Dried timber: positive factors and necessary equipment. Cracks in logs of a log house Cracks in technically dried timber

DRY PROFILED BEAM. MYTH OR REALITY?

Question: - Why did you choose exactly such a foundation (material for walls, roofing, etc.)

Answer: - A neighbor (girlfriend) suggested (I read it on the forums

We were probably lucky that having been engaged in woodworking since 1998, we worked mainly for export. They worked quietly. They sold thousands of m3 of lumber, both raw and dry and planed…. The customer sent us an application formed on the basis of GOSTs, international standards, technical specifications... Our job was only to “tailor” the technology for this and fulfill the contracts. We were not interested in the opinion of all the Hans, Johns and other individuals who have their “own” opinion about what the material they buy should be. Strange, isn't it? After all, “The customer is always right” was not invented in Russia. We “dragged” THIS from there…. From behind the hill! And “it turned out as always” (c) V.I. Chernomyrdin.

In 2008, when our main exports failed, we were forced to switch to the domestic market. And this is where the fun began. Having started working with network structures, I realized that each wholesale buyer has his own view and opinion on the quality of products that he WOULD LIKE to receive. Nobody was interested in GOST standards. In the molding there appeared varieties “EXTRA”, “PRIMA”, which the civilized world had never heard of…. At the same time, they sold RAW lining, sheet pile, block house by the hundreds of cubes... And there are still such requests!

We started production of profiled timber...

That is, we reached the final Buyer. Drive added =)

Here it turned out that builders and their Customers are not at all interested in the requirements of GOSTs and SNIPs that define the requirements for structures and wood products.

Requirements for wood moisture content in products LINK

So, according to these rules and requirements, the use of wood with natural moisture is not allowed at all. Maximum humidity is 25% for elements “working” in contact with the external environment.

Having offered, on a par with profiled timber of natural moisture (the Buyer is always right), supplies of dry profiled timber, and understanding how manufacturers have its advantages, we were faced with the fact that there is no serious demand for dry timber!

Having tried to understand the “rules of the game,” I had to go to forums, reviews and other “authoritative” tools, where the potential Customer forms HIS opinion on dry profiled timber.

And then it started to feel uneasy...

Here are the “hits” found on the pages of one respected resource:

• - Really dry is 8-12%. But this does not exist in nature!
• - All that the Internet offers is the humidity of the stale timber is 16-25% or normal winter
• - Equilibrium humidity is different for different regions, as far as I have read. for MSC this is 16-18% on average. Does 18-20% already smell like the tropics?
• - I consider timber with a moisture content above 16% to be a material with natural moisture!

And this is said with authority, these people are listened to. Against their background, the timid attempts of manufacturers are recognized as “marketing ploys” and an attempt to “make money”…. And it is immediately proposed to use timber with natural humidity.

Let's try to figure out what is better, dry or damp profiled timber?

I would like to assert that the issue is not at all in the quality of this or that timber, but in the amount of cash or non-cash money that a person is willing to spend on the “home of his dreams.” Well, or maybe not dreams, but simply the desire to build a house.

Glued laminated timber is confusing due to its significant price, environmental aspects are also confusing, and based on the totality of qualities, the choice is behind profiled solid timber.

I can say that 90% of people who order timber from raw solid wood sleep and see a house made of laminated veneer lumber! Likewise, a person who dreams of a Japanese jeep buys a Chinese one... It’s just personal budget doesn't allow it. There is nothing reprehensible here... We just live in such a world. There are many temptations, but not enough money.

The remaining 10% falls on those who cannot reasonably explain why they want a wooden house. They just WANT to live in a wooden house! And this attitude evokes nothing but respect and understanding in me.

I insist that dry timber chamber drying exists.

Even in the 200x200 section. And even with a humidity of 18+/-2 percent throughout the thickness. I know manufacturers who are responsible for their work and are responsible for their words.

At the same time, I admit that there are offers on the market for “supposedly” dry timber. But this is the problem of the Consumer who does not know how to control humidity.

I tried to collect the main arguments against dry profiled timber.

HERE THEY ARE (THE LIST WILL BE COMPLETED):

• There is no dry kiln-dried timber.
• This is an unnecessary, unnecessary “stuff”, a “marketing ploy”
• Expensive.
• There is no point in drying it, it will get wet anyway.
• It will turn out and it will crack.

There is no dry kiln-dried timber.

I tried to comment on this thesis in the introductory part of this article. Additionally, I can say this. At one time we sent timber 150x200, 200x200 to Finland and saw with our own eyes that the Finns were drying it. And this happened at the beginning of the century. For them there was no question of whether it happens or not. They just did it. For non-lazy and meticulous people, there is simple advice - find technologists who worked in the Soviet Union and ask the question “Is it possible to dry the timber?” And you will hear a simple answer: “You just need to know how to dry.”

This is an unnecessary, unnecessary “stuff”, a “marketing ploy”.

Let me start with a quote:

Wood drying is the process of evaporating moisture contained in wood; one of the types of hydrothermal wood treatment(See Hydrothermal wood treatment).

The purpose of S.D. is to reduce the moisture content of wood to a level corresponding to the operating conditions of products made from it, which prevents changes in their size and shape, protects the wood from rotting, increases its strength, reduces the weight of products, increases the reliability of adhesive joints and the quality of finishing.(TSB) LINK

If you are not interested in the points in bold, and you are ready to reinvent the wheel, then for God’s sake. Nothing to say.

Expensive

Let's do the math.

Let the house you moved into cost you 1 million. rub. (this figure is taken for convenience and clarity of calculations). This is a house with a roof, windows, doors, floors, ceilings, some kind of communications.....

I claim that in terms of investment, the cost of the wall kit will not exceed 25% of the total amount. Let's assume that this is a profiled timber with natural humidity. You bought it for 7300 rubles. and spent 250,000 rubles. Having purchased dry profiled timber at a price of 11,000 rubles. You will spend 376,712 rubles. That is, the house will cost you 1,126,712 rubles. For 127,000 rubles. expensive.

For what - you ask?

• Plus the opportunity to start finishing a year earlier than in a house made of raw timber
• Plus, don’t look back at the stove when controlling the heating of your new home
• Plus savings on rent or renting someone else’s apartment if you are building a house for permanent residence
• Plus there are no problems with finger-thick cracks.

This is the most crazy quote that I re-read several times and couldn’t believe my eyes. It’s useless to prove anything here. It is enough to go to any timber trading base and measure the moisture content of any lumber that has been lying around for at least six months. Measure it and understand that the wood, which no one dried artificially, itself dried to a moisture content of 16-20%. With timber it is more difficult; it takes longer to dry. It turns out that the wood itself tends to the humidity prescribed in GOST standards. But no one is interested in this.

It will turn out and it will crack.

Here I agree. Yes, it can be twisted and it will crack. Another question is WHERE it will turn out and it will crack? In the case of raw profiled timber, this will already happen within the walls of your home. And you will not have a single chance to make claims against anyone except yourself. In the case of dry profiled timber, this will happen in production. Before the profiling process. Will be rejected. And you will receive a ready-made product that you can control both in terms of humidity and size. With confidence that in a week you will be able to start finishing. Since dry timber is much easier to assemble (ask the builders).

And I would like to say separately about the cracks on the front side.

1. They will be in both cases. But there is a difference between cracks and cracks. There are cracks in dry material that even a toothpick won’t fit into, and there are tearing cracks that are as thick as a finger or more. And here we should mention another quality indicator of timber. If you see the core at the end of the beam at a distance of more than 1 cm from the nearest edge of the beam, and if the annual rings at the end are not located symmetrically relative to vertical axis drawn through the middle of the beam, then rest assured that large cracks are guaranteed. Order those beams, mentioning the magical combination of letters and numbers 2 ex-L
2. In order to avoid cracks almost 100%, there are only 2 ways - laminated veneer lumber or cladding with simulator timber and block house.4. And the last thing... Damn, why is aged wood considered a special “squeak” in the West? Why do designers manage to make money by aging wood? But this is a matter of taste..... I agree. Conclusions: 1. Dry timber is not fiction.2. If your neighbor or someone on the forum was deceived, this does not mean that you will be deceived too. Be smarter. After all, not everyone signed up for MMM 2 times.3. “Don't shoot the pianist. He plays as best he can." With the departure of the USSR, QUALIFICATION was lost in woodworking and BLUFF blossomed in full bloom. A bluff designed to exploit your ignorance and limited budget. The majority of people do not want to STUDY the primary sources, but believe the interpreters of the primary sources. But this is in best case scenario. At worst, these interpreters consider themselves woodworking gurus. I will repeat the example “...I consider timber with a moisture content above 16% to be a material with natural humidity!...”
3. There are bona fide manufacturers on the market. They either retained KNOWLEDGE and EXPERIENCE, or acquired it anew. And you can’t treat such people without respect and put them on a par with the scoundrels selling “cured” timber!

Let's talk about one of the problems when building a wooden or frame house, about cracks in timber. Let's consider the causes of occurrence, methods of elimination and prevention.

There is no 100% recipe for preventing cracks in wood. One of the most suitable methods of protection is drying in natural conditions, in the bark, without contact with sun rays. Such drying can take years, it all depends on the material and thickness of the trunk.

There is also a technique for soaking wood in sea ​​water for 3 years (for oak), but it is used only in the manufacture of joinery and piece products, as it requires significant costs.

Causes of cracks in timber

Reason No. 1 - initially raw material

One of the reasons is the use of initially raw material, the use of raw material, profiled timber, logs or timber for the posts of a frame house. As a result, cracks in the timber appear immediately after the timber dries and excess moisture evaporates.

What to do if you bought raw material as racks for a frame house? Without a special drying chamber, you need to properly lay it out on the street. The distance from the ground is at least 30 cm, then we shift each beam or board so that air can pass freely between them. The boards should not sag in the middle or other places.

The most important thing is that the wood should be dried without the sun, i.e. in full shade. The timber should dry to 14% humidity. Only after this can our timber be treated, including with an antiseptic, and used in frame construction.

In a log house, cracks appear no matter how high quality the original material was. This does not mean that you can then take it cheaper and “rawer”, since besides cracks there are other reasons for which you should choose high-quality, dry wood.

Since one half of a beam or log wooden house is located outside, and the other part is inside the house, then moisture absorption and drying occur unevenly, depending on weather conditions.

Consequently - outer side more often cracks from stress, and these cracks cannot be avoided. And if in a few years you don't like it appearance his country house, You can do outer skin via counter lath As cladding, you can use imitation timber or imitation log - block house.

The second reason may be an incorrect load on the frame post. Although it is in frame house this is not so easy to do. After all, the house itself is quite light, the loads on the racks are distributed evenly and they are quite small, considering the number of racks.

But still, there are single columns (15x15 or 20x20 timber) that are installed inside a frame house to reduce the number of walls and partitions.

Poor installation of timber or frame house structures can add more cracks and other problems, such as gaps between logs or beams.

And if there are cracks, then there will be a loss of heat, blowing out. All parts of the house must be clearly adjusted to each other. In window and door designs gaps must be provided; do not forget that a wooden house is constantly in motion, especially in the first and second seasons.

Reason No. 3 - artificial heating of the house

Well, the last thing is artificial heating of the house. A log house must wait one year before being heated using all possible modern methods. Actually, both windows and doors in it also need to be installed only on next year after the house itself is built.

Intermittent heating has a detrimental effect on a wooden house.

Imagine: it’s humid outside, the wood has accumulated moisture inside and outside, a week later you arrive, turn on the heating everywhere and suddenly dry out the whole house.

On Sunday you left your property and turned off the heating. Again a change in temperature and humidity. Such intermittent heating cannot have a positive effect on a wooden house. It is advisable to maintain a certain temperature, including in winter.

How to repair cracks in logs

Now there are two main ways to repair cracks. The first method is to sell specialized joint sealant for wooden structures, including timber and logs. Also, such sealants can be matched to the color of your home, which will make it invisible. Everything is simple and clear here, let's go to hardware store, buy, close up.

If we are talking about frame construction, then we will check our frame posts for cracks. In addition to sealants, they sell putty for wood based on PVA, etc., and there is also putty with wood shades. It can only be used for finishing works, for example, sealing problem areas on the inside finishing. There is the best and easiest way to repair cracks in a frame post.

For this we need small sawdust, which we collected in advance in a container.

As well as PVA glue or impregnation, drying oil can be used. This glue is intended for gluing wood and paper. Mix it in a separate container with our sawdust, mix, and bring to a homogeneous mass.

After this, we fill the cracks in the timber with the resulting mass. In a few hours this mass will harden tightly. Good bonding and sealing. In the end it looks like this:

So far we have talked to you about small cracks in wooden structures Houses.

What to do if the crack in the frame post is very large?

There are two options here, and you need to choose according to the situation: whether the post is an important support or not, how big the crack is.

1. You can install a duplicate support, or replace the stand altogether, if possible;
2. You can use steel U-shaped brackets to fit the size of the beam. They will prevent its further cracking, and also carry out a procedure to seal the crack using PVA glue or a special sealant. Usage polyurethane foam unacceptable.

Introduction.

One of the significant phenomena of the last decade is the sharp increase in the number of wooden buildings built - houses, dachas, bathhouses.

People want to have a corner where they can take a break from the exhausting bustle of city life and recharge with positive energy.

Somewhere at the level of instinct and intuition, the understanding came that this corner should be built of wood and located outside the city.

But due to the fact that the vast majority of developers are city residents, analogies of urban construction are transferred to wooden houses: “The log house should be made of absolutely identical logs, which should have the color of freshly planed wood and shine with a varnish coating in the sun.”

This stereotype does not allow any aesthetic defects to appear on the walls, and when the slightest cracks appear, the owners begin to panic, followed by a set of expensive (and absolutely useless) measures to eliminate them.

As you know, demand creates supply. Therefore, a lot of companies and firms have appeared that offer “effective” methods of sealing cracks...

Is it necessary to deal with external cracks in the logs of the walls? Is this really as scary as the owners of “effective” technologies claim, and will these technologies solve the problem of cracking?
Why do giant cracks several centimeters wide appear in rounded logs and profiled beams, while in a log house made of solid logs the cracks are much smaller?

I will try to answer all these questions.

1. Reasons for the formation of cracks.

A wise science called “Wood Science” states that as wood dries, it decreases in size – it dries out.

For example, the reduction in size of a pine tree upon complete drying will be:
Along the fibers 0.1 – 0.3%,
Across the fibers 3 – 5%.

The shrinkage (change in size) of the internal and external layers is significantly different. For example, for pine, shrinkage inner layers can reach 2.91%, and external - 8.22%.

This is primarily due to different humidity and density of the outer and inner layers. For example, in pine, the density of wood increases in the direction from the core to the bark. The highest density of wood is achieved in layers located in the region of 2/3 of the radius. Further, when moving towards the outer layers, the density decreases.

A word to the classics:
Professor L.M. Perelygin: “When drying, the surface layers tend to reduce in size due to shrinkage, while in the inner layers, which still retain moisture, shrinkage does not occur. As a result, the surface layers are under the influence of tensile stresses, and the internal layers are subject to compressive stresses. If the magnitude of these stresses exceeds the tensile strength of wood across the fibers, tissue rupture occurs in the surface layers, i.e. a crack appears."

Thus, due to the fact that during natural drying the outer layers dry first, then the inner ones, When wood dries naturally, cracking is inevitable.

The only thing that can be achieved is to minimize the size of the cracks. How? Read on.

2. Reduced cracking.

1. Long-term natural drying.

In order to minimize the size of cracks, it is necessary to extend the natural drying process over time. Drying speed upper layers should be such that their humidity differs slightly from the humidity of the internal layers, that is, moisture from the internal layers has time to transfer to the external ones.

For this debarked logs stacked must be dried in the shade for at least two years, i.e. until the moisture content of the inner layers of wood is 18 - 20%.

This is how our ancestors dried logs for their buildings. The width of cracks in such logs is no more than 1–2 mm.

Now that you are armed with Knowledge, you can easily explain why cracks several centimeters wide appear in rounded logs and profiled beams.

When rounding and profiling with cutters, it is cut off upper layer tree. The result is a log with exposed wood fibers. And if it is not dried enough (which happens in most cases), then due to the exposed fibers, the rate of drying of the top layer increases many times over. And since the drying of the inner layers occurs much more slowly, giant cracks form on the surface of such a log.

But if a rounded log or profiled beam is made from dried logs, or dried after rounding, then the cracks on them will be much smaller.

That is,
increased cracking in rounded logs and profiled beams is the result of a deliberate violation of technology to speed up the process and reduce production costs.

2. Compensatory (deformation) cut.

In order to figure out who is right, when building your own bathhouse, as an experiment, in two lower crowns, after cutting out the longitudinal groove, I made the following cut. The depth of the cut is approximately 1/6 of the diameter of the log and it is located on the bottom side (in the middle of the longitudinal groove).

The truth turned out to be, as always, in the middle.

Therefore, regarding the compensation cut, I allow myself to draw the following conclusions:

A . In order for the compensation cut to effectively prevent external cracking, it must be made in logs that have been drying in a stack for at least a year.

B. In order for our artificial crack not to split the log, the depth of the compensation cut should be no more than 1/6 - 1/5 of the log diameter (and not 1/3 - 1/4, as some sources advise).

IN . Now the cut is made at the crest (top) of the log. I did it from below. This is what they did at the time when the log house was being cut.
There are serious concerns about the top cut. It turns out that the log is weakened in two places (bottom - longitudinal groove, on top - cut). And during drying, two cracks appear that move towards each other. Will it happen that the log will split?

In general, such cuts were not previously used in the construction of log houses, because if the log has been dried in a stack for at least two years, cracking on it is minimal.

Personally, I am wary of compensation cuts - it is unknown how the log will behave in 10 - 15 years.

3. Drying logs with high frequency currents.

If you have carefully read about the distribution of density inside wood, then you will agree with me that cracking can be avoided altogether if the log is dried “inside out”, that is, first dry the inner layers, and then the outer ones.

Such drying technology exists. It is patented and is increasingly used. Its essence is to heat the internal layers of the log with microwave radiation. Due to good permeability along the fibers, excess moisture comes out through the ends of the logs and the log dries very quickly, with the inner layers drying first, and then the outer ones.

The cost of timber dried in this way is about $500 per cubic meter.

However, a small question arises here.

We know that microwave radiation kills all living things, and the accelerated release of moisture changes the structure of wood cells. Therefore, it is still unknown how logs dried in this way will behave in operation. It is also unknown how they will affect the people living in such a room.

Time will show.

Half a year after writing this article, on Andrey Kuryshev’s website www.izba.su I came across information that when drying with microwave currents in coniferous trees the resin burns out (crystallizes). This causes a loss of the antiseptic properties of the resin, which can lead to a decrease in the wood’s resistance to decay, and therefore sharp decrease log service life.
It’s truly amazing, well, absolutely everything in working with wood that is adopted from the bourgeoisie and presented as super technology turns out to be complete crap! Although this shouldn’t be particularly surprising. After all, it was Russia that for many centuries was the trendsetter in wooden architecture. And if you want to build a long-term, environmentally friendly structure, then Russian traditions in wood processing are not only correct, but also the only possible ones.

3. Are cracks really that bad?

The harmfulness of cracks is clearly described by manufacturers and sellers different materials, used to seal these cracks.

Their arguments:

1. In winter, moisture that gets into the crack can freeze and tear the log.

2. A crack is a source of rotting.

3. Insects - pests - appear in the crack.

4. The crack worsens the thermal properties of the log house.

It is very easy to prove the inconsistency of these and similar arguments. It is enough to go to any nearby village and examine the cracks that dot the log houses there. You will not find any rot, no mold, no insect pests there. Moreover, any old-timer will tell you that he remembers every crack from childhood...

But, for the sake of completeness, I will answer each of the arguments.

1. Moisture on the walls is accidental and short-term. This moisture is partially absorbed into the wood, the rest quickly evaporates. In addition, even the outside walls are warm, so freezing to such an extent as to break the log does not occur.

2. In order for wood to become a source of rotting, its humidity must be more than 19-20%. Due to the fact that cracking occurs along the fibers, and the fibers themselves remain intact (closed), the absorption of moisture that gets into the crack occurs very slowly, the moisture that gets into the crack quickly evaporates and the moisture content of the wood does not rise to a critical value.

3. The vast majority of insect pests feed on raw wood, wood rotting products, mold, and fungi. There is nothing of this in the crack, and no matter how much the sealant sellers would like it, there are no insects there either. Even if some spider settles in, it will do no harm.

4. In order to significantly deteriorate the thermal properties of a log house, the crack must be through. I have never seen through cracks in a solid log. Theoretically, they can only appear in profiled timber or rounded logs made from very damp wood. In general, in order to get such a masterpiece, you need to try very hard...

Villagers don't notice the cracks. Cracks are something they take for granted, required attribute any log building. Also, however, they don’t notice the black color of the walls, because neither cracks nor the blackness of the walls in any way affect the warmth and comfort in the house.

Thus, based on the above, we can draw the following conclusion: Cracks in logs are not dangerous and do not in any way affect the performance properties of the log walls.

If the logs for the log house were dried for at least 1 year, then the width of the cracks does not exceed 6 - 10 mm. If the logs were dried for 2 or more years, then the width of the cracks, as a rule, will not exceed 1-2 mm.

If the width of the cracks is more than 1 cm, then this is an obvious defect during drying of the wood.

4. Sealing cracks.

If you are an incorrigible esthete and cannot sleep peacefully in a house with cracks, or cracks larger than 1 cm, then you can try to repair them.

I will express my opinion about modern ways and, in conclusion, I’ll tell you about the old-fashioned method of sealing cracks.

What does the construction market offer us?

1. Sealants.

2. Materials made from polyethylene foam.

3. Solid compositions.

Let's consider the effectiveness of each material.

1. Sealants for sealing cracks.

These are acrylic sealants, silicone sealants, sealants based on rubber-like compounds (butyl rubber sealant), etc. In RuNet offers various types and there are many types of sealants.

More more photos beautiful new log cabins, in which even the inter-crown joints are sealed with sealant.

But for some reason there is not a single photograph showing the frame and sealant being at least five years old...

Yes, because it’s better not to show them to anyone. Experience in using sealants to seal external defects in logs is still small and all negative information is carefully hidden.

In order to prove the ineffectiveness of sealing external cracks with sealant, I will tell you about my own experiment.

I built my log house in 2007. In 2010, as an experiment, I sealed several cracks with acrylic sealant, which at that time was considered the best for wood.

As they say, comments are unnecessary...

Manufacturers say about such defects: it’s okay, apply a new one over the old sealant, and you will be happy... (for the next two years).

Now let's try to figure out why this happens.

Any sealant and wood are dissimilar materials, so it is very difficult to ensure long-term high-quality adhesion between them.

The tree “breathes”, that is, it constantly absorbs and releases moisture back into the atmosphere, and also changes its size depending on the time of year. The sealant does not allow moisture and air to pass through. And if it does, it’s much worse than a tree.

At first the adhesion is very good. But since the sealant at the point of contact with the wood clogs the wood fibers, the moisture at the point of contact is not removed outside, and at this point the wood begins to rot. The thin layer adjacent to the sealant turns into dust and adhesion is broken - the sealant peels off.

This happens over 2-3 seasons.

Obviously, the elasticity of the sealant is absolutely not important. Even if it is at least 1000%, a gap between the wood and the sealant will still appear.

But what will happen next is not difficult to predict. Moisture will definitely get into the cracks between the wood and the sealant. Moreover, the evaporation process will be hindered by the sealant. Here you go high humidity in a sealed gap, here you have rot and insects - pests.

Everything turns out exactly the opposite. If you want to have pockets of disease, seal the cracks with sealant.

2. Cord made of polyethylene foam.

Well, here I will say this: you want to fuck Greenhouse effect in a single crack - use for health. But remember that in this greenhouse it is not tomatoes that will grow, but rot, mold and others like them!

It is striking that in Western commercials about crack-sealing products (sealant, cord), the technology for their use is demonstrated INDOOR. The casket here opens simply:These materials are not suitable for outdoor use. The bourgeoisie, according to a court decision, can be left without pants for deceiving consumers, which is why these videos show the real scope of application. And the fact that you thought of it yourself and started using these materials for external walls is your problem...

3. Various solid compositions.

As I already said, the size of the cracks is constantly changing. Depending on the time of year, temperature, humidity... Therefore, after the first winter, gaps will appear between the tree and the seal. And then everything follows the above scenario.

Perhaps, this is where I will finish my review of methods of extracting money from gullible owners of wooden buildings.

To summarize, we can say: due to unfavorable external conditions, in which the operation takes place external walls log house, all the considered methods of sealing external cracks are short-lived. Moreover, in areas of repair, over time, wood disease is likely.

The old-fashioned method of sealing cracks.

In Belarusian villages, I came across only one method of sealing large cracks (more than 1 cm) - caulking them with moss.

Let's, for example, caulk one crack on the outside and one inside the log house.

Before final processing, let the wet moss and walls dry for a couple of days.

When soaked moss dries, it increases in volume (by about 20%). Therefore, the cracks are reliably sealed and the moss sits tightly in the crack.

So, the sealing of the cracks is completed. This sealing is harmless to the log and restores thermal characteristics, is equally suitable for both internal and external walls and will last as long as a log house.

As you can see from the photographs, I am opposed to any exterior coating log walls(especially in the bathhouse). For me, environmental friendliness and clean air inside the log house are much more important than the envious glances of neighbors.

Sometimes a crazy thought comes to me that rounded logs and profiled timber were invented by manufacturers of paints, varnishes, primers, sealants...

But time will sooner or later put everything in its place and, I assure you, that all these “modern”, “revolutionary”, “progressive” technologies for working with wood will sink into oblivion in the future.

Experiments and trials of many generations have left us with a legacy of technology and materials that will serve for a long time and effectively. And any ill-considered change in both technology and materials is unlikely to be beneficial wooden structure, which means you too...

— price. The material has moved from the elite segment to the middle one, but still a house kit is more expensive than logs or regular timber. What else are sellers hiding? Today we'll talk about real disadvantages laminated veneer lumber and the problems faced by owners of houses built from it.

Let's start with the price. Most frequently asked question buyer: why so expensive?

The main disadvantage is the price of laminated timber

What does the cost consist of?

1. Price of raw materials. Wood with defects: cracks, poor-quality processing, or fungal damage is not suitable for the production of laminated veneer lumber. In the process of drying, planing and removing defective areas, a large percentage of wood is lost (for example, it takes up to 1.55 cubic meters of raw board to produce 1 cubic meter of laminated veneer lumber).
2. Glue costs. For high-quality and safe gluing you have to buy expensive compounds European production.
3. Production cost. Drying chambers, woodworking equipment, presses for lamellas, machines for profiling, cutting house kits - without a full set of equipment it is impossible to produce high-quality laminated veneer lumber.
4. Remuneration of skilled workers and woodworking engineers. Even the most advanced equipment requires knowledge and responsibility. All stages of production in GOOD WOOD are accepted according to checklists.
5. The timber undergoes a process of antiseptic and end sealing. The ends of the timber are the most vulnerable place for moisture penetration through open pores, which can lead to cracking. To avoid this, we apply a special liquid sealant to the ends, closing the pores and preventing the penetration of moisture.
6. Package. Ready-to-assemble parts are packaged in bundles and covered with a special film to protect them from moisture and sunlight. At GOOD WOOD, the maximum shelf life in production is 5 days. During this time, a party is formed and sent to the construction site.

Why is there sometimes cheap laminated veneer lumber?

The only way to reduce production costs is to eliminate some item from the technical process or replace the material with a cheaper one. That is why, if you are offered a house made of laminated veneer lumber for 1-2 million rubles, be prepared to receive a cottage with defects:

• Unseasoned wood. The walls are drying out and cracking.
• Poor quality gluing. The part delaminates immediately or after 1-2 seasons.
• Geometry violation. The parts do not fit well together, leaving gaps at the joints.
• Fungal infection. Appears when storage rules are violated or cheap material is purchased.

How to reduce the price without losing quality

When it appeared on the market, laminated veneer lumber was so expensive that it was found only in elite villages. The material was brought from Finland, there was no own production. After the equipment appeared in Russia, the situation has changed - now we can produce material cheaper, create our own products, and optimize processes.

Own production and laboratory - expensive pleasure, but it was they who helped GOOD WOOD make laminated veneer lumber more accessible and develop popular standard projects.

Glued laminated timber cannot be selected based on price - production is expensive, so a low cost directly indicates a violation of manufacturing or construction technology. High-quality laminated timber lasts a long time and allows us to safely offer houses with a guarantee of up to 50 years.

Attention: delamination of timber along the glue seam

What to do if timber delamination occurs vertical plane gluing? Disassemble the wall, change the defective crown? Should I cut out the damaged area? This is either impossible or too expensive. The only way is to prevent the timber from delaminating. That is, to prevent such a situation from even arising. But how to avoid delamination?

In practice, everything is very simple - you need high-quality glue and strict adherence to technology. GOOD WOOD uses Akzo Nobel adhesive - a special two-component composition that tightly bonds the wood. The test is carried out by an engineer from the technical control department.

To achieve the absence of delamination in 100% of products, it was necessary to purchase automatic line for gluing, conclude an agreement for the supply of glue, set up the modes in such a way as to guarantee that violations of the technology are avoided. But the result is worth it - GOOD WOOD laminated timber does not delaminate.

Are cracks normal?

Have you been promised a cottage made of laminated timber without cracks? This is a lie. Any wood cracks - that's how it is distinctive property at the material. Another thing is that these cracks should not worsen the thermal insulation properties or the appearance of the walls.

There are two types of cracks:

1. Cracks in solid timber or logs. These are unlimited defects that go deep to the middle of the crown, and sometimes even become through.
2. Cracks in laminated veneer lumber (we are talking about a high-quality glued product). In the most difficult case, the wood cracks to the thickness of one lamella, but this is rare, usually the depth is no more than 2-3 mm. Sometimes a web of several microcracks forms on the surface.

This difference in the nature of the defects is achieved due to the multilayer nature of the laminated veneer lumber: the fibers of the inner lamella are located differently than those of the outer lamella - each lamella keeps adjacent boards from cracking.

Note. Do not forget about the effect of heating intensity on the appearance of cracks. If the building was not used in winter, then you cannot immediately turn it on heating equipment on full power— it is important to gradually warm up the walls.

So is there shrinkage or not?

Shrinkage in houses made of laminated veneer lumber is 1.5-2%. This is very little compared to wood with natural moisture content (up to 10%) and even dry wood (up to 4%), but if you are offered a house made of laminated veneer lumber without any shrinkage at all, don’t believe it. There is shrinkage and it must be taken into account.

In addition to shrinkage, it is possible to change linear dimensions and the relative position of parts depending on humidity and time of year. - like a living organism that changes over time. In summer, the tree absorbs moisture and swells slightly, in winter it releases and contracts. This is how seasonal movements of wood manifest themselves. If you carry out maintenance according to the instructions (adjust the support units twice a year), then changes do not cause any trouble.

Pre-drying the lamellas in special chambers reduces the percentage of shrinkage and eliminates deformation. The boards are held in cells for up to 7 days.

Drying results:

1. The lamellas gradually gradually lose excess moisture no cracks, tears or twisting.
2. A dry board is better processed and spliced.
3. The slats have almost taken their final shape and size.

Although in timber houses after chamber drying, according to statistics of measurements carried out 2-3 years after construction, shrinkage does not exceed 2%; in GOOD WOOD projects, shrinkage is included with a margin of up to 4%. To compensate for changes in dimensions, the design includes jacks, studs, technological gaps, and sliding fasteners. This is an essential part of every laminated timber cottage project

For more information about anti-shrinkage technologies, see the video “Why does a wooden house need jacks? Uniform shrinkage of a wooden house"

The video talks about compliance with shrinkage technology during finishing and the need for timely maintenance of a wooden house:

The house requires treatment and maintenance

You can’t build a house and forget about maintenance. Of course, you won’t have to caulk three times, deal with through cracks and renew the coating annually, but regular Maintenance A house made of laminated veneer lumber also needs it.

Painting

Before shipping, parts are treated with a transport antiseptic. This coating protects the tree for six months. During this time, you need to apply permanent protection and paint the walls. Paint is usually renewed every 5-10 years (depending on whether the entire house or its sides are on the sunny or shady side).

Maintenance

General composition maintenance:

1. We visually inspect the walls, ceilings, partitions, roofing, and foundation.
2. We measure cracks and crevices (if they appear).
3. We evaluate the horizontality of the purlins and adjust the position with jacks as they shrink.
4. We tighten the studs. Linear size decreases over time; to maintain the required rigidity, it is necessary to keep the studs in a tightened state.
5. We adjust windows and doors so that the sashes continue to work perfectly regardless of changes in the geometry of the house.
6. Checking the position and tightness drainage system, adjust the brackets.
7. We evaluate the condition of the roof and the correctness of the geometry of the rafter system.
8. We test electrical wiring, sockets, switches, and protective automation.
9. We check the free condition of the sliding fasteners.

It is advisable to carry out maintenance every 6 months - this way it is possible to adjust the position in time, achieve uniform shrinkage without cracks or distortion of the geometry. The first 3-5 years are especially important (the time of intense shrinkage). Then the house takes a more permanent shape, you can increase the pause.

More details about the maintenance schedule can be found in a special section.

Let's sum it up

You won't be able to save money on your purchase. High-quality laminated veneer lumber is expensive. Wooden house even from laminated timber requires investment during operation, care and maintenance, since wood is a natural material.
We have specially compiled a “Client Memo”, where we talk in detail about the features of operating such houses.
We invite you to attend the seminar-excursion “Construction of a country house: technologies, stages, cost” and ask any questions to specialists in wooden houses.