Which log is better to build a house from?

Selection of material for construction log house comes down to assessing the properties of chopped and rounded logs...

Each of these options has its own advantages.

Chopped or rounded?

When processing a chopped log, the bark is removed from it, taking into account the natural slope. The layer of remaining sapwood protects the wood well from aggressive external influences and prevents the log from drying out and cracking. The sealing of resin pockets, which occurs when processing chopped logs, contributes to the durability of the material and its resistance to rotting.

The construction of a log house from such a log is more difficult than from a rounded one. It is necessary to adjust the logs, taking into account the natural slope of the trunks. It is necessary to ensure a tight fit of the elements, without gaps. The advantages of houses made of planed logs include:

Maximum environmental friendliness by preserving all the natural properties of wood;

The ability to “breathe” - ensure natural air exchange inside the house due to the presence of micropores;

Heat-saving properties: the thermal conductivity of chopped logs is close to zero, the house perfectly retains heat in winter and cool in summer;

Aesthetic appearance, walls do not require finishing;

Durability and reliability due to the material’s resistance to weathering and temperature changes.

A rounded log is the result of processing a piece of wood on a machine with a milling system. Smooth logs, which are a perfectly even cylinder, look great and make it possible to simplify the work on the manufacture and installation of a log house as much as possible due to the geometric accuracy of their dimensions. To protect the wood from destruction by mold, mildew, and rot, rounded logs must be treated with special compounds.

The advantages of houses made of round logs are almost the same as those of houses made of chopped logs, but it is worth noting some nuances:

Environmental friendliness: impregnation with protective agents has virtually no effect on the environmental properties of rounded logs;

The effect of a ventilated room is achieved due to the porosity of the material - it provides daily air exchange of almost 30% of the total volume;

The low thermal conductivity of the material is reinforced by the ideal fit of rounded logs, as a result of which the walls do not have cold bridges and serve as reliable heat insulators;

Thanks to the perfect appearance log walls, there is no need for interior and exterior decoration;

Low cost: rounded logs are among the most affordable materials for building a private house;

To ensure the longevity of the house, it is necessary to systematically repeat the fire-bioprotective treatment of structures.

Log for construction: dry or naturally moist?

When choosing material for constructing a log house, preference should be given to logs with natural moisture. After installation of the log house, the moisture content of the material decreases to equilibrium. Accordingly, the volume of the logs decreases, and under their own weight they fit tightly to each other. As a result, the wall ventilation coefficient decreases, and wooden structure acquires the necessary thermal insulation characteristics.

Kiln-dried wood tends to absorb moisture and warp. Instead of wooden dowels, metal fasteners must be used to assemble the structure. This significantly worsens the performance of the building.

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For construction country houses use different materials. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, so people who decide to build their own house have a logical question: which structure is better? frame house or from timber? A house made of brick or timber is often compared with log buildings. Of course, it is impossible to give a definite answer to the question of which house is better, because many factors must be taken into account that can differ significantly in certain construction conditions. In our article we will look at the advantages and disadvantages of popular wall materials, and also try to compare the characteristics of buildings made from them.

Features of timber buildings

The following products can be used for the construction of timber houses:

• simple timber;
• glued products;
• profiled elements.

It is worth noting that a simple beam is used in frame construction, and houses are built from glued and profiled elements. Let's consider the properties of these materials.

The advantages of profiled timber include the following:

1. Effective and neat appearance.
2. Strength and rigidity of the structure, as well as tightness of the connection. Thanks to this, moisture and wind cannot penetrate through the building envelope and into the house.
3. Simplicity and speed of installation, minimal shrinkage.
4. High thermal insulation characteristics, good wear resistance.
5. No waste after installation.

Disadvantages of such products:

1. The material is susceptible to cracking.
2. You need to give it time to shrink.

Unlike profiled products, laminated veneer lumber has more outstanding characteristics. Its advantages include the following:

1. Glued laminated timber is not subject to cracking, shrinkage and deformation, so finishing and moving into the house can be done immediately after the frame is erected.
2. The house is assembled in as soon as possible, especially since the timber manufacturer usually provides an assembly diagram.
3. The walls do not require additional insulation.
4. Even complex architectural projects can be realized using laminated timber.

Among the disadvantages it is worth mentioning the following:

1. The price of glued elements is 2-3 times higher than the cost of profiled products.
2. In manufacturing, glue is used, which somewhat reduces the environmental friendliness of the material.

Pros and cons of timber houses

To answer the question, which is better, timber or logs, it is necessary to study the advantages that a house built from timber has:

1. Walls made of timber have high thermal insulation characteristics, which allows you to significantly save on heating such a house. Moreover, if the laying of profiled timber was carried out according to all the rules, then cold bridges do not form in the walls, which help reduce the temperature in the room and the penetration of moisture there.
2. If you compare log or timber house, then the latest buildings have a more attractive aesthetic appearance, which is achieved thanks to the smooth and even surface of wood products. Moreover, such a surface does not require cladding. If you want to achieve an even greater aesthetic effect, you can purchase a beam with a rounded front side. As a result, the walls of the house will resemble a classic log house.
3. Profiled wood wall products undergo special processing in the factory, which protects them from burning. Antiseptics, which are also used to impregnate the products, protect the material from rot, fungus and insect damage.
4. If we compare a house made of brick and timber, then the latter housing option is classified as environmentally friendly.
5. If you decide what will be warmer, a house made of timber or brick, then keep in mind that wooden wall three times thinner than brick, has the same thermal conductivity characteristics, so the answer is obvious.
6. Wood is an ideal material for construction in winter. This is due not only to the fact that mortar is not needed to make the walls, but also to the fact that winter wood is drier, and therefore less susceptible to shrinkage. In winter, the tree will not rot, fungus will not grow on it, and insects will not damage it.
7. If you compare which is better, a house made of timber or a log, then a structure made of timber will be lighter, which will allow you to save on making the foundation.

Despite such a large list of advantages, construction from timber has its disadvantages, which you should also know about:

1. Wood can hardly be called the cheapest wall material.
2. All wooden houses are subject to shrinkage, which occurs over a fairly long period of time (from 3 months to a year). Therefore, after making the box at home, you need to wait at least six months before performing further finishing work.
3. Wood is susceptible to cracking.
4. Sometimes it is very difficult to choose a high-quality timber that can maintain its characteristics for a long time.
5. Quite often, hidden defects in the material (rot, fungus, damage by insects) appear after the construction of the house, when nothing can be changed.
6. A house made of timber cannot be completed, rebuilt, or redesigned.

Advantages and disadvantages of frame houses

When deciding what to build a house from, many developers compare frame houses and from timber. In some cases, it is better to build a frame house, since such buildings have a large list of undeniable advantages:

1. Frame construction technology allows the construction of a structure in the shortest possible time. The frame is mounted according to the drawings, after which all that remains is to sheathe and insulate it.
2. When deciding which house is better, frame or timber, we can say that a frame building will be much lighter, so you can make a lightweight, shallow foundation for it.
3. Such a house practically does not shrink.
4. The surface of the walls is quite flat and smooth, so they do not require additional leveling. In addition, for cladding such walls you can use any Decoration Materials except for plaster. When choosing materials, you need to take into account the capabilities of the frame and its ability to withstand certain loads.
5. A good frame house, made in compliance with technology, is reliably protected from wind and moisture. Insulation inside the walls reduces the thermal conductivity of the enclosing structures, and the vapor-permeable membrane prevents moisture from the street from entering the house and at the same time ensures microcirculation of air in the room, creating a favorable microclimate in it.
6. When choosing which is better, a timber or frame house, keep in mind that in the latter case you are not limited in the choice of materials, since the frame can be made not only from wooden beams, but also from metal. In the latter option, a special thermal profile is used, which is not susceptible to corrosion, does not change its characteristics over time, does not burn and lasts quite a long time.

When deciding what to choose, a frame or timber house, it is worth remembering the only drawback of frame buildings. To build such a building of a complex configuration, you will have to turn to specialists for help. Moreover, this applies both to the design stage and to the process of building a house.

Features of construction from logs

When choosing a house made of logs or timber, it is worth remembering that there are two types of logs:

• Rounded. These products undergo special processing, during which the top layer is removed from them and the product is given the correct cylindrical shape. Such houses are distinguished by their beauty and durability. However, due to the fact that the top resin layer has been removed from the log, it is more susceptible to negative factors environment, therefore it requires protective treatment with special impregnations.
• A solid log does not look as attractive, but due to the preservation of the top resin layer, it is reliably protected from external destructive influences, and therefore is stronger and more durable. To build houses from solid logs, you need to invite specialists with experience.

Advantages of rounded logs:

1. There are ready-made schemes for assembling the walls of a log house, so the construction process does not take much time.
2. A house made of rounded logs looks very stylish and beautiful, like a tower from a Russian fairy tale.
3. The high thermal insulation characteristics of the material allow you to significantly save on heating such a house.
4. In a log house, a microclimate favorable for humans is maintained, humidity is regulated, and the air smells pleasant.

1. When deciding which is better, timber or logs, it is important to consider that when a house made of logs shrinks, a large number of cracks form. Therefore, they must be caulked periodically to protect the premises from moisture and wind.
2. The rounded log itself is poorly protected from negative weather influences, so you will have to take care of additional protection, that is, use antiseptic impregnations and fire retardants.
3. Compared to other buildings made of wood, the shrinkage of a log house takes a very long time. You will have to wait almost a year before finishing work and moving in begins.

Advantages of using solid logs:

1. The finished building is very reliable and durable.
2. If the processing of logs is done manually, then the cracking of the product will be minimal.
3. Due to the fact that the top resin layer is not removed, the product is reliably protected from negative weather influences.

The disadvantages of houses made of solid timber include the following.

Building a house from logs always raises many questions for the owner, and one of them is the thickness of the walls. This is an important parameter on which the thermal insulation qualities of a building depend, so you need to carefully select the material for construction. Manufacturers offer sanded and rounded logs of different thicknesses, and when choosing, you need to pay attention to several parameters.

What should be the thickness of the walls?

The thickness of the log for the log house depends on how the building is intended to be used: for permanent or temporary residence. In addition, this parameter depends on the climatic conditions of the region: in severe frosts, a log that is too thin will freeze, and a large amount of fuel will have to be spent for heating. Thickness of log walls for middle zone Russia is defined as follows:

• Logs less than 18 cm thick can only be used for non-residential structures. These are gazebos, workshops, outbuildings.

They are not suitable for a residential building, since in the cold season they will not be able to provide adequate protection. Logs less than 20 cm thick can also be used in the construction of summer kitchens; sometimes they are used for inexpensive sheds.

• A country house can be built from logs 20-22 cm thick. Such a building will be designed for summer living, in addition, it will be comfortable in spring and autumn with proper insulation.
• The thickness of a log house for permanent residence is 22-30 cm. This is a fairly expensive solution, but purchasing logs at a high price will allow you to save on purchasing fuel for heating in the future.
• A log 30-40 cm thick is the most reliable, warm and durable option, which, however, will be very expensive. However, you need to take into account that less logs will be required for the construction of walls due to the increased thickness, so the difference in price will be less significant.

If finances allow, you can build a building from thicker material. Economically, this is not the most profitable solution, but the house will be truly strong and as durable as possible.

In addition, a building made of thick logs looks very beautiful: it is a powerful structure that will become a real fortress and can last for many years. The large thickness of the log house also allows you to save on insulation work, since the material itself retains heat well.

If you want to build a log house, the thickness of the walls is not the only parameter that directly affects the energy efficiency of the building. Most of heat escapes through the openings of doors and windows, so it is important to take care correct installation window and door blocks. If a large glazing area is expected, you will have to purchase two- and three-chamber double-glazed windows, and in any case, all seams will need to be carefully closed and insulated.

What should a log bathhouse look like?

A special question is: what should be the thickness of a log house for a bathhouse? This room should be warm, since both the comfort and benefits of bath procedures will depend on this. At the same time, the bathhouse is not used constantly, and some do not use it at all. winter time, so it is not advisable to spend too much to buy lumber.


For the conditions of central Russia, the optimal thickness of the walls of a log bathhouse is 20-25 cm. This will be enough to maintain a comfortable atmosphere inside the bathhouse, while the material is sold at an affordable price. In any case, when building a bathhouse, you will have to spend money on the purchase of insulation: it is necessary to lay inter-crown rolled material when constructing the walls, in addition, the ceiling and floor require mandatory insulation.

Savings when buying logs for a log house leads to the fact that in the future you will have to constantly spend money on energy resources: the bathhouse will have to be heated for a very long time, and it will begin to cool down very quickly. All this will lead to an insufficient level of comfort, and the building will require additional insulation.

Ways to increase the energy efficiency of a log house

Not everyone can afford to purchase thick logs for a log house. High-quality lumber, especially imported ones, are very expensive, so most often you have to limit yourself to the average option.

To prevent the building from getting cold, it is important to take care of proper insulation, and this work is carried out during construction. Main ways to improve energy efficiency:

• The use of inter-crown insulation made from natural material. This can be jute fiber, flax fiber, flax wool, moss and other materials. They do not reduce the environmental friendliness of the building, as they easily absorb moisture and do not interfere with air exchange.

Such insulation materials are laid during construction along the entire length of the log; in addition, they are necessarily used to insulate the locks of the log house. However, their use has its disadvantages: natural materials are not durable.

• Caulking a log house is the use of insulation to seal the seams between walls. It is recommended to carry out such treatment of walls regularly, since over time, ordinary insulation becomes wrinkled and can be damaged by birds and insects. It is convenient to caulk with a special tool that will help to completely seal the seams.
• Additional external insulation, which is more often used in log houses. For this purpose, ventilated facade technology is used: lathing is installed on the walls, between which insulation boards are fixed. They are covered with a waterproofing film on top, after which the finishing façade material is installed.

Insulation of the floor, foundation and roof contributes to increased energy efficiency; in addition, it is recommended to completely seal the seams in window and door units. As a result, you can achieve maximum thermal insulation capacity of your home, while it will still remain as environmentally friendly as possible.

Traditional wooden house construction is being revived in Russia. Wooden houses are increasingly appearing in the suburbs, cottage villages, and suburban areas.

The uniqueness of natural building material lies in its beauty, comfort, convenience.

The main materials are wooden logs (in all varieties), regular, profiled, laminated veneer lumber. Which of these materials is better – logs or timber?

To the choice of construction material wooden house you need to approach it very responsibly, well understanding all the advantages and disadvantages of various timber products.

This choice also depends on financial capabilities, qualifications of builders, area of ​​the house, and the chosen project.

Log houses

The main advantages of naturally dried logs are obvious:

• significant size (speed up the construction process);
• environmental friendliness of natural material;
• low thermal conductivity;
• durability (houses are known to be three hundred years old);
• aesthetics (used in Russian traditional architecture).

Of these features, the most important is the structure of a naturally dried log, which determines the wood’s ability to breathe and, due to the elasticity of the annual rings, to withstand stress and temperature changes.

The disadvantages of the material include the high demands of the technology when choosing suitable trees, time of felling (winter logs are considered the best), drying conditions.

You need to really trust the specialists who choose the log for you: it is impossible for an amateur to visually determine its quality.

Poorly dried, low-quality logs after construction can behave unpredictably: warp, dry out, and bend. Because of this wooden house may be deformed, even to the point of destruction.

The significant weight of the log compared to other timber is also important - for large-scale buildings it requires a reinforced foundation and additional costs.

Finding qualified specialists can also cause difficulties - there are very few of them; it takes several years to learn how to cut a house yourself.

There are several dozen methods for cutting a log house. The number of specialists who know all the ancient Russian methods of cutting corners (the main difficulty lies in them) can be listed on one hand.

The most famous are cutting corners “into a bowl”, “into a paw”. The visible difference between houses built “into a bowl” is the protruding ends of the logs in the corners. They lead to increased wood consumption, but provide good protection from the cold in the corners, the most vulnerable places of the house. Corner joints are assembled by placing logs in semi-cylindrical grooves.

A common type of such log house has become the “Norwegian bowl” cut. Its difference from a traditional log house is in the processing of the log on both sides.

Flat surfaces are located on the inner and outer sides of the wall. For the connection, a “Norwegian lock” is used - a wedge-shaped groove.

The “Canadian bowl” in a round log is a regular trapezoid.

Thin grooves are cut along the entire length of the log, and the same tenon is cut on the opposite side, which create a tight connection when laying the logs.

Logging in the “paw” is less common due to its difficulty, requiring more qualifications. The end of a log, processed into five edges, is called a paw.

For such a log house, logs of the same thickness are required; cutting is more labor-intensive.

The advantage of this method is that it saves wood. Cutting "in the paw" is used for small log houses. The disadvantage of this method is cold corners that require insulation internal lining corners with boards.

A rounded log differs from a regular log in its factory processing. Often a calibrated (selected by diameter) log is mistakenly called rounded.

Factory processing comes down to milling the log along its entire length, similar to processing at lathe. Rounded logs are equal in size, which increases the speed of construction and gives the house an aesthetic appearance.

Log houses made of rounded logs are more susceptible to shrinkage. There is no confidence in the factory drying of the log, so after assembling the house it is recommended to preserve it for several months.

Everyone log houses you need to caulk the logs - heat escapes into the cracks between the logs and moisture accumulates in them. Building codes limit the use of rounded logs for interfloor floors along the length.

Houses made of timber

Log houses made from ordinary sawn timber, when processed at the factory, acquire standardized dimensions and correct geometry.

Inexpensive material is economically beneficial, the house is quickly assembled. The assembly kit is equipped with marked parts for all designs, which makes installation easier.

The disadvantage of all timber structures is drying and shrinkage of the material. Ordinary timber is also produced unplaned, which increases the volume of finishing work.

Sawn timber requires additional antibacterial and fire protection treatment. Log houses made of sawn timber must be caulked.

The profiled timber in the horizontal plane and corners is equipped with tenons, grooves, corner locks, and other connections made in the factory with high precision. This greatly increases the speed of installation, minimizes gaps, and increases thermal insulation.

The wood is impregnated with antiseptics at the factory, but additional processing will not be superfluous. The smooth surface of the wood can be used without additional finishing work.

The disadvantages of the material are increased cost and the ability to crack.

The design of laminated veneer lumber is similar to profiled timber. The most expensive material is distinguished by the method of factory production: it is glued together from bars under temperature and pressure.

Glued laminated timber is resistant to shrinkage, does not deform, and does not rot. The final finishing of the log house comes down to sanding all surfaces.

The disadvantage of the material, in addition to the high price, is considered to be reduced environmental friendliness due to the use of glue.

During the production of any timber, the natural structure and density of the wood are reduced. When sawing, the inner, looser layers are exposed. Dense outer wood is removed during processing. The home's ability to naturally ventilate is deteriorating.

Many experts consider timber structures to be less durable and colder compared to log houses.

Video about choosing the right log

Insufficient thickness of external walls can increase the energy consumption used to create comfortable living conditions in the house (heating in cold weather, air conditioning in hot weather) by 30% or more. Therefore, you should choose from what diameter of rounded logs it is better to build a house at the stage of its design. At the same time, it is important to make other house structures through which heat loss is possible as energy efficient as possible:

• openings (windows and doors),
• roof (ceiling and roofing),
• foundation and floor
• ventilation and chimney.

What diameter of rounded logs should I choose for building a house?

The cross-sectional dimensions of the log are determined by:

• the thickness of the walls, and, accordingly, their thermal characteristics,
• visual perception of the house,
• the required amount (cubic capacity) of lumber (while the quadrature, determined by the surface area of ​​the walls, remains the same).

The smaller diameter of the logs requires the use of more per unit height of the log house. The number of inter-crown joints increases proportionally, and the distance between them decreases. As a result, one gets the impression that the house is assembled as if from matches. And this leads to a feeling of fragility of its design and lack of solidity in appearance.

As the diameter of the log increases, the required volume of lumber for the log house increases (due to the thickening of the walls). Therefore, a warmer house will not only be more expensive (in terms of purchasing lumber), but also heavier. This may require additional costs for the construction of reinforced foundation structures.

What diameter of log is needed for year-round use?

Only an integrated approach to insulation, part of which includes deciding what diameter of rounded log to choose for winter living, will make it possible to create a truly economical and comfortable home. It should be taken into account that the effective thickness of the wall is determined by the width of the inter-crown junction. And this parameter is numerically 2 times smaller than the diameter of the logs used to assemble the log house. For example, with their diameters of 22 cm and 26 cm, the width of the joint between the crowns will be 11 cm and 13 cm, respectively.

Determining what diameter of log is needed for year-round living should be done taking into account the climatic conditions that will affect the house during the period of residence in it. Obviously, the lower the winter temperature extremes, the thicker the outer wall, providing comfortable conditions for residents in cold weather. IN building standards The following minimum width of the inter-crown junction is recommended for specific climatic conditions:

• 10÷12 cm (up to -20°C),
• 12÷13 cm (up to -30°C),
• 14÷16 cm (up to -40°C).

If you use a smaller diameter of log than the one needed for a winter house according to design calculations, but a smaller one, then this is beneficial only at the stages of purchasing lumber and construction, since this helps reduce the volume of walls, labor intensity and cost of work. At other stages there is no saving, and in some cases, on the contrary, losses arise. For example, the cost of caulking (you need to purchase materials and pay for the work) will be higher, since in proportion to the increase in the number of crown joints, their total length also increases.

And in winter, insufficient wall thickness will require constant heating associated with energy consumption. The result of such intense heating is the following: over the course of several seasons, the owner of the house completely loses everything that he managed to save by using logs with a smaller diameter. It is more advisable from the very beginning to purchase lumber with the designed dimensions (taking into account what diameter of log is preferable for permanent residence in the house) and assemble a log house from it in compliance with all technological requirements. In this case, despite the increase in financial costs at these stages, constant savings in energy costs are subsequently ensured, sooner or later exceeding the invested costs.

Insulation of inter-crown joints between rounded logs

Regardless of what diameter of the log is chosen for building a house - whether it satisfies thermal engineering calculations or is insufficient, caulking of the joints is always required after assembling the log house and again after completion of the shrinkage processes. To carry it out, natural (jute or linen) or artificial (a combination of acrylic sealant and polyethylene foam cord) materials are used. They make it possible to ensure a high degree of tightness of the joint to minimize heat loss through it (accordingly, the effective thickness of the wall increases).

11/10/2016