What is the best material to build a house from? What should we build a house: what is better, what material to choose, what house is better and cheaper? Frame houses - a visiting card of Canada

Building a new home is always a big expense. Few people can afford to build without paying attention to estimates. Most often, you have to save money to fit into the budget. However, the savings must be reasonable, because the owner and his family will live in the new place. The building should be warm, dry, comfortable, pleasing to the eye. How to achieve this without overpayments? First of all, save on a team of workers. If the developer has the necessary skills, then everything or almost everything can be done by yourself. You can also choose inexpensive materials, available technologies, a standard project. What is the cheapest way to build a house with your own hands? What is worth saving on, and where is it better not to take risks?

Savings start with project selection. The more complex the architectural forms, the more expensive the construction. It is irrational to try to cut costs at the expense of workers, technical supervision or the quality of materials by initially choosing an expensive project.

It is better to clearly define the necessary living space, without depriving the family, but also without allowing yourself extra square meters, choose a simple roof shape. This will allow you to create a cozy home that fully meets the needs of the family, but without architectural "excesses" - a multi-pitched roof, bay windows, columns, arches.

It makes sense to consider construction options for a one- or two-story structure with a residential attic.

A residential attic is much more profitable than a separate floor. For the construction of the floor, more materials will be needed - for walls, insulation, decoration

If you choose lightweight building materials and suitable technologies for building walls, you can save on foundations. You will need a less powerful structure, plus the formwork can be made from substandard boards, used fiberboards.

The only thing that is undesirable to cut costs is cement. It needs to be bought of high quality, otherwise the strength of the structure will be a big question. The depth of the trench under the foundation must also correspond to the estimated weight of the building in order to avoid heavy settlement, which can lead to cracks in the walls.

What is most often used in construction:

  • brick;
  • beam;
  • gas block

In the construction of houses and cottages, frame technology is increasingly being used. This is a promising method that allows you to build quickly and at minimal cost.

To find out what the building will cost the cheapest, you will have to calculate estimates for each of the options, because. the cost of the material itself is far from always an indicator of benefit. For example, opting for multipurpose resources can help reduce costs. The cost of hydro, vapor barrier "two in one" will ultimately cost less than buying two different types of insulation.

When calculating, one should proceed from the fact that the finished building should be comfortable for living, comply with heat saving and safety standards.

The advantages of a frame structure are in less time and labor costs for the construction of a building. The design is light, does not create an increased load on the foundation and does not require its strengthening

A dwelling using this technology is being built in terms of several weeks to several months, depending on whether the owner builds it himself or hires a team. Finished buildings are durable, resistant to deformation. The estimated service life is about 75 years.

Bearing structures are convenient for subsequent sheathing with finishing materials, because. all elements are unified. This significantly expands: siding, cassette panels, block house can be mounted on the walls. When sheathed, the strength of the entire structure increases without a significant increase in its weight.

Construction video

There are two main technologies, each of which has its own characteristics.

Frame-panel. What is the cheapest way to build a house? Collected by myself. Of course, this will require skills and equipment. Thanks to this type of construction, this is possible, although it will take a lot of time and additional money to buy insulation and other things. The frame is made of wood and sheathed with sandwich panels. Each part has to be mounted separately, which affects the timing and complexity of construction.

Frame-panel. This option is expensive, but reliable and requires much less labor. The design is assembled from ready-made shields, which are manufactured at the factory by special order. Shields are delivered already insulated and completely ready for assembly. If we compare the prices of panel and panel buildings, then the former are more expensive. However, the final cost may turn out to be the same if workers are invited to assemble frame-panel housing, because you have to pay for all types of work separately - assembly, sheathing, thermal insulation, finishing.

The assembled wooden frame already looks like a finished house. It only requires sheathing and finishing. Steam and waterproofing materials are installed in the walls of the structure at the factory, which helps to increase the life of the building

Undeniable advantages of technology:

  • Profitability. Light weight is an obvious opportunity to save on the foundation, and short terms - on the payment of workers. It is believed that houses built using frame technology are the cheapest, but in many respects the cost-effectiveness depends on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bconstruction, the selected components, finishes, etc. Calculations by experienced engineers show that this is beneficial if the length of the building does not exceed 20 m, and the number of storeys is 3. Often, everything is decided by the project.
  • High energy saving ratio. Designs quickly and efficiently warm up. The walls are made of materials with low thermal conductivity, thanks to which the structure retains heat well. The thickness of the wall can be 15-20 cm. Additional benefits include lower heating costs compared to a conventional building of the same area.
  • No shrinkage. The walls of the structure are durable, resistant to deformation, they are highly rigid, and the house itself does not shrink. This also has a positive effect on the timing of construction: finishing work can begin immediately after the completion of the main work. Sheathing does not require additional processing, which reduces the cost of finishing.

Disadvantages or things to consider:

  • To assemble such a structure, special knowledge and tools are needed. The qualifications of builders are of fundamental importance, so not every developer can do it on his own, and the team will have to be carefully selected.
  • Wooden frames require additional treatment with compounds for biological and fire protection.

When choosing a project, special attention should be paid to ventilation. Artificial materials perfectly insulate, but from the point of view of environmental safety, they leave much to be desired. If the dwelling is small, then theoretically it is possible to get by with natural ventilation, but ideally, a system of normal air exchange should also be calculated and installed for it.

When mounting frame structures, "wet" technologies are not used. This feature is a big plus, because. allows you to work at any time of the year

Tightness is one of the main advantages of a frame house, because. serves as a guarantee of good thermal insulation. But it also has a downside - a violation of air exchange. So that human waste products, dust and other factors do not worsen the microclimate in the building, do not reduce the amount of oxygen in the air, it is necessary to design a high-quality ventilation system

What to make from:

  • Wood. Despite all kinds of processing, wood is exposed to moisture, microorganisms. On average, such a frame serves up to 60 years and is inferior to metal counterparts in terms of strength, lightness, and resistance to destructive environmental factors.
  • Metal. For manufacturing, a light thermal profile is used. Its advantages are excellent fire resistance, low weight, corrosion resistance. Metal parts are not subject to attack by fungi and mold. All this can increase the service life of structures up to 100 years.

What is cheaper to build? When drawing up an estimate, a clear advantage will be behind a wooden frame. However, if we "look into the future" and take into account the higher performance properties of the thermal profile, then its service life fully pays for the costs.

The foundation can be chosen tiled, columnar or tape, depending on the type of soil. You can save on an easy-to-install roof - gable or attic. The choice is up to the builder.

Material on the construction of a veranda in a frame-type cottage may also be useful:

1 sq. m metal frame weighs 30-50 kg, with sheathing - about 200 kg. The small specific gravity of the finished house allows you to build on unstable soils. The profile is also used in the reconstruction of buildings with heavily worn load-bearing structures.

Option # 2 - brick building

Brick is one of the most popular. Houses made of it can hardly be called cheap. The walls have to be made thick, plus they require additional insulation, which leads to an even greater increase in the cost of structures. The weight of the finished structure is large, so the foundation needs to be really strong. It is done to the entire depth of soil freezing.

It's hard to save money on it. The disadvantages include long, laborious construction. However, the durability of structures, their fire safety and practicality largely offset the costs.

If you look at the prices for the construction of a solid building on the websites of specialized companies, you get the impression that the cost is low. However, even the price of turnkey construction does not include fine finishing: installation of flooring, interior doors, plumbing fixtures, etc.

If you do all this yourself, then only the cost of purchasing materials should be added to the cost. If you need to hire workers, then also pay them. Construction is profitable only if the owner of the site initially correctly selected the project and can perform most of the work on his own.

Video: about brick for buildings

Option # 3 - aerated concrete blocks

Aerated concrete block is a worthy competitor to traditional brick. Building a box is much more profitable than building it. The wall thickness can be reduced by 1/3 without loss of thermal insulation properties. The material itself is noticeably lighter, which allows savings due to the foundation. An additional "bonus" for the owner of the house is good sound insulation.

A dwelling made of aerated concrete blocks "breathes", air exchange is not disturbed in it, because. through pores. However, for the same reason, blocks are considered not the best option in terms of waterproofing. If construction is carried out in violation of technology, the finished structure can also be blown through. You need to pay attention to the finish.

As for the construction time, an aerated concrete structure can be erected 2-3 times faster than a brick one, it practically does not shrink. To connect the blocks, special adhesives are used. In this case, it is undesirable to use a conventional cement mortar, because. it gives thick seams, which can cause the formation of "cold bridges".

One of the disadvantages of aerated concrete blocks is the relatively low frost resistance, so you have to take care of a quality finish. As materials, you can use plaster, siding, stone

Option # 4 - economical timber buildings

For the developer, timber is more profitable than anything else. If we compare timber and brick walls in terms of heat-saving properties, it turns out that a structure made of spruce with a thickness of 220 mm and brick with a thickness of 600 mm will be equally warm. Usually, a 200 mm beam is taken for construction, a 100 mm thick insulation is used and a plaster layer of 20 mm is applied.

The advantages of the beam:

  • profitability;
  • fast construction (built in a few weeks);
  • simple technology;
  • environmental Safety;
  • excellent thermal insulation;
  • comfortable microclimate;
  • lightness of construction.

If you choose what is cheaper to build a house from, then timber is a win-win option. It is profitable, and the technology is simple, and almost any owner of the site can master it, if he already has the skills of the construction business.

When building houses from a bar, you need to carefully design heating and power supply systems. Buildings are considered fire hazardous. Also, the tree is afraid of moisture, therefore, it requires protection from dampness and fungus.

Compare prices per square meter

How and from what it is cheapest to build can be seen in the figures of the estimates. If the calculations are based on average indicators (the depth of soil freezing is 1.5 m, groundwater is 2.5 m, sandy loamy soil), then we can determine the cost of building 1 square meter. Depending on the components, the numbers will be as follows:

  • frame construction - 875 rubles;
  • brick - 2330 rubles;
  • aerated concrete - 2000 rubles;
  • timber - 1900 rubles.

Review of popular materials - video

Obviously, a frame house will cost the developer the cheapest. When finally deciding on the choice, you need to take into account all the features of the project, the soil, the site itself. The calculations do not include payment for the services of the construction team. Hired labor is an additional (and considerable!) item of expenditure.

When a person thinks about his own housing, the thought comes to mind: what is better to build a house from - brick, blocks, timber.

The materials from which the house will be built must be strong, durable, and not have a negative impact on health.

There are many materials on the construction market today. Choosing the best option is not easy.

You need to start by analyzing the properties of each of them, you can choose the material for which the price and quality will be optimal.

Before starting construction, you can view a magazine, a catalog of construction companies with options for buildings.

The house in which it is planned to live permanently must be resistant to atmospheric precipitation, be noise and heat insulated and be a “fortress” for many years.

Brick, blocks of ceramics, foam concrete, aerated concrete, logs and timber have similar properties.

How much and what material will be needed for construction can be suggested by a magazine with recommendations from a specialized company.

Characteristics and properties of bricks

The building materials magazine is of the opinion that brick is durable, strong.

If you start construction in accordance with all the rules, then it will stand for 100 years, and its residents will enjoy comfort and warmth.

The most common building material - brick, has many properties:

  • Completely natural;
  • During construction work, there is no need to use additional additives - "baking powder";
  • The brick is not combustible, in case of ignition and fire, the brick box will remain intact. Based on it, it will be possible to rebuild a new house;
  • Brick is highly durable. The walls from it will be able to withstand heavy shutters, an attic;
  • Over time, several more floors can be installed on a one-story brick house, additional rooms can be completed;
  • The laying is not subject to shrinkage, rotting;
  • In the rooms of the house there is always a comfortable temperature - in the cold season, the walls will keep warm, and in the heat they will protect from heat.

When building a brick house, it is worth considering not only the properties of this material. It is important to pay attention to the quality of the cement composition, the nature of the masonry, insulation.

The magazine will be able to tell about the properties and varieties of materials. A set of indicators of all components will affect the quality factor of the house.

Using brick to build a house has disadvantages. The construction of the building will take a long time, since during the construction work the time of year, weather conditions play an important role.

In summer, the solution will dry out quickly, and in winter it may freeze. If it rains, the construction will have to be postponed until it is stopped.

A construction magazine notes that it is important to pay attention to masonry. Bricks must be laid evenly. Otherwise, the house will not be strong.

For this reason, it is worth entrusting the construction of housing for permanent residence to professionals, and this will cost the owner of the house a lot of money.

You can make the use of this type of building material cheaper - use it as a cladding. Brick will decorate the walls of the building, protect from adverse natural influences.

After all, it is necessary to dilute the cement mortar, lay down the bricks necessary for construction, collect the waste that inevitably forms during the construction of the house.

If the site already has a broken garden, beds, this will complicate the work.

Features of foam blocks

When choosing materials for the construction of housing, ease of construction, environmentally friendly properties, thermal insulation, and sound insulation are taken into account.

Foamed blocks have such qualities, so the magazine, catalogs of construction companies often suggest choosing this particular material.

Blocks have advantages due to which they have conquered the market:

  • Environmentally friendly - natural materials are used in its manufacture. The proportion of plasticizers, dyes is so small that it will not harm health;
  • It is able to pass air, so a favorable climatic situation will always remain in the house;
  • Lightweight, which affects the speed of housing construction. In addition, there is no need to build a powerful foundation;
  • It has high rates of noise and heat insulation. No need to spend a lot of money on the purchase of insulating materials, on additional wall insulation;
  • Able to withstand high temperatures;
  • Its price is lower than other materials. Building a house will cost less than, for example, brick, timber.

Wall decoration from foam blocks is allowed to be carried out from any materials. The construction magazine offers options for decorating walls with plaster, decorative panels, and wallpaper.

A feature of the foamed blocks is its fragility. When transporting blocks to the construction site, they can be damaged, so you should pay increased attention to the quality of transportation.

After their laying, the blocks shrink. Its percentage is affected by the temperature difference during construction. To minimize it, you need to use high-quality reinforcement during construction.

After installing the box of foam blocks, you should not immediately start finishing. It's all about the chemical reactions that will take place between carbon dioxide and cement.

Otherwise, cracks will form, which serve as cold bridges. As a result, the room will not be kept warm.

Wood is an eco-friendly material for building a house

A house for permanent residence, built of timber, is distinguished by its beauty and solidity.

Wood has many characteristics due to which it is most often chosen as a building material:

  • high rates of thermal insulation;
  • eco-friendly material - will not harm health;
  • high heat resistance, thermal conductivity of the timber;
  • long service life.

Wooden beam is cylindrical and glued. The magazine of specialized companies will talk about the properties of each type. Masonry from a cylindrical beam will shrink over time.

As a result, the geometric shapes will change slightly, and thermal insulation material will need to be added to the joints and seams.

Glued laminated timber is resistant to deformation.

It's all about its production: several layers of timber are placed under the press so that their radial rings of life are directed oppositely, with the help of glue they are fastened together very firmly.

With its environmentally friendly properties, it is not inferior to cylindrical logs. Chemical antiseptics, varnishes today are replaced by impregnations based on natural ingredients.

It can be beeswax, gum turpentine, propolis, patchwork wax. The last component is produced by domestic companies and is a high quality product.

Impregnations protect the surface of the timber from decay, prevent the effects of insects, and increase the level of fire resistance.

From a bar you can build one-story cottages and houses for permanent residence in several floors.

A variety of profile types of wood will allow you to create houses of various geometric shapes.

Options for buildings are catalogs, a magazine of construction companies. The building on the site will look modern.

For a wooden house, it is not necessary to build a massive foundation; you can start by making it shallow. The walls also do not need additional external processing.

The main advantage of wooden houses is the possibility of their construction at any time of the year.

Features of frame construction

Before you build a frame house, it’s worth starting with the formation of a frame. It can be metal or wood.

More durable - metal frames, but it takes a lot of time to build them. Wooden structures are assembled cheaper and faster.

The thickness of the wood blank depends on the material of the insulation and its thickness.

For exterior cladding, one of the options is used: cement-bonded particle board, moisture-resistant plywood, oriented strand board. Mineral wool or foam plastic is suitable as a heater.

One-story cottages are built very quickly. After the foundation has gained the necessary strength, you can assemble the dwelling.

There is no need to wait weeks or months to complete the finishing work. The frame structure does not shrink, so the construction of such a house will not take much time.

Frame houses have their "advantages":

  • Ease of construction - you can do without the help of builders. Using the instructions and recommendations, the frame house will stand on the site after a short time;
  • The elements of the frame house are lightweight, so you do not need to use special devices, technical means;
  • Due to the fact that the construction of such a house does not need to involve workers from construction companies, special equipment, the construction of housing will cost several times cheaper than using other materials;
  • Frame houses are highly stable. They will endure not only subsidence of the foundation, but also an earthquake;
  • They can be built at any time of the year. Frost, heat do not affect the quality of the finished structure;
  • High heat and noise insulation. In summer, the frame house will be cool, and warm in winter. In the cold season, you can save on additional space heating. Layers of insulation will prevent the penetration of sounds from the street.

Such houses are suitable for permanent residence, but you need to be ready to change the insulation of the building every 30-35 years.

A new way of building houses - monolithic construction

In modern construction, the construction of houses in a monolithic way is not yet common. The basis of the technology of this method is the pouring of concrete foundations and walls.

The structures are strong enough, have uniform properties.

The main advantage of monolithic houses is strength and durability.

The aesthetic component is very high. The magazine of construction companies that are engaged in the construction of such houses offers a lot of options for decorating a home with a variety of materials.

The house will be distinguished by individuality and fully meet the tastes and needs of the owner.

Monolithic buildings have disadvantages. When erecting them, the use of special equipment is required, the formation of complex formwork, when installing floors, it is necessary to create supports, stairs.

Criteria for choosing material for building a house

To build a house, you can stop at any material option.

Each of them requires certain skills and technologies. The magazine will offer the shape, number of storeys, construction of a house made of blocks, bricks, timber.

It is important to answer the question: “what is better to build a house from” before the start of design and construction work.

In doing so, you need to pay attention to the following points:

  • the price of materials, the ability to purchase them in a particular region;
  • how thermal insulation characteristics correspond to the climate;
  • the level of fire safety, environmental friendliness;
  • how many floors will the house have.

With the right analysis, the thickness and depth of the foundation, the load on it, what building material needs to be purchased and in what quantity will be correctly calculated.

Particular attention should be paid to material opportunities, personal preferences of the owner.

Only in the analysis of a complex of characteristics can one find out from what materials it is still better to build a house - from blocks, bricks, timber, frame.

Traditional brick or warm ceramics, aerated concrete or wood concrete, timber or frame technology - what material is better to build a house from? Any novice developer, choosing a building material, is faced with conflicting information. Making the best decision is not an easy task. We will try to narrow the scope of the search by selecting the most practical and cost-effective options.

What to consider when choosing a material

The importance of choosing building materials for external walls can hardly be overestimated. To understand what kind of house to build, experts recommend deciding on the following points:

  • type of housing - short-term visits or permanent residence;
  • requirements for the strength and environmental friendliness of the wall material;
  • estimated date of settlement;
  • heating method;
  • construction budget and labor intensity of the process;
  • availability of building materials in the region;
  • whether the possibility of further sale of the house is allowed.

There is no universal answer to the question of what material is best for building a private house. It all depends on the project, climate, characteristics of the region of residence and personal preferences of the owner of the site.

Basic requirements for technological properties of materials:

  • good thermal protection - heating a house with cold walls will be very expensive;
  • fire safety;
  • durability;
  • soundproofing qualities.

An important selection factor is the final strength of structural elements. The walls must withstand the weight of the roof, floors, wind and snow loads.

Comparison of materials for building a house: a qualitative assessment

To understand in what situation one or another solution would be preferable, we compare the technical and operational qualities of modern materials for the construction of a private house.

Brick - reliability and high cost

Despite the development of innovative technologies, brick houses hold the leading position. The main arguments in favor of traditional material:

  • excellent sound insulation performance;
  • fire and environmental safety;
  • prestige, aesthetics and wide architectural possibilities;
  • ensuring a healthy microclimate in the room.

Brick is the most durable material for building a house. The service life of the building reaches up to 100 years.

If everything is so good, then why experiment and develop new technologies? Brick also has disadvantages:

  • the need to equip a solid foundation due to the severity of the brick walls;
  • high cost and duration of construction;
  • high labor intensity and seasonality of construction works.

ceramic brick has a fairly high thermal conductivity. To achieve effective thermal insulation, it is necessary to resort to additional insulation.

The last flaw is deprived ceramic block- porous ceramics. Due to the smallest air pores, the material retains heat well. An additional plus is the increased dimensions and the accelerated masonry process. The disadvantage of warm ceramics is fragility. When chasing a wall, you can split the block.

Characteristics of foam and aerated concrete blocks

One of the options for how to build a warm and economical house is the use of gas and foam concrete. The thermal insulation characteristics of a wall in one layer correspond to the properties of multi-layer brickwork. The thermal efficiency of blocks is three times higher than that of bricks.

Both materials have similar characteristics, their main difference is in the internal structure. Gas blocks are made from a homogeneous sand-cement mixture. When a blowing agent is added, small through channels are formed inside the block.

In foam blocks, on the contrary, closed pores form inside the material. This technology gives foam blocks some advantages over gas blocks:

  • improved energy efficiency properties;
  • reduced weight;
  • resistance to moisture.

Weighty arguments in favor of both building materials: relative availability, fire and bioresistance, lightness, ease of processing.

Disadvantages of block technology:

  • the fragility of the walls;
  • the need for external decoration;
  • presence of chemical elements.

Pros and cons of a wooden house

Adherents of natural materials prefer wood, focusing on the following advantages:

  • environmental friendliness - the walls do not emit toxic substances hazardous to health and the environment;
  • attractiveness - wooden buildings have a special charm;
  • low thermal conductivity of wood;
  • creating an optimal microclimate inside the house - wooden walls "breathe" and take on excess moisture;
  • strength - breaking through a wall of logs or timber is not easy;
  • the possibility of arranging a simple base - suitable.

A relative plus is the cost of construction. In general, the construction of wooden housing will cost less than a brick house due to the lack of the need to finish the walls and strengthen the foundation.

However, wood cannot be called the cheapest material for building a house. The price largely depends on the region. It is more profitable for residents near forest plantations to use a tree, for the rest, the expediency of building is doubtful. Main arguments against tree:

  • wall shrinkage duration - about 3 years;
  • fire hazard - refractory liquids partially help reduce the flammability of the material, but do not completely solve the problem;
  • the likelihood of cracks;
  • the need for regular protective treatment of wooden walls from decay and insect attacks.

Many wood critics speak negatively about the thermal efficiency of houses. The presence of cracks negates the thermal conductivity of the tree. The building needs sealing and additional insulation.

Features of the use of wood concrete

The second name of arbolite - wood concrete. The material is made from cement binder and organic fillers - woodworking waste. Such a symbiosis awarded wood concrete blocks with a number of technical advantages:

  • low thermal conductivity (up to 0.18 W / m) and good sound suppression properties;
  • bending strength - wood concrete does not crack;
  • the material is difficult to ignite and slightly combustible, the formation of smoke is low;
  • ease of processing - plates can be sawn;
  • breathability, resistance to decay;
  • light weight - the ratio of the weight of wood concrete and brick is 1: 3, the requirements for the foundation are reduced.

When considering what to choose - wood concrete or other material, one must take into account the climate of the region. The key to the durability of wood concrete is to ensure dryness. The basement of the house needs additional waterproofing.

Under conditions of constant humidity, the arbolite block is able to absorb 40-80% of moisture from the outside, which reduces its thermal insulation properties.

Additional disadvantages of wood concrete: imperfect geometry of the block and the high cost of high-quality material. Due to the ease of manufacture, the market is flooded with privately made products, the quality of which does not always meet the standards.

Monolith and concrete blocks

Concrete is considered stronger and more durable than brick. There are two technologies for building a house:

  • one-piece construction made of monolithic concrete;
  • prefabricated structure from factory reinforced concrete panels.

cast concrete. A rather complicated technology: the frame of the house is erected from reinforcement and gradually poured with liquid concrete. As the mortar dries, the formwork is removed and moved to another area of ​​the pour.

Advantages of monolithic technology:

  • reliability - the strength of the building is due to the absence of seams, a cast house is the best option for seismically active areas;
  • durability - service life of more than 150 years;
  • fire resistance - the walls of the house are not destroyed in a fire;
  • variability of forms - by building formwork, you can give the structure any configuration.

Disadvantages of monolithic buildings: high cost, the need to strengthen the foundation, the difficulty of creating high formwork, demanding on the quality of concrete.

Prefabricated panels. This is an option for those who are looking for a way to like a home. Finished reinforced concrete panels are brought to the site and a structure is formed from them.

The main advantages of the method: construction speed, ideal geometry, affordable cost, fire safety.

In private housing construction, the method is not particularly popular for a number of reasons: slabs are produced in standard sizes - the choice of projects is limited, concrete walls need to be insulated.

Frame technology - cost-effectiveness and speed of construction

For many Europeans and Americans, the question of what material is better to build a house from is not so relevant. Most prefer frame technology.

The base of the building wooden frame, which is subsequently sheathed with heat-insulating plates. The method has a number of significant advantages:

  • speed of construction and the ability to perform work all year round - there are no "wet" processes;
  • ease of construction - you can build a small house yourself without the involvement of special equipment;
  • ease of construction - the frame does not require a powerful foundation;
  • ease of laying communications - water pipes, ventilation ducts and electrical cables can be laid in the cavity of walls, ceilings;
  • good thermal insulation - subject to the construction norm and the use of high-quality energy-intensive components.

With a standard wall thickness of 30 cm, the frame retains heat, like a brick house with a wall thickness of 50 cm.

An important, and sometimes decisive factor in favor of frame technology is the low construction budget. Prefabricated houses are the most affordable and very economical to operate in winter due to effective thermal insulation of the walls.

Frame houses are demanding on the quality of wood for the construction of the supporting structure. Compared to brick buildings, they have a lower level of sound insulation.

When is the best time to build a frame house? The popularity of carcasses among compatriots is increasing. Previously, the prejudiced attitude has changed - many have seen from personal experience the practicality and heat capacity of housing. Such houses are versatile and cost-effective, their construction is justified in different climatic regions.

Alternative building materials for a private house

In some regions, in addition to the technologies described above, non-standard solutions are used:

  1. Adobe. Building material is popular in Central Asia. Saman is made from a mixture of scrap and clay. The material keeps cool in summer and keeps warm in winter, but is not very durable and is afraid of water. Cob houses are suitable only for dry climates; in conditions of prolonged rainy autumn and harsh winters, the material cannot be used.
  2. Natural a rock. The choice of lovers of antique style and everything natural. Building a stone house is expensive. Such a structure will stand for more than a century.
  3. cinder block. A compressed block of filler - slag and binder - cement. Cinder block is a cheap alternative to brick, building material is popular in the construction of outbuildings and country houses. The environmental safety of pressed blocks is doubtful, therefore they are not recommended for the construction of residential buildings.

What kind of house to build: profitability scale

If we compare the cost of building houses from different materials and compare the upcoming maintenance costs, then the rating will look like this:

  • 1 place. Frame house. The estimated cost of construction is $180. e./sq. m, the cost of heating and maintenance of the house is minimal.
  • 2nd place. Wooden beam without insulation. The approximate price of the building is 200 USD. e./sq. m, but the heat costs are more than doubled, which means that the heating bills increase.
  • 3 place. Aerated concrete with insulation. The cost of building a house is 320 USD. e./sq. m. Heating costs compared to a frame house increase by a quarter.
  • 4th place. Brick, double brickwork. The asking price is around $400. e./sq. m. The operation of the house in the winter will cost three times more than the maintenance of the frame.

Potential developers often doubt whether it is worth building a frame house or whether it is better to resort to traditional technologies. Many years of foreign experience, profitability indicators and positive feedback from compatriots speak in favor of frame buildings. In many respects, they are ahead of brick, wooden and concrete houses.

Video: comparison of wall materials

Having no financial opportunities to attract professional builders, you can, armed with special literature and patience, build a house on your own. In practice, this requires effort, but allows you to save up to half the cost of construction.

Many independent builders offer others to get acquainted with their projects and provide detailed reports, accompanying the process of building a house with detailed photographs.

Features of the layout of the house

Through the efforts of two men, a cheap house for permanent residence was built with an attached garage. Initially, the garage was not provided for in the project and was added after the completion of the house.



In general, the project, as the discussion progressed, changed on the advice of other builders and the requests of the wife. Initially, the layout of the house included 6 rooms on two floors.



During construction, it was decided to equip two bathrooms, while on the ground floor the toilet and bath should be separate. The area of ​​the living room and the location of the stairs have also changed. Relative to the initial project, the living room was too narrow and elongated. The stairs were also planned to be uncomfortable and steep. After the changes, these shortcomings are eliminated.



The cost of building a house with your own hands

In May 2010, the father of a small family planned to cheaply build a house with his own hands in the amount of 300 thousand rubles. This amount included the cost not only for materials, but also for connecting gas and electricity. The following expenses were incurred according to the budget:

  1. Concrete - 20 700.
  2. Edged and unedged timber - 70,000.
  3. Styrofoam - 31 200.
  4. Plywood - 8023.
  5. Metal profile - 16 200.
  6. Siding - 22 052.
  7. Used windows - 4000.
  8. Nails, screws, etc. — 15,000.
  9. Delivery of material and excavator services - 5200.
  10. Septic tank - 10000.
  11. Plumbing, radiators - 35 660.
  12. GKL and finishing costs - 21280.
  13. Design and installation of a gas pipeline, connection fee - 37,000.
  14. Gas equipment (stove, boiler) - 29,000.
  15. Electricity connection with materials - 3000.
  16. Water connection - 2000.

According to the builder himself, a certain number of items on the little things are missing in the estimate. However, this also requires additional costs. It should also be noted that some of the windows were received from friends and did not require financial costs. In total, 327,315 rubles were spent on building a house without trifles. This amount does not include the attached garage. He was attached later on a separate estimate. In addition, the construction of the garage required an amount of about 34,000 rubles. Taking into account unspecified expenses, the house cost no more than 400 thousand rubles.

Installation of a shallow strip foundation

A pre-planned foundation is 35 cm wide and 25 cm above the ground and 20 cm below the ground. A cutting section of 2.5x100 mm was chosen as a reinforcing element. The reinforcement of the tape was planned in 2 layers, top and bottom, with three connected die-cut sheets in each.

On the advice of experienced builders, vertical elements were added, and the number of sheets to be connected was increased to 5 pieces. Additionally, the height of the foundation above the ground increased and amounted to 45 cm.

notch reinforcement - you can’t do that!

After pouring the foundation into concrete, 20 anchor bolts were installed for mounting the lower trim.



Construction of the first floor

Before the installation of the walls of the first floor, a platform was installed and insulated and pipes for sewerage were laid. The bottom of the platform is left open, the insulation is fixed due to the fixed trimmings of the boards. As a platform insulation, 3 layers of foam plastic, 15 cm thick, were used. The draft floor is made of a board 150x50 mm.



The walls were mounted in a horizontal position. Styrofoam was laid between the posts and protection with 8 mm plywood, windows were also installed. The windows in the project were used second-hand. The installation of the assembled wall in a vertical position was carried out by two men. In the construction of the walls, it was decided to abandon the installation of jibs. The builder assumed that the rigidity of the frame would be sufficient due to the plywood sheathing.




After assembling the walls of the first floor, the installation of internal partitions was carried out. Styrofoam was also used as a heater.




The principle of assembling the second floor

After the installation of the piping, a temporary floor was partially laid from unedged boards and the horizontal assembly of the walls and their vertical installation were carried out. Second floor windows were also used.




To increase sound insulation in the interfloor ceiling, non-woven cloth was laid on the floor logs under the boards. This allows you to partially dampen the vibration from steps.



Installation of rafters and roofs

At the end of the assembly of the walls of the attic floor, a truss system was installed. The overhangs of the rafters were not lengthened. An inch board was used as a crate. The roof was covered with a profiled sheet 4 m long.




Exterior finish of the building

Siding was used for the exterior of the building. It was mounted with a ventilation gap of 25 mm. Also at the stage of exterior decoration, an extension of the vestibule was completed. The foundation for the vestibule was not mounted, the structure was installed on pieces of concrete laid on the ground and sidewalk curbs.



Features of the stairs and its installation

The location of the stairs in the project caused a lot of controversy. Initially, its location suggested excessive emphasis on the attic ceiling. After changing the location and design of the stairs, it was made without a platform with a slight turn.

The staircase is made of boards 50x150 mm, the width of the step is 30 cm. Under the upper span, a place was left for equipping a toilet there. According to personal feelings, the staircase turned out to be comfortable and compact.




Interior decoration of the house

Before the start of finishing the premises, the insulation of the interfloor ceiling and the flooring of the second floor were completed. Felt is nailed between the joists and floor boards to increase the level of sound insulation. After that, a rough finish of the interior of both floors of a cheap house was completed.

The rough finish included three items:

  1. Installation of fiberboard as a windscreen.
  2. GVL installation.
  3. Putty joints and chips GVL.

In the fine finish, staining with a water-based emulsion was mainly used. Living room, kitchen and bedrooms are painted in different colors. The floor in the rooms is covered with linoleum, the ceilings are finished with expanded polystyrene tiles.



Many people dream of building their own house for permanent residence inexpensively, but most are repelled by the high cost of building materials and work. However, costs can be significantly reduced by using new technologies, streamlining the project, and doing at least some of the processes yourself. In addition, self-built housing will fully meet the needs of the owner, will serve as a source of special pride, and for many years will be able to please with comfort and a cozy atmosphere.

What should not be an inexpensive house

When planning the construction of your own housing, you must not only understand the goals and objectives, see the prospects and advantages, but also be aware that excessive savings can lead to significant disadvantages and inconvenience. Much has been written about what a modern home should be like. We want to warn you about what your own home should not be:

Too compact. The desire to reduce the size of housing, of course, allows you to save on building materials, but the size of the house must fully meet the needs and size of your family.

uncomfortable. Space optimization and the desire to equip an energy-efficient home should not interfere with the normal lifestyle of your household.

Poor quality. When choosing materials for future construction, it is better not to look towards ultra-modern pretentious solutions. As a rule, their low price directly indicates poor quality. It is better to opt for traditional, time-tested building materials, which, moreover, will require less effort and cost during the installation process.

It should be understood that the construction of inexpensive own housing involves a lot of compromises and a rather difficult choice between the criteria of price, quality, appearance, complexity, etc.

What can you save on

Starting work, it is important to understand that an inexpensive house can be built only if you save not only on equipment and materials, but also by making decisions to reduce the cost of construction at all its stages.

In the process of design. When choosing a ready-made project for your own home, or doing planning on your own, you should take into account the points that will save money due to optimal planning and design features. For example, it is relatively inexpensive to build a house using frame construction technology.

How to build a house inexpensively

On the cost of facing materials and finishing works. An inexpensive solution for interior decoration is plastering or wall cladding with drywall, laying laminate, using simple ceramic tiles in the kitchen and bathroom.

On the delivery of materials. Of course, it is easier to entrust the care of materials for construction to the contractor, however, if you take this responsibility on yourself, you can save even more. A third party, for insurance purposes, will purchase materials from well-known manufacturers. You can buy everything you need, focusing not on the brand, but on the quality that suits you personally. As a rule, among the products of unknown companies there are many worthy options with a much lower price. To avoid mistakes, you can collect information about the manufacturer on the network or ask around familiar developers. However, do not be fooled, remember - only quality products will allow you to build a good house, and it cannot be too cheap. When looking for inexpensive building materials, do not forget about seasonal discounts. In the cold season, sales of products fall, and many sellers reduce their prices. Take advantage of this and stock up on everything you need before starting work on a suburban area.

On the cost of work performed. Hiring instead of a professional team from a well-known construction company "shabashnikov" from the province, you can reduce the cost of construction by 2-3 times. Of course, by concluding a contract with a firm, you will have legal guarantees, and a team of provincial builders may not even have tax status. However, if you have the ability to constantly monitor the progress of work, then the second option will save a lot of money. Before concluding a contract with a team of builders, be sure to talk to developers who have dealt with them before. Before the team starts work, sign a written document with its leader indicating the stages of construction and the timing of their implementation. Do not be too lazy to prescribe in the terms of the contract the cost of work, the rights and obligations of each party, penalties for non-compliance with certain articles of the document. If in the process of performing work you are not satisfied with the quality or other points, change the team to another without regret. The only thing left to advise - do not look for the cheapest builders. Remember that a self-respecting master will never work for nothing, and mediocre and irresponsible inexpensive "specialists" will force you to go through unforeseen expenses.

As you can see, there are many ways to build a house inexpensively, saving even at the preparation stage, without even starting construction. It is only important not to overdo it in an effort to save the budget and in any matter to find that very “golden mean”.

What you should not save on when building a house

Despite the greatest desire to save resources during the construction process, there are a number of significant points that should not be saved.

Technical Supervision

If you are not a professional in the field of construction, then no materials read and conversations on specialized forums about how to quickly build a house can replace special education and many years of experience in this field. You can save on anything, but not on attracting a specialist who will carry out technical supervision over the construction process.

You should be aware that the construction of a residential building is an extremely complex undertaking that requires an understanding of the mass of nuances and subtleties. No textbook or reference book can replace the specific knowledge and skills acquired over the years.

By hiring an experienced qualified builder or technical supervision engineer, you get a lot of advantages at all stages.

When designing and selecting materials for future construction.

As a rule, specialists who rotate in construction circles are well aware of which team will quickly and inexpensively cope with the specifics of your home, so they can advise a good contractor.

When drawing up contractual documentation with the contractor, all the necessary conditions will be guaranteed to be written in the documents.

Experienced builders are well versed in the prices of building materials and prices for certain works, so you can not worry about inflated figures in the estimate documentation.

The works will be controlled for compliance with the project documentation and SNiP.

The purchase of the required amount of building materials and its expenditure will be under the full control of your representative.

A disinterested person in the form of a technical supervision engineer will be able to competently assess the quality of work performed, control deadlines and check reporting documentation.

Choosing a person responsible for technical supervision can save you from a lot of difficulties associated with construction and communication with the contractor.

Project documentation

A good project is the key to successful construction only if the design features of the building are consistent with the conditions of your construction site.

It is best to buy a complete package of design documentation, after specifying for which region it was created. It is important to clarify the features of the climate, average annual temperatures, resistance to snow and wind loads.

House quickly and inexpensively. A photo

Be sure to tie the purchased project to local conditions. To do this, you will need to check and adjust the calculation of the foundation in accordance with the type of soil and its features. Often this procedure allows you to optimize costs, since the contractor benefits from an increase in the cost of construction. If an increased margin of safety from the foundation is not required, then a significant amount can be saved.

Adapting the project to your own needs - changing the size of the interior, the location of door and window openings, floor and roof elements, as well as the choice of other materials, is also best left to certified engineers.

And the last thing - never entrust the development of project documentation and construction to one office. You can achieve the truth in this or that issue only when the opinions and interests of the designers and the contractor do not depend on each other. By creating healthy competition between them, you can optimize costs and find the most optimal solutions.

Engineering systems and communications

Your home's connections to the outside world need to be the most reliable and up-to-date. Remember - having saved now, you are doomed to additional expenses during operation. Properly equipped gas and electricity supply systems, plumbing, ventilation and sewerage, heating and lighting systems should not only provide the required degree of comfort, but also be safe to use.

Don't forego any communication advantage. Provide your home with convenient access roads, lay cables for television and the Internet. All this will give you invaluable convenience and comfort in the future.

What should be the project of an inexpensive house

You should not stare at large houses with many transitions and a multi-level roof. As a rule, such projects are created by professional architects, for whom the cost of construction does not matter, their goal is to sell a beautiful picture. In your quest to build cheaply and with high quality, it is better to pay attention to projects that have the following features:

  • simple rectangular layout with a gable type roof - the most optimal design in terms of the consumption of building materials;
  • one floor, which will allow you to do without expensive ceilings and stairs;
  • low-basement construction on a shallow foundation with floors arranged on logs laid on the ground;
  • lack of pretentious decorative elements in the form of arches, passages, balconies, turrets and columns;
  • absence basement, the cost of which is often up to 30% of the total costs;
  • simple and uncomplicated layout interior spaces;
  • small number openings under windows and doors;
  • inexpensive finishing internal and external surfaces of walls;
  • simple cement-lime plaster as a finish facade.

By taking maximum time to select the most economical solutions at the design stage, you can save energy and money during construction.

Proper layout of an inexpensive house

You can build an inexpensive house with your own hands and achieve a return on every square meter of area if you follow a few simple rules during the planning process:

All intra-house space should be divided into residential and economic areas. In turn, the living space is divided into day and evening zones. Each of them includes rooms for adult family members, their children, as well as rooms for guests. The daily zone includes a vestibule, a veranda, an entrance hall, a living room, a dining room and a toilet. The living space of the night zone - baths and bathrooms, bedrooms and dressing rooms.

You can build a house inexpensively by minimizing the number and area of ​​passages, halls and corridors.

The kitchen adjoining the dining or living room will allow optimize business zone space.

Married couples and single adults living in the home must have separate rooms. Moreover, if more than one generation of relatives lives in the house, then it is better to separate each family with a personal space with its own bathroom, and if possible, make a separate entrance.

The house is best equipped with two doors - one front door, and the other - for access to the economic territory of the yard.

Equipping the stairs, make sure that it is illuminated by natural light.

The project of an inexpensive house should include extension living space for the future, for growing family members.

When planning to install a fireplace, take care of the possibility of arranging a chimney in the chosen place.

The correct orientation of the house on the sides of the horizon and the wind rose will reduce the cost of heating.

You can reduce the cost of construction by designing a simple gable roof instead of a multi-element sloping roof.

Optimize the length of engineering networks and communications by placing the kitchen next to the bathroom and boiler room.

A built-in garage will cost less than a detached building and will provide you with invaluable convenience in bad weather and winter.

Instead of a basement, it is better to provide pantry, while placing part of the utility rooms in the attic.

Don't forget sound and heat insulation. The house should be comfortable and energy efficient.

When arranging a heating system, choose the most technologically advanced solutions - they will help save money and will not lose their relevance for a long time.

Separate the front door vestibule, which will prevent cold air from entering the house from the street.

Installing balcony, use independent supports for it. By ridding the house of a foundation joint with a balcony, you will remove an additional conductor of cold.

The optimal combination of floor area and glazing is 1:8. Exceeding this value will increase the cost of space heating.

Plant vigorous trees on the sunny side. Their shade will reduce your air cooling costs by 50% in the summer heat.

We recommend that you use only environmentally friendly products in the construction of your home. The health of all members of your family depends on this, so do not be too lazy to find out about the origin of building materials and the availability of quality certificates and other documents confirming the safety of their use.

What material to build a house from

The main criteria on which they rely when choosing a material for walls and roofs are strength and thermal insulation. According to SNiP 02/23/2003, before starting construction, they calculate the cost of 1 sq. m for walls of various structural and elemental designs. After that, the heating costs are determined when using each structure and the period during which the construction will pay off is calculated.

Thus, you can find out which of the outer shells will be the most inexpensive and rational, in other words, from which it will be cheaper to build a reliable and durable house. Of course, information can be obtained from third-party sources, such as the World Wide Web, but this information will be quite approximate. The thing is that in different regions not only climatic conditions differ very much, but also the price of building materials, as well as the type and cost of the fuel used.

It is possible that in order to select the best building material for your area, the results of similar calculations for previous projects will have to be consulted with local designers.

As a rule, money invested in energy-saving materials pays off most quickly in areas with expensive energy carriers and severe weather conditions. In this case, you can inexpensively build a house from foam blocks or bricks using this wall shell design:

  • Internal brick masonry or wall from aerated concrete or gas silicate blocks with a density of more than 1200 kg / cu. m thickness from 180 to 250 mm. When using blocks of cellular concrete of half the density, the thickness of the masonry must be increased to 250-380 mm.
  • Layer thermal insulation 100 - 300 mm.
  • Plaster thickness from 3 to 7 mm.

Widely used in construction frame constructions, the share of insulation in the internal structure of which occupies the first place. If we talk about payback, then you can not think about more profitable construction. Currently, it is possible to build a frame house relatively inexpensively, 25 - 30% cheaper than the cost of block or brick buildings of the same size.

The structure of the frame wall is a real multilayer sandwich, which consists of the following elements:

  • wooden racks frame, between which slabs of basalt or mineral wool with a thickness of 100 to 200 mm and a density of 45 kg / m3 are laid.
  • Inside sheathing with sheets OSB, gypsum boards and other materials for interior decoration.
  • Outside finishing with foam, polystyrene or facade slabs thickness from 40 to 100 mm and density from 125 kg/cu. m.
  • Top cladding thin layer plaster.

The advantages of frame construction contribute to their widespread use in more temperate climates. In this case, external wall insulation can be omitted, since one layer of thermal insulation will be enough.

The design of the wall of an inexpensive house for the southern regions can be as follows:

  • Wall material - aerated silicate or aerated concrete with a density of 300 to 500 kg / cubic meter, hollow blocks of porous ceramics. Masonry with a thickness of 380 to 510 mm, using glue or heat-insulating mortar.
  • Exterior finish - putty up to 3 mm thick.

If in winter your climate can be called mild, then single-layer walls made of porous materials (aerated concrete, gas silicate, porous ceramics, large-pore expanded clay concrete, foam concrete) will help to reduce the cost of construction. A masonry thickness of no more than 510 mm will suffice, while additional thermal insulation can be omitted.

As for houses made of natural wood, the term “quickly and inexpensively” is no longer applied to them, since at present wooden structures cannot withstand any competition with modern technologies.

In addition, with year-round living, they require the installation of additional thermal insulation, which negates their advantages in the form of environmental friendliness and breathability. Of course, for a country or seasonal house, this option should not be rejected, however, as the main housing, it is better to look for cheaper and more rational solutions.

As you can see, there are many ways to build a house with high quality and inexpensively. Maybe it's still worth getting up off the couch, rolling up your sleeves and taking the first step towards your dream?

How to build a house inexpensively. Video

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