The correct technology for a frame house with your own hands. Do-it-yourself frame house: step-by-step instructions


Required tools and materials

Paper Rolling machine Foam blocks Cement Ruberoid The wire Expanded polystyrene (foam) OSB board Gypsum cardboard sheet timber Level Circular saw Plumb Electric drill Nail puller Show all

Frame buildings are becoming more and more in demand - they are inexpensive and at the same time durable housing. You can build either a luxurious villa or a neat house in the village - there are a lot of projects. It doesn’t matter whether you build it yourself or entrust it to specialists - the necessary knowledge will allow you to control the process at all stages.

Deciding on the main thing – a warm home or a relaxation area?

Frame houses are called because the entire structure of the house is made up of vertical wooden posts and horizontal plank frames. A lightweight wooden frame can be erected in a matter of days, even if you do the work yourself with several assistants, and specialists can handle even a complex project even faster.

Before you build, you should clearly decide whether you will live in such a house all year round or whether its use will be limited to summer trips to nature. How well the frame house will be insulated depends on your decision. If the building will be used only in warm seasons, then the issue of serious insulation, high-quality heating and saving energy resources is removed in itself - the building requires standard thermal insulation measures so that in winter the temperature in the room does not drop below zero.

But if you decide to build a house for year-round use, you should approach the issue of thermal insulation very seriously, following all the rules. It is insulation that is the cornerstone of all frame technology, on which both future resource savings and the heating structure depend. The conditions of the climatic zone where the house will be built are taken into account - for example, for the central climatic zone, only the thickness of the boards for cladding the house must be at least 100 mm.

Another point that should be determined at the project stage is the number of storeys of the structure. Experts categorically recommend not to build buildings higher than 2 floors using frame technology, and even then, it is desirable that the second floor be an attic. But you will be confident in the strength of the entire structure and its durability.

The foundation of the house is the key to durability

Having calculated the load that will be placed on the foundation, you will be pleasantly surprised - in the case of frame houses, there is absolutely no need for a deeply deep foundation of large width. Almost any option will do: slabs, piles, strip foundation. If the choice fell on the screw or pile option, then keep in mind that then you will have to seriously insulate and finish the base of the building. By choosing a concrete slab, you will get a foundation that is too low, which will even look unusual.

As practice shows, it is best to build a one-story frame house on a shallow strip foundation on a sand and gravel bed. On low-moving soils, it is enough to pour 15 cm of sand and 10 cm of medium-fraction gravel into the trench. The width of the trench in this case is half a meter. It is important to lay reinforcement with a diameter of 12 mm along the entire perimeter of the tape, which will eliminate deformation during soil heaving. Watch the video on how to make such a base.

This is just an example - in each case the foundation should be calculated separately. The most important thing is to take into account the characteristics of the soil. If funds allow, it is always better to play it safe and make a certain margin of safety. The columnar foundation is completed quite quickly, and most importantly, there is no need to wait until the solution has completely hardened. For a house for an average family on a columnar foundation, you will need about 150 columns, or rather, asbestos-cement pipes, which you will turn into columns in the process.

To begin with, at a distance of up to 80 cm around the perimeter of the future building, use a drill to make indentations with a diameter of about 20 cm and a depth of at least a meter. Pipes are inserted into these holes - the space around them is filled with fine crushed stone and sand and compacted, as in the video. A standard cement solution is poured into the pipes - that’s all the work. It is not at all necessary to wait until the cement hardens - the pipes will take on the first load, and after just a few days your columnar foundation will be able to support the entire house, equipment and residents inclusive.

A screw pile foundation differs from a columnar foundation in that the piles are steel pipes with a screw at one end. The pipes are screwed into the ground at the same level - the main thing is not to unscrew them back if the pile goes at an angle. This is the biggest mistake beginners make - by unscrewing the pile, you will loosen the soil, and under the weight of the house, the foundation may sag in the future.

Universal technology – we build to last

In fact, frame houses, subject to all technologies and regular repairs, can last more than two hundred years. There is real evidence of this - the world-famous half-timbered houses, which, in fact, are also frame structures. In any case, at least two generations will own a warm and cozy home.

The main stages of construction are the same for all frame structures. It all starts with the construction of a frame - metal or wood. Wood is used more often for a frame, since the material is environmentally friendly and convenient to work with; in addition, the cost of a metal frame will be 30–40% higher. True, a metal frame is lighter, which means you can reduce foundation costs.

In addition, it will be possible to use metal fasteners, which is prohibited in the case of a wooden frame. The metal will sooner or later start the process of rotting in the wood, the joints will become less strong, the house will begin to loosen, and the structure will become dangerous for residents. There is a special fastener - wooden dowels, which prevent putrefactive processes.

The best wood option for a frame house is oak. True, this option is not always possible, and therefore high-quality timber with a cross-section of at least 150 mm 2 is often used. The connection between the elements is made using the tongue-and-groove technology - make sure that there are no gaps between them.

The first stage - floor and walls

In frame house construction, the floor is the first to appear. First, roofing felt is laid along the entire perimeter of the future walls and a wooden beam with a cross-section of 150 mm2 is laid on top - watch the video of how the craftsmen do this. It is important to cover the tree with antiseptic preparations that will protect the material from rotting.

The timber is secured with anchor bolts, maintaining a step of 2 m. There should be no distortion of more than 10 mm in the corners - this can be easily checked with a level.

When building a frame house, it is very important to use the same materials for load-bearing structures, floors and walls - the expansion coefficient in this case will also be the same, and you will avoid possible distortions. When the beams of the bottom trim are laid and fastened together, you can lay the floor joists. For the logs, boards 5 cm thick and 15 cm wide are suitable. The elements are fastened by cutting grooves in the beam of the lower frame. The distance between the logs is no more than 60 cm.

Then bars of smaller width than the logs themselves are attached to the logs. This will allow you to lay the so-called subfloor between the beams - the floor boards will be laid directly on the joists. Do not forget to treat all elements with antiseptics. For the subfloor, in order to save money, even uncut boards are used - this does not matter much.

For high-quality vapor barrier, glassine is stapled onto the subfloor, after which insulation - mineral wool or polystyrene foam - is laid between the beams. A thickness of about 10 cm is sufficient. It is important to lay the thermal insulation in such a way that there is no free space left at the edges, as in the video. To do this, the mineral wool slabs are cut so that they are several centimeters wider than the space between the joists - then it is possible to tightly close the entire space. In the case of polystyrene foam, the cracks will be properly filled with foam. The ceiling is also insulated using the same technology.

Then the finished floor is laid - 40*150 mm boards are suitable for this. The boards are properly compacted with wedges and staples and nailed to the joists. Check with a level how even the floor is - the quality of the entire further construction depends on this.

The step-by-step assembly of the wall frame is as follows:

How to make floors and walls in a frame house - step-by-step diagram

Step 1: Bottom Trim

For the bottom trim we use the same timber with a cross section of 150 mm 2 with pre-prepared grooves. It is important that there is a distance of no more than 50 cm between the grooves.

Step 2: Preparing the Boards

On a flat and dry area, prepare the boards for the walls. The length of the boards should be equal to the desired ceiling height - experts recognize 2.7 m as the optimal option. This is enough so that the room does not feel cramped, and in the summer it is not stuffy, and at the same time, it will not be difficult to heat the house in the winter.

Step 3: Installing Corner Posts

In those places where the corner posts will be located, steel dowels are first placed, and holes for them are drilled in the end part of the bars. The bars are installed and secured with temporary jibs. The intermediate bars are installed in the same way.

Step 4: Top Trim

The upper harness is made from the same timber with grooves as for the lower one. The most important thing is to adjust the location of the grooves so that they are completely identical to the bottom ones. Otherwise there will be distortions. When the top trim is laid on the racks, it should be secured to each rack with at least a pair of nails, driving them to a depth of at least 10 cm. After this, the frame is strengthened with permanent bevels, and temporary ones are dismantled.

Step 5: Ceiling

In places where there will be interior partitions, support beams are installed. Ceiling beams are made of 50*15 timber; place them at a distance of no more than half a meter, at the junction with the vertical posts. The beams are secured both with steel brackets and with the help of pre-cut grooves.

Step 6: Window Openings

The installation of window frames occurs at the stage of erecting the wall frame. In accordance with the standards, the area of ​​the window opening must be at least 18% of the total wall area. The frame is secured with vertical posts adjusted in height. If you are building a house exclusively for summer use, then double-glazed windows with one pane of glass are also suitable, but for year-round living you will need high-quality windows with at least two panes of glass - it all depends on the climate.

Of course, all this work can be reduced significantly by using ready-made sandwich panels. Now many factories offer their services in this direction - all you have to do is choose a house design and prepare the foundation. Assembling a house from sandwich panels is like playing with Lego, you just need to connect the elements into a single structure. From the point of view of economy, this option is the most profitable, since sandwich panels are very light and insulated, which means you will save on the foundation and insulation, not to mention the time that you would spend on this work.


Under the roof of my house - how to build a roof?

The more complex the frame house project you choose, the less likely it is that you can handle the construction of the roof yourself. If the second floor is attic, it is better to contact specialists who will correctly calculate the entire rafter system. But you can handle it with a simple gable roof.

For the rafters, choose a 5*15 cm beam. The edges of the beams are joined at the end at an angle of 50° and nailed together. This simple structure is fastened crosswise with a board, forming the letter “A”. It is easier to assemble the rafters on the ground, and only then lift them to the roof and fasten them with 200 mm nails. Sheathing boards are attached to the rafters in increments of 10 cm. They need to extend beyond the outer rafters by 25 cm. Roofing felt is laid on the sheathing, after which you can begin installing the roofing material.

This is the simplest roof option, which can be supplemented with high-quality thermal insulation. As you know, a house loses up to 20% of heat through the attic! Insulate the outside correctly - this way you will save space inside, and it will be easier to carry out the work. A vapor barrier is laid on top of the sheathing, for example, the familiar glassine, which is secured with a stapler. Another light sheathing is placed on top of the vapor barrier - in increments of 50-60 cm.

A heat-insulating material, for example, mineral wool, is placed in the space between the sheathing. Then the vapor barrier is laid again, a layer of roofing material is added and the roofing material is installed. It is important that a gap of several centimeters is maintained between the roofing felt and the roofing materials - in this case, the space under the roof will be ventilated, and condensation can easily leave the thermal insulation pie.

House finishing and insulation – the finish line is near

It is most convenient to insulate a house built using frame technology from the inside. Therefore, first of all, the outside of the structure is sheathed with OSB boards, and then with siding or clapboard. Then you can move on to .

Foam plastic and mineral wool are eternal competitors among thermal insulation materials. But still, foam plastic has lower thermal conductivity - 40 mm of foam plastic in terms of thermal insulation is equal to 45 mm of mineral wool. A 10-centimeter layer can replace a two-meter thick brick wall! The most important advantage of this material is its waterproofness, which mineral wool cannot boast of. If it gets wet, it will lose its properties.

The insulation is laid between the vertical posts - as mentioned above, the materials should fit tightly to each other. Do not skimp on foam to fill the cracks. At this stage, do not forget to lay out the electrical wiring. You can read more about the choice and the technology itself in a separate article on our website.

The most proven option for interior cladding is wooden lining. However, if you want to do something more original, you can purchase a block house - a lining that imitates a rounded log. If wooden cladding does not suit you, you can cover the walls inside with OSB boards, then with plasterboard, which only needs to be puttied. Afterwards you can paint the walls or glue wallpaper - as your heart desires.

Many people dream of owning their own country house, and this is quite possible if you decide to build a frame house with your own hands. This is much faster than erecting a monumental brick building.

Advantages of frame houses

Today's building materials and techniques are gradually pushing traditional construction methods into the background. Northern Europe has been building houses using frame technology for a long time. Now many Russian developers are doing the same. What's so good about these houses?

The base of a one- or two-story building will be a wooden or metal frame. But we prefer the first. Walls are attached to it. On the walls - floors and roofing. The resulting structure is monolithic and reliable. Then comes insulation, finishing work and the house is ready. Let's look at the advantages of frame houses:


Unfortunately, we have not yet come up with such a building material or method that would be ideal. If there are advantages, then there will definitely be disadvantages:

  • The hollowness of wooden structures. The small mass of the structure does not sufficiently dampen significant vibrations.
  • A properly designed project and appropriate tools are required.

Foundation for a frame house

In order for your home to be warm, strong and durable, you need to make a foundation for the walls. Its main function is that it creates a rigid monolithic frame belt for the future home. Most suitable for a frame house:

  • A strip foundation, in which reinforcement plays the role of stiffeners, and concrete unites the base monolithically.
  • Made from prefabricated reinforced concrete, where structural strength is achieved by reliable fastening of reinforced concrete blocks.
  • Columnar foundation, here the main role belongs to the monolithic grillage.

Let's consider the last option. When the weight of the structure is insignificant, there is no need to make a monolithic concrete base. We will install the foundation from asbestos pipes. On a cleared and level area, we mark support points around the perimeter. There should be a distance between them of at least 70–100 cm, if possible more. Look at the photo, you can see that the main condition is the uniform distribution of racks under the load-bearing structures and along the perimeter of the building. Using the marked points, we dig holes a meter deep with a diameter of 200 mm. The width depends on the size of the pipe. We compact the soil and install the pipes strictly vertically. We fill all the posts with concrete. You can order it or make it yourself. Basically, this takes up to one cubic meter, the volume depends on the parameters of the building. The concrete will gain full strength after 28 days, then construction can continue.

Bottom trim device

Now it is necessary to lay timber on the piles according to the layout of the interior - so that there is a foundation under each future wall. The best size timber is 5x20cm. To prevent the wood from rotting, it must be treated with an antiseptic. A layer of roofing felt laid under the wooden base will prevent moisture from penetrating from the foundation. In order for the geometry of the house to be maintained and the entire structure to look monolithic, it is necessary to correctly lay the timber on the foundation. Horizontal angular deviation should not be more than 10–12 mm.

The exposed grillage is secured to the foundation with anchor bolts, for which an electric drill is used. Or, during the process of pouring concrete, studs are installed into the pipes, onto which the wooden elements of the lower horizontal piping of the house are subsequently mounted.

Installation of the lower trim is carried out by assembling the timber into a single frame structure. The beams are fastened together by various notches. The most commonly used method is “in the paw” or “in the half-tree”. In the corners, the timber is secured with dowels, anchors or ordinary nails, the length of which is at least 200 mm. If nails are chosen for fastening, then at least 4 of them need to be driven in. on every corner.

When fastening with dowels, a hole is made in the beam with a diameter similar to the diameter of the dowel. The dowel driven into the hole should protrude to a height of at least 8–10 cm, as shown in the video. In the future, a vertical corner post of the building frame will be installed on this dowel.

Frame wall construction

Vertical posts are made of timber. The height of the racks should be equal to the height of the room in its pure form. The racks are installed in increments of 50–60 cm so that the entire frame subsequently takes on a monolithic and durable structure. The installation of vertical elements is carried out with the simultaneous installation of struts so that the entire structure does not crumble or become askew before time. In those areas where it is planned to install interior partitions and doorways, it is also necessary to install vertical racks. By supporting the ceiling beams, they eliminate sagging and give the necessary strength to the frame. This is clearly visible in the photo.

The verticality of the racks is checked with a building level, as shown in the video. After this, you should begin installing the top trim and floor beams, for which timber with a section of 5x15 cm is also used. All elements can be fastened with long nails.

Construction of the roof of a frame house

The main element of the roof is the rafters. To do this, you need beams with a cross-section of 5x15 cm. Their edges are hemmed together in such a way as to create an end connection at an angle of 50–55°. The rafters are assembled using nails and secured with crossbars.

Some builders assemble this structure on the ground. The photo shows that the letter “A” is formed. The rafter triangles are lifted onto the ceiling and reinforced with the help of ridge boards installed on both sides at the upper end of the rafter structures. After the entire rafter system is held monolithically, you need to assemble the sheathing. 2.5x15 cm boards are suitable for sheathing. We nail the boards at a distance of 10 cm from each other and extend them beyond the ends by 25 cm. We lay roofing felt or waterproofing film on the sheathing and fasten it with a construction stapler. It prevents moisture from entering the attic space.

And then comes the turn of metal tiles or other roofing material. To make the roof surface look beautiful and monolithic, you should start attaching the material from the bottom rows. The sheets are laid overlapping, one after another, and so on until the ridge, as can be seen in the photo. We cut down the protruding sheathing boards, fasten the roof wind structures and lay the ridge elements.

Installation of the floor of a frame house

Logs are laid on the laid beams of the lower frame, after which the subfloor is installed. You can use an unedged board for it. Depending on the type of finishing coating chosen, logs are laid on the subfloor or a continuous flooring is made. In order for the floor to be warm, it must be insulated with mineral wool laid in the space between the joists, or with expanded polystyrene if a continuous covering is being made.

Smooth boards 5x15 cm are suitable as lags; they are fastened with staples and nailed to the lags. If you are making a wooden floor, you should make sure that the lumber is well dried and planed, otherwise cracks may appear in the future. Treat the finished coating with drying oil. And after complete drying, it will be possible to paint the surface or varnish it.

Finishing a frame house

In order for a self-built 6x6 frame house to serve you for a long time, all wooden parts of the frame must be treated with an antiseptic. The frame structure is sheathed on the outside with boards or OSB boards. We install hydro and vapor barriers to keep the house warm. After this, the interior wall cladding is produced and completed. Now it is possible to use ready-made 3-layer panels from which the walls of the building are assembled. Interior and exterior decoration, choice of window structures and door panels is made according to your wishes.

If you want to build a two-story house, then the technology will be the same. But before choosing a project, look at the photo and video materials. Typically, such a structure is erected with an attic space, which will be the second floor. At the same time, quite a lot of materials and time are saved, and the additional space obtained as a result of this decision is quite enough for a family of 4–5 people. The main thing is to make sufficient insulation of the attic

If desired, the standard project can always be changed in accordance with your conditions and desires. In any case, such a house will look monolithic and beautiful.

Options for a technology popular among developers differ in the choice of construction materials, construction method and type of insulation. It combines reliability, durability, speed of construction, and absence of shrinkage. The assembly instructions will help you master the science of private house building.

Without a project - blindfolded

What does a finished frame house project provide:

  • Floor plans and drawings of components and structures;
  • Complete list of quantities and sizes of materials;
  • Calculation of costs for components and work;
  • Timely supply of utilities;
  • Reduced overhead and transportation costs;
  • Elimination of the purchase of excess materials;
  • Planning the expenditure of personal funds according to the estimate.

Site preparation

A thrifty owner will remove weeds from the future construction site of a frame house in advance, organize covered storage areas for material, and a room where power tools will remain overnight. Plans and prepares convenient entrances for vehicles. You will need a temporary toilet, a shelter for resting and eating.

Laying the foundation

Linking a project to a location involves familiarizing yourself with hydrogeological surveys in the area - this will give an idea of ​​the required type of foundation.
The total weight of the building, the layout, the nature of the terrain, the type of soil and the depth of groundwater will determine the thickness and depth of the foundation. Important: concrete foundations need reliable waterproofing and, at a minimum, a gravel-sand drainage layer for drainage.

  • Embedded elements with threaded anchors are pre-installed into the concrete.
  • On weak, floodable soils, by the way, you will need a screw pile foundation, which can be installed mechanically in one daylight;
  • Frosty swelling will be tamed by a reinforced columnar foundation with an upper reinforced concrete grillage raised above the ground;

The tape, made together with a single cast slab, will support the weight of a multi-ton monolithic frame house.

Selection of building material

In terms of frequency of use, the usual pine board is in the lead. LSTK (light steel thin-walled structures) and monolithic houses are less common. Traditional technology and the LSTC method are similar. The instructions will cover questions common to them.

Bottom trim and floor joists
Frame elements of a frame house are fastened with log joints and complemented by reinforced metal corners and supports. Horizontalness is checked by level if it is not possible to use a level. A large washer is placed under the nut. The joists are suspended on open supports of suitable size. They are connected to each other by crossbars. The preferred fixation to the frame is studs. For ease of installation of the wall frame, a temporary subfloor is laid.

Accelerated wall installation

An increase in the pace of construction is possible if you purchase a complete house kit - the component parts do not require processing or adjustment. Second option – this is the consolidation of assembly units. To do this, an exact copy of the wall element is drawn on the subfloor, restrictive bosses are attached, and the first block is assembled. Control of dimensions and diagonals is the most thorough! The value should be calculated so that the weight does not exceed 100 kg when working with two people.
The step along the axes of the vertical posts is 60 cm. In order not to lose the geometry of the fragment, it is covered on top with OSB (oriented strand board) 9–12 mm thick. In this case, braces are not installed; the necessary spatial rigidity is provided by OSB and reinforced corners (optional). Sheet covering materials are fastened with self-tapping screws, with a distance of 10–12 mm from the edge of the sheet. The gap between the sheets is 3 mm. Window and door openings are cut along the contour after hemming. Don't miss strengthening the openings with headers and additional racks.

Installation begins from the corner along the jute tape. Verticality and stability will be ensured by struts. The next block is also a corner block - they will hold each other. The conductor also carries out the assembly of interior partitions. It will also be useful for installing modules on the second floor. The connecting overlaps of two modular elements along the plane are laid with jute to avoid the appearance of cold bridges, and are tightened with pins.

The corners of the external walls are designed as a warm corner. This is more reliable than timber in retaining heat. The strength characteristics are the same. It is advisable to orient the OSB outward for subsequent ease of filling and protecting the insulation from precipitation during installation.

The walls of the first floor of a frame house are covered around the perimeter with boards 50 mm thick. This ensures that the weight of the superstructures is evenly absorbed and improves the connection between the corners. The joints are arranged exactly along the axis of the vertical posts, not coinciding with the underlying posts one step at a time. The ceiling is an exact copy of the floor of the first floor. The axes of the joists and vertical pillars of the walls of the second floor (if it is installed) coincide. Assembly according to the rules implies distribution of weight precisely along the axes.

Roof

Mostly, the roof of a frame house is gabled according to its configuration: a simple structure with a slope of 35–45 degrees has less windage and does not accumulate snow mass. The power frame duplicates the axes of the structures located below. Roofing work begins when the frame gains rigidity due to the main walls, partitions, interfloor ceilings and sewn-in gables sheathed on one side with OSB.

Insulation according to the rules

Significant parameters for choosing insulation:

  • Air permeability – the ability to remove dew point condensate;
  • Thermal conductivity level;
  • Durability;
  • Density.

The above requirements are met by penoizol and basalt wool. The pitch of the posts and logs of a frame house is initially adjusted to the slab mineral wool materials: they are clamped in width during installation. An additional safety net against sagging is fixation at several points with mushroom holders. Each subsequent layer is laid overlapping the joints of the previous one.

Thermal insulation is installed under a covered roof. The instructions for insulating walls, ceilings and roofs are identical. In interior partitions, basalt wool functions only as a sound absorber. External structures not only hold, but also protect the insulation from getting wet and weathering.

A vapor barrier membrane is installed on the inside of the wall. The orientation of the sides is marked on the packaging. Purpose: to prevent moisture from entering the heat insulator from inside the house. The reverse process is possible. The film strips are overlapped with double-sided tape. The places where the staplers are attached are taped with adhesive tape.

A hydro-windproofing film is installed on the outside. It protects stone wool from precipitation and gusts of wind. To effectively dry the insulation, a ventilated façade is installed: vertical slats under the exterior finish maintain a continuous flow of air, not allowing moisture to linger in bad weather, and drawing vapors from the thickness of the mineral wool in dry weather.

Conclusion

The instructions presented to your attention are not a dogma, but an unobtrusive guide to the basic points of bringing to life the idea of ​​​​building your own frame housing. Strict adherence to traditions or reckless immersion in high-tech avant-garde is your right choice. Creativity is never wrong. Be brave, you can do it!

In terms of frequency of use, the usual pine board is in the lead. LSTK (light steel thin-walled structures) and monolithic houses are less common. Traditional technology and the LSTC method are similar. The instructions will cover questions common to them.

When we are finished with the foundation, we begin to install the lower frame on it. The bottom frame must be strong enough to support the weight of the entire house. In this case, timber was used for strapping 150x150mm. Floor joists are made of boards 50x200mm.

Important points to note:

1. Before laying the timber on the foundation, be sure to place roofing felt under it so that the wood does not come into contact with the metal.

2. Don’t forget to treat the wood well with antiseptic compounds that protect it from rot and wood-boring beetles.

3. Before fixing the timber, check the diagonals and level.

4. We file down the logs along the edges, leaving them on top 50 mm, from below 150x150mm, we remove.

5. We lay pieces of board between the joists on the timber. 50x150mm, the walls of the house will rest on this place, and the logs protruding above the beam will interfere with us. Having calculated the distance between the logs in advance, we cut identical pieces of board in the required quantity. This will speed up the installation of the logs (you will not need to use a tape measure when installing each log).

6. Between the floor joists in the center we install exactly the same spacer bars; they will not allow the joists to bend when they dry. These bars will fix the logs at the same distance from each other.

7. The first and last logs are installed close to the trim beam; they will help in the future to correctly install the floor.

8. We will install the insulation in the floor later, but for now we will temporarily lay a board on the joists that we will walk on when building the walls. The boards are fixed for our safety. In the future, we will use these boards for sheathing the roof and floor.

Frame house construction has been a leader in the domestic market for several years now. A building built using Canadian technology will be not only economical, but also reliable, the main thing is to comply with all stages of construction of a frame house.

Why frame construction is gaining popularity

Based on such criteria as cost-quality, the technology of constructing frame houses, which is shown in the photo and video, has an undoubted advantage and is therefore gaining momentum in our country. The advantages of frame construction include the following:

  • Low cost of the house.
  • Low time costs for construction, since a team of 3 people can build a house from foundation to finishing in 2 months.
  • Good performance characteristics, allowing you to save money on building maintenance.
  • Frame technology makes it possible to install communications inside the walls, which is a feature of this type of house.
  • Building a house does not require a strong foundation.
  • Work can be carried out at any temperature.
  • During the construction process, you will not have to use heavy equipment, since all elements of the house are relatively light in weight and can be moved and installed by three people.
  • The frame house has high seismic resistance.
  • Long service life - average service life is about 80 years.

Having considered all the advantages of frame houses, we will learn how to build a frame house step by step and what types of foundations there are in order to choose the most optimal one for your home.

Types of foundation

The technology for building such a house is quite simple, but it is somewhat different from other varieties. If you have already prepared a project and agreed with the relevant authorities, then it’s time to begin the first stage of construction.

The foundation for a house built using frame technology can be piled, columnar, slab or strip, each of them has its own characteristics. It is advisable, before settling on any type of foundation, to view photos and videos of its construction in order to understand the process itself.

Columnar foundation

This type of foundation is the most attractive in terms of cost, and it is quite suitable for a frame house. The foundation consists of columns made of ready-made blocks, on which the future housing will actually be placed.

First, you need to make recesses for future pillars according to the drawing, level the ground and arrange a sand cushion. The sand needs to be leveled, spilled with water and compacted. After this, install the blocks themselves on the cement mortar, and lay a layer of roofing material on top.

Pile foundation

This type of foundation is considered universal; it is suitable for any type of soil. It consists of metal supports screwed into the ground, which outwardly resemble huge screws with threads and a pointed end. Video and photos of such a foundation are attached.

Both the pile foundation and the columnar foundation will subsequently require a back-up device. The fence is installed between pillars or piles in order to protect the underground space from cold and water. It can be made from boards or by brickwork.

Strip monolithic foundation

The only drawback of a strip foundation is that it is unreasonably expensive for this type of construction, since for a frame house there is no need to build such a reinforced foundation, although, judging by the photo, this method is also in demand.

Brick foundation

A traditional type of foundation, which is ordinary brickwork in one version or another. This is a fairly expensive foundation, and its reliability is slightly exaggerated. Such a foundation is rarely performed, especially for frame construction, as it is considered an outdated variety. Photos or videos of how to lay it can also be viewed on the website.

Trim and floors

The phased construction of a frame house involves the implementation of strapping. A layer of waterproofing material is laid on the foundation, and then a number of beams are installed, which are located around the entire perimeter, and, in addition, where it is planned to erect load-bearing interior walls. A prerequisite is that before laying the timber it must be thoroughly treated with an antiseptic. There are two ways to fix the bottom rails:

  • anchor bolts.
  • on metal vertical pins, which are laid during the concrete pouring process.

After completing the strapping process, we begin installing the floor beams and installing the vertical frame posts. As beams, you can use a beam with a section of 10x10 cm or a board 5–6 cm thick and 15 cm wide.

The beams are laid in increments of 60–70 cm. After this, a subfloor is laid from unedged boards. If you need to make a warm floor, then logs are laid on the rough flooring and between them an insulating layer of mineral wool, expanded polystyrene or expanded clay gravel is made, after having laid the waterproofing material. The insulation is covered with a vapor barrier film and the finishing coating is installed from tongue-and-groove flooring, laminate, parquet or ceramic tiles. The technology of these processes can also be seen in the video.

Wall assembly

The bottom trim, made of timber, must have grooves every 50 cm. It is imperative to ensure that the dimensions of the groove correspond to the cross-sectional dimensions of the vertical frame element. After installing all the vertical posts, you will need to move on to installing the top trim, which is also made from a small section of timber or a thick board.

All vertical posts of the frame are temporarily secured with two side jibs, which are attached with self-tapping screws to the lower frame and to the vertical post. For jibs use any boards or bars. You can even take long poles that can be used to secure several posts at once.

Vertical frame elements are installed not only for external walls, but also for interior walls, simultaneously marking future door and window openings.

After all the vertical elements have been placed, the top trim is made. To do this, grooves are cut out in the beams or boards for each rack. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain maximum accuracy when marking and cutting grooves. The beams of the top trim are attached to the vertical posts with metal corners or ordinary nails. To give greater rigidity to the frame, permanent struts and struts are installed instead of temporary ones.

The walls can be ready-made factory panels with insulation inside or made independently. In this case, boards are sewn onto the frame, vapor and waterproofing are laid, a layer of insulation is laid, again a layer of hydro and vapor barrier is laid, and all this is again sewn up with boards. It turns out that the frame elements remain inside the walls. This is a fairly simple method, but most often they use ready-made sandwich panels.

Installation of ceiling beams

The construction of ceiling beams is carried out using timber with a section size of 15x15 cm. They are fixed above the vertical posts so that the entire load is transferred to the posts and not to the beam between them. Fastening is carried out using perforated steel brackets and angles, using the method of cutting grooves and nails.

When building frame houses, all openings should be made at once, that is, door and window frames need to be made so that after the work is completed, doors and windows can be inserted. If you decide to do this yourself, then look at the photos or videos so as not to break the technology.

Roofing and frame sheathing

The construction of a frame house is completed by installing the roof. The roof structure consists of a rafter system and a roof. First you need to make temporary ladders along which you can safely move. Boards with a thickness of at least 5 cm are laid on the top frame of the house so that they can support the weight of a person. The boards are temporarily nailed to the top element of the trim.

Initially, the rafters are installed, for which the ends of the beams are connected at an angle that determines the selected roof slope. Rafter legs are installed in increments of 60–70 cm. Temporary installation is done using jibs. After all the rafters have been installed, ridge boards are nailed along the top of them on both sides.

The next step is sheathing the roof, laying thermal insulation, as well as laying roofing material, which is selected based on your own financial capabilities. Depending on the type of roofing material, the lathing is sparse or continuous.

The outside of a frame house can be additionally insulated or simply decorated with decorative material - vinyl or metal siding, plastered, lined with ceramic tiles or lined with clapboard. But in any case, a steam and windproof membrane must be laid under the finishing.

The construction of houses using frame technology is not only a fast, but also a profitable process, especially if all building codes and regulations are followed, with the involvement of professionals who are guided not only by photos, but also by their knowledge.