Double Timber (35 Photos): The Pros And Cons Of Finnish Construction Technology, Projects, The Better The Frame, Owner Reviews

2024 Author: Beatrice Philips | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-09 13:15

“House built with Finnish double-bar technology” - these words can be seen in advertisements. But what does this mean? How strong are these structures, reliable and durable? Let's figure it out together.

What it is?

Russian people are often a supporter of traditional construction. If a country house or a bathhouse - then from a log, rounded or profiled . But if earlier such houses were relatively inexpensive, because there were more than enough forests, now both logs and beams, especially well-processed and dried ones, are not cheap pleasure. Therefore, even the most ardent supporters of natural materials think not only about the environmental friendliness of the building, but also about its economy.

And here the Finnish construction technology, which is called "double beam", comes to the rescue . Of course, while this method is not too widespread in our country, which is skeptical and hardly accepts new foreign technologies, but already now there are people who have appreciated the advantages of this construction method. A double beam is, in fact, a "sandwich" of two dried profiled beams, in the space between which a heater is laid. It can be of two types - cellulose or mineral.

Ecowool is used as a cellulose insulation.

Ecowool is used much more often than mineral insulation . Its composition is natural cellulose and antiseptics with fire retardants in a 4: 1 ratio. Antiseptic additives are effective in protecting against mice and rats, fungus, and decay. In most cases, borax acts as an antiseptic. A fire retardant is necessary to reduce the likelihood of ignition and combustion of the insulation. Ecowool is used more often because of its free-flowing structure. It can be poured or, using special devices, blown into the void between the two beams.

It is the flowability of ecowool that helps it fill voids of any configuration, every crack, gap. Due to this, a continuous insulation loop is formed . Ecowool, among other things, is moisture resistant and vapor permeable. Therefore, additional vapor barrier equipment is not needed when using it. To insulate floors, ecowool is also suitable, but it will not work to equip a floating floor with its help. For roof insulation in a house using Finnish technology, in most cases, mineral wool is used.

Which is better: a double beam or a frame?

The "double bar" technology has many advantages

• It does not require shrinkage.
• The material is easy to transport.
• You can start building immediately, installation is not so difficult. Delivery of elements is made immediately in the required size, while all elements are equipped with fastening locks. It is easy to assemble a house or a bathhouse - almost like the details of a construction set.
• No additional construction equipment is required.
• The material does not crack, does not warp.
• The structure does not require the arrangement of a vapor barrier - the walls "breathe" themselves.
• You do not need to use either inter-lead seals or dowels.
• The building has good thermal insulation, as there is not a single gap.
• Cope with the construction of a bathhouse or a house is not very difficult, even a beginner can do it with his own hands.
• The material is environmentally friendly, does not emit harmful vapors even when heated.
• Due to the low weight of the material, the finished structure is also lightweight. Therefore, it can be placed on a strip foundation or screw piles; there is no need to lay a capital foundation.
• The attractiveness of the appearance is an important factor. And due to the presence of voids between two layers of timber, you can hide wiring and communication lines there.

Of course, there are also disadvantages that cannot be ignored

• There may be a difference in the shrinkage of the outer and inner layers of the timber, especially if the climate presupposes sharp temperature changes. Therefore, only very high quality material should be used.
• The choice of insulation is a very important step. If you make the wrong choice, it will be cold in the building at the end of the work, and nothing can be changed.
• The need for the obligatory impregnation of each wooden element with special compounds from fungus and mold. If this is not done or done out of time, the wood will deteriorate. Replacing the same elements is very difficult, since they are all interlocked with locks.

It is not entirely correct to compare buildings erected using Finnish technology with frame ones. All stages of construction are different. The frame structure requires a solid, reliable, well-thought-out pile-screw foundation.

If the foundation sags even by 1 cm, the frame building will be completely skewed and may lose its shape. The "double bar" does not need this, since it is not heavy.

In houses and baths, for the construction of which frame technology was used, it is imperative to equip a vapor barrier and, as a result, high-quality ventilation, otherwise the air can become either too humid or dry. Buildings made of double timber do not need this, since natural material itself regulates the processes of absorption or release of moisture.

Frame structures are sheathed with fiberboard or chipboard sheets, other sheet material. Each of them contains glue, which means chemistry that is unsafe for a person to inhale. Houses made of double timber are completely environmentally friendly, they do not harm humans in any way. In addition, they are strengthened by floor beams if they are cut into the walls when assembling the structure. But there is one trick - only completely dried wood is suitable for this. Its size should be 160 x 50. Only in this case deformation will not occur. Despite the fact that the thickness of the load-bearing beams is only 45 mm, the buildings according to the Finnish technology are durable, do not warp, do not deform.

Dimensions (edit)

In production, manufacturers most often offer mini-timber in sizes 45x130 and 45x140 mm. When using a beam of this size, the finished walls have a thickness of 200 to 220 mm, the insulation layer is approximately 130 mm. Also, the timber can have a cross section of 44 x 135 mm, 70x140 or 150 mm, 70 x 190 mm, 65 x 142 mm . It is possible to order a house kit according to individual sizes, however, it will cost much more.

Each timber must be well dried, its moisture content cannot exceed 12%. Only after drying to the desired moisture content, profiling is performed on high-tech equipment, after which the surface is thoroughly processed. The finished material is completely homogeneous - both in structure, and in shade, and in quality . The parts are joined using the “thorn-groove” method.

Due to thorough drying, the finished structure does not form cracks, and its shrinkage is negligible.

Construction process

Any construction begins with the creation of a project. It is necessary for a country house, and for a bath, and for a summer kitchen, and for any other structure . Manufacturers of houses using Finnish technology have ready-made projects (with house kits, which can be purchased immediately). These can be both projects developed by them, and borrowed from others. Many firms give the opportunity to make minor modifications to projects and house kits in accordance with the needs of the customer, but in most cases this makes construction more costly.

After the project is approved, the creation of the details of the structure begins in accordance with the drawing . (it doesn't matter if the project was typical or individual). Before building a house, you need to lay the foundation. Although a deep and expensive foundation is not required, a shallow strip foundation is still needed. Or, if the client already has a ready-made foundation, the building can be assembled on it.

To bring a future house, disassembled into parts, to the place of its assembly, no special transport is required - neither the dimensions nor the weight of the parts are large. Erecting a structure is also easy. First, a base of rails is laid, the first level of the bar is laid on it . Polyurethane foam will help seal the cracks. Next, the log house is assembled - as in the constructor. Since the corners are locked together, no glue or nails are needed. The inter-crown connection is held firmly thanks to the profile, which is based on teeth and grooves. For one operation, you will still need both special equipment and a professional master. This is the process of blowing insulation, which cannot be evenly placed in voids without special equipment.

When the insulation is placed, the blockhouse is assembled, the installation of the roof begins . For this, a rafter system is installed. It's great if at the design stage you thought about where the communications will be located. At the end of the installation of the roof, you can proceed to the exterior and interior decoration of the house. It should be noted that the timber used in buildings using Finnish technology looks attractive even without additional finishing. Therefore, for wall decoration, you can use glazing, tinting or varnish. This will be enough.

As for the treatment with antiseptics and fire retardants, it should be carried out during the manufacture of parts of the house.

Review overview

Reviews of the owners of houses and baths from a double bar are 90% positive. AND even those who are not 100% satisfied with the construction note warmth, dryness, and excellent appearance . Residents of the northern regions add that separate thermal insulation of windows and doors will still be required, otherwise additional heating sources will have to be installed, which will lead to an increase in electricity bills. By contrast, homeowners in temperate regions report excellent thermal insulation and lower electricity bills. Almost all users note the need for the correct choice of insulation, since it plays a decisive role in answering the question of whether it will be warm in the house or bath. Shrinkage of the structure is the most common complaint of the owners.

Developers promise a shrinkage of 2%, but, for example, in a house with a height of 7 m, 2% of the height is 14 cm, which is a lot . Therefore, experts and users themselves recommend ordering the construction of houses and baths from a double bar only from those developers who have specialized in such construction for at least 5 years and have a good reputation in the market. Do not chase the low prices of fly-by-night firms that close a year after opening. A house is a serious and expensive structure. In order not to be that stingy who pays twice, it is better to buy a little more expensive, but from a trusted developer who provides a guarantee for their work.