Wood is a noble and very valuable building material from which any building can be erected, starting from a small arbor or a bathhouse and ending with huge log mansions. To allow the wood to open better and give all its advantages, you need to choose it correctly for certain purposes, which will require some knowledge. In our article we will tell you which beam is better for building houses, and what you need to pay attention to when choosing and working with it.
Immediately make a reservation that this lumber in most cases after processing takes a rectangular shape, while its dimensions can be completely different, and the cross section can be from 50 to 400 mm. Currently, several of its types are actively used. Depending on the processing method, the beam can be:
- whole;
- profiled;
- glued.
We suggest that you consider in more detail all of these types of popular lumber, in order to know which one is better, and what should be chosen for the construction of your home.
Solid bar
Outwardly, such a beam looks like an ordinary log sawn from four sides, and its diameter exceeds 50 mm. Due to its versatility, this type of lumber more often than other types is suitable for the construction of various structures, such as the rafter system, wall partitions, floor floors of the house. Processing a solid bar is quite simple, this explains its affordable cost. But you also need to know that this material requires additional processing with protective equipment, otherwise it will not serve the intended time.
The cross section of such logs can be from 150 to 220 mm. Different types of buildings require different diameters of wood: houses for year-round use need lumber with a cross section of 200-250 mm, no matter what the size of the building is planned. For smaller buildings, such as a bath, a size of 150-200 mm will be sufficient. Installation of non-profiled timber is not complicated, and this is another reason for its high popularity in the construction industry.
Would like to note main advantages of this type of timber:
- constant availability, due to which the beam is the leader in demand in the construction industry, while all its dimensions are popular. This lumber can be bought in any city on each construction market, because the well-established procurement mechanism allows you to supply retail chains with wood without interruption;
- affordable cost, allows you to choose natural material and build a house from environmentally friendly timber. The natural humidity here is constantly maintained, the procurement process is maximally simplified, hence the price that suits most developers;
- quick and easy installation. No matter how large-scale the construction is, building a house using a solid beam is possible without additional specialized equipment. The installation process will be easily mastered by a team of several carpenters who can erect a building of 36 sq.m. in just 5 to 6 days.
Unfortunately, In addition to the advantages of a solid bar, there are also disadvantages:
- obligatory finishing work or planing. Best of all, the now popular block house or lining is coping with the task of finishing. Here you will also have to cut the jute after the house shrinks and shrinks;
- Frequent mismatch of non-profiled lumber with GOST, namely, an uneven saw cut or a non-standard cross-sectional size of the beam. Due to such shortcomings, the differences between the crowns can be significant, and the seams themselves can sometimes be at different levels. In order not to encounter such troubles, it is better to purchase a beam, the size of which is the same for each unit, and this is a high-quality product, but here the price will be almost the same as for profiled lumber;
- susceptibility to fungal infection. This happens due to the fact that during harvesting the logs are not dried in special chambers, which greatly increases the risk of their infection with fungal infections. Now we can say with confidence that in the construction market every 7-8th log has such a disadvantage. What is the way out of the situation? This problem has a solution, and it consists in thoroughly treating wood with antiseptic agents that ensure the destruction of harmful microorganisms and prevent relapse. Note that antiseptics are not cheap, which means that the construction estimate will be increased;
- unpresentable appearance, due to which the untreated beam is significantly inferior to its profiled counterpart. If you cut the walls, seams may appear and insulation material laid between the crowns will open;
- susceptibility to cracking. After the shrinkage and shrinkage of the house, the walls may become cracked, while the dimensions and weight of the building do not matter. Such a spoiled appearance of the facade can be corrected in only one way - by external cladding with decorative materials. What will be the facing, each chooses for himself individually.
- blown seams between the crowns. The absence of tongue-and-groove mountings leads to the fact that the house has poor thermal insulation properties.
Profiled beam
This type of timber has strictly specified dimensions with an accuracy of a millimeter, and due to calibration it is better to work with it, as well as its positive properties significantly increase in comparison with the previous version. For strength and ease of installation, lumber is equipped with landing bowls with spikes, which are fixed in grooves. Simplifies the construction process and the presence of vertical cuts. The construction of such logs is obtained without gaps, which will not allow moisture and drafts to penetrate into the home. For the same reason, wood does not rot here.
The construction of profiled timber has excellent thermal insulation properties, which leads to savings in insulation materials. As for the decorative properties, here they are at a height, moreover, the smooth walls do not require additional decoration. In order not to lead the building in the future, the profiled material should be well dried, and its humidity should not exceed 10%. Since this process requires special boxes and equipment, this inevitably affects the final cost of the goods.
The advantages of profiled wood include:
- excellent decorative properties, thanks to which it is not necessary to carry out the outer cladding of the facade;
- all joints (grooves and spikes) are cut on special equipment, so their sizes match perfectly, giving the construction special strength and stability, and
- the house gives uniform shrinkage during operation without distortions and subsidence;
- the joints between the corner elements and the crowns are reinforced with stronger joints, which eliminates the blowing structure. Here, jute trimming is not required, and there is no need to caulk the structure, and an exception can be made only at the end and corner mounts.
Unfortunately, no matter what types of timber could be chosen, none of them can do without disadvantages. Profiled timber is no exception, because it requires a break in the installation process to dry, and time is always in short supply. After assembly, the house should stand for about a year, and only then you can begin to finish. Since the profiled material is a processed, but still solid log, it will not be possible to avoid cracks on its surface, and this is also a minus.
Glued beam
Almost ideal for building a house. This type of timber is made from coniferous wood. In the production process, the log is sawn into boards, which are carefully dried. Further, each board must be treated with flame retardants and antiseptics to protect the wood from insects and give it fire-fighting properties. Processed lamellas have the same size, this is very important, since at the next stage they are glued together. One glued beam can hold up to 7 boards, and its shrinkage is not more than 1%.
The advantages of such lumber are quite significant:
- glued timber does not crack as previous species;
- the facade does not need decoration;
- there is practically no shrinkage, which means that the house will not lead over time;
- processed lumber does not rot and is not affected by insects;
- Due to the high strength of the beam, it is possible to build structures with a complex architectural solution from it.
A significant drawback of such a building product is its high cost, several times higher than the price of an unshaped analogue.
And, despite such disadvantages, as well as having examined all types of timber, it is safe to say that it is better to find glued timber for the construction of private houses. We hope that after reading the material of the article, you can firmly decide which of the proposed options to choose for your future home.