We build a frame house with our own hands from the foundation. Do-it-yourself frame construction or a “dream house” for little money (51 photos). Electrical and heating

A warm, prefabricated, not too expensive, but at the same time quite reliable house is the dream of any owner. And if you can still almost completely build it with your own hands, then such a private cottage becomes very attractive for land owners.

But what building will fully fall under all these requirements?

Our answer is a frame house.

History of frame construction

Today, frame housing construction is most popular in the United States and Canada. It was there that several centuries ago, during the development of vast territories, the main material for the construction of buildings was wood, which was consumed very economically (in the form of timber and boards, and not, as was customary in Rus', whole logs). At the same time, buildings needed to be built quickly (in a few weeks or a month, and not in a couple of years) and with a minimum of costs. In addition, those Europeans who developed new lands did not have the opportunity to build brick factories literally from scratch or pour deep concrete foundations.

The lightweight wooden frame construction of the house became a way out of the situation. Over time (and the development of colder northern territories), the walls turned into a real "sandwich" with an effective heat-insulating material inside.

Of course, this type of construction is found not only in America, but also in Europe and Scandinavia, where for several centuries one-, two-story houses, and three-, four-story buildings for various purposes have been built in this way.

But in Russia, such housing construction (in its current form) has become popular only in recent decades.

What it is

A frame building is a structure consisting of load-bearing beams and columns (usually wooden, which makes it possible to carry out construction independently without the use of special construction equipment), between which a heater protected from the environment is placed. As a heat-insulating material, it is customary to use foam (polyurethane foam, expanded polystyrene), mineral wool or "Ecowool".

Outside, the insulation is protected by cement-bonded particle board, OSB board or moisture-resistant plywood.

The “sandwich” design of a frame house is relatively light (when compared with brick or small-block buildings) and therefore does not require a bulky strip foundation (you can limit yourself to a solid concrete slab or a columnar base).

The foundation, in addition to transferring the load from the entire building to the ground, also raises the structure above ground level, thereby preventing moisture from penetrating into it (this is especially important for frame houses that include wooden elements).

erection

There are two options for the construction of frame houses:

the house is assembled from prefabricated elements manufactured in the factory;
the building is erected "on the spot" from separate materials, which are only at the construction site and are assembled into one single structure.

We will consider the second option:

Any construction begins with the development of a project, frame housing construction in this case is no exception, since it is much easier to foresee all the nuances and dimensions first on paper and not to suffer later with the adjustment of materials right on the construction site. A suitable blueprint can be found on the Internet, but if you want to build something very individual, it is best to order design documentation from the design team or organization involved in the construction of such houses. The project must include foundation drawings, floor plans, facade and sections, as well as roof and floor plans.

In accordance with the project, the foundation of the building is initially carried out. Most often, a columnar type is chosen, the elements of which are connected on top with a grillage into one rigid structure. Work on the construction of this type of foundation can be done independently (with the help of one or two assistants).

When pouring a grillage (or one solid reinforced concrete slab, which will be the basis for the frame), it is necessary to check the horizontalness of its upper surface.

While the base is gaining the strength you need (it will take about a month), you can buy material for building a house (the required quantity and dimensions should be calculated according to the project):

waterproofing material for laying it on top of the foundation;
lumber (the length and dimensions of the section depend on the size of the premises and the thickness of the wall);
various fasteners for assembling the frame (self-tapping screws, nails, anchor bolts, etc.);
antiseptic and flame retardant for wood;
insulation;
plywood, OSB or DSP for cladding;
material for assembling the roof of the building (waterproofing, lumber, roofing material, insulation);
superdiffusion membrane for wall vapor barrier plus simple vapor barrier.

Do not forget to prepare a tool for working with wood, as well as a building level, tape measure, puncher and other necessary “little things”.

The next stage is the treatment of all the lumber involved in the construction of the house with antiseptics (this will reduce the rate of wood decay) and flame retardants (the tree will be able to resist the effects of fire longer in a fire, and you will have a few extra minutes to leave the burning building).

Now you can start building walls. Let's start by laying the bottom trim:

we lay roofing material on top of the foundation;
then follows the beam of the lower trim, which in the corners can be joined in one of the popular ways, additionally strengthening the junction with nails or an anchor:
we check the horizontalness of the perimeter, as well as the correspondence of the diagonals and angles,
we attach the timber to the base with the help of anchor bolts in increments of no more than 1 meter;
again check horizontality, angles and diagonals.

Install the vertical posts of the frame, starting with the corner pieces. Connect them to the lower trim bar using reinforced steel corners:
To prevent the racks from staggering, fasten them diagonally on one side with a board.
Do not forget about window and door openings, as the distance between the vertical supports in these places will differ from the usual (in the plane of the wall without openings).

Secure the top rail with steel angles.
Check the verticality and horizontality of all elements.

Fasten each rack with permanent jibs from a small section timber:
Install and fix the ceiling beams with steel corners.
Perform the truss structure, crate, lay the roofing.
Sheathe the frame of the house from the outside with plywood, OSB or DSP.
Secure the vapor barrier membrane with a construction stapler (later you will nail the crate over it and secure the siding).
Lay the insulation tightly in the space between the vertical supports.
Close the insulation with a vapor barrier, attaching it with a stapler to the frame racks.
Sheathe the structure from the inside with plywood, DSP or OSB.

Video: features of Scandinavian house building technology

Video: about Canadian construction technology

Photo

If your budget allows, then order the construction of a turnkey frame house. Alternative options can be houses from SIP panels, from sandwich panels, from timber.

Our step by step instructions We will divide the construction of a frame house into several stages:

It is worth noting that each stage of the construction of a frame house deserves a separate article, in addition to everything, if you describe all the possible options for foundations, roofs, etc., you can get a whole book. In this regard, to improve readability, some steps in construction are described in detail in separate articles, but here - only what concerns the features specifically. frame house.

Step number 1: Preparatory work for the construction of a frame house

The preparatory work for the construction of any house is the same and includes:

Site preparation
House layout

Site preparation

First you need to clear the site of vegetation, if not all, then at least the place where the house will be built. This will greatly facilitate the markup and make it more accurate.

If the construction site has a large slope, then, depending on the type of foundation and desire, it can be pre-leveled on the horizon using special equipment.

Attention! Do not neglect this procedure, spending 1-2 hours on clearing, in the future you will greatly facilitate your work, and measurements in the grass can be with a large error.

House layout

Marking is a very important stage, because the layout and evenness of the corners of the walls depend on it. With inaccurate markup, it will be very difficult to correct this error in the next steps.

Marking the foundation of a frame house, as well as any other, as a rule, includes a preliminary placement of pegs (all external walls are marked), as well as marking all internal walls.

If you want to know how to properly mark the foundation for a house with your own hands, and so that all walls and corners are even and in line with the project, I advise you to read my article about this. Given the large amount of information, I had to take it out separately.

Step number 2: Do-it-yourself foundation for a frame house

The great advantage of a frame house is that almost any type of foundation is suitable for its construction. The only limitation is the type of soil on the site and your capabilities.

It is worth saying that laying the foundation for a frame house with your own hands deserves separate topics of discussion and is included in separate articles. Moreover, there are several types of suitable foundations, and which one to choose is up to you.

Here I will briefly talk about suitable foundations for a frame house, and about the cases in which each of them is used, as well as give links to their detailed description.

The most common type of foundation for a frame house is a pile-screw. This is practically the easiest and cheapest option for such a house, especially since it is not difficult to install a pile-screw foundation with your own hands.

Such a foundation is suitable for almost any soil, except for rocky ones. Particularly well suited for swampy soils, where dense soil rocks are deep and other types are very expensive.

In general, all the pros and cons of pile-screw foundations are discussed in another topic that will help you decide on the choice of support for your home.

Shallow strip foundation

Shallow strip foundation, also used for construction quite often. This is due to the relatively low cost of laying it, as well as the possibility of using concrete floors in the house.

Such a foundation, due to its relative fragility, requires precise adherence to the laying technology.

As a rule, a shallow strip foundation is used in good soils, and is strictly contraindicated on soil with a very high level of groundwater and swampy soils.

Slab foundation for a frame house

Recently, a slab foundation is gaining more and more popularity for the construction of a frame house with their own hands. Despite its low cost, it has obvious advantages, such as versatility, reliability, durability, and it can also be used as a subfloor in the house and not be spent on it separately.

Often, instead of a classic monolithic slab, a slab foundation with stiffeners is used. This allows you to save a little on laying, and also strengthens the entire structure as a whole.

Step number 3: Do-it-yourself frame house flooring

The floors in a frame house are not much different from the floors of other types of houses and can be wooden or concrete. The choice depends entirely on the type of foundation, capabilities and desires.

In this step-by-step instruction, we will consider in detail only a wooden floor, concrete - in a nutshell, since it is used less often, and it is not possible to fit everything in one article.

Concrete floor installation

It is worth noting that the concrete floor in the frame house is arranged, in cases of a slab foundation, or a strip one. Everything is clear with the slab - the slab itself will be the floor of the first floor.

But if the foundation is strip - the concrete floor is made of lightweight concrete, such as expanded clay concrete, for example.

Wooden floor installation

Let's look at the device of a wooden floor using the example of a pile-screw foundation. For a tape, in principle, everything is done in exactly the same way, with the exception of the lower trim, it can be from a thinner beam. But first things first.

Tying the foundation of a frame house

The device of a wooden floor begins with the binding of the foundation. As a rule, the strapping is made of timber 150x150 or 150x200, depending on the thickness of the wall and the distance between the piles. The greater the distance, the thicker the beam must be to avoid sagging.

The strapping is necessary, firstly, in order to give rigidity to the foundation, and secondly, to evenly distribute the load on the foundation, and thirdly, it will serve as a support for the future floor of the frame house.

In order to easily carry out the strapping process with your own hands, we divide it into several stages:

The beam is laid out along the perimeter of the foundation, the length of the walls and diagonals are checked. At this stage, the final and accurate marking of the walls is carried out, according to the project. By the way, do not forget about waterproofing, which we put under the harness in the form of roofing material.
The next step is to outline the points of joining the timber, they should be located on the pile, as these will be the weakest points that should not “hang”. This applies to houses whose walls are longer than the length of the purchased beams.
The beam is joined with an overlap of 20-30 cm, as shown in the photo. To do this, the so-called "locks" are cut out from the end.
The corners are joined in almost exactly the same way. This is clearly visible in the photo.
The beam is attached to the foundation with bolts or studs. To do this, it is necessary to drill holes, both in the head of the foundation and in the beam itself. For ease of further installation, protruding parts - bolt heads or nuts with studs - must be deepened. The joints are additionally punched with nails of 150 mm or 200 mm, depending on the size of the beam.
Once the perimeter is ready, we move on to the final step - tying the foundation under the inner walls of the frame house. This bar, to the already installed outer one, is attached in the same way. For reinforcement, you can additionally apply mounting metal corners.

When the binding of the foundation of the frame house is ready, we proceed to the next step in our instructions - the construction of the floor frame.

Floor frame in the house

It is worth noting that already at this stage it is desirable to provide for all communications entering the house, such as water and sewerage. Electricity and gas can be supplied later, but if everything is foreseen in advance, there will be much less problems later.

The next step is to install the lag, on top of the harness. If the distance between the supports is about 4 meters, then it would be better to use a beam measuring 100x200mm or 100x150mm. You can use a board 50x200mm or 50x150mm, stitching them in two.

If the distance is less than 3 meters, you can use a board with a size of 50x150mm or better 50x200mm.

Installing a log is a simple step in assembling a frame house, but there are some nuances that need to be provided for in this manual:

Do-it-yourself waterproofing and insulation of the floor of a frame house

It should be noted that waterproofing, as well as vapor barrier, must be installed with an overlap, according to the instructions for the material, while eliminating the ingress of moisture into the insulation, both from the outside and from the inside. And the insulation itself fits tightly, without cracks.

So we reviewed the instructions for arranging the floor of a frame house, now it's time to start on the walls.

Step number 4: Arranging the walls of a frame house

The next step of our instructions will be installing the walls with your own hands. Just like with the floor, we will fasten all boards and beams with nails and (or) mounting metal corners, some fastenings can be made with studs.

It should be noted that almost the entire frame is assembled from a board measuring 50x150mm or 50x200mm, depending on the required wall thickness and the required thickness of the insulation.

Some people think that it would be better to install a beam at the corners of a frame house, but this is not entirely correct, and why - a little later, during the installation process, I will tell you about everything.

So, let's start assembling the frame of the walls of the future house.

For a better understanding and assimilation, we will divide our instructions for arranging the walls of a frame house into several stages:

Assembling the walls of a frame house. Windows and doors
Installation and fastening of walls vertically in place

Assembling the walls of a frame house with your own hands. Windows and doors

We will assemble the walls on the finished floor of the frame house, this is the most convenient option. But it must be taken into account that in this case, it is necessary that all dimensions are accurate so that the walls do not turn out to be longer or shorter than the already arranged floor.

To understand what I'm talking about, first look at sectional wall of a frame house and then I'll talk about everything in order.

Now we will analyze step by step how to assemble all the walls of a frame house with our own hands:

First of all, we need to decide on the height of the ceiling in the house. Let's say that the height of the draft ceiling will be 280cm. This means that the vertical racks of the frame walls should be 280-15 = 265 cm. The diagram shows where 15 cm came from.
The distance between the uprights, as a rule, is selected based on the width of the insulation sheet, as a rule, its width is 60 cm. If the insulation is on a cotton basis, then the distance is reduced by 2 cm, for closer contact.
The top and bottom boards of the wall are laid out on the floor and the places where the vertical posts will be nailed are marked. Then the racks themselves are laid out and pierced with nails 120-150mm. You can additionally fasten them with corners.
It is worth noting that each wall will be less than the thickness of the wall than the length of the floor. This is clearly visible on the diagram.
If the length of the wall is greater than the length of the board, then the wall is assembled from several parts. This is also done in cases where there are few helpers, because the whole assembled wall will have a lot of weight.
As a rule, jumpers are mounted between the racks to stiffen the entire structure. There are no strict rules on the number and frequency of installation, it all depends on the length and height of the walls, but usually they break through one or two per gap between the racks. The second option is better and is visible in the photo, in the case when they break through one at a time - they are mounted in a checkerboard pattern (one at the bottom, the next at the top). This can be done later, when the walls are installed. Most often, jumpers are made with the expectation that they will serve as a joint for plywood or osb-boards, depending on further work.
Window and door openings in the wall of the frame house are arranged as shown in the diagram.
This is what it looks like in real life.

The most common mistake when assembling the walls of a frame house is that many people forget to take into account the thickness of the board in the calculations, thus the wall is not as long as we would like.

Putting the walls in place

It is worth noting that when assembling the walls, it is necessary to use a cord, pulling it from one corner to another, otherwise, the corners will be even, but the walls will not.

Upper harness and structural reinforcement

So, the wall frame is assembled, now it is necessary to make the upper trim from the same board as the walls.

The upper trim is necessary, first of all, for a stronger adhesion of the corners, and also gives unity to all parts of the frame walls and distributes the load between them.

To do this, it is necessary to pierce the board with nails 120-150 mm over the walls, around the entire perimeter, including internal bearings, so that all joints are blocked with an overlap of at least 25-30 cm. Except for corners where the overlap will be equal to the thickness of the wall.

The next step in our instructions will be to strengthen the entire structure as a whole. There are several options, the most common is reinforcement with plywood or OSB-plate.

As a rule, having broken one side around the entire perimeter (internal or external) with sheets of OSB-plate, the frame of the house already becomes very rigid.

Internal partitions of a frame house

The device of internal partitions is almost no different from the device of external walls, except that they have softer requirements in terms of thickness and insulation.

Internal partitions, unlike external walls, can be made thinner. Everything will depend on preferences and comfort for soundproofing.
The insulation, inside the partitions, will serve, first of all, as a sound-absorbing material, rather than as thermal insulation.
It is allowed to insulate internal partitions without waterproofing and vapor barrier materials.

These are all the main differences between the internal walls and the external ones, otherwise they are arranged in exactly the same way.

Step #5: Frame House Roof

The roof of a frame house is practically no different from the roof for other houses, be it concrete, brick or any other. I will even say more, the installation of a roof for a frame house will be less laborious than, for example, for a block or brick house, because its fastening to the walls will be much easier.

It is worth noting that the construction of a roof is a very responsible process, but if you do not have a complicated layout of the house, then you can easily do it yourself.

Building the roof of any house, including a frame house, is a very big topic, where there are many nuances. Firstly, there are many types of roofs, and it is not possible to describe everything in detail in one article. And secondly, in order not to confuse you, I, perhaps, will transfer this topic to a separate article.

Step number 6: Warming the frame house

So we got to the final stage of building a frame house - its insulation. Everything needs to be insulated - the floor, walls and ceiling.

You can read more about the insulation of a frame house with your own hands in another step-by-step instruction, here we will discuss only general points.

When choosing a heater for the walls of a frame house, it is necessary to take into account not only the characteristics of the heater itself, but also the features of the tree, with which not all types of insulation will interact well.

Here is a small instruction for warming a frame house with your own hands:

Outside, over the OSB sheets, a special waterproofing membrane is stretched. Which side - should be in the instructions for it.
Inside the house, between the racks, insulation is laid, in several layers, depending on the requirements for the house and the thickness of the wall. Each layer is laid with an overlap on the joint of the previous one in order to avoid cold bridges.
Floor insulation works in the same way.
It is better to insulate the ceiling from the attic, after filling the vapor barrier film from below onto the ceiling beams and hemming them with a board or plywood.
After laying the insulation, it is necessary to fill a vapor barrier film on top of it, it will protect the insulation from moisture from the inside.
Depending on the needs and further finishing work, sheathing material is stuffed on top of the film on the walls - a board or slats, but most often - OSB sheets, on top of which, in the future, a fine finish is carried out.

As you can see, there is a lot of text. But, I believe, all stages of construction have been described in detail here. do-it-yourself frame house, despite the fact that some points have been moved to separate topics, but this is only for your convenience.

I hope that by following this step-by-step instruction, you will be able to acquire a warm, cozy and reliable home without much difficulty and at minimal cost.

Why is low-rise frame construction becoming more in demand every year, regardless of the technology used (Swedish or Canadian)?

When building a frame house, coniferous trees are used: spruce, pine, fir.

The answer lies in the simplicity of the construction technology itself, in the efficient use of building materials, and, most importantly, in saving money on construction (low cost of housing).

The demand for frame-type houses is so great that many begin the construction of such a house, mastering the latest achievements in building technologies on their own.

And in fact, all the expectations of the builders justify themselves, because this process is not so complicated as it might seem at first. Because the technology does not require special technical knowledge.

Houses that are made on the basis of the frame are quite durable. Living in such a house for a family will be comfortable and cozy all year round.

Consider building a frame for building a house with your own hands, starting with laying the foundation. You need to get down to business only after you have a drawing with a house project on hand.

What kind of wood is best to use for the frame?

Coniferous trees are mainly used: spruce, pine, fir. This is due to the fact that resins are included in the composition of conifers. Therefore, their resistance to moisture and decay is much higher than that of hardwoods. Fir and spruce are completed together and delivered together due to the similarity of their natural properties. Pine is considered the most weather resistant.

Larch is not used for the reason that it is not quite suitable, since when nails are driven into it, it easily cracks. Hardwood is more difficult to process due to the abundance of a large number of knots, although it is denser and less susceptible to swelling and shrinkage. Hardwood finds its use in making small fasteners such as dowels and wedges.

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Laying the foundation for the frame

The scheme of the foundation of a frame house.

Any construction of a house begins with the construction of a foundation for a future building. For lightweight houses (frame houses are just such), it is not rational to equip deeply laid foundations. The most optimal options for the base for a frame house are: tape shallow penetration, columnar, prefabricated from blocks. Such foundations are designed to perform an important function - the creation of a rigid frame in space. This is achieved in different types of bases using:

durable and reliable fittings in the tape type;
monolithic grillage in a columnar foundation;
strong and reliable fastening to all reinforced concrete blocks of the lower trim.

Let us dwell in more detail on the pillar method of laying the foundation from pipes.

Holes are made in the ground with a depth of 1 m, a diameter of 20 cm, at a distance of about 70 cm from each other along the perimeter of the future building.
Asbestos pipes (1.5 m high) are inserted into the prepared recesses.
Carefully fill the pipes with earth from all sides.
Pour the concrete mixture inside.

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Materials for arranging the frame of the house

Lumber (wood is better from coniferous species: pine, fir, spruce; from hardwood - oak) - a bar with a section of 150 by 150 mm.
Antiseptic.
Ordinary roofing felt without UV stabilization and sprinkling (it is cheaper).

Fasteners:

10 kg of nails (100 mm - 3 kg, 120 mm each - 5 kg, 50 mm each - 1 kg);
self-tapping screws: 100 mm - 500 pieces, 50 mm - 100 pieces.

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Tools and equipment:

Tools necessary for work: tape measure, level, hammer, hand saw, screwdriver.

circular saw (or chain);
miter saw (optional)
perforator;
roulette (short and long);
screwdriver;
hacksaw;
axe;
hammer;
pliers;
shovel, scrap;
chopping cord;
level;
jigsaw;
electric planer;
set of construction pencils.

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How to make a frame for a house?

The preliminary stage of work involves preparation for construction.

At the initial stage, lumber should be harvested and treated with an antiseptic. You need to buy roofing felt and all the necessary fasteners (nails, screws). Prepare the instrument. It is necessary to pre-determine the thickness of the thermal insulation for the floor, walls, ceiling, in order to exclude an increase in the size of the frame.

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How to fasten the bars of the lower trim?

Scheme of fastening of the beam of the lower strapping.

First, the roofing material is laid on the grillage. After 7 days after the foundation has stood, you can begin to assemble the frame along it. Although concrete will gain full strength only after 28 days. But 7 days is enough for safe work on a hardening base.

Next, it is necessary (before laying the timber) to measure the evenness of the horizontal plane of the grillage using a level. Waterproofing and timber can be laid if it is perfectly flat. If there are irregularities:

less than 1 cm - you need to put planks under the bars, since the solution will not grab enough with the frame with such a thickness and will crumble over time;
more than 1 cm - they are leveled with a cement solution and allowed to stand for a week, then the waterproofing and the lower strapping beam are fixed.

With each other, the bars of the lower trim are joined by sampling at the corners. There are quite a few different sampling options. It is recommended to use 2: sampling in the paw and sampling in the middle of the tree. Both are proven and reliable options. You can use any of them.

Algorithm for connecting beams by sampling at the corners

The bars are fixed to each other in the place of the corner joints. You can use the method of connecting the bars with an anchor, which also fastens the bars of the lower trim to the base.

To do this, the bars are interconnected with nails (length not less than 150 mm). There should be 4 nails for each corner. They need to be positioned by indenting 1.5 or 2 cm from the edge of the timber.

Scheme of overlapping frame house.

A hole is drilled at the junction of the bars, with a diameter of at least 20 mm. Using a hammer, a wooden dowel (dried oak pin) is driven into the hole. Its protruding part above the surface of the beam should remain 8-10 cm for attaching the frame racks in the future. The diameter of the dowel must match the diameter of the hole. Nagel can be either round or square. Square - with a side slightly larger than the dimensions of the hole.

Nail fastening of the strapping bottom bar

As with each other, the strapping lower bars are attached to the foundation. If at the stage of concreting the grillage for the strapping bars, studs were laid, then anchors will not be needed. In this case, you can start by drilling holes in the beam for the studs in those places that will coincide with the location of the concreted studs. The stage described below should be skipped and go directly to the work described in the next part.

Anchor bolts with a diameter of 16 mm will come in handy if the studs were not provided when laying the foundation. The anchor must penetrate the foundation to a depth of at least 100 mm. It is very easy to calculate the length of the anchor: 100 mm must be added to the height of the strapping bottom bar. For example, if the strapping height is 100 mm, then 100+100=200.

Anchor fastening of the lower trim

Holes for anchors are drilled in the hardened concrete of the grillage. Then, holes are drilled in the strapping boards at the locations of the bolts.

With the help of nuts with bulk washers, the beam is attached to the foundation. The washer increases the size of the area where the nut is in contact with the wood. Drowning in wood can be caused by using nuts without washers. And this is completely undesirable. The nut must have 6 faces so that it can be tightened with a wrench. An unacceptable option is a square and round nut for a screwdriver.

In the corner, the anchor is installed at the junction of the lower strapping bars in the event that the corner connection of the bars is not fastened with dowels and nails. If fastened, then the first anchors are installed on the conditional line of continuation of the internal contour of the base frame. And then - between the corners on the boards, making a step of 1-1.2 m. The step can be a larger gap, but not more than 2.4 m. Another important rule: at least 2 bolts must be installed on one lower strapping bar, regardless of the length of the wall itself (even if it is short).

Be sure to check the angles, diagonals and levels of the strapping beam. Small irregularities on the upper surface can be smoothed out with an electric planer.

After installing the strapping bars from the bottom side, attaching them to the foundation and fastening them together, you can proceed to mounting the frame racks vertically.

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Installing racks vertically

Scheme of installation of vertical racks of the frame.

Installation of racks in the corners

The corner posts of the frame are installed first. Their section must be different from the section of other racks. The type of fastening of the racks in the corners will depend on how the bars of the lower trim were fastened.

If the connection of the beam at the corners was made with an anchor or nails, then the corner post is attached using steel corners. The corners for this are selected reinforced.
If the lower strap was fastened with a dowel. In this case, the released ends (up to 10 cm) of wooden dowels should have remained. On these dowels you need to put the corner posts of the frame.

For this purpose, a hole is drilled in the lower end of the post with a diameter that corresponds to the diameter of the dowel (d is 20 mm or more). The depth of the hole is made larger by 1 cm (9-11 cm). We put each rack on the dowel and support it with temporary jibs. Temporary jibs will be required when attaching the stud to a corner using steel angles.

Installation of intermediate racks

Panel structure diagram.

It is necessary to choose the method of fastening the racks.

2 options are suitable: the first (more economical) is the cutting method (cutting to the floor or full cutting). The second - using galvanized steel corners (about 2 mm thick). The second option is considered more reliable, faster and simpler, since the lower tie bar remains solid, without being weakened by rack cuttings. But this option is also more expensive, since the cost of fasteners affects the estimate.

Attaching the corners does not present any difficulties: for this, galvanized wood screws are used or non-galvanized ones, if you can’t buy the first ones.

Let us consider in more detail the fastening of the frame racks by cutting down.

Markings are made on the bar of the lower trim and, on its basis, grooves in accordance with the dimensions of the rack and a height of 30-50% of the thickness of the bar of the lower trim. If a beam with a thickness of 100 mm is selected, then cutting in depth will be 30 or 50 mm.

Non-corner posts also need to be fastened with temporary braces, regardless of the chosen method of fastening. You can install 1 extended jib, capturing several racks at once, or install 2 short jibs to each rack. The use of temporary braces is caused by the need to create stability for the connection of the post-lower trim so that it does not loosen even before the arrangement of the upper trim and the installation of permanent struts.

If the layout of the frame for all the walls was not carried out in advance (it was planned to work without a drawing), then at this stage it is necessary to outline the location of the walls and the dimensions of the important elements of the frame. This is necessary in order to determine the pitch of the racks at the location of the door and window openings. Because here it may differ from the usual.

It is important to consider that if corner fixing was used, then the height of the floor will be equal to the height of the vertical rack. When using the cutting method, the floor height is less than the vertical post by 2 cutting depths.

In these houses, a wooden frame acts as a supporting base, which is assembled from beams, crossbars, racks and strapping. The frame takes the weight of the roof, floors and walls.

When building a frame house, special attention should be paid; when choosing lumber for the frame, the forest must be dry, geometrically even and free of fungi and pests.

In terms of labor costs and the consumption of building materials, frame houses are one of the most economical structures.

Another advantage of such a house is the possibility of building it yourself. All construction works (roofing, installation of door and window blocks, cutting of sheet materials, cutting beams and boards, laying a light foundation) do not require special professional building qualifications. Frame houses do not include heavy elements that require the use of lifting equipment for installation. How to build a frame house yourself will be discussed in this article.

Compared to houses made of beams and logs, frame houses have a number of operational advantages. Such houses are warmer, they do not have grooves between logs that require insulation. The frame house will not give precipitation. This facilitates construction and further operation. The frame house is affected to a much lesser extent by grinders, settling in massive beams and logs. When heated, such a house will warm up faster, it has less humidity. All these advantages attract developers to building a frame house.

Varieties of frame houses

Scheme of the pediment of a frame house.

Depending on the construction of the walls, there are 2 types of frame houses: frame-backfill and frame-panel. In frame-panel houses, the walls are separate and completely finished panels, which are made in advance and mounted on the construction site. Wall assembly is usually carried out somewhere in a warm place in autumn or winter.

Manufactured with high precision, on layout according to a template, with careful laying of windproof materials and insulation, neat inner and outer cladding, they allow you to quickly assemble a house with high quality construction. The size of the shields is chosen according to the length, which is equal to the height of the wall. The required width is selected depending on the size of the available sheathing material.

Frame-fill houses have walls that are assembled at the construction site from start to finish. On the racks of the frame, the inner lining is carried out with the laying of a vapor barrier layer (glassine, plastic wrap can be used). The inner space of the wall is filled with heat-insulating material.

In such structures, loose heaters are usually used: perlite sand, peat, sawdust. During the build-up of the outer skin, a heater is laid. Loose insulation to avoid precipitation and voids is tightly rammed.

The type of walls that are chosen for the house determines the design of the frame. Wall panels by themselves cannot bear the load. Frame-fill houses require the creation of a more durable frame.

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How to build a frame house?

Before proceeding with the construction of a frame house, a project is drawn up. According to the project, all necessary materials are calculated. The technology of creating a frame house includes several stages.

Scheme of a country frame house.

Tools and materials needed to create a frame house:

Small and large hammer.
Electric planer.
Chisels of various sizes.
Large and medium nail puller.
Drill with a set of drills.
Circular Saw.
Electric jigsaw.
Building level and plumb.
Marker and pencil.
Roulette.
Flat and Phillips screwdriver.
Tassels of various sizes.
Scaffolding.
Ladder.
Roofing material for waterproofing.
Asbestos pipes.
Reinforcement of various sections.
Concrete for pouring the foundation.
Boards of various sections and plates.
Styrofoam or mineral wool for insulation.
Lining or siding for exterior decoration.
Gypsum board for interior decoration.
Protective film.
Roof covering.
Communication materials: pipes, wires, etc.
Nails, metal staples, bolts.
Antiseptic coating.

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Building a foundation

Schematic of the wall structure.

Building a quality home requires a good foundation. To extend its durability, you must not forget to equip the waterproofing.

Since the weight of the frame house is small, most often a foundation of asbestos pipes is created under it. Along the perimeter of the future building, the location of the support points is marked. It is necessary to monitor the uniformity of the racks.

In the marked places, pits with a diameter of 200 mm and a depth of 1 m are pulled out. The pipe is inserted into the pit, its verticality is verified, and then the soil is carefully rammed.

After that, reinforcement is laid and the rack is poured with concrete. The same procedure is carried out with each column. After pouring, you need to give the pillars a few days so that they can get stronger properly.

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With the laying of the lower trim on the foundation, work begins on creating a frame house. It can be made from round wood cut into 2 edges. It would be even better to use a beam with a section of 120x120 mm (it is more convenient to work with it). If there is no suitable timber and logs, the lower and upper trims (and other frame elements) can be made from 40x120 mm boards.

The scheme of the lower strapping.

Wood for the lower strapping, which works in the most unfavorable conditions, is treated with an antiseptic. This will protect the wood from decay, and therefore extend the life of the structure. The simplest processing method is impregnation with a 10% aqueous solution of iron or copper sulphate. This impregnation does not clog pores - the wood will be able to breathe. Novice builders often make the mistake of impregnating the logs and lower beams with used machine oil and painting over with oil paint. This leads to rotting of the wood and the formation of house fungus. This is due to the fact that the oil closes the pores and does not allow moisture to evaporate.

If the lower trim is laid on a continuous strip foundation, then it is necessary to lay a dry, strong board 50 mm thick impregnated with hot bitumen between the beam and it. If a columnar foundation is being erected, then a segment of the same board is laid between the pillar and the beam, wrapped with 2 layers of roofing material.

Between themselves, the beams are connected at the corners of the half-tree. At least at 4 points, the strapping must be fastened to the foundation using embedded metal anchors. It is necessary to strictly control the horizontal level using the building level.

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Covering the first floor

Having installed the lower harness on the foundation, you can start laying the logs along which the floors will be laid. Usually logs are made from a board 100-120 mm wide and 40-50 mm thick. With a wall module of 1.2 m, they are installed in increments of 0.6 m. You need to install the logs on the edge. They should rely on posts made of scrap steel or asbestos-cement pipes. After installation, under the logs you need to put bars, previously wrapped with roofing material.

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Installation of vertical racks

Scheme of fastening corner racks.

Vertical racks are installed at a distance of 0.6 m from each other. Thus, every 3 racks create a module of 1.2 m. The module is often selected depending on the width of the available windows.

According to the value of this indicator, the strapping is broken down. Corner drains make them more powerful. As a material, hewn logs, a bar or two boards connected with nails are used.

Intermediate racks are made of boards 40-50 mm thick. Above the door block, above and below the window block, horizontal crossbars are placed from the same boards. The window sill is necessarily supported by a short stand. Beams and logs are fastened with staples, and the racks are sewn to the strapping with nails 120 mm long.

The width of the racks is chosen depending on the insulation used. For example, using 100 mm thick mineral wool slabs, you will need 100 mm wide racks. It makes no sense to increase this size too much, since air voids do not improve thermal insulation, but can lead to slipping and sedimentation of the insulation. The use of bulk insulation eliminates such restrictions. The width of the racks is selected according to the dimensions of the available lumber (usually no more than 150 mm).

If the inner and outer wall cladding is done with boards, then it is necessary to make diagonal connections along the racks between the upper and lower trim. They will protect the house from wind loads, skew and uneven foundation settlement. In order for the boards not to interfere with filling with insulation, it is necessary to cut them perpendicular to the plane of the racks. If sheet material (asbestos-cement sheet, chipboard, plywood) is used as sheathing, then it is not necessary to install wind ties. To give the house the necessary rigidity, sheathing sheets are nailed to the frame. After the racks are set, you can mount the top trim on them. It is made using the same materials and using the same techniques as the bottom one. With the help of nails and staples, it is fastened to the racks.

Have you ever encountered the fact that in discussions on the forums the topic of the “right” or “wrong” frame house pops up? Often people are poked with their noses at the fact that the frame is wrong, but it is hard to explain clearly why it is wrong and how it should be. In this article I will try to explain what is usually hidden behind the concept of a “correct” frame, which is the basis of a frame house, just like a human skeleton. In the future, I hope, we will consider other aspects.

Surely you know that the foundation is the foundation of the house. This is true, but the frame house has another basis - no less important than the foundation. This is the frame itself.

Which frame house is “correct”?

I'll start with the main one. Why is it so difficult to talk about the right frame house? Because the only correct correct frame house does not exist. What a surprise, isn't it? 🙂

You will ask why? Yes, very simple. A frame house is a large constructor with many solutions. And there are many decisions that can be called correct. There are even more decisions - “semi-correct”, but there are a legion of “wrong” ones.

Nevertheless, among the variety of solutions, one can single out those that are usually meant when speaking of “correctness”. This is a frame of the American and, more rarely, Scandinavian type.

Why are they considered examples of “correctness”? Everything is very simple. The vast majority of private homes for permanent residence in America, and a very significant percentage in Scandinavia, are built using frame technology. This technology has been used there for more than a dozen and perhaps even a hundred years. During this time, all possible cones were filled, all possible options were sorted out and a certain universal scheme was found that says: do this and with a probability of 99.9% you will be fine. Moreover, this scheme is the optimal solution for several characteristics at once:

Structural reliability of solutions.
Optimal labor costs during construction.
Optimal cost of materials.
Good thermal performance.

Why step on your own rake if you can use the experience of people who have already stepped on this rake? Why reinvent the wheel if it has already been invented?

Remember. Whenever we are talking about the “correct” frame or about the “correct” components of a frame house, then, as a rule, this means standard solutions and components used in America and Scandinavia. And the frame itself satisfies all the above criteria.

What frameworks can be called “semi-regular”? Basically, these are those that differ from the typical Scandinavian-American solutions, but, nevertheless, also satisfy at least two criteria - reliable design and good solutions in terms of heat engineering.

Well, I would classify all the rest as “wrong”. Moreover, their “incorrectness” is often conditional. It is not at all a fact that the “wrong” frame will necessarily fall apart. Such a scenario is actually extremely rare, although it does occur. Basically, the “wrongness” lies in some controversial and not the best decisions. As a result, it becomes difficult where it can be done easier. More material is used where less is possible. A colder or more inconvenient design for subsequent work is made than it could be.

The main drawback of the “wrong” frames is that they do not give absolutely any gains compared to the “correct” or “semi-correct” ones - neither in reliability, nor in cost, nor in labor costs ... nothing at all.

Or these advantages are far-fetched and generally questionable. In extreme cases (and there are some), improper framing can be dangerous and result in a home needing a major overhaul in just a few years.

Now let's look at the issue in more detail.

Key Features of the American Frame

The American frame is practically a standard. It is simple, strong, functional and reliable as an iron saw. It is easy to assemble, it has a large margin of safety.

Americans are tight-fisted guys, and if they manage to save a couple of thousand dollars on a construction site, they will definitely do it. At the same time, they will not be able to stoop to outright hack-work, since there is strict control in the construction industry, insurance companies will refuse to pay out in case of problems, and the customers of would-be builders will quickly sue and rip off negligent contractors like sticky.

Therefore, the American frame can be called the standard in terms of the ratio: price, reliability, result.

American frame is simple and reliable

Let's take a closer look at the main points that distinguish the American wireframe scheme:

Typical nodes of a frame house

Beam in racks and harnesses is almost never used, unless it is due to some specific conditions. Therefore, the first thing that distinguishes the “correct” frame house is the use of dry lumber and the absence of timber in the walls. By this criterion alone, you can discard 80% of Russian companies and teams operating in the frame market.

Moments that distinguish the American frame:

Corners - There are several different ways to implement corners, but nowhere do you see a beam as a corner post.
Double or triple racks in the area of window and door openings.
The amplifier above the openings is a board mounted on an edge. The so-called "header" (from the English header).
Double top strapping from the board, no timber.
The overlap of the lower and upper rows of strapping at key points - corners, different fragments of walls, junctions of internal partitions to external walls.

Ukosina I specifically did not note as a distinctive moment. Since in the American style, in the presence of sheathing with OSB3 boards (OSB) on the frame, there is no need for jibs. The plate can be considered as an infinite number of jibs.

Let's talk in more detail about the key features of the correct frame in the American version.

Correct corners of the frame house

In fact, on the Internet, even in the American segment, you can find about a dozen schemes. But most of them are outdated and rarely used, especially in cold regions. I will highlight three main angle patterns. Although realistically, only the first two are the main ones.

Knots of the corners of the frame house

Option 1 - the so-called "California" corner. The most common option. Why "California" - I have no idea :). From the inside, another board or strip of OSB is nailed to the extreme rack of one of the walls. As a result, a shelf is formed on the inside of the corner, which later serves as a support for the interior decoration or any inner layers of the wall.
Option 2 - closed corner. Also one of the most popular. The bottom line is an additional rack in order to make a shelf on the inner corner. Of the advantages: the quality of the insulation of the corner is better than in option 1. Among the disadvantages: such a corner can only be insulated from the outside, that is, this must be done before sheathing the frame with something from the outside (plates, membrane, etc.)
Option 3 - "Scandinavian" warm corner. A very rare variant, not used in America. I saw it in Scandinavian frames, but not often. Why did I bring him then? Because, in my opinion, this is the warmest version of the corner. And I'm thinking about starting to apply it to our facilities. But before using it, you need to think, since it is structurally inferior to the first two and will not work everywhere.

What is the peculiarity of all these three options and why is a beam a bad option for a corner?

Angle from a bar, the most losing option

If you notice - in all three options from the boards, the corner can be insulated. Somewhere more, somewhere less. In the case of a beam in the corner, we immediately have 2 drawbacks: firstly, from the point of view of heat engineering, such a corner will be the coldest. Secondly, if there is a beam in the corner, then there are no “shelves” from the inside to attach the interior trim to it.

Of course, the last question can be solved. But remember what I said about “wrong” wireframes? Why make it difficult when you can make it easier? Why make a beam, creating a bridge of cold and thinking how to attach the finish to it later, if you can make a warm corner from the boards? Despite the fact that this will not affect the amount of material or the complexity of the work.

Openings and top trim are the most significant difference between the American frame scheme and the Scandinavian one, but more on that later. So, when they talk about the correct openings in the frame, they usually talk about the following scheme (window and door openings are made according to the same principle).

Correct openings in a frame house

The first thing (1) that people usually pay attention to when talking about “wrong” openings is the double and even triple posts on the sides of the opening. It is often believed that this is necessary for some kind of strengthening of the opening to install a window or door. Actually this is not true. A window or door will be fine on single racks. Why then do we need cohesive boards?

Everything is elementary. Remember, I said that the American frame is as simple and reliable as an iron saw? Pay attention to figure 2. And you will understand that cohesive racks are needed solely to support the elements lying on them. So that the edges of these elements do not hang on nails. Simple, reliable and versatile.

In Figure 3 - one of the simplified varieties, when the bottom trim of the window crashes into a broken rack. But at the same time, both window trims still have supports at the edges.

Therefore, it is impossible to speak formally about the fact that if the racks are not doubled, then this is “wrong”. They can also be single, as in the Scandinavian frame. Rather, it is a mistake when the posts along the edges of the openings are cohesive, but do not bear the load from the elements based on them. In this case, they are simply meaningless.

In this case, the horizontal elements are hanging on the fasteners, so there is no point in doubling or tripling the racks on the sides.

Now let's talk about an element that is already more critical and the absence of which can be considered as an "irregularity" of the opening. This is the “header” above the opening (header).

Window "header"

This is the really important element. As a rule, some kind of load will come from above to the window or doorway - the logs of the second floor, the rafter system. And the wall itself is weakened by deflection in the area of the opening. Therefore, local reinforcements are made in the openings. American style is headers. In fact, this is a board mounted on an edge above the opening. Here it is already important that the edges of the header either rest on the posts (if the classic American scheme with cohesive posts of openings is used), or be cut into the extreme posts, if they are single. Moreover, the cross section of the header directly depends on the loads and dimensions of the opening. The larger the opening and the stronger the load on it, the more powerful the header. It can also be double, triple, increased in height, etc. Again, it depends on the load. But, as a rule, for openings up to 1.5 m wide, a header from a 45x195 board is quite enough.

Is the absence of a header a sign that the framework is “wrong”? Yes and no. If you act according to the American principle of “simple and reliable”, then the header must be present at every opening. Do this and be sure of the result.

But in fact, you need to dance from the load falling on the opening from above. For example, a narrow window in a one-story house and rafters in this section of the wall are located along the edges of the opening - the load from above on the opening is minimal and you can do without a header.

Therefore, the issue of the header should be treated as follows. If it exists, great. If it is not there, then the builders (contractor) must clearly explain why, in their opinion, it is not needed here, and it will depend, first of all, on the load falling on the opening zone from above.

Double top harness

Double plank top piping, also a distinctive feature of the American frame

Double top harness

The double strapping again gives reinforcement along the top of the wall for deflection from the load from above - the load from the floor, rafters, etc. In addition, pay attention to the overlaps of the second row of strapping.

Overlap in the corner - we tie together two perpendicular walls.
Overlap in the center - we tie together 2 sections of one wall.
Overlap on the partition - we tie together the partition with the outer wall.

Thus, the double strapping also performs the second task - ensuring the integrity of the entire wall structure.

In the domestic version, you can often find the upper trim of the timber. And this, again, is not the best solution. Firstly, the beam is thicker than the double strapping. Yes, it may be better for deflection, but it’s not a fact that it is necessary, but the cold bridge at the top of the wall will be more significant. Well, it’s more difficult to implement this overlap to ensure the integrity of the entire structure. Therefore, we return again to the fact that why is it difficult to do, if you can make it easier and more reliable?

Proper jib in a frame house

Another cornerstone. Surely you have come across the phrase “the jibs are made incorrectly”. Let's talk about it. First, what is a slug? This is a diagonal element in the wall, which provides spatial shear rigidity in the lateral plane. Because thanks to the jib, a system of triangular structures appears, and the triangle is the most stable geometric figure.

So, when they talk about the correct jib, then usually we are talking about this option:

Correct jib

Why is such a jib called “correct” and what should I pay attention to?

Such a jib is installed with an angle of 45 to 60 degrees - this is the most stable triangle. Of course, the angle may be different, but it is this range that is best.
The jib cuts into the upper and lower trim, and does not just rest against the rack - this is quite an important point, so we tie the structure together.
The jib crashes into every post in its path.
For each node - adjoining to the harness or rack, there must be at least two fastening points. Since one point will give a “hinge” with a certain degree of freedom.
The jib cuts into the rib - this way it works better in the structure and interferes less with insulation.

And here is an example of the most “wrong” jib. But nevertheless, it occurs all the time.

It's just a board stuck into the first opening of the frame. What is so “wrong” about it, because formally it is also a triangle?

First - a very small angle of inclination.
Secondly, in such a plane, the jib board works the worst.
Thirdly, it is difficult to fix such a jib to the wall.
Fourthly, pay attention to the fact that extremely inconvenient cavities for insulation are formed at the points of junction with the frame. Even if the jib is carefully cut and there is no gap at the end, there is no escape from the sharp corner, and it is not an easy task to insulate such a corner with high quality, so most likely it will be done somehow.

Another example, also common. This is a jib cut into the posts, but not cut into the harness.

The jib is not embedded in the harness

This option is already much better than the previous one, but, nevertheless, such a jib will work worse than embedded in the strapping, and after all, the work is 5 minutes more. And if, moreover, it is fixed to each rack with only one nail, then the effect of it will also be minimized.

We won’t even consider options for all sorts of small inferior “braces and braces” that do not reach from the top trim to the bottom.

Formally, even the most crooked jib makes at least some contribution. But once again: why do it your way when a good solution already exists?

On this we will finish with the American frame and move on to the Scandinavian one.

Correct scandinavian frame

Unlike America, where the frames are practically standardized and there are very few differences, there are more variations in Scandinavia. Here you can find both the classic American frame and hybrid versions. The Scandinavian frame, in fact, is the development and modernization of the American one. However, basically, when they talk about the Scandinavian frame, we are talking about such a design.

Typical Scandinavian house set

scandinavian frame

Corners, jibs - everything is like the Americans. What to pay attention to?

Single strapping on the top of the wall.
Power crossbar embedded in racks throughout the wall.
Single racks on window and door openings.

In fact, the main difference is this very “Scandinavian” crossbar - it replaces both the American headers and the double harness, being a powerful power element.

What, in my opinion, is the advantage of the Scandinavian frame over the American one? The fact that it has a much greater emphasis on minimizing all kinds of cold bridges, which are almost all cohesive boards (double strapping, opening racks). Indeed, between each cohesive boards, a gap can potentially form over time, which you may never know about. Well, it's one thing when the cold bridge has the width of one board and another question - when there are already two or three of them.

Of course, you should not get hung up on cold bridges. You can’t get away from them anyway, and in fact, their importance is often exaggerated. But, nevertheless, they exist, and if it is possible to minimize them relatively painlessly, why not do it?

The Scandinavians in general, unlike the Americans, are very confused about energy saving. The colder, northern climate and expensive energy sources also have an effect. But in terms of climate, Scandinavia is much closer to us (I'm talking primarily about the Northwestern region) than most American states.

The disadvantage of the Scandinavian frame is its slightly greater complexity, at least in the fact that in all racks you need to make cuts under the crossbar. And the fact that, unlike the American one, it still requires some kind of mental effort. For example: on large openings, double posts to support horizontal elements, and additional crossbars and headers may be required. And somewhere, for example, on the gable walls of one-story buildings, where there is no load from the log or roof, the crossbar may not even be required.

In general, the Scandinavian frame has certain advantages, but requires a little more effort and intelligence than the American one. If the American frame can be assembled with completely disabled brains, then in the Scandinavian one it is better to turn them on, at least on the minimum mode.

"Semi-correct" frames

Let me remind you that by “semi-correct” I mean precisely those that have every right to exist, but differ from typical Scandinavian-American solutions. Therefore, calling them “semi-correct” should be cautious.

I will give a few examples.

An example of how you can "override"

The first example is from our own practice. This house was built by us, but according to the project provided by the customer. We even wanted to redo the project completely, but we were limited by the deadlines, since we had to go to the site; in addition, the customer paid a tangible amount for the project and formally there are no structural violations, but he resigned himself to the voiced shortcomings of the current solution.

Why, then, did I classify this frame as “semi-correct”? Pay attention to the fact that there are Scandinavian crossbars, and American headers, and double strapping not only along the top, but also along the bottom of the walls. In short, here is the American scheme, and the Scandinavian one, and another 30% of the stock in Russian is thrown on top, just in case. Well, the prefabricated rack of 6 (!!!) boards under the glued beam of the ridge speaks for itself. Indeed, in this place the only insulation is isoplats from the outside, and cross-insulation from the inside. And if there was a purely American scheme, then there would simply be no insulation in this section of the wall, a bare piece of wood from the outside to the inside.

I call this frame “semi-correct” because from the point of view of constructive reliability, there are no complaints about it. There is a multiple margin of safety "in case of an atomic war." But the abundance of cold bridges, and a huge overrun of material for the frame, and high labor costs, which also affects the price.

This house could be made with a smaller but sufficient margin of safety, but at the same time reduce the amount of lumber by 30 percent and significantly reduce the number of cold bridges, making the house warmer.

Another example is a “double-volume” framework promoted by a Moscow company.

The main difference is actually a double outer wall, with posts spaced apart from each other. So the frame fully satisfies the strength criteria and is very good from the point of view of heat engineering, due to the minimization of cold bridges, but loses in manufacturability. The task of eliminating cold bridges, which, first of all, is solved by such a frame, can be solved by simpler, more reliable and correct methods such as “cross-insulation”.

And, curiously, usually “semi-correct” frames somehow have Scandinavian-American solutions in them. And the differences are rather in an attempt to improve the good. But it often happens that it turns out that “the best is the enemy of the good”.

Such frameworks can safely be called “semi-correct” precisely because there are no gross violations here. There are differences from the typical American-Scandinavian decisions in attempts to improve something or come up with some kind of “trick”. To pay for them or not is the choice of the customer.

"Wrong" frame houses

Now let's talk about the "wrong" frames. The most typical, I would even say, collective, case is presented in the photo below.

The quintessence of "correct" frame housing construction

What can be immediately noted in this photo?

Total use of natural moisture material. Moreover, the material is massive, which dries out the most and changes its geometry in the process of shrinkage.
The beam in the corners and on the strapping and even on the racks are cold bridges and inconvenience in further work.
Lack of headers and reinforcements of openings.
Do not understand how the jib is made, poorly fulfilling its role and interfering with insulation.
Assembly on corners with black self-tapping screws, the purpose of which is to fasten the plasterboard during finishing (and not use in load-bearing structures).

The photo above shows almost the quintessence of what is commonly called the “wrong” frame or “RSK”. The abbreviation RSK appeared in 2008 at the FH, at the suggestion of one builder who presented a similar product to the world, called the Russian Power Frame. Over time, as people began to figure out what was what, this abbreviation began to be deciphered as Russian Strashen Karkashen. As an apotheosis of meaninglessness with a claim to a unique solution.

What is most curious, if desired, it can also be classified as “semi-correct”: after all, if the self-tapping screws do not rot (black phosphated self-tapping screws are by no means an example of corrosion resistance) and do not burst during the inevitable shrinkage of the timber, this frame is unlikely to fall apart. That is, such a design has the right to life.

What is the main disadvantage of the “wrong” frames? If people know what they're doing, they pretty quickly come to the Canadian-Scandinavian scheme. Fortunately, information is now in bulk. And if they don’t come, then this speaks of one thing: they, by and large, do not care about the result. The classic answer when trying to ask them why it is so is “we have always built it this way, no one complained”. That is, the entire construction is based solely on intuition and ingenuity. Without trying to ask - how is it customary to do this.

What prevented you from making a board instead of a beam? Make reinforcements of openings? Make normal cuts? Collect for nails? That is, do it right? After all, such a frame does not give exactly any advantages! One large set of not the best solutions with a claim to super strength, etc. Moreover, the labor input is the same as that of the “correct” one, the cost is the same, and the material consumption, perhaps even more.

Summarize

As a result: it is customary to call the American-Scandinavian frame scheme “correct”, due to the fact that it has already been repeatedly tested on thousands of houses, proving its viability and the optimal ratio of “labor-intensive-reliability-quality”.

“Semi-correct” and “incorrect” include all other types of frames. In this case, the frame can be quite reliable, but “non-optimal” from the side of the above.

As a rule, if potential contractors cannot justify the use of certain constructive solutions that differ from the “correct” American-Scandinavian ones, this indicates that they have no idea about these very “correct” decisions and build a house solely on a whim, replacing knowledge with intuition and ingenuity. And this is a very risky path that may come back to haunt the owner of the house in the future.

That's why. Do you want guaranteed correct, optimal solutions? Pay attention to the classic American or Scandinavian scheme of frame housing construction.

about the author

Hello. My name is Alexey, maybe you met me as Porcupine or Gribnick on the Internet. I am the founder of "Finnish House", a project that has grown from a personal blog into a construction company whose goal is to build a quality and comfortable home for you and your children.