How to change the timber under the house. Lower rims of a log house: replacement technology and important nuances

Despite the abundance of brick and concrete buildings, the wooden blockhouse has not lost its relevance and popularity. The attractiveness of solid wood lies in accessibility, 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 the collapse of the building. This is due to a violation of construction technology.

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

You can determine the replacement visually. To do this, it is necessary to tap the log in randomly selected places. If the sound is dull, it is a sign of internal destruction of the wood. A characteristic sign of destruction is 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 long as possible as a building material, it is recommended to use larch. In addition, wood is necessarily treated with deep penetration antiseptics.

Methods for performing 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 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 lies in the local replacement of damaged areas. Spot repair of decayed rims of a log house is considered the most economical, however, 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 mortgage log, but also 3-4 crowns located on top. When carrying out repair work, the marked areas are simply cut out and replaced with pieces of a log or timber cut to shape.

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

Complete disassembly of the house

The most time consuming procedure possible. The bottom line is that the house is literally disassembled into logs, each crown is carefully examined and, if necessary, replaced. The method is quite effective, but not devoid of a number of disadvantages.

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

Dismantling the top of the foundation

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

Holes are hollowed out in the concrete for the installation of the jack. Raising the house can be partial or complete, but experts recommend giving preference to the second option. When a structure is lifted from all sides at the same time, the likelihood of geometry violation and skewing is noticeably reduced.

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

Phased repair: detailed instructions

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

Preparation

The preparatory stage includes the following steps:

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

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

Raising a log house with a jack

Timber houses are usually installed on columnar or strip foundations. In the first case, in the places where the jacks are installed, undercuts are made, supports made of bricks or boards are placed so that the equipment does not go into the ground. If the foundation is strip, niches are cut out in the lower rim, corresponding to the outer dimensions of the jack. It should be borne in mind that the jack should rest against the intact crown of the log house.

In both cases, it is better to place the jacks on long walls, stepping back from the edge of 70–100 cm. When the frame is raised to a predetermined 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. The jacks are pulled down, leaving the house on temporary supports. The replacement log is adjusted to size, placed on jacks and lifted, tightly pressing against the counter crown and fixing with brackets. The rise is carried out to a great height so that temporary supports can be removed. The lower log of the crown is also replaced in a similar way. After that, heat and waterproofing is laid on the foundation, after which the frame is lowered into place.

The crowns of frame houses are changed 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 prevent 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 a while they will have to be changed again. It is better to give preference to euroruberoid, it costs more, but the overpayment is justified by the 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 is on temporary supports, it is better not to be under it unless absolutely necessary.

The average cost of work on replacing the lower crown varies in the range of 30,000-40,000 rubles. The price depends on the overhead costs and the cost of lumber in a particular region of the country. If you are not confident in the quality work done on your own, it is better to turn to professionals. Yes, this will increase the cost of the work, but it will help preserve the integrity of the house and avoid other troubles.

Damage to 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 shortens its service life. The process of completely replacing old parts with new ones is extremely difficult, dangerous and expensive to carry out. In some cases, the work can be slightly simplified and reduced in price 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 should be considered to save energy, time and finances.

Causes of damage to supporting elements

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

1. Refusal from a columnar foundation with an earth embankment.

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

3. Excessively low foundations in areas with a large amount of atmospheric precipitation.

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

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

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

diagrams of options for repairing foundations
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, like with your own hands without the use of complex mechanisms.

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

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

The work takes place in the following order:

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

2. With the help of a chisel we remove dried or rotten wood. Work continues until the walls of the excavation have touched healthy and undamaged material.

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

4. Ties (4 pcs.) Are made of ordinary slats, 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 component parts at a distance of 35-40 cm from the edges of the opening made (two holes in one part).

6. On the outer and inner sides of the wall, install the screeds 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, make neat cuts along the edges of the groove chosen by the chisel. We retreat from these cuts by another 20 cm and make cuts in 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 more tight 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 the 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 pins into them and hammer them all the way. The protruding edges of the dowels from the inside and outside are cut off.

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

Complete replacement of support elements with lifting of the structure

Do-it-yourself complete replacement of the lower crown of a wooden house in no case should be done alone. It is highly recommended to invite a specialist who is versed in this matter to perform such work.

replacement of the lower rims in a log house

replacing rotten house crowns (stages 1-11)
raising the house with 2 jacks

A wooden house is undoubtedly a durable and reliable structure, but it also has weak points. The lower crowns of the house, and especially the mortgage crown, eventually deteriorate. The most common cause is errors during construction and operation. The lower crown gets wet from contact with melt and rainwater, as well as groundwater, if the waterproofing of the foundation is not done with sufficient quality. But you know that many old wooden houses stand without a foundation at all, and the lower crowns are simply dug into the ground. Repairing and replacing rotten crowns is labor-intensive and complex, as well as costly in financial terms. Sometimes it is cheaper to demolish an old house and build a new one. But there are also situations when changing the 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

Even 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 the house was commonplace. In extreme cases, at least once in his life, a person was present at the replacement of rotten crowns and imagines the process in practice. Nowadays, a lot of knowledge and skill have been 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. Either the house will collapse, or it will slide 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 describe various technologies on how to change rotten crowns. But this information is presented only for acquaintance 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 the foundation, the availability of free space around the building, the presence of extensions under the same roof as 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, therefore we will describe only general technologies and recommendations.

A fairly common situation when the log of the lower crown did not completely rot, but only some area was damaged. In this case, it is not necessary to replace the entire lower crown. Especially if lifting 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 clean in both directions from damage. Most often, using a chisel, it is revealed that the area of damage 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 screeds with a height of 2 - 3 crowns. We take boards 40 mm thick and nail them to the log house on both sides of the wall: outside and inside. We drill holes in the first and last rim to be pulled together. We insert through and 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 crown being repaired, we make cuttings 20 cm wide. They are necessary for a strong connection with the new insert of the log.

We make an insert from a log of the same diameter. Its length should be equal to the cut area. Be sure to carry out reciprocal cuts on the insert.

We insert the insert in place of the cut damaged area. We finish it in place with a sledgehammer, placing a block under it.

In the place where the cuttings 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 dig all the cracks with moss, jute or tow.

Similarly, you can replace the entire lower crown piece by piece. By 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 obtained in this way will be less durable than a solid 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 bulkhead the entire log house. Each crown is disassembled, all logs are examined and replaced with new ones. This repair method is not suitable for an operated home. It can be considered if it is necessary to renovate an old abandoned house, a bathhouse, or vice versa - a recently 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 is worth, how old it is, and how much effort and money you are willing to invest in its renovation.

For example, if an old house lies directly on the ground without a foundation, you can replace the crown with brickwork without lifting the house. Likewise, if the house is 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 make a brick foundation. Its surface must be brought under the upper crown, which is in good condition.

Thus, it is possible to cut out sections of logs in parts and carry out brickwork. It is best to start at the corners of the house, cut off the corner joints and provide a secure base. The height of the brickwork can be different. There are times when the house is on the ground, and even under a slight slope. Then, at the lowest point, several rotted crowns are immediately replaced with brickwork, 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 temporary support at the corners. Further, the surface of the existing foundation is cleaned, leveled and built up the brickwork.

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. In order to be able to put the jack under the blockhouse, it is necessary to partially destroy the foundation. Usually a niche 40 cm wide is hollowed out, so high 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 out a piece of the log of the lower crown so that you can rest the jack against the log of the upper crown. There are also options for lifting the house without a jack using a strong lever.

You can lift only one side of the house, and the whole house at the same time. Although, for less distortion, it is still recommended to raise the whole house at once. For this, niches in the foundation should be located on opposite sides of the house, at least two niches on each side. Niches should be located at an equal distance from the corners of the house. The blockhouse is raised by 7-10 cm, the old logs are taken out and replaced with new ones. Then 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. Most conveniently, when the house is on a columnar foundation, you do not have to destroy anything. Simply, a solid base for the jack is installed between the foundation supports. It could be a concrete block, for example.

All the same, at the beginning, a piece of an old log or several logs is cut out, 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 crown.

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

Hanging the house on special structures

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

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

How to change the lower crowns by lifting a wooden frame

Let's take a closer look at the most common option for replacing the lower rims of a wooden house. We warn you right away that the work is laborious and dangerous, and is fraught with a number of difficulties. Therefore, you should not do them yourself, it is better to hire a team of professionals. First of all, calculate how much it costs to change the crown at home in your area. Prices are different. Some brigades agree on 40 thousand rubles, while others only for 100 - 120 thousand rubles. Plus, calculate the cost of the material. Further technology is given for information.

A wooden house cannot be lifted as it is. It is imperative to carry out a number of preparatory work:

Sashes and even window frames must be removed. This also 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 will be better if the blockhouse is completely empty.

The wooden floor must be separated from the walls. If the floor is not cut 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 cut into the mortgage crown, then the floor will have to be disassembled, support posts made for the logs and separated from the crown.

If your home has a stove or fireplace, they should be on a separate foundation. If this is not the case, then raising the house is impossible.

The chimney of a stove or fireplace must be separated from the ceilings and the roof 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 frame. The bottom edge of the board should be snapped into the lowest crown not to be replaced. The upper edge is fixed in the upper rim. 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 pins. All this is necessary so that the house does not lead when it is lifted.

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 destroying the roof. When all preparations are completed, you can start lifting the house.

It is easier and more convenient to lift 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 the lower logs to be replaced, an area is cut out sufficient for the installation of the jack.

Then they measure the height of the jack with a recessed and slightly raised stock and compare it with the height from the ground to the log on which it is necessary to rest the jack.

The situation is quite common when you have to dig in order to install a jack.

A solid support is equipped under the jack: a board made of 50x50 boards, a concrete block, or others.

The jack head rests on the lower log, but not directly into the wood, but necessarily through a lining made of a 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 have to work hard.

Windows are cut out in the logs to be replaced so that the lever-log can be started.

From the inside, the floor of the house must be disassembled so that the lever can freely enter the underground space.

As a lever, you can use a log, channel or block.

Jacks are installed outside the house as close to the foundation as possible.

A lever is brought 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 arm is placed on the jack as shown in the photo.

Further, with the help of a jack, the lever is raised, and with it the house. At this time, it is necessary to place wedges between the foundation and the hanging house.

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

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

The crown consists of upper and lower logs, which are tied together at the corners. It is necessary to raise the blockhouse so that the jacks rest on the upper logs.

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

Instead, temporary supports are installed under the lower log of the next crown.

The jacks can now be lowered. Together with them, the upper bandage log will also go down. It should also be removed.

Two logs are being prepared instead of the upper logs of the bandaging of the lower crown. They need to be carefully processed so that the cup fits snugly against the top old log. Much will have to be filed and trimmed along the way.

The upper dressing log is installed on jacks, caulking material is laid on the surface.

Further, the jack is lifted together with the log, and the log is pressed against the upper counter log.

The jack must be lifted 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 harness log. In the same way, it should be cut and precisely adjusted to the mating log.

Then it is laid on jacks, caulking material is placed on top and lifted up, pressing it against the counter log.

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

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

If it is necessary to replace several lower rims at once, then first you need to 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 a replacement, it is necessary to adjust the upper logs to match the counterparts. This takes a lot of time and resources. And subsequent logs are easily replaced, since they are already fitted on the ground.

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

Before raising the house, it is necessary to remove the cladding 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 fastened from both the outside and the inside. Along the edges and with a step of 1 m, the boards must be fastened with through pins.

The technology for raising a frame house with jacks does not differ from raising a log house. Only you cannot lift the house from the strip foundation using levers. We'll 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 100x80 mm timber. The length of the jib should be such that the rack rests against the boards fastening the frame.

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 a concrete block against which it will rest. If there is no blind area, you can rest the rack against a wooden board. In this case, it must be dug into the ground by 15 cm, and a recess must 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 has been jacked up, support posts are installed. Then the jacks are carefully lowered at the same time, the house is lowered onto the support posts.

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

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

A house made of wood is undoubtedly reliable and a structure, but even it has weak points. Several of the lower rims 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. The lower crown gets wet from melt and rainwater due to poorly executed 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 renovation. However, in some situations it will be more expedient to replace the crowns. Such a situation can arise when the house is an architectural monument or is simply expensive, as a memory of ancestors.
Several ways to replace the lower rims of the house
It is worth replacing the crowns at home only with the invitation of specialists, or at least with their supervision. After all, mistakes in technology can lead to the destruction of the whole house, its roof, ceilings or chimneys. When carrying out such work, you need to know some of the nuances that we outline below.
Before starting work, it is worth understanding 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 sufficient 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 decayed 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 not all of it has rotted. 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 lift the house without destroying part of the foundation.
First of all, by eye we determine where the most damaged area is.

After that, with the help of a chisel, we investigate how much rot has penetrated into the log. We clean in both directions from damage. Most often, using a chisel, it is revealed that the area of damage is much larger than that which is noticeable to the naked eye.
From the edges of the damaged area, we retreat 50 cm in both directions and install wooden ties at 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. In the first and last crown of the tie, we drill holes into which we insert through tie-rods, having a diameter of about 12 mm.

We cut out the damaged section of the log with a chainsaw and remove it.
In the crown being repaired, we cut grooves with a width of 20 cm for a secure connection with a new insert.
From a log of the same diameter, we cut out an insert equal in length to the cut 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, you need to hit it through a bar
In the places of the cut along the edges of the inserted log, we drill three holes each and insert wooden pins into them to fasten the old and new logs.
In the process of work, you must not forget to dig all the cracks with moss, jute or tow.

Thus, it is possible to replace not only one damaged area, but also the entire lower rim, including the corners. It should be understood that such a crown will not be reliable enough, unlike the whole, therefore, it is worth using this technology of complete replacement of the crown only in extreme cases or as a temporary measure.
Complete replacement of all lower rims of the house
Complete replacement of crowns is a rather laborious task, since it involves sorting out the entire frame. To do this, it is necessary that no one lives in the house, for example, in the case of restoration of an old abandoned house, a bathhouse or even a new log house. Often, this method is resorted to when replacing the upper subroofing crowns of a 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, its age and the amount of funds that you want to invest in renovating it. 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.
In this way, you can gradually change the entire lower crown with masonry, alternately removing its parts and replacing them with bricks. In this case, work must be started from the corners, providing 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 site, and only at the highest place.
If the house has a foundation, it must be raised with a few jacks. Both screw and hydraulic are suitable, although the latter is preferable. Initially, lifting is carried out from the corners, gradually placing supports under them. When the house is raised to the required height, the surface of the foundation 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 the jacks. In this case, niches 70 cm from each corner must be hollowed out in the monolith, such that jacks can enter them. It is necessary to rest the jacks on good crowns, so the lower one must be cut out in 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 a low weight, such as a bathhouse or a small country house.
The blockhouse 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 house made of wood with jacks and hanging on special devices
In order to carry out a complete repair of the crowns and the foundation itself, it is necessary to fully raise the house on jacks. It is good if the house is located on a columnar foundation. This makes it possible to do without destruction. A solid base under the jack is simply installed between the posts, which can be made from a concrete block.
All also, first of all, you need to cut out a piece of an old log or several logs. For example, when replacing the three lowest crowns, you need to cut out three logs, put a jack and rest it against the strong log of the fourth crown. This method is considered the most reliable and is used most often.
Sometimes it is advisable to hang the 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 high-quality repair of a wooden house or a complete replacement of the foundation.
The structure is made of metal channels and is brought under the frame. First, the frame is raised on several jacks, after which it is lowered onto a reliable support from the channels. It is noteworthy that the support points of such a structure 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 the crowns
Since lifting the house on jacks to replace the crowns is the most common option, we will consider it in more detail. It is necessary to take into account that the process is rather complicated and time-consuming, therefore it is better to hire a team of professional builders to carry out these works. The cost of performing work in this case must be added to the cost of materials.
Before you raise the house, you need to carefully prepare:
We remove frames and door leaves and even boxes.
We take all the furniture out of the house.
In the case of a floor inset in the crown, it must be completely dismantled or installed on posts, separated from the crown. If the logs are attached to the walls higher, then dismantling is not required.
Stoves in the house must be installed on independent foundations. Otherwise, the house cannot be raised without dismantling the stoves.
Chimneys must be separated from roofs and ceilings.

We fasten the remaining crowns of the house with 40 mm thick boards, which are nailed vertically to the frame 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 pins, 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 annexes 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
It is much easier and more convenient to lift a house that stands on a columnar foundation.
We are preparing a niche for the jack, for which we will sometimes have to dig a tunnel.

A strong support is 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 on 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 crowns to be replaced, we cut out the windows, under which the lever-log could be wound.
Inside the house, the floor must be disassembled so that the lever can freely enter the underground.

A log, channel or block can be used as such a lever.
Jacks are placed outside the house closer to the foundation.
A lever is inserted into the window and a solid support from a concrete block or a stack of boards is installed under its inner edge.
The outer end of the arm rests on the jack.
Further, the lever is lifted with a jack, and behind it the whole house. At this time, wedges should be placed between the surface of the foundation and the suspended house.

After raising the house, we replace the rotten logs of the crown. Note that the levers can only lift all sides in turn. Also, after the end of the work, it will be necessary to close up the technological niche through which the lever was wound.
Replacing the crown logs
After the house is hung on jacks, you can begin to replace the crowns. Each crown consists of upper and lower logs tied at the corners. The jacks should rest against the upper logs, which frees up the lower logs that can be easily removed. Instead of them, it is worth putting temporary supports resting against the next crown.
Now the jacks should be lowered, along with which the upper dressing log will also fall. It must be removed as well.
Instead of the upper logs, new dressings are installed, which need to be adjusted in place.
The upper log is jacked up and insulated with caulking material.
Next, the jack must be lifted together with the log, which is pressed against the log of the next crown.
Having raised the jack a little higher, along with the house, you need to remove the temporary supports on all walls.

Now you need to insert the lower strapping log, which is tedious to cut and fit under the counter log.
Then it is put on jacks and with caulking material and lifted, pressing it against the counter log.

At this time, the vacated jacks on the adjacent walls must be lowered. Before that, it is required to repair and waterproof the entire surface of the foundation to prevent damage to wood in the future.
Thus, replacing crowns in a wooden house is a rather laborious business, but if all the technology is followed, it is quite feasible.

For every owner of a building built from natural, environmentally friendly wood, sooner or later the question arises about the repair of the most important structural elements of the building. 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 replace the time-damaged crown with your own hands.
Repair of rotten sections of the crowns of a 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 completely changing the crown. In this case, doing it yourself will be much easier. This is especially true in cases where lifting the house can cause serious problems. For example, a strip foundation under a log house that was raised to carry out repairs runs the 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. We determine which area is damaged. We take a chisel and find out how long the tree has rotted. We clear the wood in both directions from the damaged area. Quite often, the use of a chisel makes it possible to understand that the area is damaged much more than is visible during the first examination with the naked eye.
Step 2... From the edges of the damaged area, in both directions, we indent 40 centimeters. We put screeds, the height of which is the same as the height of two or three crowns.
Step 3. We take the "fortieth" boards and nail them 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-studs (they must go right 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 required repair and replacement of rotten areas, we create cuttings, the width of which is 2 cm. Such cuttings 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. On the inset, do not forget to make reciprocal cuts.
Step 6. In place of the section that we had cut out earlier, we insert a new element. Having placed a block, we finish well the insert in place with the help of a sledgehammer.
Step 7. In the places of the cut, we make three holes through and through from different sides, then we drive in the pins, which will then give us the opportunity to firmly connect the insert and the old log. All cracks must be dug with tow, and moss or jute are also often used for this purpose.

In this way, you can renovate multiple 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 go through the crowns of a residential wooden building
Do-it-yourself bulkhead is the most difficult, long-lasting, labor-intensive replacement option. Each crown is sequentially 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 the logs in this way if you are renovating a bathhouse or an old residential building where you do not live today. A bulkhead is also relevant in cases where it is necessary to replace logs under the roof of a building: here they also often receive a negative effect of moisture.
Brickwork as a repair method
It will be possible to bring red brick masonry under a wooden residential building in two ways: both by means of preliminary raising the log house, and without raising it. It all depends on the foundation on which your house is built, 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 possible if a columnar foundation was used for construction.
The work is carried out as follows: the affected areas are cut out on the lower rim, 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 with bricks or several rows of crowns.
Lifting the house using jacks is the more expensive option. With the help of 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 the subsequent masonry. The house rises in the corners, then it is leveled, a temporary support is mounted at the corners. Then the foundation of the building is cleaned, leveled and the brickwork is built up.
In order to raise a log house with a jack, erected on a strip foundation, the base will have to be partially destroyed. Or rather, it will be necessary to hollow out a niche in it about 0.4 meters wide, and the height of the niche will be such that the jack can fit. At the same time, they retreat from the corner of the house by a meter. You can lift 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.
Raising the blockhouse - repairing the crown
Step 1. Preparatory measures before starting to lift the log house, remove doors with boxes, windows with sashes and frames. They are more likely to be damaged during lifting. We carry 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 stove chimney (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 the 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 blockhouse is lowered, the jacks are removed, and the openings remaining from them are filled with pieces of logs that are ideally sized. The joints are carefully sealed with tow or other high-quality sealing materials.

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 according to all the rules. Using high quality materials for these purposes, you will significantly extend the life of your log house.
Video about lifting a house with your own hands: