The choice of construction timber and the basic types of wooden houses

Only a few hundred years ago, wooden houses reigned in Poland. Only then were they replaced by their brick counterparts, and although everyone believed then that they are the symbols of progress and modernity, today’s times are more likely to encourage construction to “return to the roots”. More and more people are choosing wooden houses, which are great because of their speed of construction and sufficient durability to meet the needs of one or two generations. In this article, we will focus on what construction timber – which is their basic building block – to choose for their construction, so that they can actually serve us for many years, and at the same time are resistant to the not always light conditions that they will be faced with.

How to choose construction timber for a timber house?

In the case of houses designed on the basis of wood, the quality of the building material – and therefore construction timber – is very important, even crucial. The durability of the entire building depends solely on it, but also our safety inside it. First of all, let’s take care of the right type of wood. The most frequently chosen – for good reason – is ordinary pine wood. Its parameters, such as elasticity and durability, make it a very good choice. Spruce, fir, larch and other conifers are used less frequently.

Structural timber in its final form may be solid, i.e. the type made after the log is sawn twice, or glued, which is created by gluing together pieces of wood or several slats. It is important that the wood is dry – in order to obtain adequate dryness and humidity (not exceeding 18%), it is dried in a chamber manner, at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius. It allows you to get rid of mold spores, insect larvae and all kinds of fungi. Moreover, it reduces the susceptibility of the wood to windows. It is important that the wood is not wet as it is then susceptible to fungus.

Types of wooden houses – which one to choose?

Although there are no professional statistics indicating the popularity of wooden houses based on structural timber , you can see with the naked eye that they are being used more and more often. The mere saying that you want to have such a house is not enough – you have to decide on a specific type, which primarily defines the technique of execution and the scheme of construction works. There are three basic options to choose from, which are briefly outlined below.

Wooden frame houses

When deciding on houses of this type, we must be aware that they may look like brick houses . Or not – it all depends on our idea. In fact, the requirement in their case is a frame made of construction timber . The walls of these houses are filled with insulating material (usually mineral or wood wool, often also polyurethane foam), which is covered in any way. Nothing stands in the way of making a plastered façade, or one also made of wood. You can then afford a thin layer of it, because it is only decorative.

Prefabricated wooden houses

Prefabricated houses, although the most expensive of all three types, are also the most durable (next to log houses) – it is estimated that they can last more than a hundred years. It is worth mentioning their basic advantage, i.e. the fact that they are produced almost entirely in the factory . So they are actually manufactured, not built. Entirely on the construction site, they are only assembled, which requires access to the plot of trucks and often cranes. You can prefabricate an opening (then in the factory the skeleton of the walls and ceiling is made, and everything else is assembled on the construction site) or a fullness (then everything is created in the factory – it needs to be specialized). Prefabricated houses are set up unrivaled quickly , even in 2-3 days. They are immediately ready to move in.

Wooden log houses

Made of wooden logs (properly profiled and properly selected), wooden houses have existed in the world for hundreds of years and are valued for their incredible durability, allowing them to live in them for many generations ahead. They are created very quickly (in just a few months) and do not require any facade – they look very distinctive in themselves. They are solid, resistant to all weather conditions, but also very flexible – you can adjust their appearance to your needs. They allow you to maintain high thermal insulation, and they are created in just a few weeks. Their walls should be insulated from the inside and finished with boards or plasterboards.

Summary

Choosing the right type of construction timber to build your own timber house is an extremely important part of its planning and will most affect its durability, solidity and quality. Regardless of which of the three basic types of houses of this type we finally decide on, we always make sure that it is made of the highest quality raw materials. After all, it is about our home, from which we will undoubtedly expect durability, longevity and security.