Siberian. The Norwegian carriage is extraordinarily beautiful. It is a log of a special geometric shape, chopped from all sides, which together gives a picture of the carving. Consulting with experts, you can choose an acceptable option for yourself, since the complexity still affects the cost of work. It is difficult to decide how to cut a log house into a cup. But the venerable carpenters, who have been building such houses for centuries, have accumulated a lot of useful tricks, leading efforts to a strong result of all construction and for the sake of helping non-professionals. So:- Inexperienced craftsmen can first work with a hand saw to mark notches. And the superfluous to choose a chisel.
- Accuracy will help to observe the fitting of the next log. If this is tiring, then it is useful to make a template corresponding to the diameter. It is made from a sheet of tin, so that hardness is present.
- When trying on the upper log, the pairing is blackened with charcoal. After raising it, it becomes clear how much remains to be chosen.
- Each crown is level tested. If there is a mismatch and if enough is cut down, all hope is for the seal.
- The Canadian cup felling can be made even stronger if the tip of the tenon is slightly sharpened. The groove should be a couple of millimeters smaller. Thus, the spike will fit snugly into the intended hole, and when shrinking, it will securely jam.
- Before final assembly, the bowl saddles should be impregnated with special biohazard compounds. This will make the corners reliable in terms of penetration of damage from the outside.
Inexperience, owners can ruin a large amount of material. It will be all the more offensive if it is a valuable coniferous species.Therefore, it makes sense to order work from professionals or purchase a ready-made house kit, chopped into a bowl. Such houses are assembled like a constructor within a couple of weeks or a month, depending on the complexity of the work and the object.
The desire to build a home on your own is commendable. Hand felling is a good way to practice building your own wooden house. After considering all the options and making a choice in favor of the "bowl", you can vouch that the object will be durable, and most importantly, comfortable for living.
Our portal is replete with examples of the construction and operation of small, or, as they are now called, mini-houses, but usually these are either frame-modular or frame structures. As it turned out, a log is also a suitable wall material, especially when the concept of construction is environmental friendliness and naturalness. One of our craftsmen shared his experience with everyone interested, with a nickname mike099... Its theme has collected all the stars, which speaks of its relevance, so it makes sense to expand the reach of the audience by considering the construction process in stages:
- Eco-hut.
- Training.
- Foundation.
- Box.
- Roof.
- Internal work.
Eco-hut only 30 m²
mike099 FORUMHOUSE user
The dream of building a wooden house - environmentally friendly, practically without paints, mineral wool, foam and other "benefits" of modern industry has long crept in. The task is to build a solid, comfortable house with minimal effort, suitable for winter arrivals and year-round living, therefore, shingles, boulders, mezzanines, Russian stoves and other delights of the past centuries were not included in the project.
The craftsman immediately decided on the construct:
- Pile foundation.
- A box made of hand-chopped logs.
- Metal roofing.
- As a heater for floors - sawdust and sawdust with lime.
Training
The preparation stage included clearing the site, digging a well, installing a purchased wooden change house and toilet, after which the project selection stage began. Initially, the craftsman aimed at a one-and-a-half-story frame 8 × 9 meters with five rooms, but as he understood it, a completely different structure emerged. I refused the second floor, although it was an attic one, both because of the unwillingness to engage in stair fitness, and for other reasons. In addition, with the planned stove heating, there will be a large temperature difference between the levels. Plus, it is problematic to insulate the pitched roof with sawdust, with overlap and a cold attic is much easier. Then it was the turn of quadrature, and the result of the selection of the optimal layout was the project of a log house 6 × 6 meters, with a set of functional rooms.
They took into account both the meters vital for a comfortable existence, and the savings in operation due to the reduction of heating costs, and the country specificity - a house for "drinking and sleeping tea". However, this adjustment to the scale led to the abandonment of the planned felling of logs into a bowl. A six-meter log just fits into the plan, and a seven-meter one is much more expensive, and only a few work with it. Yes, visually cutting into a cup wins, but the “dovetail” with the intersection is quite functional, and the ends can be closed with platbands.
Foundation
The preference was given to screw piles because of the desire to try the "ultra-modern solution" and save money, as well as due to the speed and relative ease of installation. In total, nine piles were screwed in - three points of support for each supporting beam, pile diameter 108 mm, thickness - 4 mm. Despite some problems during the installation of piles and the flimsy of the coating, positioned as a durable protective layer, and in fact without efforts being peeled off with a fingernail, the craftsman is satisfied with the choice. Moreover, it is possible that the bathhouse will also be placed on piles, although it recognizes that the tape or plate will be "more reliable."
Box
The log house was collected on moss, ordered in advance from another area, before installation, the moss was poured out to dry, since during the delivery it was still fresh and did not dry out especially in two weeks spent waiting in the wings. Making log partitions turned out to be problematic due to the small dimensions of the four-wall, and the cost of the box in this case would have jumped by almost half. Therefore, in one day, the hired team brought and assembled just a box for one more day, and although the moss after assembly hung picturesquely on all the walls, it took much less than planned, as practice has shown - they clearly did not report.
To dry the log house, ventilation holes of 30 × 30 cm were cut out, with a grate. To everyone who is just in the process mike099advises making more of them. He was already doing the twisting (primary caulking of the log house with moss) on his own, driving the hanging moss into the voids, and cutting off the excess with a clerical knife.
Roof
The craftsman refused from the now popular soft tile for several reasons.
mike099
I dismissed the soft roof immediately, due to the lower environmental friendliness and higher prices. Bonding, the basis of soft tiles are far from natural materials. Installation is more expensive, and you need a flat flooring of OSB or plywood.
Therefore, I preferred metal tiles that imitate the ceramic source. A wide, semicircular ridge, instead of the rafter elements, there is a central support ridge beam. Waterproofing, counter battens along the rafters (50 × 50 mm), battens with a pitch for the profile of the covering (35 cm). As planned - eaves overhangs of 70 cm, in the future there will be a metal gutter system.
After assembling the blockhouse "under the roof", he protected the ventilation windows with awnings, and also installed temporary outflows from waterproofing at the ends, slots of the ebb and at the junction of the box and the piping. No matter how much I wanted to avoid the use of chemistry, I had to treat the gables from the imitation of the timber with a protective impregnation.
Internal work
The ceiling was made even at the stage of assembling the timber, I wanted to observe the style, but processing a log now is not a cheap pleasure, like the log itself. The craftsman replaced the log with a board, 50 mm thick, with overlapping slots with an unedged board 25 mm thick, all the lumber was debarked and sanded before installation. To avoid problems when insulating with a mixture of sawdust and clay, two support logs go through the ceiling.
I made the opening of the openings myself, since the specialized companies raised the price tag to unattainable heights.
mike099
The okosyachka was made simple, rough T-shaped: the grooves in the log were outlined with a saw, the main selection was made with a milling cutter. I laid a block of 50x50 mm dry, with a linen tape (insulation) and shot a box from a 200x50 mm board to it with self-tapping screws.
Another indulgence in favor of modern materials is a metal door and two plastic windows; wooden euro windows were installed in the future living quarters. Again, in order to save money, he painted the windows on his own, which he regrets - the quality turned out to be lower than the factory one, and taking into account the cost of consumables, the difference in money is minimal with high labor costs.
To increase the heat capacity of the house, I chose a combined, brick stove with a cast iron stove, as a compromise between an iron stove and a Russian stove. The foundation under the furnace is 1.7 m deep, reinforcing cage, two m³ of concrete.
The rough floor, as it dries, "pleased" the cracks, I had to cover them with cover strips, before filling the sawdust I laid the remaining dry moss as a natural antiseptic.
Before laying the sawdust, he sprinkled it with lime and carefully tamped it. Before starting the installation of a finishing floorboard, the craftsman brought out communications.
An unpleasant surprise was the strong warping of the floor after shrinking for just one day and the loss of knots. The result is the opening of the coating and re-installation, and the reason is the purchase of materials in a hurry, on the market.
The craftsman decided to leave in the first winter with an insulated underground - a metal frame around the perimeter of the basement, to it XPS, 50 mm thick, and horizontally, on the ground, with a slope from the house, also sheets of insulation. The horizontal layer was simply covered back with earth, the lawn was on the site under the very frame, and the basement was subsequently revetted with a basement siding for brickwork.
Grinding logs mike099i took it up on my own, first with the help of an eccentric sander. It turned out to be rather weak, so it was replaced with a grinder, at first I used a circle with 80 grain, the second pass - with 120-150 grain. Only the vacuum cleaner collected 200 liters of waste, but it was worth it.
A round log house is a classic solution used in construction for centuries. Round wood is chosen as a material for houses and baths, with the help of log cabins, country houses and outbuildings are erected. The logs have high thermal insulation qualities, retaining all the advantages of a natural material. It is difficult to build the right log house out of round timber with your own hands, but it is quite possible, however, it is important to understand all the features of a wooden house.Features of log houses
Roundwood logs do not lose their popularity, since this material allows natural exchange and at the same time has a very low thermal conductivity. Such houses will have a comfortable temperature and at the same time a light pleasant atmosphere with a wood scent that many people like. However, due to the round shape of the logs, the joints between them must be insulated. A log house made of round timber can last for a very long time, the best examples of wooden architecture are hundreds of years old. For construction, several options for logs are used, and you need to decide on the most profitable of them:
- A sanded log is a tree trunk, from which only the top layer of bark is removed, knots and various irregularities are removed. At the same time, the natural protective layers of the wood are preserved, so the material will be stronger and more durable. However, a sanded log always has a different thickness at the base (butt) and the top, so they will need to be alternated when laying.
- The rounded log is a type of round wood that has undergone special processing. Several layers of wood are removed, leaving only the densest middle part. In addition, the log acquires an even cylindrical shape, so it will be easier to use.
- Sometimes a calibrated log is additionally distinguished. The sanded trunks are selected strictly according to the diameter (caliber), due to which construction will be easier, and the walls will be smoother.
Whichever option you choose, a round log house will become the most beautiful solution: houses made of logs have excellent aesthetic qualities, their appearance reminds of Russian fairy tales. The surface of the walls will have to be treated with a protective treatment, but it will retain the natural color and texture of the wood, so the building will look great.
Preparatory work before construction
How to make a log house from round timber? Construction begins with the selection of a suitable material and preparation of the project. Pine houses remain the most popular in Russia: it is inexpensive, grows in almost all regions, is easy to process. The soft material will require additional protection, but it can serve for a long time. A more expensive solution is a house made of larch logs: this type of wood does not rot, but only gets stronger from moisture. It is difficult to draw up a project on your own, especially if you do not have experience in building drawings. However, you can find ready-made standard solutions and modify them in accordance with personal preferences. You can contact a specialized company where a professional architect will develop a project that is most suitable for all requests.Stages of building a log house
When all the preparatory work is completed, you can start assembling the log house on the site. The owner must decide on the type of foundation of the house: if a major two-story building is being erected, a tape shallow foundation will be the best solution, and a columnar foundation is suitable for a light small building. The site is marked with pegs, between which the ropes are stretched, after which you can lay the foundation strictly along the resulting lines.The strip foundation is a monolithic concrete strip, which is poured along the entire perimeter of the building. The concrete is reinforced with a reinforcing cage, so the strip base remains one of the most durable and reliable.
After pouring the foundation, it needs to dry, it takes several weeks. Only then can the formwork be disassembled and proceed to the assembly of the log house. The foundation requires careful waterproofing: roofing material is laid on it in several layers, and bitumen mastic can also be used. The log house itself is assembled in several stages:
- The first crown is assembled from the thickest, strongest and most reliable logs that have to withstand the weight of the house. From the bottom side, they are pushed up so that they can be laid flat on the foundation.
Usually, for log cabins made of round timber, the type of felling “into the bowl” is used: semicircular recesses are selected in the logs, with the help of which the corners of the frame are fastened. It is important that the bowls are as even as possible, then the wall will be reliable.
- Before laying the next crown, roll insulation is laid on the log. Its use will allow you to avoid constant caulking: linen or jute fiber, moss or other materials will not release heat outside, and from the side, the inter-crown insulation is almost invisible.
- The crowns of the log house are laid one on top of the other, not forgetting about the openings for doors and windows according to the project. Usually, for professionals, the assembly work takes only a few days, the novice craftsman will have to carefully adjust the logs to each other, it will take time.
- The last crown serves as a Mauerlat - the roof rafters will rest on it. For log cabins, a classic gable roof with a large slope is usually used so that snow does not linger on it. When the last crown is laid, the ceiling beams are cut into it, and you can proceed to the installation of the rafters in the chosen way.
- When the blockhouse of a round timber bath is assembled, it must be allowed to stand for at least six months in order for the shrinkage processes to complete and the wood to dry as much as possible. Before that, it must be treated with an antiseptic so that rot does not start.
