Why do people often choose to build a wooden house rather than a brick one - what is the difference?

It is difficult to estimate a universal final price for a home in its unfinished condition. Many factors influence these costs. The most important of them include:

• thickness of logs of external walls,
• outline of the main walls of a wooden house,
• complexity of the roof structure
• number of floors
• type of roofing

Log thickness. It can be assumed that the average difference in costs for building a house from 18 cm wide and 25 cm wide logs is approximately PLN 20,000. The cost can be reduced if, for example, 22 cm wide logs are used.

Outline of the main walls It is cheapest to make a square or rectangular shape. A design that takes into account terraces, verandas, cutouts and other construction details will increase the final price of the building.

The complexity of the roof structure. A gable roof is definitely the cheapest solution. Attic and enclosing structures are more expensive because they require more carpentry work and a larger coverage area. Costs will also increase if the roof is equipped with balconies, bay windows, roof windows (including those with so-called eyelets) and any other structural kinks.

Number of floors. The cost of building one square meter of a one-story house will be higher than the price of building the same area in a two-story wooden house. How is this possible? To build a one-story building with the same usable space as a two-story building requires many more strong logs, which is actually the largest cost of the entire investment. Type of roofing. Of course, there is a huge amount of roofing materials on the construction market. You can buy metal tiles for about $5 per square meter. Metal tiles with granite filling (imitation wood tiles) can be purchased for about $12-15 per square meter. When analyzing the costs of roofing work, you should also take into account all the finishing elements, that is, wind beams, ridge tiles, gutter strips and others. To reduce construction costs, you should select the optimal thickness of the logs and choose the simplest design possible, which will still meet the investor’s expectations.

A complete underfloor heating installation, including screed, insulation and flooring, weighs approximately 100 kg per m². In the case of an average-sized house, the ceiling weighs from 5 to 7 tons. Every investor who would like to have such heating in his wooden house must decide on this at the design stage of the building. Thanks to this, it will be possible to take into account the corresponding changes when planning the load-bearing capacity of the entire structure.

Throughout Ukraine, thousands of wooden buildings have been standing to this day for several hundred years. We emphasize that modern log construction methods are much more advanced than those used hundreds of years ago. The longevity of structural timber depends on how well it is cared for. With proper impregnation and proper use, this material will last for many generations.

When choosing a project, you should consider it carefully so as not to create unnecessary costs. Many architects are able to perfectly reproduce the vision of a house in a project, but not every specialist has experience in building a log house. Less experienced architecture studios may be rendering timber log structures with large overhangs of ceiling beam sections or planning a roof structure that simply costs more to construct.

We present a list of the most important factors influencing the price of a log house, along with a description. You will learn which elements can be omitted and which ones should absolutely not be skipped.

Origin of wood

This is a very important criterion. On the Ukrainian market, many companies offer log houses made from cheap domestic material. Soil fertility in Ukraine leads to rapid growth of trees, which, unfortunately, negatively affects their value as a building material. Such wood does not meet 100% European standards.

Connections and tightness

We advise you to pay special attention to the methods of joining logs. After all, achieving the best insulation parameters of the object depends on this. In our opinion, the popular connection method using clamps and corner locks (for example, dovetail) does not provide adequate tightness of the structure. A better result can be achieved if you use the “two alien feathers” technology and use specially cut strands.

Chamber drying of wood

Did you know that the cost of drying logs for building a house reaches 10-15% of the cost of shell rock? This is why many log construction companies abandon this process. Unfortunately, undried wood settles to a depth of up to 18 cm and is prone to more severe cracking than dried wood. Using the technology chamber drying of wood allows you to destroy microbial spores.

Using quarter wood logs

A solid log for the construction of a wooden house must be made from one tree, namely it must have a core and a so-called core at the central point. Using such logs, the house will operate in a controlled manner. Natural cracks will always be directed towards the core. If, for example, four smaller logs were made from one tree, a core would appear at the edges. Therefore, cracks may be larger on the softer sapwood side than on the heartwood or heartwood side. The walls of such a house may have a tendency to warp and crack in the most unexpected places.

The width of the joists and external walls is 18, 22, 25 cm

The first two suggested widths are usually recommended for exterior walls. For walls with internal insulation, 18 cm is used, for walls without internal insulation - 22 cm. Large widths significantly increase investment costs, and they are mainly used only to increase the visual effect of the entire object, and not to improve its functionality.

The complexity of the design and use of the attic

To optimize the cost of building a house as much as possible, it is best to choose a design based on a rectangle or square, without additional bends and recesses. Let's also remember that it will be cheaper to build a wooden house with an attic than a one-story building with the same usable area.

Roof structure

The cheapest option is to build a gable roof supported by rafters on the ceiling beams of the first floor. This solution is characterized by relatively low implementation costs in relation to the resulting usable area. It is also worth paying attention to other benefits. A gable roof is more resistant to strong winds. In this case, the rafters are supported by small pillars, forming the so-called knee-frame wall. This design gives us an attic that is on average 30 cm higher and has more usable space on the ground floor. 

Ceiling beams and load-bearing wall

Ceiling beams should run parallel to the rafters. Sometimes designers plan them perpendicular. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to build a triangular-shaped roof. Additionally, in this case, the sections and distances between the ceiling beams are calculated with a margin. Higher demand for material means higher costs for the investor. Some architects design load-bearing walls from solid logs. Meanwhile, poles and beams can be used to reduce costs.

Accessories

Everything that decorates your home increases the amount in your accounts. Balconies, bay windows, roof windows, ponds, roof curves, terraces, roofs - the fewer such solutions, the lower the investment price. Of course, a wooden house is for us, and not vice versa. Therefore, let's not give up everything we dreamed of, but choose what will be most functional.

Although the time it takes to realize an investment depends on many different factors, it typically takes about 3-4 months to complete the shell.

• The first month is the time to order wood, which is selected and delivered to the drying chamber. Drying and processing of the finished log for assembly at the construction site and the delivery time of the material to the investment site take another month.
• The next month is the time allotted for assembling the object on the foundations.
• Taking into account the turnkey finishing time, we can assume that it will take about 6-7 months from the first shovel to moving in.

This time is shorter than in the case of brick construction, since the number of so-called wet stages, which require setting and drying of materials, is reduced to a minimum in the case of a wooden house.

In general, the differences between the installation of electrical installations in brick and wooden buildings are insignificant. In houses made of thick logs without insulating the walls from the inside, fire-resistant water conduits (shells) are inserted vertically into the logs, drilling them at the stage of wall assembly. A less aesthetic option is to install the electrical in cable trays or attach it directly to the tree. In the case of thinner logs with insulation from the inside, methods are used that are almost identical to those used in brick construction. The cables are hidden in the wall structure (here in a wooden frame). Insulated cables are covered with plasterboard or OSB. Cables can also be hidden in partitions or ceilings.

We highly recommend using pine wood. This is a widespread type in Ukraine, which also has very good construction properties. Pine grows in dry and sandy soil, so it has a high percentage of rings. This makes the wood strong, flexible and at the same time soft and easy to work with. Due to its lower elasticity, for example, spruce is more difficult to process. Four-sided planing makes the wood more resistant to fire (the flame glides over a smooth surface and combustion occurs more slowly). Another benefit of planing is greater resistance to insects and pests. Building standards define defects such as knots or cracks. Each flaw affects the structural strength of the wood. Chamber drying reduces the likelihood of cracks and also eliminates the risk of mold, mildew, insect larvae or blueing of the wood. For the construction of a wooden house, pine wood is used, the moisture content of which is:

• no more than 18% if the elements are closed
• no more than 23% if the elements are outdoors.

Many companies operating in the Ukrainian construction market still do not dry construction wood. This is a big mistake. A house made of undried wood settles by several centimeters in the first year, which can negatively affect subsequent stages of interior decoration. It is worth remembering that slight cracking of hard dried wood is a natural phenomenon and certainly will not weaken the structure of the object. Our experience shows that the moisture content of wooden building materials should be between 18 and 23%. Such parameters avoid the risk of structural deformation due to the release or absorption of moisture from the environment. Material obtained from freshly cut wood with a moisture level above 30% has a flexural strength 60-75% lower than wood dried to a moisture level below 18%. This means that the load-bearing capacity of wooden elements made from unseasoned wood is significantly lower. As the wood dries, it contracts and bends. It will only reach stability when the humidity level is low enough. As wood dries, moisture is released and penetrates into the mineral wool, thereby reducing its insulating properties. Moreover, without the ability to dry quickly and evenly, wooden structural elements may fog up and turn blue. This is just a shortcut to the development of mold and mildew, which has a very bad effect on the well-being of the building's occupants. Deterioration caused by excess moisture poses a threat to the safety of all occupants of the building.

Ukrainian standards define the heat transfer coefficient for wooden log walls at 0.50 W/m²K, and for insulated walls - 0.30 W/m²K. Walls made of only logs should have a thickness of 30 cm. It is worth emphasizing that this standard does not take into account an important feature of wood - the ability to accumulate heat. After calculating the heat balance, it turns out that a 20 cm thick log will meet expectations. Many companies in Ukraine decide to leave 18 cm thick logs without insulation. Based on our experience, we can confidently say that:

• a log 18 cm thick should be insulated. Open cell polyurethane foam can be used. Please note that this type of insulation limits the visible amount of wood inside the house.
• The 22 cm thick log, according to information received from our clients and our experience, does not require the use of additional insulation and is intended especially for those investors who want to enjoy the decorative qualities of wood inside the building.

What methods exist for insulating wooden walls?

Log houses can be insulated with logs 16-18 cm thick. When using logs 22 cm wide, there is no need for additional insulation.

The insulation from the inside looks like this:

• Compensation seam in the form of a gap 2 cm wide, which allows you to remove excess moisture,
• windproof film,
• Mineral wool 10 cm thick,
• vapor barrier foil.

Mineral wool can be replaced with cellulose.

Why is it worth choosing this solution?

• cellulose is safe for allergies.
• This material has very good thermal insulation properties. It has a spongy structure and holds a large amount of air, up to 70-80% of its volume. Due to this, cellulose has the same parameters of the heat transfer coefficient as mineral wool.
• cellulose is vapor permeable, therefore it does not require the use of vapor barrier. It has the ability to absorb and secrete water from the environment. The walls of the house seem to breathe. Using cellulose, we do not block the natural properties of wood.
• cellulose is also a good sound insulator.
• This isolation is applied by spraying, which allows you to maintain the continuity of the insulating structure and exclude heat loss in the cold bridges.
• Pulp heater is resistant to pests and fungi. This is a fire -resistant material that does not spread fire. Therefore, cellulose heater can be compared with polyurethane foam, although cellulose does not emit toxic fumes in a fire, so much safer.

The use of polyurethane foam with open pores is the second method of wall insulation in a wooden building.

Why is it worth choosing a foam?

• Foam application occurs very quickly. This saves money on the work time of the crew.
• Polyurethane foam very carefully fills all the slots of the structure in the application places. It reaches hard -to -reach places and quickly expands at the application of the application, creating a homogeneous mass without joints and gaps. This makes it an energy -saving insulation.
• This is an worthless material safe for allergies.
• Polyurethane foam does not contain carcinogenic and allergic compounds.
• has soundproofing properties.
• It has a low thermal conductivity coefficient, which allows you to reduce the thickness of the insulation, reduce the load on the structure and get more space. Poliuretan foam takes half the space than mineral wool.
• The heater with foam increases the stiffness of the structure in the places of application.
• Both types of polyurethane foam, with open pores and closed pores, have similar properties. The latter, however, does not pass water and moisture. It is also more rigid. In the case of wooden structures, only a model with open pores is used due to its vapor permeability. The wooden house should breathe. Nevertheless, foam with closed pores can be used on the floors of the first floor to prevent heat leakage from the floor with heated into the foundation.

Is a wooden house?

Among many people, there is still a false belief that wooden houses are easily ignited. Everyone imagines the old suburban cottages with straw roofs, in which it is easy to light up. However, today wooden construction looks completely different. An important criterion for fire protection of a wooden structure is the corresponding protection of the electrical installation.

A brick house has a wooden roof structure and polystyrene insulation. Therefore, it is no less stable, for example, to fire as a result of intentional arson. Insulation of a wooden house from the inside provides additional protection against fire. This layer consists of drywall and mineral wool. We emphasize that statistics do not show that in wooden houses fires occur more often than in other types of buildings. Therefore, the idea that wooden log objects are easily ignited is completely incorrect.

How are they looking after wooden houses?

There are two ways to preserve the wood:

Mechanical - (ecological, recommended by us) with drying wood and strict. Drying logs to a humidity of about 20% minimizes the precipitation of the building and allows you to complete the finish of the house immediately after the completion of the construction of the frame. Chamber drying guarantees the absence of a dispute between insects and microorganisms in the house. Strictness significantly reduces the combustibility of the walls, the surface of the wood is smooth, so there is nothing to cling to the flame of fire. In addition, stringence increases aesthetic value and additionally protects the house from weather conditions.

chemical - saturation of wood with chemical preparations that are used according to the manufacturer's instructions (this method is performed only at the request of the investor) 

Fungus in wooden structures. Is it possible to avoid it? 

Here we return to the topic of the corresponding moisture of wood. Drying logs effectively limits the development of microorganisms in the log. The aforementioned impregnation during processing and after the construction of the structure also provides adequate protection against the development of fungi. Breathing materials and air gaps eliminate the formation of places that contribute to the reproduction of fungi.

How and when should the house be finished?

The stage of investment decoration can be proceeded almost immediately after the construction of the structure. It is worth remembering that a construction of wet wood can sneak up to several months, depending on the level of humidity. Performing finishing work in a house of raw logs, we are subjected to cracks in joints, spontaneous damage to windows and doors, leaks.

That is why it is so important to build from correctly dried logs! Then the phenomenon of subsidence, which is natural, is minimized. When erecting walls inside, special mobile ties are used between the wall and the log. This technique avoids any violations in the functioning of a wooden object.