Feedback from residents of frame houses: the pros and cons of frame construction. Wooden frame houses: advantages and disadvantages that can be avoided

Advantages frame houses

Frame houses can become great solution if you dream of durable, warm, modern and beautiful house at a moderate price. If you want to minimize construction costs, then design country house it is extremely profitable to carry out, based on frame technologies, which at one time gained popularity all over the world. The frame-based house is one of the most economical, fastest and simple technologies construction. Architectural design of a private house based on a frame is the embodiment of any of your wishes regarding the appearance of the house and interior layout rooms.

The main advantages of building frame houses:

• The durability and strength of frame-wooden cottages is no less, and in some cases even superior to structures made of timber, brick and concrete. Such country houses a reasonable combination has been achieved between thermal insulation, vapor barrier and air permeability of walls, which has a positive effect on human health.

• AT wooden cottages frame structure, as in houses made of timber, logs and bricks, you can install stoves or fireplaces, hang additional units on the walls.

• The operating costs and especially the heating costs of these houses are several times lower compared to brick and concrete buildings, which is very significant in the face of constantly rising energy prices. Residential areas do not require the laying of expensive heating networks, because. apply autonomous systems heating using gas, electricity and other fuels. Heat losses associated with its transportation are completely eliminated. Sewerage and water supply systems, during the construction of cottages, can also be autonomous.

• The finished structure provides seismic resistance of houses up to 9 points. Estimated service life of wooden frame cottages is 75 years old. You can live comfortably in houses even in the most extreme conditions. natural conditions. The construction of cottages and other buildings is actively carried out in all regions, from the tropics to the arctic latitudes. standard height ceilings in our cottages 2 m 65 cm in "cleanliness" (any increase is possible at the request of the Customer). The technology is unique in that it allows you to build a house within a few weeks, houses are durable and at the same time lighter than brick and concrete.

• Houses of this type are assembled as a kit-constructor by a team of 4-7 people within 1-1.5 months. Construction technology allows you to remove engineering systems inside the walls. In wooden cottages of frame construction, the surface of walls, floors, ceilings is ideal due to the use of calibrated wood in the construction of the house. The wall-to-floor and wall-to-ceiling joints are ideal. The uniformity of the standard sizes of the load-bearing elements of the frame house allows you to choose any type of finish, both outside and inside. The same house, built for different customers, may look completely different. Everything depends only on the possibilities and wishes of the Client. The facade of a country house has the possibility of a variety of cladding options from brick and siding to a block house and hinged panels which allows you to give the house any appearance. Such wooden frame houses environmentally friendly, combining the proven quality of natural materials with the advantage of using scientific developments in construction.

• The term of work from the preparation of a preliminary design to the construction of a house for final finishing is 2-3 months (cottages up to 300 m2).

The key factors in favor of timber frame technology are:

• Comparative low cost houses “for interior finishing”, which allows minimizing financial investments while high quality compared to houses built using traditional technologies;

• Quick assembly of the frame kit wooden house;

• Ability to lead installation work during the whole year;

• The light weight of the elements of the house can significantly speed up and reduce the cost of the foundation process, as well as avoid the use of heavy lifting equipment, which allows you to save the existing landscape on the site;

• Environmental friendliness of the materials used;

• High heat-saving properties of walls, corresponding to brickwork from silicate brick 1.9 meters;

• This technology allows you to implement projects of houses of any complexity, the number of storeys of which does not exceed three floors;

• No shrinkage and high-quality processing wood allows you to avoid drying out of the material and start interior finishing immediately after assembling the Frame House Kit, the smooth surfaces of the components make the interior and exterior finishes of the house high-quality and even;

• Ability to perform complex constructive solutions at minimal cost;

• High characteristics of fire resistance of the house structure can significantly increase the fire safety of frame-wooden buildings;

• The technology of frame-wooden housing construction makes it possible to remove all communications inside the walls;

• The ability to carry out an extension without violating the comfort of living and without serious costs.

In the coming years, frame-wooden cottages will become the most common in low-rise suburban construction. They have passed thousands of tests in different countries, the results of which convincingly proved that this is the most effective building system for housing in the world.

Every time when it comes to frame houses, opinions are divided. Some argue that the advantages of frame houses are so great that they will soon replace houses made of blocks or bricks. Others believe that frame houses cannot be called full-fledged residential buildings, and they are only suitable for summer cottages.

What fans of light and budget buildings say

The popularity of frame houses is growing, and the number of those who have opted for such buildings is growing. What do fans say about frame housing?

1. Everyone can afford. Have frame house if desired, everyone can, since its price is an order of magnitude lower than houses made of other materials. average price per m2 of a house is from 500 to 800 dollars, which is almost two times less than when using bricks or blocks.
2. Huge selection of companies. Since the developers immediately figured out what the future is today for inexpensive houses, a huge number of firms involved in the construction of skeletons appeared. Thanks to healthy competition, you can choose the company that will satisfy your needs.
3. You can count on discounts and promotions. As construction continues all year round, but in winter there are traditionally fewer orders, firms offer very profitable promotions and offers that allow future owners to save up to 10%.
4. Year-round installation. Frame houses can be built both in the warm season and in winter. It's about houses screw piles, since for such buildings it is not necessary to use cement and liquid solutions that freeze and lose quality during freezing.
5. Speed ​​of construction. From the moment of ordering a house to the opportunity to move into it takes only a couple of months. If the house is small, for example, for summer living, then experienced workers will put it in 5-7 weeks.
6. Huge variety design solutions. Wood, which is the basis of a frame house, is a material from which almost any design form can be created. The tree is light, and even an abundance of balconies will not make the building heavier. And the price will be much lower.
7. Manual assembly. If you do not want to spend 12,000 rubles for assembling a m2 of a frame house (and now about the same prices), you can start building with your own hands.
8. A light building does not require an expensive foundation and can be erected on any type of soil.
9. The small total mass of the building allows you to repair any part of the house. Even when repairing the foundation light frame the house can be raised without violating its integrity, and all necessary work has been carried out.
10. Low chance of shrinkage. A frame house weighs no more than a couple of tons, which is very little to build. Therefore, wall deformation rarely occurs.

The Importance of Adhering to Technology

Any construction requires compliance. Frame houses made from natural wood, not an exception. You can extend. That is why everything should be observed and installation, as well as pre-training materials. What does preparation for construction include?

Frame house - from frame to finish

1. Soil research. Since frame houses are light, most often they do not need deep monolithic foundation. However, there are exceptions to every rule, so be sure that an easy one is suitable for your home. columnar foundation you can only after a comprehensive assessment of the composition of the soil. Building even a light frame on wet clay soils requires a more solid foundation.
2. Processing timber and boards. Wood should be covered with bioprotection, and preferably in two or three layers.
3. Processing of metal elements. The contact of metal and wood leads to rust and destruction of wood, so all metal parts, including corners, screws, must be lubricated.
4. Between the cement and other parts of the house, for example, a wooden strapping, a layer of waterproofing should lie.

Do not forget also about the quality of building materials, especially the quality of timber, insulation and vapor barrier from which they will be made. The durability of your home depends on these three materials. Do not purchase Chinese asbestos materials, especially chipboard, fiberboard, mineral wool and OSB boards where there is formaldehyde.

How is the construction

Before starting construction, you must acquire or project. Decide on the size of the house, the number of rooms, think over the bathrooms and go to the engineers. With a plan in hand, building a house is much easier. Decide if it will

Typical Finnish house

Do not forget that in some countries frame houses are so common that the state builds them to solve the housing problems of the population. Therefore, subject to technology, frame houses can become full replacement expensive block buildings. The extra will extend the service life wooden building. On the basis of frame technologies, even garages and are built.

As the name implies, a frame house is a structure based on a frame. The frame is made of thick wooden beam or metal. The material for the construction of walls is usually SIP panels or boards.

Projects of frame-type houses are sets of documents that contain full information about the future building. They consist of two sections: architectural and constructive. The first shows the appearance of the building from different angles. The second contains building plans, diagrams, drawings, specifications, estimates, installation instructions. Moreover, this applies not only building structures, the main communications (electrical, plumbing, ventilation) are also taken into account.

Sectional structure of a frame house

Advantages and disadvantages of frame houses

In terms of reliability and strength, frame houses are not inferior to buildings made of other materials. Them Main advantages:

low cost and short time construction.

The strength of the connection of building elements to each other. Due to this, the building is less susceptible to damage as a result of shrinkage on problematic soils. Errors in construction and damage do not cause serious consequences.

complex technological processes not required for finishing Finishing work can be produced all year round.

The design is lightweight, which makes it possible to do without a powerful foundation.

Good thermal insulation of the walls allows you to quickly warm up the premises and save on heating.

The design of the walls allows you to hide all communications.

architectural possibilities limited only by your imagination, you can create almost any configuration.

Modern frame houses are often built in modern or high-tech styles.

But the "skeletons" also have certain weak sides . But "forewarned is forearmed" - for every flaw there is successful example problem solving:

Short service life. GOST states that the service life of frame houses is 75 years. But, if repairs are made every 25 years and the structure is carefully treated, it will last more than a century.

Low environmental friendliness. Not all materials used in construction are made from natural ingredients. For example, SIP panels are made using synthetic adhesives; expanded polystyrene is used as a heater inside them. This point is quite controversial, find now in full eco house Not sure it's going to happen. In the end, it all depends on the quality of the materials used, and hence on the conscientiousness of the construction company.

Low sound insulation. This should be remembered if construction is planned near railway lines, highways or airports. The problem is solved simply - it is necessary to select a suitable soundproofing material before the start of construction.

susceptibility to decay. At high humidity the tree begins to collapse, mold and fungus appear. Timely treatment with antiseptics completely solves this problem.

The initial processing of materials is carried out at the production stage

fire hazard. Any structure made of wood contributes to the spread of fire. Specialists come to the rescue fire-fighting compositions for wood surfaces.

Types of frame construction

Before you buy a frame house project, you need to figure out what types of frame houses are. There are 4 main types, all other varieties are a combination of elements from different modifications in the same building. The following types of buildings are used:

On our website you can get acquainted with the most construction companies presented at the exhibition of houses "Low-rise Country".

Frame houses from a frame with ceilings

Such buildings are also called Canadian houses» It is believed that when they were developed in Russia, Canadian building codes were taken as a basis.

The main difference is that they consist of several layers. Each layer is a floor fixed on its platform base. The basis (strapping) of the first floor is usually called the basement floor. The name is conditional, the building may be without a basement. The strapping is mounted immediately on the foundation and acts as a support for the floor bars connected by lags. Thus, a shield is obtained that looks like a pallet for transporting and storing goods.

Vertical bars are the main load-bearing structures. At the bottom they are attached to horizontal beams, at the top they are connected by the same beams, creating the basis for the second floor.

Frame houses with continuous racks

Such buildings are also called Finnish. It is not known whether they were invented in Finland or not, but it is there and on the territory of the countries adjacent to it that they are widespread.

They differ from other types in that their main bearing element is solid vertical buildings passing through two floors (hence the name - continuous). Ceilings between floors are mounted on support boards cut into the main posts at the level of the second floor. The boards are not only a support, they pull the racks together, thereby increasing the overall strength of the structure.

When building continuous racks, it is necessary Special attention pay attention to their correct installation. If even a slight deviation to the side on the first floor is allowed, the construction of the second floor will be very difficult, or impossible at all.

Vertical racks are the basis for the whole house

On our website you can find contacts of construction companies that offer. You can directly communicate with representatives by visiting the exhibition of houses "Low-Rise Country".

Houses of post-and-beam type

This type of buildings is common in Germany, they are also called half-timbered. In appearance, they are easy to distinguish from others - all external pillars, transverse and inclined beams walls are visible from the outside. The service life is longer than other houses. There are architectural monuments, whose age is 5-6 centuries.

In these structures, only thick-section bars are used. They make not only vertical racks, but horizontal ceilings and diagonal supports. This is the main difference; in other structures, boards of a smaller section are used for floors and logs.

The construction of such houses is more time consuming due to the fact that the details of the structures are attached using mortise joints. But, there are projects of small frame houses in which the beams are bolted.

Frame and rack structures

Unlike the above buildings, the vertical racks of such structures not only support walls and ceilings. Additionally, they are used as piles. They are hammered into the ground or placed on concrete supports. This makes it possible to raise the structure above ground level. This feature will be useful when building buildings in wetlands or in flood zones. Another advantage is good ventilation of the lower part of the house. Boards remain dry, which prevents the formation of mold and mildew.

In houses of this type the load from the roof and cross beams is evenly distributed on the vertical posts. Doors, windows or insulated panels are mounted in the space between them. If necessary additional gain diagonal supports are installed.

The entire frame of the house rests on powerful racks

What is included in the basic package of the project

Houses with a size of 6x8 m are considered to be a standard building. Different suppliers offer both standard projects and individual ones, taking into account the wishes of the customer. But, despite all the differences in architecture and design, there is the concept of a basic configuration. It includes:

floors- logs, ceilings, vapor barrier film, floorboards (rough and finish).

Walls – load-bearing beam, panels for walls, insulation, materials for fine finish, decorative elements.

Interfloor ceilings - floor logs for the floor of the second floor, vapor barrier film, floorboards (rough and finish).

Windows and doors with architraves and slopes.

Roof- rafters, crate, roofing material(usually metal tile), insulation, wind-moisture protective film, finishing materials.

Note! The foundation is usually not included in the basic designs of houses using frame technology. This is due to the fact that it is possible to select the required type of foundation only after examining the construction site. In some cases, geological surveys may be required. This is especially true for problematic soils ( increased content moisture, thick layer of humus, alumina).

Competently conducted geological surveys are the key to a high-quality foundation at the lowest possible price.

If it is planned to build a house higher than one floor, it is better to entrust such work to specialists, incorrect choice can bring serious disappointments in the future.

Stages of assembling a frame house

The construction technology resembles the classic construction of a wooden house, but there are differences. The sequence is as follows:

Foundation construction and waterproofing.

Tying the house (installation of the crown crown).

Frame preparation and assembly.

Floor covering.

Installation of wall structures.

Installation of interfloor ceilings.

Roofing material flooring.

Installation of windows and doors.

Insulation and exterior finish.

The most critical stages are the foundation and installation of supporting structures. Why is the foundation important? Particular attention is paid to the accuracy of assembly and installation of the frame, because it serves as the basis for the entire structure. Any distortion or deviation from the level in the future will create difficulties when installing other elements.

Visually watch a step-by-step demonstration of the construction of a frame house in the following video:

Is it possible to make changes to already finished projects

Very often, customers are not satisfied with typical projects, and they want to make certain changes to them. All organizations that develop projects can do this. The only question is whether they will do it for free.

It happens that changes to the future owner of the house seem insignificant, and they can be carried out by pressing two or three keys, then the program will do everything. In practice, it may turn out that in order to implement the plan, it is necessary to make a new project.

For example, the designer will agree to recalculate the material for insulation or change the purpose of the premises for free. Add a porch or porch from another project, remove a door or window - in most cases, but not always. If you need to change the size of the house - hardly. To do this, you will need to recalculate the dimensions of all load-bearing structures, floors, foundations, and facades. True, such cases are quite rare, any catalog of frame house projects allows everyone to choose either standard project, or with small changes to adapt it to yourself.

In the following video, see what a full-fledged frame house project is:

How to choose the right house design for permanent residence

Buildings for permanent residence suggest the possibility of their operation at any time of the year, both in the heat in summer and in the cold in winter. When designing a future home, you need to pay special attention to this. If there is no need to live in a building with low temperatures, you can save on thermal insulation. In order for the summer heat not to interfere with a comfortable stay in the house, a small layer of this material is enough. If it is supposed to be a permanent stay of people, it is necessary to provide such a thickness that heat is retained even at the lowest temperatures. For the central strip of Russia, the thickness of the insulation is recommended to be at least 150 mm, 200 mm is considered optimal.

Conclusion

Properly made (in compliance with all technology requirements) frame structures cannot be called the cheapest. Before building a house using frame technology, projects and prices for materials can be viewed in the supplier's catalog and assess your financial capabilities. But, their undeniable advantages are a variety of options for execution and construction technologies. This gives everyone the opportunity to choose the best option for themselves.

Personally, I read many articles about the pros and cons of skeletons, and came to the conclusion that in the aggregate they hardly shed light on these - objectively important - questions. Why?

• The same properties of frame houses can be presented both as advantages and disadvantages. Example: low heat inertia at home.
• Sometimes in different materials there are contradictory statements. For example, about the fact that frame houses are "breathing" houses, and vice versa - that they are "clogged" with vapor barrier, and the walls inside "flow".
• They often write about platitudes that are written down as “dignities”, they say, frame houses are warm and durable. But after all, any house can - and should! - be warm and durable, otherwise it is a bad house.

In addition, there are enough misconceptions about skeletons. Many "cons" are frank myths, or are insignificant. Many shortcomings can be avoided if you correctly design a house and choose the right materials. By the way, this is important! Technologies frame housing construction quite a lot, and there are many materials that can be freely combined. Therefore, one frame is different for another.

Thus, the following distribution of the properties of frame houses according to the "pluses" and "minuses" is rather arbitrary.

Disadvantages of frame houses

There are not many of them, and most of them are insignificant.

Poor soundproofing
External sound insulation of frame houses is comparable to panel high-rise buildings. The standard thickness of external walls with 15 cm of insulation, which is both soundproof material enough to absorb most outside noise, but loud sounds from the street penetrate. External sound insulation can be improved by making an outer crate, thus breaking the contour of the frame. It also improves the thermal insulation of the walls, because it reduces the amount of "".

Soundproofing inside the house - between rooms and floors - is worse: internal walls thinner (a layer of insulation between them, usually no more than 10 cm). Also serve as a conductor of noise ceilings. The problem is solved by strengthening the internal sound insulation.

It should be borne in mind that primarily low-frequency sounds are transmitted through walls and ceilings - stomping, knocking when something heavy falls, music with strong bass frequencies. Therefore, when thinking over the layout, it is worth deciding in advance where to arrange, for example, a children's room, and the room of a music lover son can be additionally soundproofed.

Low mechanical strength walls, vandal resistance
In comparison with any houses, the walls of the skeletons are indeed less durable. Neither a fist nor a foot can break through such a wall, but if the house is on the side of the road, then a car that has lost control can do it. (Although it happened when cars punched and brick walls.) To protect yourself from such force majeure, you can put a solid fence.

If nothing is going to drive past your house, then this disadvantage is not significant for you. Fears that your house will be robbed by breaking a hole in the wall are groundless. Robbers - no matter what kind of house - open the locks, cut off door hinges, climb into the windows. It's easier than sawing a wall.

The complexity of the construction technology
In fact, it is believed that frame houses are easy to build: two or three people without heavy equipment can cope with this in four months. Ease of construction refers to the advantages of frame houses. But there is also a downside.

Firstly, lightweight materials are still used in construction, so the rigidity and strength of the structure depends only on the correct engineering calculation of the distribution of loads and the accuracy of following the project during construction. The cost of mistakes is rising.

Secondly, frame technology complicated in itself. The walls of houses consist of many elements, they are called "sandwiches" for a reason. In such a "sandwich", not counting the outer and interior decoration walls, may include: outer skin, frame, insulation, inner lining. The distribution of these layers is the technological complexity. For example, if the sides of the vapor barrier film are incorrectly oriented, the result will be disastrous. How to lay wind protection - on top of the slabs outer skin, or immediately on the insulation, - and whether it is worth laying it at all - are separate questions. The conclusion is this: the more elements and nuances, the easier it is to screw up.

The solution - as always, is one - to do everything wisely: turn to professionals, or be a professional yourself and study the topic.

"Breathing" or not "breathing"? Vapor barrier problems

I devoted a separate article to this topic, because a fat minus may appear here.

In short, the situation is this: most frame house projects involve the use of vapor barrier. What is it for? In any house, moisture vapor accumulates as a result of human activity. They penetrate the walls of the frame and condense in the insulation due to the difference in temperatures outside and inside the house. Condensation can even freeze in the walls. A wet or icy insulation loses its thermal insulation properties.

To prevent moisture from penetrating into the insulation, it is covered with a vapor barrier membrane. But here another catch awaits: where to go to the moisture from the house? If there is no steam removal, then the house is stuffy, the walls are leaking. Drops on the walls (and sometimes in the walls on the vapor barrier itself) - this is the most bad case. But tightly clogged walls - even without extremes in the form of a drop - this is a significant minus.

On the other hand, if you constantly ventilate the house by opening the windows wide, a lot of heat is lost. As a result, increased energy consumption for heating.

Solutions to the problem exist, for example:

• device forced ventilation with minimal heat loss with help (this is done in Europe and the USA);
• refusal to use vapor protection (the easiest way: use ready-made SIP panels with as a heater between the two);
• apply vapor barrier, but very, very wisely - which means, at a minimum, to make a ventilated facade.

Personally, I like the option to abandon the vapor barrier. Why? Because the simpler, the better. OSB boards themselves have low vapor and wind permeability. Why else some windproof (see paragraph above) and vapor barrier films? If you choose the right materials and arrange them in a “sandwich” in such a way that their vapor permeability increases from layer to layer from the inside to the outside, then the steam will freely escape through the walls and even a slight condensate in the walls will not become a problem. However, there are many nuances, read more in a separate article.

Houses from ready-made SIP panels are assembled without the use of vapor barrier, wind protection. Quick and accessible video on this topic:

Conclusion: a frame house does not necessarily threaten wet walls and can even be "breathable" like a log house.

Mythical disadvantages of frame houses and some advantages

fire hazard
A frame house is no more fire hazardous than any other:

1. The fire usually occurs inside the house, and people die from poisoning carbon monoxide and not from the flame. Inside the walls, for no reason, nothing will light up. First it will burn out interior furnishings, furniture, etc., before the fire thoroughly takes hold of the walls - as in a brick house, for example. And if you don't leave the house by that time, you'll get carbon monoxide poisoning.
2. Modern materials that make up the walls of a frame house have a fire hazard class NG (non-combustible) and G1 (low combustible), that is, the frame will not burn out with a match.
3. In the event of a fire, a brick or foam concrete house will burn out, and you will still have to pay a round sum for the demolition of an unusable stone frame. If the carcass burns down, then there is nothing to demolish, you can clear the site for new construction on your own. This, of course, is little consolation, but let's be realistic - fires happen, and with such a sad force majeure, the money saved on the demolition of the burnt frame will be very useful.

Point 3, by the way, can be attributed to the advantages of skeletons!

fragility
There are frame houses that are over a hundred years old. On the secondary housing market in the United States, carcasses are successfully sold, which are 40-50 years old. In addition, any house every 40-50 years requires overhaul. If you do it, then the frame will last a long time.

Here's the advantage:

It is much easier to repair frame houses than stone ones. This logically follows from the ease of erection of skeletons. You don't have to hammer stone walls and then close them up, you just need to remove the siding and sheathing panels and do what you want - change the insulation, wiring, whatever. When repairing the foundation, a light frame house can be supported with a jack!

Low heat capacity, heat inertia
I wrote above that this property is ambivalent - it can be understood as both a plus and a minus. Let's think.

Heat capacity is the measurable amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a given mass of something by some amount. That is - how much heat the wall will take to warm up a couple of degrees. It will give off the same amount of heat during cooling.

Thermal inertia is the quantitative ability to accumulate and release heat. It is the greater, the higher the heat capacity of the house. Why is it needed and what is useful in it?

If a house with high thermal inertia is well heated, then it will give off heat when it gets cold as a heat accumulator. That is, it is possible to heat the house not constantly, but periodically, and if the heating system fails, then the heat-inertial house will remain warm for some time.

But a heat-inertial house will by no means help save energy! Because, there is more heat than you "pumped" into it, you will not get it back. Moreover, massive heat-inertial walls (especially stone ones with high thermal conductivity) also heat the street. And only - the street, in case the house is heated constantly.

Use external walls at home as a heat accumulator is generally undesirable for this very reason. A heat accumulator (for example, a Russian stove in a hut) must be located inside the house and not have contact with the external environment. In a frame house, you can install a fireplace, or make it insulated from external environment concrete floor, screed - as a heat accumulator.
But keep in mind that the high thermal inertia of the house also means that it takes more energy and time to warm it up, because until you warm up the massive walls, the air in the house will remain cold. If you do not live in the house permanently, or turn off the heating during absences, a high heat inertia will be just a minus, and a low one will be a plus. In the case of continuous heating, the thermal inertia does not matter.

However, the fact is that the heating mode in a frame house, due to its low thermal inertia, can be more flexible - and therefore economical - while maintaining comfortable conditions residence. This is a definite advantage!

The environmental friendliness of the materials of frame houses is doubtful
The environmental friendliness of everything is doubtful. For example - bricks made of clay with an increased radiation background. You just need to choose good, proven materials and beware of fakes. As in everything.

Light skeletons will be blown away by a hurricane or earthquake
In the case of hurricanes, documentary footage from the United States is usually cited as an example. But we do not have such hurricanes! In addition, being in stone buildings during a hurricane is also life-threatening: the roof is torn off from them, and a vacuum forms in the “well” of the walls, a person suffocates if he is not thrown out along with the furniture.

As for earthquakes, the situation is just the opposite. Here's an advantage!

Frame houses are more earthquake-resistant than stone ones, because their materials and fastening structural elements more flexible. Here, for example, is a video of testing a multi-storey frame house by an earthquake of 7.5 points:

Advantages of frame housing construction:

• Low cost and labor intensity of building a house, short construction cycle. You can build on your own, without the use of heavy construction equipment. Two or three people can build a house in four months.
• Allows for variety architectural solutions, interior and exterior finishes. Any type of roof is possible: even tiled, despite the lightness of the frame structure.
• Construction is possible on a light foundation - pile-grillage, columnar, or tape. So, you can build on any soil and difficult terrain.
• Frame-panel houses, regardless of the season of construction, do not shrink (deformation of structural elements as a result of natural changes in the moisture content of materials): built - and live!
• Ease of redevelopment, modernization, capital and cosmetic repair work. The frame can even be disassembled, folded, transported and erected in a new place.
• Energy-efficient, "breathable", eco-house - can be built using frame technology.

Summarizing all of the above, I note that wooden frame houses can be as modern, "fancy" and comfortable for living, as far as enough money and / or engineering talent and architectural imagination. Practically, any possible disadvantages are eliminated. And if they built with the mind, then they will not exist at all. Which, in principle, is true for any home.

Construction technologies are developing rapidly and offer more and more interesting solutions for people who want to build their own house. Frame houses are beginning to enjoy great popularity. Especially for people who want to save as much as possible. Money and resources in this difficult process.

Before talking about the advantages and disadvantages of a frame house, let's look at the technological structure of this structure. So the main load-bearing structure is a frame, which is most often made of wooden planks. This material is environmentally friendly and easy to process.

On the strip foundation fit bottom trim from a bar measuring 150 * 150 mm, the value of which depends on the load it receives (the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe house, the number of floors). For uprights boards 150 * 50 mm are used, which are installed end to end on a beam and fastened with galvanized metal corner. Optimal Width between the racks is approximately 60 cm. It also depends on the chosen insulation, which is foam boards or stone wool. Next is performed top harness from the same beam as for the bottom. The entire structure is sheathed with OSB sheets.

The roof is made up of truss system and roofs. The choice of roof depends on the layout of the house and the appearance. It can be flat or with an inclination of one plane, gable, multi-slope. The most commonly used gable form of construction due to its simplicity and convenience. It installs quickly and is easy to maintain. Insulation is also laid between the rafters, a crate is made and covered with ondulin, slate, tiles and other roofing materials.

From the side of the facade for wall decoration, materials such as brick, siding, lining, log house are used. That is, a frame house from the outside may look like a brick or log house. Here everything is limited only by your imagination. Now let's move on to the pros and cons. And the advantages are much greater than the disadvantages.

Advantages of frame houses

This section will discuss the advantages of frame houses over other types of structures. The comparison is made with houses made of bricks, blocks and log houses. So the benefits:

1. The speed of construction. A frame house can be built in a few months. Especially if there are several people in the team. This is a significant advantage over brick house, the construction of which can be delayed for several seasons.
2. Low cost. The budget for construction directly depends on the area and complexity of the design of the future home. If we take, for example, the usual cottage with gable roof, then it will belong to the economy class. The cost will be comparable to buying an apartment or even slightly lower. But if planned multi-storey building with complex architecture and expensive finishing materials, then you will have to shell out more money, since it will belong to the premium class. But in general, the cost of building a frame house will be significantly lower than that of brick or aerated concrete blocks.
3. High level of sound insulation. There is an opinion that the walls of the frame give off a boom and do not absorb sound well. But if the fillers for the walls are selected correctly and technologically installed correctly, then the sound insulation will be at the highest level.
4. Low degree of thermal conductivity. If the construction of a frame house is planned in a region with a low temperature, then by increasing the thickness of the walls along with the insulation, small heat losses can be achieved. Such walls retain heat very well, which can significantly save on heating. And on hot days, the temperature inside the room is kept at a stable and comfortable level for a person.
5. Internal communications. Lay electrical wiring ventilation ducts, the pipeline is not difficult and special tools. You will need the bare minimum: a drill or a powerful screwdriver, a set of core drills for wood and fasteners.
6. Environmental Safety. Since the structure is made of wood, it is completely safe for humans and other inhabitants of the home. Internal materials(insulation, OSB boards) are a product of natural processing and also do not pose a threat to health.
7. Simplicity of interior decoration. There is no need for plastering and leveling the walls, as they are sheathed with sheets of drywall. It is only necessary to putty the joints between the sheets and the surface is ready for painting or wallpapering. This significantly reduces finishing time and saves money.
8. Lightweight foundation. The weight of the whole house allows it to be built on a foundation without deep foundation, as the load is very low compared to brick or block walls. This allows you to quickly cast the strip foundation and start assembling the walls.

Disadvantages of frame houses

Speaking about the disadvantages of a frame house, first of all I would like to note that most of them do not interfere at all comfortable life for a person. In addition, the main mythical drawback is the negative attitude towards them in Russia, since many people mistakenly believe that these houses are only suitable for seasonal living. Let's look at what are the disadvantages of such houses.

1. Increased fire hazard. There is an opinion that a frame house is more prone to fire than a brick house and reinforced concrete structures. But this is fundamentally not true. Special flame retardant impregnation wooden frame able to withstand fire. It is impossible to completely remove the ability to burn, but with the use of special means you can increase the degree of resistance to the effects of fire on the tree. Inside brick house there are also elements made of wood and other combustible materials, which classifies it as an object of increased fire hazard. So this cannot be considered a minus, since the frame house is on an equal footing with other types of structures. Moreover, it is much easier to eliminate the consequences of a fire in a frame house than to destroy and take out what is left of a brick house.
2. Low building life. Average term service frame house is 25-30 years. Which is quite a long time. But this does not mean that after this time the structure will collapse. It is enough to carry out an audit of the condition of the floor, walls and roof and replace the insulation that has become unusable.

When building a frame house, it is important to use special impregnations for wood, which will protect it from moisture, fungus and premature aging.