The main activity of our plant is the production of houses from profiled laminated timber and the sale of related lumber. Manufacturing of houses is possible both according to standard and individual projects. The development of the design documentation section (wooden structures) is carried out in the office in St. Petersburg. Finished houses are delivered to different regions of the Russian Federation.
Construction is also one of the main activities of our company. It is possible to assemble a house kit using the “Warm Contour” option - it includes a foundation, wall assembly, installation of a roof with insulation, installation of communications, heated floors, installation of doors, double-glazed windows, etc. The end result is a house completely ready for final interior finishing. The price of our houses (the house kits themselves) depends on the choice of timber section, as it is calculated by the volume of lumber in cubic meters.
You can build a house from laminated veneer lumber in a few months. You can discuss the cost and buy a house kit throughout the year. Sales are carried out at the company's head office at the address: St. Petersburg, emb. Martynova, house 6.
The ecology of large cities, with wide transport interchanges and numerous industries, leaves much to be desired. Many city residents once chose brick and panel high-rise buildings for the benefits of civilization. Now that the benefits of civilization are not associated with apartment buildings, they are striving to acquire housing closer to nature, and to make the house from the most natural materials possible. On the last point, there is no competition from wooden houses, which have been and remain one of the most comfortable for living.
Among all types of private housing built from wood, houses made of laminated veneer lumber attract special attention. It is believed that this material exhibits the best qualities of wood, and the disadvantages are leveled out by technological processing.
The embodiment of comfort, high quality and traditions of wooden housing construction
Evolution of technology
The technology for the production of laminated veneer lumber did not arise out of nowhere. Long before the appearance of the first country houses assembled from this building material, similar methods of wood processing were used in different parts of the world and in different eras. As a result, craftsmen from several individual planks or rods obtained durable parts with characteristics not available to products made from a single piece of wood. The following uses are widely known:
Technology for making combat bows in Japan. In the 12th century, not only samurai appeared in the country, but also new multi-layer (composite) bows. Durable, reinforced weapons (the service life was calculated in decades, and the bow was often inherited) were obtained by gluing together wooden and bamboo fragments.
Construction technology of palace arched structures. The French architect Philibert Delorme, the author of the incomparable bridge at Chenonceau Castle, was the first to think of connecting wooden beams using a wedge. Similar bent load-bearing parts were also used in Rus' in the construction of churches, noble and merchant mansions.
Bent laminated timber in a frame structure
Production technology of bent glued trusses. A patent for this invention was received by German carpenter Otto Hetzer in 1890. He began to make massive multilayer structures, connecting the fragments with casein glue.
Technology for the production of modern materials. The impetus for the spread and construction of houses made of laminated veneer lumber was the development of the chemical industry, which launched the production of a wide range of adhesives for different operating conditions.
The essence of technology
The production of the house kit is carried out in accordance with the design of the future house. Glued laminated timber is the product of a high-tech chain consisting of several successive stages:
Preparation of raw materials. The wood undergoes strict quality control and is sorted according to physical and mechanical properties; low-quality raw materials (with visible defects) are rejected. This selection of material takes place at every stage.
One of the ways to saw a log
Sawing logs into boards. To produce high-quality laminated veneer lumber, boards (lamellas) with longitudinal, radial or semi-radial cuts are used. Small companies purchase finished lumber, while large manufacturers have their own sawmill. To reduce wood losses, sawing is carried out using modern computer-controlled equipment. Depending on the size of the log, the smart machine selects the optimal cutting pattern.
Drying. Can be done under natural conditions, but kiln drying is preferable. A critical stage that determines the properties of future lumber. A conscientious manufacturer dries the workpieces in a soft, gentle mode; This takes more time, but allows you to even out the moisture level and reduce internal stress, which can cause the finished beams to become bent. Computerized equipment allows you to monitor and regulate wood moisture directly in the drying chambers. Glued laminated timber made from such lamellas will not be subject to warping or cracking.
Applying glue. After the initial processing (gouging and trimming), glue is applied. Various compounds are used, but all of them are mandatory certified for such work.
High-quality glue does not harm health and does not change properties during use.
Pressing. Dried lamellas (with a moisture content of 8-12%) are assembled according to a pattern (often from several types of wood, to give additional strength) into bags. The cross-section of the timber can be varied over a significant range, which will not change the characteristics of the product. Then the workpiece is pressed and maintained under pressure until completely bonded.
Treatment. The glued workpieces undergo thicknessing (processing that makes the surface smooth).
Milling. After being sorted by strength, the beams are profiled and cut to the required length. Landing bowls (longitudinal grooves of thermal locks), holes for communications and dowels (studs) are delicately cut out on them.
Finishing work. The set of timber is treated with antiseptics, labeled and packaged.
Beam with a “comb” profile
Nuances of technology
The physical characteristics of laminated veneer lumber are significantly superior to those of ordinary wood or even profiled timber. The first “popularizers” of the technology were Finnish houses made of laminated veneer lumber, which are famous for their reliability and durability and are perhaps the standard of wooden house construction. The quality of the material used in construction is the result of a rather complex and thorough technological processing of raw materials, which takes place in several stages with strict quality control.
Wood selection
For the production of material, coniferous trees are considered optimal, including:
Pine. The most affordable material (due to the rapid growth of trees) and therefore popular material. The best wood is pine, which is brought from the northern forests - Arkhangelsk, Karelian, Angarsk.
Spruce. It has ideal wood for construction; used both for load-bearing walls and for partitions, floors and doors. Disadvantages that relegate spruce to second place are increased knotiness and resin content of the wood; In addition, spruce is inferior to pine in terms of growth and behaves capriciously when drying (it can warp).
Glued laminated larch timber
On our website you can get acquainted with the most popular projects of houses made of laminated veneer lumber from construction companies presented at the exhibition of houses “Low-Rise Country”.
Larch. The wood is second only to oak in hardness, resists rotting, and thanks to a special resin with antiseptic properties, it is protected from infection by mold, mildew and wood-boring beetles. Thanks to these properties, larch timber is a valuable building material.
Cedar. Wood, saturated with essential oils, has been valued since ancient times (mentioned in the Bible) and is similar in properties to larch wood, only less dense. Cedar wood is valued for its beauty and is in high demand, although it is not cheap.
Oak. Although it is not a coniferous tree, it has a beautiful texture, strength and resistance to rotting. Over time, the wood acquires a noble shade and, as a rule, is used for the manufacture of external lamellas of timber.
Video description
About the advantages of laminated veneer lumber in the following video:
Many companies prefer to work exclusively with the northern forest. The choice is explained by the special quality of northern wood. Pines and spruces grow slowly in conditions of long winters and short northern summers. The distance between the annual rings (visible on the cross section) is small, which improves the quality of the wood. Glued laminated timber from the northern forest is as durable as possible.
Northern forest harvesting
Correct Techniques
Sawing. It not only sets the shape of the lamellas (thickness and length). Proper cutting eliminates wood tension, which is caused by different humidity and density of material layers (both external and internal, in annual rings). When drying, the wood will not deform.
Gluing. With a properly organized process, the lamella from the core part (with a denser structure) is located on the outside of the beam, reducing the likelihood of cracking. Parts of the timber are glued together with alternating fiber directions, which gives special strength to the product.
Milling. High-precision equipment allows you to obtain locking connections with precise geometric parameters. Such locks connect structural elements, eliminating the appearance of cracks.
The unusual design was made possible thanks to bent timber
On our website you can find contacts of construction companies that offer the service of building houses from laminated veneer lumber. You can communicate directly with representatives by visiting the “Low-Rise Country” exhibition of houses.
Materials: types and classification
Manufacturers produce various types of laminated veneer lumber, which can be sorted according to several criteria:
Appearance. The market offers a regular and profiled version of the product. Profiled parts can have locks, grooves or ridges, making installation quick and neat.
Dimensions. The timber is produced in standard sizes and profiles, within which you can order products of any dimensions (length).
Bonding technologies. There are horizontal beams (two boards are glued together in a horizontal plane), vertical (a harder board forms the outer surface) and salon (includes 4 to 8 layers). The material is often combined: larch or cedar is used for the front slats, pine or spruce is used for the internal slats.
Beams of non-standard sizes for the implementation of design projects
Pros and cons of houses made of laminated veneer lumber
Country two- and one-story houses made of laminated veneer lumber demonstrate many advantages:
High quality wall structures. The surface is not prone to cracks; There is no possibility of through cracking.
Reliability. Follows from the first point. Such a building is superior in strength and durability to houses made from traditional lumber.
Stable geometry. Regardless of operating conditions, the material does not deform and does not behave. Thanks to the perfect processing, the crowns fit tightly; the wall is not blown through and does not freeze.
Thermal efficiency. Thanks to its impeccable geometry, heating costs during operation are minimal.
Easy to assemble. Installation of the house can be carried out year-round and in any weather.
Build speed. The house is assembled in 3-6 months (depending on the complexity of the project), and is immediately ready for occupancy. It will take 1.5-2 years to build a house from a log (including waiting for shrinkage).
Project of a house made of laminated veneer lumber with a large glazing area
Architectural possibilities. The material has a high load-bearing capacity with a relatively low weight, it is suitable for creating wide window openings, long walls, spans up to 10-12 m wide and bent shapes.
Minimum shrinkage. Glued laminated timber has a small shrinkage, 1.5-2% or up to 2 mm per meter of wall (shrinkage of solid wood walls is uneven and reaches 7-10%). Such a small value is predictable and is taken into account during design.
Environmental friendliness. Glued laminated timber is an environmentally friendly material if certified glue that meets safety standards was used in its production.
Aesthetics. The texture of wooden walls has a natural beauty and does not require finishing, with the exception of tinting (optional) and varnishing.
Video description
About the disadvantages of laminated veneer lumber in the following video:
Just as there is no light without shadow, there are no advantages without disadvantages. For a house made of laminated timber, these include:
Price. The desire to build a house from laminated timber will cost more than any other wooden building.
Regular care. Every 5-6 years, the surface of the walls must be re-treated with protective impregnations and varnished. Similar care is required for all wooden buildings.
Finnish house made of timber with tinting in natural colors
Possibility of defects. Despite the manufacturability of production, laminated veneer lumber remains wood (for which it is valued). Like any wooden product, it is not guaranteed against cracks and shrinkage, only such troubles occur in a tenfold smaller volume.
Possibility of purchasing counterfeit goods. Here you are not insured against anything. The result can be significant shrinkage of the house (in artisanal conditions it is difficult to ensure proper drying), changes in geometry, discrepancies in size and harm to health (no one can vouch for the quality of the glue).
Glue. Glued laminated timber with a vertical orientation may contain 4-5 layers of glue. And although high-quality glue is close in its properties to tree resin (the basis is natural substances), it disrupts natural air circulation. In this case, only the inner surface of the wall can regulate the humidity in the room. An option would be to use horizontally oriented material.
Flammability. The wood is treated with a fire retardant, which inhibits the spread of fire for 20-30 minutes, which is enough to evacuate people and call rescue services.
Modern project with elements of ethnic style
About Finnish and domestic laminated timber
Among demanding Russian customers who want to build a house for their family, Finnish laminated veneer lumber is a reference building material. Disputes about the advisability of buying material made in Finland arise with enviable regularity. Proponents of imports make convincing arguments:
About wood quality. Finnish forest intended for cutting is carefully looked after and sanitary felling is carried out. Great attention is paid to wood sorting; health safety (environmental friendliness) is checked in the laboratory.
About production. Finnish traditions of wooden house-building, coupled with modern technologies, consistently produce excellent results. The quality of the Russian product cannot be called stable; some domestic companies do not care about the quality of drying (which is impossible to control) and do not maintain the exact dimensions of parts (which becomes clear during installation and causes additional problems).
High-tech project
About the price. The cost of an average domestic house kit is 10-15% less than a similar Finnish one (and taking into account the price of the plot, landscape design and communications, the difference is 5-7%). Such savings for a premium home means a reduction in quality and comfort, which for many seems unreasonable.
About technology innovations. Finnish companies do not stand still, offering building materials with improved parameters (minimal shrinkage). Such timber expands architectural possibilities, allowing, for example, to design walls with a large glazing area. New seals improve the home's thermal efficiency.
Opponents of imports have no less convincing arguments:
About production and quality. To produce a house kit suitable for assembly, well-developed wood preparation processes (especially drying) are needed, which are beneficial to use only in large-scale production. Many domestic factories that have introduced modern technological lines supply laminated veneer lumber, which is not inferior in quality to its foreign counterpart.
Terrace of a classic house made of glued timber
About the price. Timber from the country of Suomi will cost the customer 30-40% more, and the difference is determined mainly not by quality, but by customs duties and internal taxes. The difference between two buildings assembled from domestic and Finnish timber will not be noticed by the most attentive foreman.
About aesthetics. Finnish laminated veneer lumber is a good material, and no one disputes this. However, neighbors traditionally look at numerous knots (especially in spruce wood) philosophically, which allows the domestic product to look more advantageous.
About developments. Domestic technical thought offers a new material - insulated laminated veneer lumber. In the upper part of the profile, the product is equipped with a layer of sealant. The new product improves the sound insulation of walls and serves as a barrier to atmospheric moisture.
Video description
Are you planning to build a country house and can’t decide what material to build from? We will talk about houses made of laminated veneer lumber, reveal the features and construction technologies. We also give the order of prices for a turnkey laminated timber house:
Handicraft production
The Internet offers many special articles devoted to the artisanal production of laminated veneer lumber and the construction of houses from it. The main factor that encourages you to pay attention to a similar house made of laminated veneer lumber is the price, which is attractively (and sometimes implausibly) low. Customers looking for budget options should remember that:
To make 1 m 3 of laminated veneer lumber, 2 m 3 of boards are used (not construction boards, but special saws from the best parts of the tree trunk). Such lumber does not come cheap.
To prevent the timber from delaminating along the lamellas after six months of use (and sometimes even earlier), it is glued together with high-quality (not cheap) glue.
To make a high-quality (tight, without cracks) locking connection, you need a high-tech (preferably foreign-made) machine, and with it a qualified performer.
Marriage is visible to the naked eye
The recipe for cheap laminated veneer lumber is as follows:
Buy cheap timber, sieve (with rot) or burner. Dried in unregulated conditions and transported regardless of humidity and rain. Timber made from such raw materials immediately begins to rot.
Buy cheap glue. Even if the timber does not fall apart in six months, it will cause strange headaches and allergies among household members.
Buying or renting an old one(production should be as cost-effective as possible) tool. The cracks are foamed, mismatched parts are pulled together with a sledgehammer, a press in a cold shed is blown with a heat gun. A cold board will definitely (albeit briefly) stick.
Real laminated veneer lumber cannot be made in artisanal conditions, and by definition it cannot be cheap - this is an axiom that does not require proof. Houses made of turnkey laminated veneer lumber, made from high-quality material, can be cheaper than their analogues if they are intended for seasonal living.
Two-story house made of glued timber in the European style
Projects and prices of houses made of laminated veneer lumber
In order not to join the army of those who multiply negative reviews about glued beams on the Internet, do not save money once you have chosen such a building material. Prices for timber are as follows:
Domestic wall laminated timber. The range starts from 18-22 thousand rubles. and rests on 30-35 thousand rubles/m 3.
Finnish material. The cost reaches 45-50 thousand rubles/m 3.
The cost of a house kit lies in the range of 9.5-18.5 thousand rubles/m2, which is influenced by the complexity of the project, characteristics of materials and equipment. When choosing a project, you should understand that the price tag may indicate different offers:
The price for timber is indicated, and turning it into a country house costs extra.
Country style in a modern interpretation
The price for a ready-made house kit is indicated, the amount depends on the set of elements. The price for a finished house based on an individual project starts from 50 thousand rubles/m2.
Average prices for turnkey laminated timber houses (Moscow region) are as follows:
Houses with area up to 100 m2: 2.6-3.7 million rubles.
Area from 100 to 200 m2: 3.89-5.65 million rubles.
From 200 to 300 m2: 6.8-9.5 million rubles.
Conclusion
Wooden houses made of laminated veneer lumber have gained recognition in many countries around the world, the technology is recognized as effective and economical. Such housing pleases its owners with quality of workmanship, functionality, aesthetic expressiveness and economical operation. Only if high-quality adhesive beams were used for its construction, and the construction was carried out by a construction company with decent experience in the field of wooden house construction.Any person who decides to acquire their own home first faces a difficult question: What to build a house from? And although there are many materials for building cottages on the market, wood still occupies a leading position to this day.
But modern construction conditions dictate their own special requirements for the material. And if log or log houses have been known for a long time, then cottages built from laminated veneer lumber appeared on our market relatively recently.
So, after reading this article, users will learn:
- About the technology of production of laminated veneer lumber;
- About the advantages of houses made of laminated veneer lumber;
- About the features of assembling houses from laminated veneer lumber.
Among the main advantages of laminated timber are:
- Compared to ordinary wood, laminated veneer lumber has higher strength, and it is also warmer than ordinary timber;
- Glued laminated timber has a clear geometry, which facilitates and speeds up the process of building a house;
- A house made of laminated veneer lumber is subject to minimal shrinkage - 1-2% per meter of wall, which allows you to begin laying communications and interior decoration immediately after the construction of the house;
- Thanks to the factory fire-bioprotection, laminated veneer lumber is highly resistant to fire, mold and fungi;
- The walls of a house built from laminated veneer lumber do not require interior or exterior decoration.
The main disadvantage of laminated veneer lumber is the high price at the initial stage of construction.
Features of the production of laminated timber
In order to talk in detail about the features of laminated veneer lumber, you first need to understand how it is produced.
Company Development Director "Cedar Estate" Maria Markova :
– First, the raw material - high-quality logs - goes to production, where it is sawed into lamellas and material unsuitable for further use is rejected. Next, the sawn material is dried for a week. After drying, the lamellas go to planing, where all irregularities and roughness are removed from them. Then the lamellas are glued together and placed under a press, where the lamellas are finally formed into timber and pass finishing planing. The resulting timber blank is sent to a machine where the profile is cut.
To dispel the doubts of some developers, it should be noted that houses made of laminated veneer lumber are environmentally friendly, since water-based glue is used as a binder for the lamellas, which does not contain formaldehyde.
In the process of manufacturing laminated veneer lumber, there is another important point that you need to pay attention to - antiseptic.
This is fire-bioprotection, which reduces the level of fire by 15-20% and also protects the material from all kinds of pests.
Antiseptic treatment carried out in production allows the solution to be applied to all 4 surfaces of the timber, which provides better protection for the material.
Main profiles of laminated timber
To understand why laminated veneer lumber retains heat well in a home and provides wind protection, you need to know that there are three main profiles of laminated veneer lumber.
- Comb;
- Flat;
- Two or three toothed.
The peculiarity of the first profile is that, due to its numerous teeth, it does not require installation of inter-crown insulation, and protects the wall well from blowing.
The second is the so-called Finnish profile, which is easier to install, but requires additional gasketing in the form of inter-crown insulation.
The three-tooth profile is considered the most universal, since its wide teeth facilitate the process of laying timber and create protection from blowing.
It should be remembered that laminated veneer lumber, in addition to various profiles, differs in height. The most common options are: 140 mm and 190 mm.
A low beam is more convenient to lay and install, since it weighs less than a wide one, but a house built from a low-profile beam does not look as advantageous and solid in appearance as a structure built from a higher beam.
Advantages of houses made of laminated veneer lumber
According to the management, the company "DDM-Stroy" Vera Vavilova , The main advantages of houses made of laminated veneer lumber include:
– Since laminated veneer lumber is the only dry building material made of wood today, thanks to this, laminated veneer lumber gives minimal shrinkage, it does not move or twist, and the walls do not form large cracks. This makes it possible, immediately after installing the walls, to install the roof, windows, doors, do finishing and install engineering systems. Upon completion of all work, you can bring in the furniture and enjoy life in the finished home.
Unlike laminated veneer lumber, a log house assembled from ordinary timber must allow shrinkage to settle for a year or two under a temporary roof, and only then can the roof be installed, finishing done and engineering carried out.
Glued laminated timber walls do not require additional insulation, cladding or other modifications, like houses made from naturally damp materials. For houses made of laminated veneer lumber there is no need for external and internal finishing. Enough to paint the walls.
Thus, houses made of laminated veneer lumber are much easier to operate than houses made of wood with natural moisture. There is no need to caulk it, change the skin over time and eliminate the consequences of severe shrinkage. All this allows the developer to save money and time.
Features of assembling a house from laminated veneer lumber
Since all the details of the future house are numbered in advance at the manufacturer, building a house from laminated veneer lumber is reminiscent of working with a construction kit.
Maria Markova:
– At the very end of the production cycle, the already antiseptic laminated veneer lumber is placed into bundles. And with each pack there is an accompanying document, which specifies all the parts contained in it for further transportation to the site.
This approach allows you to quickly and safely deliver the necessary parts for construction, which significantly speeds up and simplifies the process of assembling a house.
So what are the features of the technology for assembling a house from laminated veneer lumber?
Corporation specialist "GOOD WOOD" Dmitry Prusakov :
–
The best solution for connecting the beams of mating walls is “profile and cup”: they are cut into the beam in the factory. The profile has a “Thorn – Groove” bonding system.
The tenon is inserted into the groove as tightly as possible. The tongue-and-groove connection alternates in each subsequent crown of the log house. This provides the entire structure with the necessary rigidity.
The crowns are connected to each other using dowels. The dowels are placed in pre-drilled special holes. Pins can be made of wood or metal. It is preferable to use a wooden dowel, since it is made of the same material as the beam, therefore, the wall turns out to be almost monolithic. It is important that the dowels are completely dry when installing. In this case, when the moisture level of the beam and the pin are equal, the dowel will expand slightly and sit tighter, which increases the strength of the coupling.
Although a frame made of laminated veneer lumber practically does not settle, in order to avoid the slightest appearance of cracks, metal pins are inserted into the strength part of the timber, which are subsequently pulled together, forcing the crowns into tight contact.
Maria Markova:
– Jute fabric is most often used as inter-crown insulation.
Thanks to this material, the possible appearance of cracks after shrinkage of the house is prevented..
Heat loss in houses made of laminated veneer lumber
Houses made of laminated veneer lumber do not require additional insulation. For year-round operation of the house, it is necessary to select in advance the thickness of the material, designed for the temperature conditions in the construction area.
Dmitry Prusakov:
– Designers and technologists periodically conduct thermographic inspections of constructed houses using thermal imagers.
These surveys prove the high thermal insulation performance of houses made of laminated veneer lumber.
Thus, by choosing laminated veneer lumber as a building material, the customer receives a ready-made thermal circuit - one that does not require additional insulation, which allows reducing construction costs.
However, if you sacrifice the external aesthetics of a log house, for year-round living you can build thinner walls, and make external insulation with cladding to compensate for heat loss. In this case, the thickness of the insulation will be determined based on the selected facing material and the region of construction.
To summarize, we can say that a cottage built from laminated veneer lumber is a high-tech structure that requires high production standards and qualified personnel.
And the high initial costs for the material are compensated by the speed of construction of the building and the reduction in costs for insulation and finishing of the house, which ultimately allows you to get an environmentally friendly, stylish and modern home in a short time.
Users can learn more about building a house from laminated veneer lumber from this page on our forum. Our forum member talks in detail about the process of self-building a house from laminated veneer lumber. IN this video clearly describes the developer’s approach to building a house from laminated veneer lumber. And after watching this video You will learn the difference between high-quality laminated veneer lumber and low-quality laminated timber.
At the stage of designing your own home, it is important to choose the wall material. The appearance of the building, its weight (which affects the requirements for foundations), and the final cost of construction depend on which external enclosing structures will be used. Increasingly, when building their own homes, people give preference to creating wooden cottages, one of the options of which are houses made of laminated veneer lumber.
Features of the material
This technology allows the production of wooden elements of larger sections and lengths than is possible with solid material. At the same time, the overall strength of the structure increases. The production of material occurs in the following sequence:
- drying softwood boards in steam chambers to a standard humidity of 8-12%;
- sorting the received material, cutting out defects;
- giving the boards a strict geometric shape by planing on four sides;
- gluing elements together under a high-power hydraulic press;
- cutting the profile into pieces of the required size;
- drilling holes in parts for dowels.
Compared to classic edged timber, laminated veneer lumber has a number of features:
- length up to 18 m (versus 6 m);
- minimal deformation and shrinkage (1-2% versus 9-10%);
- possibility of manufacturing elements of large cross-section (thickness up to 50 cm, height up to 90 cm);
- high strength (the frame is noticeably more rigid);
- increased resistance to negative environmental influences (deep cracks do not form);
- absence of drafts between the crowns due to the profiled section.
This technology makes it possible to obtain a material with unique characteristics, but, unfortunately, it is quite expensive. It is precisely because of the cost that modern houses made of glued material are the choice of people with fairly high financial capabilities.
Advantages and disadvantages
There is a strong consensus in the construction market regarding the advantages of houses made of laminated veneer lumber:
- Possibility of operation immediately after assembly. This is ensured due to the fact that the shrinkage of the house is minimal and does not exceed 0.5%. When using ordinary timber or logs, before finishing, you must wait at least 1, and preferably 2 years, so that the walls dry out and shrink.
- High thermal insulation characteristics. But here it is important to note that such thermal conductivity can be provided by ordinary timber or logs, which cost much less.
- Attractive appearance. The surface of the elements is perfectly smooth, which allows you to avoid additional finishing of the house from the inside or outside. In addition, thanks to the unique properties of the material, the attractiveness will last for a long time. The service life is increased due to resistance to such troubles as mold, rot or mildew.
- Low flammability. The main problem of wooden cottages is their instability to fire. A special production technology solves this issue. At the manufacturing stage, all elements are treated with fire retardants - substances that increase the fire resistance limit. In addition, when producing profiled material, cracks and voids are eliminated, and it acquires greater density. Such a monolithic structure resists fire better. Even in the event of a fire, the walls will continue to perform a load-bearing function and will not pose a threat of destruction during the time necessary for the safe evacuation of people.
- Opportunity to implement bold architectural solutions. Creation of large spans and complex geometric shapes. Such advantages are justified by the high strength of the material and ease of machining. The technology allows us to produce not only standard products, but also bent-laminated beams.
The advantages are quite significant, so even when constructing houses from other materials, sometimes such elements are included in the design.
Also, houses made of laminated veneer lumber also have disadvantages. They need to be known at the design stage in order to avoid serious problems during construction and operation. The disadvantages can be identified as follows:
- Using synthetic compounds for gluing profiled timber. There are three options for production: polyurethane, melamine and isoacitate adhesives. The last group will be the most environmentally friendly option. In Europe and Russia, the technology of using the first two is most widespread.
- About melanin glue. It is important to know that it contains formaldehyde, a toxic substance that can lead to the occurrence or exacerbation of bronchial asthma. Isoacitates can also cause this disease. Despite the fact that the service life of the house increases and its strength characteristics increase, if there is a predisposition to this kind of disease, you should abandon the idea of using glued profiled material for construction, since this is dangerous to health.
- Possibility of small cracks. Manufacturers prefer to remain silent about this. Although the shrinkage is minimal (1-2%), it is not zero. Therefore, if you plan to carry out additional finishing inside (for example, drywall on the walls or ceiling), then in the first year after construction you will have to wait.
- Increased cost. The estimate for a house made of laminated veneer lumber will be such that with this money it would be possible to build a brick house of approximately the same size. Although which is better - a wooden or stone house - is rather a philosophical question, personal beliefs and preferences play a big role here.
- If the beam is thin, additional insulation is necessary. Even thanks to low thermal conductivity, in harsh northern winters, houses made of profiled timber are not able to provide complete protection from the cold. These disadvantages can be eliminated; you just need to use effective mineral wool insulation. But it involves increased costs and labor intensity.
The use of polystyrene foam for additional thermal insulation is not recommended, since its service life and strength leave much to be desired. In addition, expanded polystyrene negates the ability of a wooden house to “breathe”.
If not everyone pays attention to the composition of the adhesive or the heat-shielding characteristics, then even a person far from construction will notice an increase in cost (sometimes several times). The service life of the building and its energy efficiency are not high enough to talk about cost recovery.
Owner reviews
Glued laminated timber has been used in Russia for more than 15 years. During this period, technology has undergone many changes towards improving consumer characteristics and adapting to continental climate conditions. Owners of houses built at least 3 years ago can objectively judge their house in general and the technology features in particular.
Actual construction time
Construction organizations claim that the construction of an average house of 150 sq.m. takes 1-1.5 months. This is partly true - assembling a standard box, which is not the first time builders have built, really does not take that much time.
But the owners of such houses report the following:
“Don't forget about building the foundation. Depending on the number of floors and geological conditions, a simple pile-screw method (installed in 3-7 days) or a more labor-intensive strip method (14-21 days, including the concrete hardening time) may suit you.”
Also, many reviews report an increase in deadlines for engineering systems:
“After the frame is erected, communications are installed, including at a minimum electrical, heating, water supply and sewerage. This is another 3-4 weeks of continuous work. Installation of windows and doors, if it is not included in the main types of work - 1-2 weeks. And interior decoration, depending on the nuances of the design project, can take 2-3, and sometimes even 9 months of intensive work.”
Conclusion: according to reviews, the actual construction time is not 1-1.5 months, but at least 2-3. And taking into account finishing, it can take from 4 to 12 months.
Actual shrinkage
Manufacturers claim that due to low shrinkage and natural beauty, the interior decoration of the house does not need to be done at all.
“In reality, slight shrinkage is still present, and in some places, after a year, small cracks appeared on the walls inside and outside, especially at the ends. For us, this is not critical, since the thermal efficiency of the house was not affected and no through cracks appeared. But the sediment remained, because we were promised a complete absence of any defects during the drying process. In addition, even laminated wood is a living material, and cracking can be accepted as a kind of noble natural patina of time.”
Thus, a slight adjustment to the geometric dimensions of the walls is still present. Therefore, this fact should not be neglected during interior decoration.
Actual fire treatment
In production, before sending a batch of timber on a flight, it is treated with special fire-resistant impregnations. During transportation and loading/unloading, the material gets dirty and its appearance deteriorates.
“We decided to sand the facade in several places to remove dirt. Consequently, unsightly whitish spots appeared, and we had to completely clean one façade and then re-coat it with fire retardant. As a result, the deadlines and figures in the estimate shifted. Don’t repeat my mistake - be present when the material is accepted and make sure that there are no such dark spots on it.”
As for fire resistance, firefighter Alexander from the specialized forum spoke about it best:
“A wooden house, no matter how you treat it and with what, remains flammable. Yes, fire retardants increase the degree of fire resistance, the duration and temperature of flammability increases, but they will not give the material the NG group (non-flammable). Therefore, if there is a fire, the treatment will give you an additional 2-3 minutes to evacuate. By the way, in stone houses the situation is no better: the fire occurs from the inside, and there are flammable finishes, furniture, curtains, etc. As a result, we have the same evacuation time as in a log house.”
Conclusion: treatment is important, since in terms of fire safety such a house is very close to a stone one. Carefully monitor its presence and the absence of dirty spots upon acceptance.
Design and construction
There are many offers on the market for the construction of turnkey houses. Most often, these companies produce the material themselves and perform the assembly. To build a house from laminated veneer lumber, you will need to choose a standard one or develop an individual project. Beams are manufactured according to the project, and the factory will definitely ask for their geometric dimensions and all the necessary drawings. Here it is important to have a complete project; just a sketch of the house is suitable only at the initial stage.
Example project of a house of 175 sq.m. Ordering a ready-made project is an additional investment. To create a draft design yourself, you can use specialized programs such as ArchiCAD or AutoCAD. To complete the work yourself, you will need to study the material on working with these programs. For one use, you don’t have to purchase the licensed version (the cost of which is very high), but use the demo version.
Construction is not critically different from other wooden materials. are selected in the same way as for houses. Laying crowns and ceiling elements does not cause any difficulties. The elements are fixed with dowels or bolts, holes for which are provided at the manufacturing stage.
Having carefully studied all the advantages and disadvantages, strength characteristics, service life, heat-protective abilities, you can safely make an independent, informed choice.
The article was prepared with the support of specialists from the SKMD company - Siberian Low-Rise Housing Construction Plant.
A dream that is not difficult to realize is a spacious house made of wooden beams, built for a family according to an individual plan. The construction of houses from laminated veneer lumber is not uncommon nowadays, architects offer a variety of projects, and master builders have brought the technology of their construction to perfection.
A country house made of wood is optimal in all respects. Living in it is warm, dry and cozy. Beautiful, light and environmentally friendly, it is always a prestigious, elegant, comfortable home.
Which house is better
Before embarking on specific actions to build your own ideal home, the main construction material is determined. If this is a tree, then it is not ordinary thick logs, but elegant, properly made laminated veneer lumber. This is a common building material that is good for health, and building a wooden house is much faster than using the same brick or cold concrete blocks.
The stages of building a house from laminated veneer lumber suggest the possibility of sequential delivery of the material and its immediate installation, with no additional finishing required.
Houses made of laminated timber have a number of advantages over others:
environmental friendliness and safety;
guaranteed strength;
heat conservation;
natural ventilation;
comparative lightness of construction;
construction speed;
unlimited possibilities of architectural solutions;
comfort.
The technology of building a house from laminated veneer lumber, proper preparation of the material ensures a reduction in the internal stress of the wood, protects it from the appearance of cracks and natural deformation caused by weather conditions and forced load. Wood rot is prevented by special antiseptic treatment. The air in timber buildings is always fresh, since only environmentally friendly adhesives are used according to the technology.
The strength and stability of a house made of laminated veneer lumber is guaranteed by high-precision profiling of the material.
Heat saving is ensured due to the peculiarities of the shape and tight fit of the timber. There are no even microscopic cracks in the walls, external or internal, and residents are not afraid of either frost or wind.
Well-dried, specially glued wood is a lightweight material, which eliminates the need for a massive buried foundation.
They build buildings from laminated veneer lumber quickly, which does not affect the quality. A relatively small one-story house, up to 150 m2, is erected in about a month, and the same amount is needed for interior design and roofing. Thus, the customer can move into a brand new house that smells of fresh forest already this season.
The secret is that the timber is cut in the workshop in accordance with design calculations. On site, the parts are folded, fastened, and a roof is erected. The finished house practically does not shrink, which allows you to begin installing heat, water, and electrical communications immediately after the installation of the walls is completed, simultaneously with the arrangement of the attic space and roof.
Glued laminated timber is a beneficial material for architects and civil engineers. The treated surface of the timber does not require additional finishing, reducing the cost of time, materials and finances. Natural beauty, manufacturability, high load-bearing capacity of laminated wood accurately embodies the most daring engineering and architectural ideas.
What's wrong or a little about the shortcomings
It would be wrong to mislead customers and dreamers by insisting on the absolute infallibility of the wonderful laminated veneer lumber. The trouble is that a house built entirely from laminated veneer lumber is short-lived due to the natural nature of the building material and its reaction to external and internal changes in temperature and humidity. The larger the structure, the more pronounced this drawback is.
Shrinkage, although minimal, is still present; this fact should be taken into account during construction.
The issue of environmental friendliness of the material also arises, because laminated veneer lumber is assembled from several lamellas, glued and pressed. It is believed that the adhesives used are non-toxic and do not interfere with the positive properties of wood, but it is useful to inquire about the characteristics of the adhesives, especially if future residents are prone to allergies.
Another disadvantage is the high cost of laminated veneer lumber. This drawback does not scare everyone; moreover, the short time frame and optimal construction technology reduce it to a minimum. The cost of construction depends on many factors and ranges on average from 450 to 800 USD. per m2.
You can avoid many unpleasant moments, which are caused by the natural behavior of wood in various conditions, by erecting small one-story houses or combining wood with other reliable building materials.
When planning the construction of a wooden house, the developer should be extremely careful when choosing a contractor. The company with which the construction contract is concluded must reasonably guarantee the highest quality of building materials, the provision of appropriate permits and certificates, compliance with deadlines and stages of construction, strict adherence to technology during the entire period of preparation and construction of the house.
Manufacturing technology of high-quality laminated timber
Talking about the technology of manufacturing laminated veneer lumber (or structural wall timber) may seem boring. But this is only at first glance. Timber is wood, perfectly flat, firmly glued, and under no circumstances losing its positive properties, the basis of the future ideal home.
High-quality laminated veneer lumber that fully meets all the stated characteristics is obtained only with the strictest adherence to production technology.
As wood dries, it shrinks in size, changing its geometry. Improperly dried workpieces during the operation of the building can cause cracks to appear. Even a small, barely noticeable gap quickly increases, which negates all efforts to create a cozy, warm and reliable home.
To obtain the correct structural wall timber, you should:
- cut the forest into blanks;
- dry them to a moisture content of about 12%;
- calibrate;
- inspect and reject defects;
- splice the finished lamellas onto a mini-tenon;
- calibrate boards;
- glue the boards flat;
- planing workpieces;
- cover them with protective compounds;
- trim;
- cut corner joints;
- drill technological holes;
- re-coat with a protective compound.
This is a simple listing of the operations performed on the shop floor. In practice, each process is repeatedly checked against documentation and calculations are checked. Craftsmen say that in fact, the production of laminated veneer lumber begins on a forest plot, because it is necessary to select wood of the required size, with certain qualities, cut it down and carefully transport the logs to the production site. Knowing the conditions in which the tree grew, you can accurately predict its behavior in blanks and products.
The preparation of building material takes place in accordance with the requirements of the project. A large amount of timber should not be produced in advance; it cannot wait long for installation - each lamella inside the timber dries in its own way, the timber “leads” and distorts the internal resistance of the wood. Errors in calculating wood compression are also dangerous. The result is that the building material becomes unsuitable even at the preparation stage.
Why are wooden houses called “Finnish”
Several decades ago, the words “Finnish house” entered our everyday life, which meant a prestigious, quite expensive, but very comfortable dwelling made of wood. The term has survived to this day, although it is not at all necessary for Finns to build a house from materials brought from Finland.
A real “Finnish house” is a unique phenomenon in each case. There are no identical, let alone typical, Finnish houses. All projects are developed on an individual order; construction begins only if the construction of a home is guaranteed from Honka, that is, of the highest quality. These houses are interesting because they are designed for climatic conditions similar to ours - winter frosts, spring and autumn humidity, sometimes hot summers.
The buildings are predominantly one or one and a half stories high, which allows one to avoid the possible vagaries of the material; the layout is thought out to the smallest detail and takes into account the needs and desires of everyone living in the house. There are no utility rooms - storerooms, basements, attics, as they are sources of additional moisture, undesirable for a log house. Utility rooms and a garage are built separately from the residential building.
As a rule, houses have wide terraces and balconies resting on them, which increases comfort and allows the family to get together in their free time in the air, but in a place protected from rain and snow.
They build, or rather assemble, such houses according to the principle of a designer, when the details are standardized and the result meets expectations. All parts and components are delivered to the construction site fully prepared, cut according to drawings, processed, no additional adjustments are provided on site. The installers can only, following the instructions, assemble a nice house with a flat gable roof on which snow does not linger.
The hallmark of Finnish houses is the emphasized neatness of the architecture - the corners are cut “into the paw”, the same height of the base is at least 40 cm, cornices protrude by half a meter. Exposed beams create a recognizable interior.
What is the difference between our and Finnish laminated timber?
The technology for manufacturing the main building material - laminated veneer lumber - was invented and developed by the Finns, hence the name. High-precision computer-controlled equipment allows the process of manufacturing puff building materials to be reduced to purely technical operations and guarantees quality.
In principle, Russian timber is the same as Finnish timber, the difference may be the source material and differences in the manufacturing process.
The Finns harvest pine and spruce logs that are identical in all respects for cutting boards - lamellas - only in winter, when the wood is least wet. Drying of the source material is carried out in special chambers, after which it is transferred for cutting. The square-section timber consists of at least three glued and tightly pressed lamellas. The blanks, carefully treated with antiseptic, fire-fighting and other protective compounds, are processed on carpentry machines - the so-called “thermal lock” is prepared - grooves, tenons for further assembly.
The secret of Finnish professionals is the technology of gluing layers of future timber, which prevents the possibility of warping, twisting or cracking of the wood. Of course, the technology for producing high-quality material soon became the property of Russian craftsmen. Nowadays, many domestic companies have reached the highest level of quality of puff building materials and are leaders in the market. It should be noted that domestic material is cheaper than its imported counterpart, which determines the choice.
Construction of country houses from laminated veneer lumber
Country house made of laminated veneer lumber It is not advisable to build spacious two- to three-story mansions entirely from laminated veneer lumber, given the nature of the building material; this has been proven by practice. But country house construction is a priority. Small country houses built in accordance with the relevant rules and technology serve their owners for many years, maintaining a beautiful appearance and providing comfort.
Such buildings are quite accessible not only to wealthy, but also to middle-income citizens, since they are built from domestic materials. The relative high cost of laminated veneer lumber is offset by time savings, ease of installation, and the absence of the need for finishing.
In conclusion, it should be said that houses made of laminated veneer lumber, made from carefully selected raw materials, built in strict accordance with the requirements of technology are truly ideal for humans. Beauty, comfort, strength, reliability, coziness - these are the distinctive features of nice houses made of laminated veneer lumber.
The post Dream house made of laminated veneer lumber: construction nuances and manufacturing technology first appeared on StroyPomoschnik.
