Barked log - features and application of the material

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Logs are a common building material, and there are currently several types on the market, differing not only in the type of wood, but also in the type of processing. One of these materials is debarked log, which, in fact, is the subject of this article. So, a debarked log - what is it and what are its features?

Debarked decks

Below we will try to answer this question, and also consider how this material differs from other types of logs, get acquainted with its advantages and disadvantages, the method of production at home and the features of use in construction.

Features and advantages of a log bath

Today there are many designs for log baths, and the price of construction primarily depends on the building material. When constructing log bathhouses, debarked or rounded logs can be used. The first option is represented by products in which the top layer is missing, but the structure is not damaged. This is a more durable material. The surface of rounded logs is leveled to a certain size along the entire length in the factory.

If you purchase ready-made logs of the required size from the manufacturer, you can build a bathhouse quite quickly

The construction of a bathhouse from logs has a number of advantages:

• walls made of logs easily allow air and steam to pass through, leaving warmth and the unique aroma of wood inside the room for a long time;
• The wood contains natural resins, which have a tonic and healing effect for the human body;
• due to the light weight of the logs, there is no need to build a massive foundation;
• a log house, due to its natural layer of subcortex, does not accumulate moisture and is not susceptible to rotting, mold formation or damage by insects;
• log frame is a natural, healing and environmentally friendly material, which allows the walls of the bathhouse to “breathe”;
• the process of constructing a bathhouse from a log is quite fast and easy, which became possible thanks to high-quality processing of products and adjusting them to the required dimensions;
• due to the fact that well-fitted products fit tightly to each other during the construction of the bath, without leaving significant gaps, maximum heat retention inside the room is ensured, which allows saving energy resources;
• Using rounded logs, you can implement any architectural project.

The quality of construction of a log bathhouse directly affects the service life of the building

Log baths have disadvantages. However, they directly depend on the approach to construction. A log sauna should be built exclusively from dried wood. If the products are damp, they will shrink over time, which will cause longitudinal cracks to appear. The construction of a bathhouse from rounded logs should be carried out by a specialist in this field in order to ultimately obtain a strong and durable structure with all of the above advantages.

Types of log houses:

• Gorodnya (ryazh) is a log house filled with stone.
• Povalusha is a large, tower-shaped log house under a separate roof in mansions and large wooden houses.
• Chetverik is a rectangular log house.
• Shesterik is a hexagonal log house.
• Octagon - octagonal (octagonal) frame.
• A five-wall structure is a log house structure with a recut (an internal log or beam wall or partition, made simultaneously with the main log house, cut in with the remainder).

How to choose material for a log bathhouse

For the construction of a log bathhouse, pine or spruce are mainly used, less often - aspen, linden and alder.

Due to the presence of a large amount of resins, pine does not rot or crack during drying. It is easy to process. The trunk of mature pines is almost even along its entire length, and the branches are located only at the top. Two types of pine are used for construction: resin and dry chips. The first option is used for the construction of the lower crowns, and the second - for the upper ones.

To build a pine bathhouse, two types of wood are used: resin and dried wood.

Spruce is a more difficult species to process due to its knotty nature. It is not recommended to use it for self-construction of a bathhouse. Also, aspen is often used for log houses, which grows today in sufficient quantities and resists moisture well. However, you should choose specimens no older than 45 years, which have a low probability of core rotting.

Linden has proven itself well. However, it is rare and has a high cost. Oak is often used for the lower crowns, which is not afraid of moisture and protects this area of ​​the bathhouse from rotting. But this is a very expensive material, and without proper experience in construction it is inappropriate to use it. This can lead to significant losses. In this case, it is better to order a turnkey bathhouse made of rounded logs.

Helpful advice! For a bathhouse, it is better to choose rounded logs from coniferous wood growing in the northern part. The products have a denser structure and do not change their natural properties due to increased humidity levels and temperature changes.

When building a bathhouse in humid regions of the country, it is better to use oak logs

Criteria for selecting quality material

Preparation of logs is carried out in the winter months, which allows us to obtain the most moisture-resistant building material. The logs are felled, the bark is trimmed from them and the branches are cut off with an ax or plow. At this stage, the material is rejected. Products with high density and a diameter of at least 25 cm are selected. Logs cannot be used for construction:

• with unnatural color and spots on the cut;
• having too large a core;
• curved or with a sharp thickening;
• knotty with cavities in the locations of the knots.

Rounded logs are manufactured in a factory. The product is aligned in diameter and length. The entire surface of the wood is impregnated with an antiseptic to protect the product from rotting, and the cuts are treated with a special compound.

When purchasing logs for building a bathhouse, it is important to check the quality of the wood on cuts.

Rounded logs are produced with grooves for laying, the shape of which can be Finnish, lunar or crescent-shaped.

When choosing a rounded log, you should pay attention to the following factors:

• the surface of the product should be light or dark yellow;
• the branches should be located inside without gaps, which indicates a loose core;
• the cut surface of the log must be hard;
• the core should be a dark, even shade, with a diameter of less than three-quarters of the cut;
• If the product is not over-dried, when it hits its surface with the butt of an ax, it will make a ringing sound.

Helpful advice! To get the warmest possible room, you should choose thick rounded logs, at least 250 mm thick, for building a bathhouse.

To build a two-story bathhouse of complex architecture, it is better to use the services of specialists

Material

You also need to pay attention to the choice of lumber for building a log bathhouse:

1. Budget types - logs made of coniferous wood. They emit a pleasant aroma when heated and are resistant to temperature changes.
2. Expensive types are logs from birch, linden, oak, and aspen. They are more durable and more resistant to various factors. These types of wood emit a pleasant aroma when heated, which lifts your spirits.
3. It is not allowed to use lumber with large rotten knots, darkening or blue discoloration. Surfaces must be smooth, without large resin pockets. Gaps in branches are unacceptable. It is important to carefully examine the core. It should be uniform in color, without differences.

It is better to choose winter wood, since it contains a minimal amount of moisture in the fibers. If the tree is summer, it is better to buy lumber that has been dried in industrial kilns.

Types of log bathhouses

There are two main types of log house: “in the oblo” and “in the paw”. The first option is easier to implement and the most popular. However, more material consumption is required here due to the fact that the logs on each side protrude 25 cm beyond the corner. But thanks to this technology, it is possible to create a warmer room and reliably protect its corners from the wind.

Each log is adjusted before being placed in the clapboard, or bowl. Here a rounded groove is cut out, no less than a third of the thickness of the trunk. The lower the temperature in the region, the deeper the excavation should be. Each subsequent log is placed in a previously prepared thicket.

There are several other varieties of this technology. In a log house, the logs are turned over with the notch down, focusing on the product laid below. This allows precipitation to flow freely from the logs without getting into their thickness. The result is a more reliable and durable structure.

The type of log house “in the oblo” is easier to implement and the most popular

With Canadian felling, a trapezoidal notch with a tenon is created in each log from below, and a groove for the tenon is made on top. This technology allows you to create the maximum effect of jamming connections.

Norwegian log house is made from products with hexagonal processing or oval section. The technology is completely identical to the Canadian log house.

The appearance of the ends of the Swedish log house differs significantly from other technologies. This is a very painstaking and time-consuming process. The protruding ends of the log and the recess are trimmed to a hexagon shape. As a result, it is possible to obtain a unique, aesthetically striking structure.

The most economical is the “paw” method. However, this requires great skill of the performer. The corners in such a log house turn out to be cold, which requires the creation of additional thermal insulation, and, consequently, further cladding with facing material. After reviewing the photos of log bathhouses, you can choose the most suitable option for construction.

The option of a log house “in the paw” is more economical but requires work experience

Roofing system

A roof must be installed on the finished log house. Beams are installed on the Mauerlat on which the finished roof will rest. For a bathhouse, the roofing system is made gable and with an attic. Rafters are installed every one and a half meters, sometimes less. It all depends on the load in winter.

The rafter legs are fastened together at the top and rest against the Mauerlat at the bottom. A sheathing is installed on the finished rafter legs, which subsequently remains under the waterproofing roofing material (for example, under roofing felt).

The final roof covering can be made from corrugated sheets, metal tiles, ondulin, slate and other suitable materials.

The remaining work must be planned for next year. During this time, the log house should shrink and the logs should dry completely. Only then can you start finishing work.

Foundation for the construction of a Russian log bath

The key to the strength of the entire structure is a properly selected and equipped foundation. The minimum depth of its laying depends on the depth of soil freezing, to the value of which at least another 1 m is added. This value is individual for each region, but on average it is 0.5-1.2 m.

For a bathhouse, you can arrange one of three foundations: strip, columnar or pile. This depends on the characteristics of the soil where the structure will be located.

If the soil consists of quartz, rock or fine sand, any type of foundation can be constructed. For swampy, garden, forest, clay, loamy soil, it is better to make a strip foundation. For this purpose, a trench of the required depth is dug, into which a layer of sand of about 150-200 mm is poured. Next, a layer of crushed stone is laid on which the reinforcement is placed and concrete of a grade not lower than M200 is poured.

The choice of the type of foundation for building a bathhouse depends on the type of soil and the size of the building

If the bathhouse will be located on a slope or on heaving soils, preference should be given to a pile foundation made of metal or concrete piles. For small baths, a columnar foundation made of concrete blocks, brick or stone is suitable. The depth of the columns can be 0.7-1 m, which are installed along the entire perimeter of the bathhouse in increments of at least 2 m.

After erecting the foundation, it is necessary to waterproof it using special materials. Next, an additional barrier is created for moisture that can be released from the surface of the base. Its role is played by backing boards measuring 50x150 mm, made of larch, which are attached to the concrete with anchor bolts.

Completion of construction

The roofing system for the bathhouse is made gable. Insulating the walls and floor of the attic allows you to get additional living space. After construction is completed, interior wall finishing and decoration begins. To ensure that the properties of wood are preserved indoors, decoration and furniture are made from wood species.

The hanging installation system provides protection for walls from mold and mildew. The floor is laid with tiles and boards depending on the purpose of the room; porcelain stoneware or other ceramic tiles are used. A slight slope of the floor should be provided with a drain hole for water to drain. In dry rooms, the floor is laid with boards, parquet, or laminate.

If a terrace is planned for the project, a deck board is used for this. Furniture for a bath is usually made of wood. The main species are aspen, oak, linden, and cedar. The bathhouse is often equipped with upholstered furniture, cabinets, chests of drawers, and household appliances. You will also need benches, chairs, tables, beds, clothes hangers, and a rack with shelves.

Features of building a bathhouse with your own hands from debarked logs

Construction of a bathhouse is a very labor-intensive process, especially if debarked logs are used. If you do not have the proper experience in construction, it is better to entrust this matter to specialists who can build a turnkey bathhouse from logs. The price of a log house will depend on its dimensions and functionality.

The debarked log undergoes minimal external processing, which ensures high strength of each element and the entire structure

The traditional method is to lay logs on the foundation with the north side facing outward, on which the growth rings are located. It is this part that can withstand significant temperature changes and other adverse weather conditions. Since the lower part of the building is most susceptible to moisture and the proliferation of microorganisms on its surface, the first crown is laid from the thickest and largest products. They must be free of defects and have a high resin content.

Helpful advice! To ensure the building is strictly horizontal, it is necessary to correctly unravel the first crown, i.e., align it in height.

For the embedded crown, the first two logs are laid on the foundation from opposite sides parallel to each other. Holes in the form of bowls are hewn out in the products, into which the next two logs are laid perpendicularly. All subsequent crowns are laid in this way.

The qualifications of the craftsmen when building a bathhouse from debarked logs is an important factor, since due to the uneven surface of the wood it is quite difficult to fit the logs tightly

The logs for laying each subsequent crown should be approximately the same diameter. Here you should alternate between thin and thick sides of the products to prevent distortion of the structure. A heat-insulating material is placed between them, which is attached to the frame using staples, which prevents blowing through the joints of the products. It can be moss, hemp, linen tow, felt or jute.

To add strength to the structure, every one and a half meters it is necessary to fasten the crowns with pins. The topmost crown is called the Mauerlat, on which the roofing system is installed. After completing the construction of the bathhouse, you should begin caulking it. You need to start from the bottom crown, moving around the circle of the building. This is how each next crown is sealed. Upon completion of the work, the log house will look a little higher. But after some time it will shrink, and the building will acquire its original dimensions.

Important! If you immediately caulk one wall completely, the frame of the bathhouse may become warped.

After the walls are erected, they begin installing the rafter system and laying the roofing material. In this form, the log house remains until next year to allow the logs to dry out, after which the structure will finally settle. Only after this will it be possible to begin facing work. You can build an inexpensive turnkey log bathhouse starting from 200 thousand rubles.

The cost of building a log bathhouse depends on the size and complexity of the structure's layout.

Design

At the most important stage of construction, not only materials, but also costs should be taken into account. We choose a place to build a bathhouse. The entrance to the building should be from the south, and the windows should face west. The bathhouse is located at a distance of 10 m from the house. If there is a well near the bathhouse, then a minimum of 20 m will be needed.

It is advisable for the bathhouse to stand on a slight elevation, then you won’t have to come up with a drainage system. It is imperative to take into account the placement of windows and doors and communication connections. When calculating the height, you must also take into account the shrinkage of the logs; it should be more than 5 percent.

The construction of the foundation is carried out in several ways: strip, shallow and columnar. If the bath area is large, you should choose a strip foundation. If the bathhouse is small, then a columnar foundation on concrete blocks would be ideal. Construction of a log house

To make a frame crown, we take the thickest log, preferably oak. It should be placed on a waterproofing foundation. The lower part must be cut off and treated with an antiseptic. When laying logs, their dimensions are adjusted using rounded grooves. The depth of the groove depends on the temperature, if it is low, then a deeper groove should be made.

It is necessary to take into account that they must be laid oriented to the north side. Look at the annual rings on the wood, where they are larger, there is the north side, because on it the wood better withstands rotting and cracking, which allows the baths to serve for a long period.

To maintain the horizontality of the log house, the logs are placed in different directions. The top crown of the log house should be taken seriously. After assembly, the log house is caulked with moss, linen tow or felt. They start caulking from the lower crown and move in a circle. After assembling the log house, the roof is covered with materials such as roofing felt, asbestos-cement slate, ondulin, and Guttanite.

Ondulin has excellent properties, it is lightweight, and also extends the service life of products.

Features of constructing a bathhouse from rounded logs

The construction of bathhouses from rounded logs is much faster and easier, since the products are manufactured in a factory, where they are given a certain shape and size. All of them are numbered and have grooves for easier installation.

However, you should know that products are produced for certain bathhouse projects made of rounded logs, which are presented in the catalogs of woodworking enterprises. From the options presented, you can select the most suitable one and place an order for the manufacture of products. After receiving the kit, there will be no problems assembling the bathhouse. Detailed instructions are also included with the log house.

When building a bathhouse from rounded logs, certain requirements must be observed:

• for better contact with the foundation, the casing crown should be trimmed from the bottom side;
• since the logs lost their protective layer during processing, all products must be impregnated with a fire-retardant agent;
• For vertical stability of the structure, it is necessary to connect the logs with dowels made of hard wood of oak, beech or birch, which are recessed into the product by at least 3 cm;
• holes for dowels should alternate in a checkerboard pattern along the entire length and height of the wall in increments of 0.8-1.2 m and a length of 2-3 crowns;

The rounded log has undergone mechanical processing in production and therefore has the same diameter along its length, as well as ready-made grooves, which greatly facilitates the construction of a bathhouse

• before drilling holes for the dowels, the logs should be secured using temporary nails, which are removed after connection;
• Between the products, heat-insulating material in the form of tow or flax fiber must be placed, which is secured with staples;
• the construction of each subsequent crown must be controlled using a level to avoid distortion of the frame;
• to prevent the destruction of door and window frames during shrinkage of the log house, the openings are framed with casing beams with a gap of 3% of the height of the opening, which is filled with insulation.

Project catalog

The catalog contains many high-quality projects:

1. Small one-story houses;
2. Two-story houses with a balcony;
3. Large estates with an attic;
4. Bathhouses with a porch;
5. Houses with a terrace.

As you can see, the catalog has a large selection of projects, among which you will certainly find a project that you like. We build wooden houses mainly from chopped logs (some people use rounded logs in construction and build houses and beams - we build authentic log cabins). You will receive a reliable and beautiful home in the shortest possible time.

Preparation of materials and tools

Before starting construction work, you need to prepare building materials and tools:

• chainsaw;
• hand saw for wood;
• miter saw, jigsaw;
• set of chisels;
• hammer, sledgehammer;
• building level, plumb line;
• drill with drills of different diameters;
• grinding machine;
• grinder with discs;
• wires, corrugation, plastic pipes;
• thick polyethylene film;
• roofing material;
• Thermal and waterproofing.

Consumables - fasteners, sand, crushed stone, cement, bitumen.

Crushed stone (Photo: Instagram / zku.zp)