How to choose durable, environmentally friendly and safe material for the construction of a wooden house. Tips from WonderWood.
Already hundreds of times it was a fact that wood is environmentally safe, high-quality and reliable material. In addition, it perfectly regulates the microclimate in the room. But the tree, like any material, has its advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, in order to minimize the inconveniences that may occur while residing in a log house, one should know the features of each tree.
Species of trees for construction
For construction, both conifers and deciduous breeds are used. Most often used are fir, fir and pine (coniferous trees), linden and birch (hardwood).
Pine
Pine - the most common building material. Its advantages in low cracking ability and low level of drying. In addition, it almost rotates, very strong and durable, moderately distorted. A beautiful and clearly drawn structure combines with a fairly modest price for this material.
In the world there are about 125 species of sons, but when it comes to building - usually talking about pine usual. But the biggest drawback of using a pine tree is the appearance of blueness on its surface. It does not change the mechanical properties of the tree, but it does not look quite attractive, so it has to constantly fight with whitening.
Depending on the soil and conditions of growth, the specific weight and density of wood varies (pine wood is not considered easy building material). The pine trees ranging from 100-120 years old. The best option is considered to be trees over 160 years old.
By its structure, most softwood trees are soft, and therefore easily cultivable. Pine is easy to spray along the fibers. With transverse spraying, difficulties arise.
Also distinguish two kinds of pine - a sponge and dry chip. Resistant trees repel excessive moisture well, but difficult to handle because of high resin content. Dry-pine wood is well exposed to diverse influences, but can not withstand heavy loads.
Spruce
The main advantage of this material is the ability to preserve natural color for decades. Spruce, like pine, belongs to soft wooden rocks, resistant to deformations and mechanical damage. The higher flexibility and lack of blueness distinguishes it from the pine tree.
This material is light and fluffy, which helps to better keep the heat in the house. But here is a weak spot - the spruce has the ability to split in the dried state and bad repels moisture. Therefore, this material is pre-coated with moisture-resistant materials.
Christmas trees are harvested at the younger age (80-120 years). If the pine is prone to climatic conditions, then the density of spruce is almost independent of natural conditions. The process of processing complicates the presence of a large number of solid but small knots, although the wood is mild and almost does not contain resin.
Spruce
It is the fountain often chosen for modern construction. Firstly, the purchase of a large amount of material can be a good saver. Second, the fir is a soft rock, and a smaller density provides the ease of the material. Therefore, the house with fir is less pressure on the ground, therefore the soil shrinkage and the load on the foundation will also be lower than in other softwood species.
Smereka, like spruce, is almost not prone to bluishness. Thanks to the special climatic conditions in which the fir tree grows, it is able to breathe more quickly and actively "breathe", which positively affects the microclimate in the house and prevents the appearance of fungus and mold.
This same "porous" structure helps to keep warm. Therefore, even 200 mm thick lumber is enough to build a warm country cottage. And to slow down the process of decay and protect the tree from pests - apply special impregnations. Due to the friable structure and even placement of resinous veins, special substances deeply penetrate the wood, providing maximum protection throughout the material.
Linden
Lime is most often used for the construction of a bath. But in the construction of residential buildings you can find this material. Lime - soft, loose and elastic, and most importantly - has a low heat transfer (which makes it so popular in the construction of baths). It breaks and fades during drying, but then stays stable.
The advantage is that this breed absolutely does not attract rodents. But it yellows under the sun, causes iron corrosion, is exposed to fungus and mildew.
They produce lime at the age of 70-80 years. In the world there are more than 45 species of this tree. None of them requires special conditions of growth. There are difficulties during the finishing work. Lime does not absorb moisture, so it's not necessary to paint it, but it's better to use varnish.
Birch
The most rare material for the construction of residential buildings. The main reason for the short-term and significant drying of the material. Although birch perfectly resists deformation, it is elastic and elastic. Birch is quite heavy and viscous, but it dries a long time, prone to cracking and distortion. Without a protective coating it is easily affected by fungi.
There are about 100 species of birch, which are harvested at the age of 60-80 years. Birch is well planed, milled and bent, but badly stabbed. It can be glued, bonded with different fasteners and covered with any protective compositions.
So, choose the right wood - the task is not simple. Firstly, the material that is harvested in the winter is best suited, since it is less susceptible to fungal lesions. In the spring, it gradually dries naturally, and therefore the material creates less cracks. The best material for housing construction is the smerek, which "overwhelmed" the pine and spruce with indifference to the conditions of growth and the lack of propensity to bluishness. And for the construction of a sauna or a bath, the best approach is to linden and birch, which keep the heat warm inside the premises.
