How to change the timber under the house. The lower crowns of the log house: replacement technology and important nuances

Despite the abundance of buildings made of brick and concrete, the wooden frame has not lost its relevance and popularity. The attractiveness of the solid wood lies in its availability, ease of processing and environmental safety.

However, lumber also has significant disadvantages. The tree is very dependent on the external environment, so sooner or later it may be necessary to replace the lower rims of a wooden house. The work is painstaking, but generally simple, therefore it is quite feasible with your own hands.

Possible reasons for replacement

In most cases, repairs are required for one reason: the crowns gradually begin to rot, which makes living in the house uncomfortable and can provoke a collapse of the building. This is due to a violation of construction technology.

If a house is being built by qualified craftsmen, it will stand for at least half a century without requiring major repairs. If the builders used raw timber, the wood will rot. The process begins precisely with the lower rims, which are in contact with the humid environment more than the rest of the structural elements.

You can determine the replacement visually. To do this, you need to tap the log in randomly selected places. If the sound is muffled, this is a sign of internal destruction of the wood. A characteristic sign of destruction is the mold covering the front surface of the log house. On average, the question of the need to change the crowns in a wooden house with your own hands arises 5-6 years after the completion of construction.

Important! In order for the log house to serve as a building material as long as possible, it is recommended to use larch. In addition, wood is necessarily treated with deep penetration antiseptics.

Ways to perform work

The technology for replacing the lower rims of a wooden house implies three main options for performing work. When choosing the best way to solve the problem, the type of construction, overall dimensions and the general technical condition of the house are taken into account. If the work is being done for the first time, it makes sense to consult with experienced craftsmen.

Redecorating

The essence of the method is the local replacement of damaged areas. Spot repair of rotten log crowns is considered the most economical, but this process cannot be called easy.

To begin with, the most damaged sections of the wall are determined. To achieve the desired effect, you need to inspect not only the embedded log, but also 3-4 crowns located on top. When performing repair work, the marked areas are simply cut out and replaced with pieces of a log or timber cut in shape.

The overall strength of the structure during local repairs is noticeably reduced, and additional joints contribute to an increase in heat loss. Skilled craftsmen usually use redecorating a log house as a temporary solution if there is no possibility of a major replacement.

Complete dismantling of the house

The most time-consuming procedure of the possible options. The bottom line is that the house is literally taken apart by logs, each crown is carefully inspected and, if necessary, replaced. The method is quite effective, but not without a number of disadvantages.

Complete disassembly is not suitable for houses that are used for living at the time of repair. This solution is usually used for outbuildings or abandoned buildings that are planned to be restored.

Disassembly of the upper part of the foundation

The technique is used in cases where the house is supposed to be raised with jacks to replace the crowns. Thanks to this solution, it is possible to bring brickwork under the log house, actually raising the height of the foundation.

Holes are drilled into the concrete for the installation of a jack. Raising the house can be partial or complete, but experts recommend giving preference to the second option. When the building is simultaneously raised from all sides, the probability of geometry violation and skew is significantly reduced.

To install jacks, an indent is made from each corner of the house at a distance of 70–100 cm. The frame rises to a height of 7–10 cm, rotten crowns can be changed, then the house falls into place. After that, the niches in the foundation are closed up, the joints and seams are isolated.

Phased repair: detailed instructions

It is necessary to replace the lower crowns of a log house in compliance with a clear sequence of actions. The work is complex and painstaking, and the strength of the entire structure will depend on the correct implementation of each stage.

Training

The preparatory stage includes the following steps:

  • living quarters are exempted from furniture, household appliances and other home interior items;
  • door frames, window frames and glass are removed;
  • the floor is disconnected from the wall structures, if the flooring is located above the crowns to be replaced, the stage can be skipped;
  • chimneys are disconnected from the roof and floors;
  • whole crowns are pulled together by vertically nailed boards at a distance of 50 cm.

Important! If the house has a stove or fireplace, they are usually installed on a separate foundation. If this rule is not observed, the furnace will have to be dismantled.

Lifting a log house with a jack

Wooden houses are usually installed on a columnar or strip foundation. In the first case, digs are made at the places where the jacks are installed, supports made of bricks or boards are placed so that the equipment does not go into the ground. If the foundation is tape, niches are cut out in the lower crown, corresponding to the external dimensions of the jack. In this case, it must be borne in mind that the jack must rest against the undamaged crown of the log house.

In both cases, it is better to place jacks on long walls, stepping back from the edge of 70–100 cm. When the log house is raised to a given height, supports made of concrete blocks or timber trimmings are placed under the walls.

After lifting, the lower log of the crown is released from the load and removed. Jacks are lowered down, leaving the house to stand on temporary supports. The replacement log is adjusted to size, placed on jacks and lifted, tightly pressed against the reciprocal crown and fixed with brackets. The rise is carried out to a great height so that temporary supports can be removed. According to a similar scheme, the lower log of the crown is also replaced. After that, heat and waterproofing is laid on the foundation, after which the log house is lowered into place.

The crowns of frame houses change in a similar way. However, here you will have to disassemble the facade cladding and additionally reinforce the walls with boards at the level of window openings. This will help to avoid deformation of the walls.

  • Do not use roofing material for waterproofing the lower crown.

The material will last a maximum of 4-5 years, after which it will cease to cope with its functions, therefore, the logs will become damp and after some time they will have to be changed again. It is better to give preference to euroruberoid, it costs more, but the overpayment is justified by a long service life.

  • the ascent is carried out only in dry and calm weather;
  • the lifting capacity of the jack must exceed 5 tons;
  • temporary supports are made of high-quality material, chips and cracks are not allowed here;
  • when the house stands on temporary supports, it is better not to be under it without urgent need.

The average cost of replacing the lower crown varies between 30,000–40,000 rubles. The price depends on overhead costs and the cost of lumber in a particular region of the country. If there is no confidence in the quality of the work done on your own, it is better to turn to professionals. Yes, this will increase the cost of work, but it will help maintain the integrity of the house and avoid other troubles.

Damage to the supporting elements of a structure made of such material is a serious problem. Partial repair of damaged areas is not a panacea, because it weakens the structure and reduces its service life. The process of completely replacing old parts with new ones is extremely complex, dangerous and expensive to perform. In some cases, work can be slightly simplified and cheaper due to the absence of aggravating factors (the presence of a furnace without its own foundation, the structure is on a slope, and the like). But without fail, the option of dismantling the old building and erecting a new one must be considered to save effort, time and finances.

Causes of damage to supporting elements

In order not to have to replace the lower crown of a wooden house with your own hands, you need to take care of its proper construction and operation:

1. Refusal of the columnar foundation with an earth embankment.

2. High-quality waterproofing of the strip foundation and its timely repair.

3. Excessively low foundation in areas with a lot of precipitation.

4. Monitoring the level of the foundation, troubleshooting due to its shrinkage or extrusion.

5. High-quality ventilation of the underground space, organization of a sufficient number and required sizes of air vents.

6. Refusal of facade panels that cover the walls of the structure.

foundation repair plans
strengthening the crowns of the house with reinforced concrete

scheme for replacing the lower crown of a wooden house with brickwork
replacement of the lower rims of the house (stages 1-4)

Manual, as with their own hands without the use of complex mechanisms.

Partial replacement of the lower crown of a wooden house with your own hands without lifting the structure

Do-it-yourself partial replacement of the lower crown of a wooden house will avoid excessively heavy and complex work. In this way, you can fix problems not only in one part, but also in a larger number. But, it should be warned that the more parts are repaired using this method, the stronger the structure is weakened and the sooner its more serious repairs will be needed.

The work is carried out in the following order:

1. Determine the place on the element that is damaged the most.

2. Using a chisel, remove dried or rotten wood. Work continues until the walls of the excavation touch healthy and undamaged material.

3. On the segment to be processed, we install the edges of the ties, which capture at least three elements located above it.

4. Ties (4 pcs.) Are made of ordinary rails, the thickness of which is 4 cm. We drill holes in them with a diameter of at least 1 cm (no more than 1.5 cm).

5. We make the same through holes in each of the four components at a distance of 35-40 cm from the edges of the opening made (two holes in one part).

6. We install screeds on the outer and inner sides of the wall so that their holes coincide with the holes on the wall. We hammer metal studs into these openings with a hammer, the diameter of which is 1-2 mm larger than their diameter.

7. Using a chainsaw, we make neat cuts along the edges of the recess selected by the chisel. We retreat from these sections by another 20 cm and make cuts for half the thickness of the log. We make cuts across and remove these details. As a result, we get protrusions on the two remaining parts of the log house, which are needed for a tighter connection of the old element with the new one.

8. From the new log house, you need to cut out an insert, the contours of which exactly repeat the outlines of the opening made.

9. We coat the places of future joining with carpentry glue, insert the cut out part into place. We hammer it as tightly as possible with a sledgehammer (through the lining so as not to damage the surface of the part).

10. At a distance of 20 cm from the edges of the new part, we make three through holes. We insert dowels into them and hammer them all the way. The protruding edges of the pins on the inside and outside are cut off.

11. The joint between the new and old element is clogged with moss. The screeds are removed and dowels are also hammered into the holes remaining after them.

Complete replacement of supporting elements with raising the structure

In no case should a complete replacement of the lower crown of a wooden house with your own hands be done alone. It is strongly recommended to invite a specialist who understands this matter to perform such work.


replacement of lower rims in a log house

replacing rotten house crowns (steps 1-11)
lifting a house with 2 jacks

A wooden house is undoubtedly a durable and reliable structure, but it also has weaknesses. The lower crowns of the house, and especially the mortgage crown, eventually become unusable. The cause is most often errors during construction and operation. The lower crown gets wet from contact with melt and rain water, as well as groundwater, if the foundation is not sufficiently waterproofed. But you know that many old wooden houses stand without a foundation at all, and the lower crowns are simply dug into the ground. Work on the repair and replacement of rotten crowns is laborious and complex, as well as financially costly. Sometimes it's cheaper to demolish an old house and build a new one. But there are situations when changing crowns is easier and cheaper, and also preferable. This happens when the house is precious as a memory or architectural value.

How to change the crown at home - various ways

Some 100 years ago, the family itself was engaged in the repair of a wooden house, inviting neighbors to help. For almost all villagers, replacing the crowns of a house was a common thing. In extreme cases, at least once in a lifetime, a person was present at the replacement of rotten crowns and imagines the process in practice. Now a lot of knowledge and dexterity is lost. And although the technologies for replacing the crowns of a wooden house themselves have not changed much, it is not worth doing such work on your own. Mistakes can be costly. Or the house will fall apart, or move off the foundation, or the roof and ceilings will be broken, or the chimney will collapse. In general, it is better to entrust the replacement of crowns to professionals with experience.

Below we will describe various technologies for changing rotten crowns. But this information is presented only to get acquainted with the process and nuances. Do not take it as the ultimate truth. Indeed, in the repair of a wooden house, a lot depends on various conditions: the size of the house, the condition of the crowns and foundation, the availability of free space around the building, the presence of extensions under the same roof with the house, the presence of a stove and chimney, and much more. The experienced eye of a professional sees and notices all these nuances, but we cannot foresee them, so we will describe only general technologies and recommendations.

A fairly common situation is when the log of the lower crown is not completely rotted, but only some area is damaged. In this case, it is not necessary to replace the entire lower crown. Especially if raising the house is fraught with a number of difficulties. For example, if the log house is on a strip foundation. In order not to destroy the foundation, you can simply replace the damaged sections of the lower log.

  • First of all, we determine the damaged area by eye.
  • Then, using a chisel, we determine how much the rot has spread. We clear in both directions from damage. Most often, with the help of a chisel, it is revealed that the area of ​​\u200b\u200bdamage is much larger than that which is noticeable to the naked eye.
  • We retreat from the edges of the damaged area 40 cm in one direction and the other.
  • We install ties with a height of 2 - 3 crowns. We take boards 40 mm thick and nail them to the frame on both sides of the wall: outside and inside. We drill holes in the first and last tightened crown. We insert through the tie-studs with a diameter of at least 12 mm.

  • We cut out the damaged part with a chainsaw and remove it.
  • In the repaired crown, we make cuts 20 cm wide. They are necessary for a strong connection with the new log insert.
  • We make an insert from a log of the same diameter. Its length should be equal to the cut section. Be sure to perform reciprocal cuts on the insert.
  • We insert the insert in place of the cut out damaged area. We finish it in place with a sledgehammer, placing a bar under it.
  • In the place where the cuts of 20 cm are made, we make through holes 3 on each side and drive pins into them to fasten the old log and the insert together.

Do not forget to caulk all the cracks with moss, jute or tow.

Similarly, you can replace the entire lower crown in parts. Cutting out parts of the log and replacing them with new ones. Then you need to cut the corner joints and replace them as well. The new crown thus obtained will be less durable than the whole one. Therefore, this technology can be considered only as a last resort or as a temporary measure.

Bulkhead of all the crowns of the house

The most time-consuming way to replace the crowns of a house is to rebuild the entire log house. Each crown is disassembled, all logs are inspected and replaced with new ones. This repair method is not suitable for an operated house. It can be considered if it is necessary to repair an old abandoned house, a bathhouse, or vice versa - a newly built log house. Also, a bulkhead of all the crowns of the house will be needed to replace the upper crowns of the house under the roof, which also quite often suffer from moisture.

It is possible to bring brickwork under a wooden house with or without raising the house. It depends on the conditions: on what basis the house stands, how old it is and how much effort and money you are willing to invest in its repair.

For example, if an old house lies directly on the ground without a foundation, you can replace the crown with brickwork without raising the house. Similarly, if the house stands on a columnar foundation. It is enough to cut out the most affected areas of the logs of the lower crown, as described above, and then complete the brick foundation. Its surface must be brought under the upper crown, which is in good condition.

In this way, it is possible to cut sections of logs in parts and perform brickwork. It is best to start at the corners of the house, cut corner joints and make a solid support. The height of the brickwork may be different. There are cases when the house is on the ground, and even under a slight slope. Then, at the lowest point, several rotten crowns are replaced with brickwork at once, and at higher points, only one crown.

If the house is on a foundation, then it makes sense to raise it on jacks. For this, hydraulic and screw jacks are used. First, they raise the house in the corners, level it and put a temporary support under the corners. Next, the surface of the existing foundation is cleaned, leveled and brickwork is built up.

Partial disassembly of the strip foundation

If a wooden house stands on a strip foundation and you need to replace the lower crown or several crowns, then you will have to raise the house on jacks. To be able to substitute the jack under the log house, it is necessary to partially destroy the foundation. Usually a niche is hollowed out 40 cm wide, such that a jack can be placed. In this case, it is necessary to retreat from the corner of the house 70 cm - 1 m.

Before installing the jack, it is necessary to cut a piece of the log of the lower crown so that the jack can rest against the log of the upper crown. There are also options to raise the house without a jack using a strong lever.

You can lift only one side of the house, or the whole house at the same time. Although for a smaller skew, it is still recommended to raise the entire house at once. To do this, niches in the foundation should be located on opposite sides of the house with at least two niches on each side. Niches should be located at an equal distance from the corners of the house. The log house is raised by 7 - 10 cm, old logs are taken out and replaced with new ones. After that, the destroyed foundation is repaired. The disadvantage of this method is precisely that after the repair, the integrity of the foundation is broken, which means that its strength is reduced.

For a complete repair of the lower rims of the house and the foundation, the wooden house is raised on jacks. It is most convenient when the house stands on a columnar foundation, you do not have to destroy anything. Just between the foundation supports, a solid base for the jack is installed. It could be a concrete block, for example.

Everything is also first cut out a piece of an old log or several logs, if it is planned to replace not one, but several crowns. For example, when replacing the three lower rims, it is necessary to cut out three logs, install a jack and rest it against the log of the fourth rim.

This method is considered the most reliable and is used everywhere.

Hanging the house on special structures

Another innovation is hanging the house on special supports, which are made for a specific building. Typically, this method is used when they plan a quality repair of a wooden house that stands without a foundation or the foundation requires a complete reconstruction.

A structure is made from metal channels and brought under a log house. First, the log house is raised on jacks, and then lowered onto a support of channels. The support points of the channel structure itself are moved outside the frame. Therefore, after replacing the rotten crowns, you can easily pour a solid foundation, and the house can be on supports until the foundation concrete hardens and gains strength.

How to change the lower crowns by lifting a wooden frame

Let us consider in more detail the most common option for replacing the lower rims of a wooden house. We immediately warn you that the work is laborious and dangerous, associated with a number of difficulties. Therefore, you should not perform them yourself, it is better to hire a team of professionals. First of all, calculate how much it costs to change the crown of a house in your area. Prices are different. Some teams agree to 40 thousand rubles, while others only 100 - 120 thousand rubles. Plus consider the cost of the material. Further technology is given for review.

The wooden house cannot be raised as it is. It is necessary to carry out a number of preparatory work:

  • Shutters and even window frames must be removed. The same applies to doors and door frames. In the process of raising the house, they can be damaged - crack, warp or split.
  • All heavy furniture must be removed from the house. It would be better if the log house is completely empty.
  • The wooden floor must be separated from the walls. If the floor is cut not into the mortgage crown, but higher, and this upper crown is not planned to be replaced, then the floor can be left as it is. If the floor logs are embedded in the mortgage crown, then the floor will have to be disassembled, make support posts for the logs and separate them from the crown.
  • If the house has a stove or fireplace, they should be located on a separate foundation. If this is not the case, then raising the house is impossible.
  • The chimney of the stove or fireplace must be separated from the floors and roofing, so that in the process of raising the house, the heavy chimney does not destroy the ceilings and roofing material.

  • The crowns of the house, which are not planned to be replaced, must be fastened and fixed. For this, boards with a thickness of 40 mm are used. At a distance of 50 cm from the corner of the house, the boards are nailed vertically to the log house. The bottom edge of the board must be fixed to the lowest crown of those that are not planned to be replaced. The upper edge is fixed in the upper crown. Boards must be placed both on the inside of the log house and on the outside. The upper and lower edges are fixed with through dowels. All this is necessary so that the house does not lead when raised.

After the preparatory work, it is necessary to clear the space around the house as much as possible for the convenience of work. If there are extensions to the house that are under the same roof as the house, you should try to separate their roof. Otherwise, the rise of the house will be impossible without the destruction of the roof. When all the preparations are completed, you can start lifting the house.

It is easier and more convenient to raise a house standing on a columnar foundation.

  • The first step is to prepare a niche in which the jack will stand. He will rest against the upper healthy crown. Therefore, in all lower logs to be replaced, a section sufficient for installing a jack is cut out.

  • Then measure the height of the jack with a recessed and slightly raised stem and compare it with the height from the ground to the log against which the jack must rest.
  • A fairly common situation is when you have to dig to install a jack.
  • A strong support is equipped under the jack: a shield made of 50x50 boards, a concrete block, or others.
  • The head of the jack rests against the lower log, but not directly into the wood, but always through the lining of the metal plate.

There should be 4 such jacks. Two on opposite wide sides of the house. They must be located at a distance of 80 - 100 cm from the corner of the house.

In the case of a strip foundation, you can also do without destroying the foundation, but you will have to work hard.

  • Windows are cut out in the logs to be replaced so that the log lever can be started.
  • From the inside, the floor of the house must be dismantled so that the lever can freely enter the underground space.

  • As a lever, you can use a log, channel or chopping block.
  • Jacks are installed outside the house as close to the foundation as possible.
  • A lever is inserted into the window and a support is installed under its inner end - a concrete block, for example, or a stack of boards.
  • The outer edge of the lever is placed on the jack, as shown in the photo.
  • Further, with the help of a jack, the lever rises, and with it the house. At this time, it is necessary to put wedges between the foundation and the hung house.

After the house is raised, it is possible to replace the logs of the crown. Note that the levers can only lift each side in turn. Also, after replacing the logs, you will have to close the technological gap through which the lever was inserted.

So, the house is hanging, let's get back to how to change the crown of a wooden house.

The crown consists of top and bottom logs, which are connected to each other at the corners. It is necessary to raise the log house so that the jacks rest against the upper logs.

  • Then, when the log house is raised on jacks, the lower dressing log turns out to be unfixed. It should be removed.

  • Instead, temporary supports are installed under the lower log of the next crown.
  • Now you can lower the jacks. Together with them, the upper log of the dressing will also fall. It should also be removed.
  • Two logs are being prepared instead of the upper logs of the dressing of the lower crown. They must be carefully processed so that the cup fits snugly against the top old log. Much will have to be filed and trimmed in the course of work.
  • The upper dressing log is installed on jacks, caulking material is laid on the surface.
  • Next, the jack rises along with the log, and the log is pressed against the upper counter log.
  • The jack must be raised a little higher, along with the house, so that temporary supports on other walls can be removed.

  • Then the temporary supports are removed.
  • Now you can change the lower strapping log. In the same way, it should be planed and precisely adjusted to the counter log.
  • Then it is placed on jacks, caulking material is placed on top and lifted up, pressing it against the counter log.

At this time, the jacks on adjacent walls can be lowered. Before lowering the jacks, it is necessary to repair and waterproof the foundation surface in order to prevent further damage to the wood.

Replacing the logs of the lower crown of the house on a strip foundation is practically no different. Just the logs are lifted and pressed with a lever. After all the work, it is necessary to repair the window through which the lever was pushed through.

If you need to replace several lower rims at once, then you must first fold them on a separate platform. Tightly and neatly fitted logs should form a solid structure for the crowns of the house. In the process of making the replacement, it is necessary to fit the upper logs to the counter ones. This takes quite a lot of time and resources. And subsequent logs are easily replaced, as they are already fitted on the ground.

Frame and panel houses are also installed on a mortgage crown. Only as a support is not a log, but a bar. Replacing the mortgage crown under the frame house is also a very troublesome business. The very technology of raising the house is practically not cast. There are only a few important points:

  • Before raising the house, it is necessary to remove the casing from the frame at least to the window opening.

  • Then the frame should be strengthened. To do this, boards 40 - 50 mm thick are nailed at the window level around the entire perimeter of the house. In the same way as in the case of a log house, the boards must be fixed both from the outside and from the inside. Along the edges and with a step of 1 m, the boards must be fastened with through studs.
  • The technology of raising a frame house with jacks is no different from raising a log house. Only you can not lift the house from the strip foundation with the help of levers. You will have to partially destroy the foundation.

  • After raising the house, it must be fixed. For this, special supports are made, as in the picture.
  • Support posts are made of timber 100x80 mm. The length of the jib should be such that the stand rests against the boards that hold the frame together.

  • To prevent the support post from moving under the weight of the house, its lower edge should be fixed. For example, make a 5 cm niche in the blind area or concrete block against which it will abut. If there is no blind area, you can rest the rack against a wooden shield. In this case, it must be dug into the ground by 15 cm, and a recess should be made in the shield itself, as in the blind area.

Such racks must be installed in 2 m increments along the entire wall. After the house is raised on jacks, support racks are installed. Then the jacks are gently lowered at the same time, the house is lowered onto the support posts.

In this position, the house can hang while the mortgage crown is being replaced and the foundation is being repaired.

It is better to change the crowns in a wooden house in the dry season - in May - June. Replacing logs in a log house is still easier than replacing logs in a frame or panel house. You don't have to dismantle so much. Yes, and the risk that the frame will "lead" is much greater than the felling of the log house. When lifting a house on jacks, it is important to ensure that it rises evenly. Otherwise, the house may move off the foundation, which should not be allowed.

A house made of wood is undoubtedly a reliable structure, but even it has weaknesses. Several lower crowns of the house, and in particular the mortgage crown, with the passage of time, come into a dilapidated state. This is due to various errors during construction and operation. Wetting of the lower crown occurs from melt and rain water due to poor-quality waterproofing of the foundation. In addition, today you can still find a large number of old wooden houses in which there is no foundation at all.

Replacing the lower rims of a wooden house requires quite serious financial costs, and the work itself is complex and time-consuming. Often, simple calculations show that new construction on the site of an old house will be cheaper than repairs. However, in some situations, replacing the crowns will be more appropriate. Such a situation may arise when the house is an architectural monument or simply expensive, as a memory of ancestors.

Several ways to replace the lower rims at home

It is worth replacing crowns at home only with the invitation of specialists, or at least with their supervision. After all, errors in technology can lead to the destruction of the entire house, its roof, floors or chimneys. When carrying out such work, you need to know some of the nuances, which we outline below.

Before starting work, you should understand that the technology of repairing a wooden house depends on many conditions: the size of the house, the technical condition of the foundation and the crowns themselves, the sufficiency of free space near the building, the presence of outbuildings under the same roof with the house, the presence of a chimney and many other factors.

Replacing the rotten part of the crown without raising the house

Often there are situations when only a small part of the log needs to be replaced, since it is not all rotten. In this case, there is no need to replace the entire log. This is especially shown when the house is on a strip foundation, from which it is very difficult to raise the house without destroying part of the foundation.

  • First of all, we determine by eye where the most damaged area is.
  • After that, with the help of a chisel, we examine how much rot has penetrated into the log. We clear in both directions from damage. Most often, with the help of a chisel, it is revealed that the area of ​​\u200b\u200bdamage is much larger than that which is noticeable to the naked eye.
  • We retreat 50 cm from the edges of the damaged area in both directions and install wooden ties to a height of 2 - 3 crowns. For this purpose, you can use boards with a thickness of 40 mm, which must be nailed to the frame from the outside and from the inside. We drill holes in the first and last crown of the tie, into which we insert through tie-pins with a diameter of about 12 mm.

  • We cut out the damaged section of the log with a chainsaw and remove it.
  • In the repaired crown, we cut grooves 20 cm wide for a reliable connection with a new insert.
  • From a log of the same diameter, we cut out an insert equal in length to the sawn section with the same cuts at the ends.
  • We install the insert in place of the damaged area. A sledgehammer comes to the rescue here, which you need to hit through the bar
  • We drill three holes in the places of the cuts along the edges of the inserted log and insert wooden dowels into them to fasten the old and new logs.
  • In the process of work, you must not forget to caulk all the cracks with moss, jute or tow.

Thus, it is possible to replace not only one damaged area, but the entire lower crown, including the corners. It should be understood that such a crown will not be reliable enough, unlike the whole one, therefore, this technology of complete crown replacement should be used only in extreme cases or as a temporary measure.

Complete replacement of all lower rims of the house

Complete replacement of the crowns is a rather laborious task, as it involves sorting out the entire frame. For this, it is necessary that no one lives in the house, for example, in the case of the restoration of an old abandoned house, a bathhouse, or even a new log house. Often, this method is resorted to when replacing the upper roofing rims of the log house, which have suffered from excessive moisture.

Replacing a damaged crown with brickwork

It is possible to bring brickwork under a wooden house, both with and without raising the structure. It depends on the type of foundation of the house, on its age and on the amount of funds you want to invest in its renovation. In the case when the house has no foundation at all, and it lies on the ground, you can do without lifting. To do this, the damaged areas are cut out, and the resulting openings are filled with brickwork, the upper surface of which must rest against the solid logs of the upper crown.

Thus, it is gradually possible to change the entire lower crown with masonry, alternately removing its parts and replacing them with bricks. In this case, work must begin from the corners, providing a more reliable support in these places. The advantages of brickwork are well manifested in the case of an inclined position of the house. In this case, several crowns can be replaced with masonry at the lowest section, and only one place at a high place.

If the house has a foundation, it must be raised with several jacks. Both screw and hydraulic are suitable, although the latter are preferable. Initially, lifting is carried out from the corners, gradually placing supports under them. When the house is raised to the required height, the foundation surface is cleaned and brickwork is laid on it. When carrying out such a procedure, doors and windows must be removed without fail so as not to damage them.

Partial dismantling of the strip foundation

The above method with raising the house can only be applied if there is a columnar foundation. If it is tape, then it will not work to raise the house without partial destruction, since there will be nowhere to install jacks. In this case, 70 cm from each corner, niches must be hollowed out in the monolith, such that jacks can enter them. It is necessary to rest the jacks in good crowns, so the bottom one must be cut out at the places where the jacks are installed. It is worth noting that instead of a jack, you can sometimes use a long pipe as a lever. However, this is acceptable for a structure with low weight, such as a bathhouse or a small country house.

The log house is raised by 7 - 10 cm, after which the old rotten logs are taken out, which are replaced with new ones. After that, the destroyed sections of the foundation are repaired. The disadvantage of this method is the need to destroy the foundation, the strength of which after repair is significantly reduced.

Raising a wooden house with jacks and hanging it on special devices

In order to make a complete repair of the crowns and the foundation itself, it is necessary to completely raise the house on jacks. Well, if the house is located on a columnar foundation. This makes it possible to do without destruction. Between the posts, they simply install a solid base for the jack, which can be made from a concrete block.

All the same, first of all, you need to cut out a piece of an old log or several logs. For example, when replacing the three lowest rims, you need to cut out three logs, put a jack and rest it against a strong log of the fourth rim. This method is considered the most reliable and is used most often.

Sometimes it is advisable to hang a house on metal structures specially made for this purpose. They are made specifically for a particular house in size. This option is necessary for a quality repair of a wooden house or a complete replacement of the foundation.

The structure is made of metal channels and led under the frame. First, the log house is raised on several jacks, after which it is lowered onto a reliable support from channels. It is noteworthy that the support points of this design are placed outside the frame, which is more convenient and helps to leave the house in limbo until the concrete is completely dry.

Detailed instructions for raising the house to replace crowns

Since raising the house on jacks to replace crowns is the most common option, we will consider it in more detail. It must be taken into account that the process is quite complicated and time-consuming, therefore, it is better to hire a team of professional builders to carry out these works. In this case, the cost of performing work must be added to the cost of materials.

Before you raise the house you need to carefully prepare:

  • We remove frames and door panels and even boxes.
  • We take all the furniture out of the house.
  • If the floor is cut into the crown, it must be completely dismantled or installed on posts, separated from the crown. If the logs are attached to the walls above, then dismantling is not required.
  • Furnaces located in the house must be installed on independent foundations. Otherwise, the house cannot be raised without dismantling the furnaces.
  • Chimneys must be separated from the roof and ceiling.
  • We fasten the remaining crowns of the house with boards 40 mm thick, which are nailed vertically to the log house 50 cm from the corner of the house. Boards must be placed on the inside and outside of the log house. We fix the upper and lower ends of the boards with through dowels, in order to avoid deformation of the walls when lifting.

After completing the preparatory work, you need to clear a place near the house for the convenience of work. The roof of the extensions to the house must be separated from the main building so that it does not collapse. Further work is carried out depending on the type of foundation.

With a columnar foundation

Raising a house that stands on a columnar foundation is much easier and more convenient.

  • We are preparing a niche for the jack, for which you will sometimes have to dig.
  • A strong support is being built under the jack.
  • We rest the head of the jack against the lower “healthy” log through a metal gasket.

You need to take 4 jacks, one for each side. We install them at a distance of 80 - 100 cm from the corners of the house.

With strip foundation

It is possible even in this case to do without destroying the foundation, but this will require a lot of effort:

  • In the replaceable crowns, we cut out windows under which it would be possible to insert a lever-log.
  • Inside the house, the floor must be dismantled so that the lever can freely enter the underground.
  • As such a lever, you can use a log, channel or chopping block.
  • Jacks are placed outside the house closer to the foundation.
  • A lever is inserted into the window and a strong support from a concrete block or a stack of boards is installed under its inner edge.
  • The outer end of the lever is placed on the jack.
  • Then the lever rises with a jack, and behind it the whole house. At this time, you need to put wedges between the surface of the foundation and the hung house.

After raising the house, we replace the rotten crown logs. Please note that the levers can only lift all sides in turn. Also, after the completion of the work, it will be necessary to repair the technological niche through which the lever was wound.

Replacing crown logs

After the house is hung on jacks, you can begin to replace the crowns. Each crown consists of a top and bottom log tied at the corners. The jacks should rest against the upper logs, which frees the lower logs, which can be easily removed. Instead of them, it is worth putting temporary supports abutting the next crown.

  • Now the jacks should be lowered, along with which the upper dressing log will also be lowered. It must also be removed.
  • Instead of the upper dressing logs, new ones are installed, which need to be adjusted in place.
  • The top log is mounted on jacks and insulated with caulking material.
  • Next, the jack must be raised along with the log, which is pressed against the log of the next crown.
  • Raising the jack a little higher, along with the house, you need to remove temporary supports on all walls.
  • Now you need to insert the lower strapping log, which is tedious to plan and fit under the counter log.
  • Then it is placed on jacks and with caulking material and lifted, pressing against the counter log.

At this time, the released jacks on adjacent walls must be lowered. Before this, it is required to repair and waterproof the entire surface of the foundation to prevent damage to wood in the future.

Thus, replacing the crowns in a wooden house is a rather laborious task, but subject to all the technology, it is quite feasible.

For each owner of a building built from natural eco-friendly wood, sooner or later the question arises of repairing the most important structural elements of the structure. Or rather, about replacing the lower rims of wooden houses. This task, frankly, is not an easy one, however, if you have certain theoretical knowledge of the rules for such repairs and the necessary tools, you can replace the lower crown with your own hands, which will significantly save your finances. In this article, we will focus on how to personally replace the crown, spoiled by time.

Repair of rotten sections of the crowns of the building without raising the house itself

It often happens that the log of the lower crown of a wooden building, located closest to the ground, is not completely rotten - only a certain area can be affected by damage. This means that repairs can only be made in certain areas, without changing the crown completely. In this case, it will be much easier to do the work with your own hands. This is especially true in cases where raising the house can cause serious problems. For example, a strip foundation under a log house that has been raised to make repairs is at risk of being destroyed. During "local" work, only the damaged section of the log is changed.

Repair of the lower rims is carried out as follows:

  • Step 1. Determine which area is damaged. We take a chisel and find out how much the tree has rotted. We clear the wood on both sides of the damaged area. Quite often, the use of a chisel makes it possible to understand that the area is damaged much more than it can be seen during the first examination with the naked eye.
  • Step 2. From the edges of the damaged area, we indent 40 centimeters on both sides. We put couplers, the height of which coincides with the size in height of two or three crowns.
  • Step 3 We take boards-"magpies" and nail to the log house, such manipulations should be done from the inside and outside. In the first crown, which is pulled together, and in the last we drill holes. We put special tie-pins (they must pass through, and their diameter is 12 mm or more).
  • Step 4 We take a chainsaw and carefully, but carefully, cut out the damaged part. In the crown, which needed repair and replacement of rotten sections, we create cuts, the width of which is 2 cm. Such cuts are required in order to firmly connect the log with a new element that will be inserted later.
  • Step 5 We make an insert using a log of the same diameter. The length of the insert is exactly the same as the length of the cut section. On the insert, do not forget to make reciprocal cuts.
  • Step 6 In place of the section that we had previously cut out, we insert a new element. Having placed a bar, we finish the insert well in place with a sledgehammer.
  • Step 7 In places of cuttings, we make three holes through and through from different sides, then we drive in dowels, which will further give us the opportunity to firmly connect the insert and the old log. All cracks must be caulked with tow; moss or jute are also often used for this purpose.

Thus, you can repair several areas. Corner joints can also be repaired in this way. However, such measures can be resorted to only in extreme cases, if it is impossible to raise the house, since the strength of the structure after repair is somewhat reduced.

We sort out the crowns of a residential wooden building

Do-it-yourself log cabin bulkhead is the most complex, lengthy, time-consuming replacement option. Each crown, sequentially, is disassembled, the logs are examined for damage, and, if necessary, are replaced with new ones. However, this method should not be chosen for the wooden house that you are currently using. You can replace logs in this way if you are renovating a bathhouse or an old residential building where you do not currently live. The bulkhead is also relevant in cases where it is necessary to replace the logs under the roof of the building: here they also often receive a negative effect of moisture.

Brickwork as a way to repair

It will be possible to bring red brick masonry under a wooden residential building in two ways: both by first raising the log house, and without raising it. It all depends on what foundation your house is placed on, as well as on the age of the building and on your financial capabilities.

If the old building stands directly on the ground, without a foundation, it will be easier to replace the crown with brickwork, it is not necessary to raise the house. The same option is also possible if a columnar foundation was used for the construction.

The work is carried out as follows: the affected areas are cut out on the lower crown, a brick foundation is made, the surface of which is brought under the logs located on top and less damaged. First, rotten corner joints are cut off, a reliable support is made. As for the height of the masonry, it can be different. You can replace the bottom brick or several rows of crowns.

Raising a house using jacks is a more expensive option. Using a screw jack or a hydraulic device, you can raise the house in order to make a thorough repair of the wooden elements of the log house and subsequent masonry. The house rises in the corners, then it is leveled, a temporary support is mounted under the corners. Then the foundation of the building is cleaned, leveled and brickwork is built up.

In order to raise a log house erected on a strip foundation with a jack, the base will have to be partially destroyed. More precisely, it will be necessary to hollow out a niche in it with a width of about 0.4 meters, and the height of the niche will be such that a jack can fit. At the same time, they retreat a meter from the corner of the house. You can raise the whole house, and only one side. After the work is completed, the foundation is repaired. There is also a more modern way to raise a house - this is the use of special metal channels.

We raise the log house - we repair the crown

  • Step 1. Preparatory measures before starting to lift the log house, we remove the doors with frames, windows with sashes and frames. In the course of lifting, they are likely to be damaged. We take heavy objects out of the house, especially furniture.
  • Step 2 We disassemble the floor, make support under the logs, separate the logs and crowns.
  • Step 3 Before lifting, we separate the chimney of the furnace (if any in the house) from the roof.
  • Step 4 We raise the house with a jack in the manner described earlier.
  • Step 5 We put a new log into the wall in this way: the short parts are placed in the corners, the longest is located in the gap between the jacks. The material must be processed with modern antiseptic compounds.
  • Step 6 The log cabin is lowered, the jacks are removed, and the openings left from them are filled with pieces of logs that fit perfectly in size. Joints with the help of tow or other high-quality sealing materials are carefully sealed.

It is important to emphasize that the quality of protection of a wooden house depends not only on the materials you use for antiseptic impregnation, but also on the waterproofing of the foundation, equipped in accordance with all the rules. Using high-quality materials for these purposes, you will significantly extend the life of your log house.

Video about lifting the house with your own hands: