A frame-panel house is chosen due to its relative cheapness, speed of construction and the possibility of occupancy immediately after construction. After all, finishing the walls is not required, just connect the communications and you can start living. At the same time, to build a house from SIP panels, special equipment is not needed. You can manage on your own.
The frame house is also assembled on site from ready-made elements. All the necessary building materials are delivered to the construction site; all you need to do is assemble them like a construction set.
But, in order to further reduce the cost of building such a house, frame-panel elements can be made independently. Of course, this will require excellent construction skills, because the slightest error in measurements can lead to misalignment of the entire building.
Proper foundation design is the key to the reliability of the entire building.
Where does the construction of a house begin? Of course, from the construction of the foundation! But how to choose the optimal foundation for your home so that the reliability of the building does not suffer and you do not overpay?
Types of foundations - their advantages and disadvantages
So, there are only three options for foundations, all the rest are their variations:
- tape;
- columnar;
- pile or pile-screw.
For heavy buildings, this is the best option, and besides, it will never be superfluous to have your own basement. But this is also the most expensive option, because you will have to take care of proper waterproofing, and the amount of concrete poured is directly proportional to the depth of the foundation.
A columnar foundation is the most economical and easiest to build with your own hands. Even a novice builder can handle it without using complex and expensive equipment. Shallow foundations are suitable for non-heaving and slightly heaving soils and light buildings.
Otherwise, the depth of the foundation should also be below the freezing level of the soil.
A foundation on piles is a universal option. There is no need for a level platform - the piles themselves are leveled. The house can even be placed on a slope, which significantly reduces construction costs. But to drive or screw in piles you will have to use special equipment.
Construction of a columnar foundation - how not to make unforgivable mistakes
So, the choice fell on the simplest and most economical option for a foundation - a columnar one. But it’s important not to go cheap here, otherwise mistakes will be very difficult to correct in the future. For example, under no circumstances should you simply place pillars on a concrete platform!
In just one season, such a “foundation” will unevenly sink into the ground, distorting the entire house.
Stages of foundation construction:
Even larch timber will begin to rot in such conditions. It is mandatory to lay several layers of roofing material under the tree.
According to SNiPs, the grillage support board must be secured to the foundation with anchors with a diameter of 12 mm or more. To do this, anchors are pre-embedded in the pillars, and holes of the required diameter are drilled in the boards. To prevent the wooden grillage from rotting, the anchor bolts are treated with bitumen along with the foundation pillars.
Laying and insulating floors - what you need to know
The lower trim is mounted on the grillage. The floor joists are laid on support bars and can be cut into the frame beam or attached to it with metal corners from the inside.
Without a basement floor, special attention must be paid to floor insulation, otherwise the cold air blown in from the underground will significantly worsen living conditions. And for the insulation to last a long time, it must be well insulated from moisture.
How not to confuse waterproofing with vapor barrier and what this will lead to
The waterproofing film is water- and vapor-tight on both sides. That is why it is believed that it should be located on the outside and protect the insulation from the influence of the external environment. But in this case, excess moisture will condense in the insulation, worsening its properties. The optimal solution is a vapor-permeable windproofing that does not allow moisture to pass through from the outside, but evaporates it from the inside.
The vapor barrier protects the insulation from the ingress of vapors generated inside the building. It should be laid on the inside close to the insulation. But in the case of the floor, everything is not so simple, because the water will not evaporate downwards, settling just on the vapor barrier laid on the insulation.
That is why a vapor barrier is laid on the floor on top of the insulation with a mandatory ventilation gap between the insulation and the floor boards, allowing moisture to evaporate.
Choice of insulation and installation technology
But how to choose insulation? Of course, the main criterion will always be price and availability in a particular region. If the choice is quite diverse, you can compare the advantages and disadvantages of the most popular ones:
- sawdust is a natural and often cheap insulation material, but requires antiseptic treatment and cakes over time;
- expanded clay is a natural and in some areas cheap insulation, but heavy and hygroscopic;
- vermiculite is a natural heat-intensive material that does not retain moisture, but is still quite heavy;
- ecowool - consists of recycled materials, does not contain harmful additives, but also cakes over time;
- mineral insulation is hygroscopic, which requires increased attention to waterproofing, but is easy to install;
- polystyrene foam is a non-hygroscopic and very light material, but practically airtight, which does not allow creating a “breathable” atmosphere in the house.
Installation of walls of a frame-panel house without special equipment
The main thing is to guess the weather and not start building during the rainy season.
DIY shield assembly
A frame house can be built in two ways - by sheathing and insulating a ready-made frame, or by first assembling individual elements and only then installing them. The first method is suitable for small buildings - verandas, closed gazebos and extensions. If large-scale construction is planned, it can be much easier to assemble a house from pre-prepared walls.
To do this you need:
Installing walls on the bottom frame
The finished frames are lifted and screwed to the beams of the lower frame. First, two opposite walls are installed, then the remaining ones. You can do it on your own, the main thing is to attract more help.
After this, you can begin to assemble the internal partitions.
For clarity, the video shows the assembly of the walls of a frame house and their sequential installation:
Panel house roof
It is important not to forget that the beams of the upper frame must cover the joints and joint corners - otherwise the entire structure may become loose in the future. And already on the top frame you can install the rafter system and lay the roofing.
Selection of roofing material
For a frame house, you should choose lightweight materials - this will avoid strengthening the frame of the walls and foundation, which will significantly reduce the cost of construction. Thus, frame-panel houses look great with:
- metal tiles;
- seam roofing;
- corrugated sheeting;
- bitumen shingles;
- Euro slate.
Metal tiles and corrugated sheets are quite easy to install, but are quite noisy when it rains. And if in the house, thanks to a good layer of insulation, this is practically unnoticeable, then being, for example, in an adjacent gazebo during a summer downpour is not very comfortable. Seam roofing is one of the most reliable, but quite difficult to install.
And since it is also assembled from metal elements, its disadvantages are the same as those of the previous options.
Bitumen shingles, also called soft shingles, look very attractive, but require continuous sheathing. Even a non-specialist can handle the installation, but the work is quite painstaking.
But euro slate can be an excellent option for the roof of a frame house. It is light and durable, laid in sheets, does not require special installation skills and can be attached to thin lathing.
Installation of a gable roof rafter system
There are two options for collecting rafter supports - directly on the wall, if the interfloor ceiling is ready, or on the ground and then lifting them up. The last option is useful if there is no interfloor ceiling yet.
What you need to know when installing a rafter system:
It is necessary to insulate the roof only if there is a living space there. Otherwise, it will be sufficient to insulate the attic floor. But if the attic is planned for residential use, the floor is not insulated.
You can install insulation in the under-roof space from the outside, if the roof covering has not yet been laid, or from the inside. The first option is in some ways simpler - the insulation does not need to be lifted above you. But balancing on the roof is quite difficult, so the choice here is entirely individual.
If there is insufficient ventilation under the roofing, the condensate will not evaporate, but will begin to settle and, as a result, the roof elements will collapse. Therefore, it is imperative to leave a ventilation gap between the waterproofing and the roof. The waterproofing itself is also not always laid close to the insulation - here you need to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. From the inside, the insulation is protected by a vapor barrier layer.
It is necessary not to forget to glue the joints and puncture points of the insulating film with special butyl rubber tape. It provides the necessary tightness, which significantly extends the service life of the insulation.
Thus, building a frame-panel house with your own hands is a difficult job, but it is quite within the capabilities of a confident builder. If you don’t have the necessary skills yet, it’s better to try your hand at building on a smaller scale. For example, a gazebo or garage would be a great start!
For me, it was a matter of principle to choose exactly the option when, with the least labor and material costs, you can quickly and efficiently build a full-fledged residential building for a family.
After studying several sources and many options, I decided to settle on the option, and took the standard project “Canadian - 1” as a basis.
I really liked this compact two-story house 7x7.5 m, and after making the necessary calculations, I decided that such a project was within my capabilities and means.
If there are a sufficient number of living rooms and utility rooms, it looks relatively small, and the cost of construction is several times less than when building a brick house of the same dimensions.
A typical project provides for the consumption of materials in the following sizes:
Edged boards 5x15 cm - 25m3;
Roofing board 2.5x15 cm - 3m3;
Polystyrene foam for insulation - 25m3;
Rolled insulation insulation - 5 rolls;
Polyurethane foam - 30 fl;
OSB - 200 sheets;
Roof waterproofing - 3 rolls;
Soft roof - area 70 m2;
cement, tar, solvent, antiseptic, anchor bolts.
According to the project, on the ground floor there is a living room with a kitchen and a large dining room, a bathroom and a small hall with a vestibule from the front door. The second floor consists of three living rooms, a small common hall and a fairly spacious bathroom. The project was also attracted by the fact that the garage has a common wall with the house, which saves materials and provides additional thermal insulation.
I chose a project, prepared the necessary materials for the first stage of work and began construction.
Before you build a house with your own hands, we lay the foundation
A properly installed foundation is the key to how long a house will last and how comfortable it will be to live in. Since my site is located on the bank of a river and the groundwater is high, in order to avoid moisture, I did not make a basement and decided to make a foundation according to TISE on concrete piles.
My goal was to build a house with my own hands cheaply, and therefore the option on poles suited me also because of its low cost.
For the piles, I used used asbestos-cement pipes with a diameter of 250 mm and a length of 2.5 m. I deepened the pipes into the ground by one and a half meters, so that a column 1 meter high emerged above the ground. I reinforced them with fiberglass reinforcement with a diameter of 16 mm, filled them with concrete mortar and secured No. 22 anchor bolts at the top of each column.
Within a month, I personally erected 24 pillars - the basis for the future house. The concrete in each column hardened within two weeks. This time was spent purchasing and delivering materials for tying the foundation.
As soon as the concrete had finally set, I started tying - I first selected grooves from the ends of the beam with a cross-section of 15 cm for better tying, and at the joints I deepened the sockets for fastening the anchor bolts.
According to my calculations, it took me a little more than 30,000 rubles to build this - the cost of the material.
In order to fix the frame as securely as possible when assembling the harness, I placed a wide washer under each nut - this way I tightened the nuts all the way without the risk of unnecessarily damaging the beams. As the work progressed, I simultaneously treated the entire structure with tar antiseptic and waterproofed it with construction tar.
In this form, the foundation easily survived the winter, and I was convinced that I had made the right choice.
To build a wooden house with your own hands, we begin to build the frame of the first floor and frame it
You can see from my step-by-step photos how to build a house with your own hands, without using heavy equipment, additional labor and unnecessary funds.
With the onset of the first fine spring days, I set about installing the walls of the first floor. The principle of constructing a frame dwelling is that the finished frame parts are installed in the proper place and secured there.
I assembled the structural elements piece by piece on a flat area, and then lifted them onto the foundation and alternately fastened them to the base and to each other. In addition, I assembled the technical openings for windows and doors separately and also lifted them onto the walls for fastening.
Since the structures are relatively small, I coped with this work practically alone, I just resorted to the help of my wife so that she would hold the structure while I was doing the fastenings.
Sheets of roofing material must be laid between the foundation and parts of the structure.
In a month I managed to put up three walls on the first floor.
When installing the structures, I ensured that the frame posts were spaced 60 cm apart from each other, since the standard width of the OSB sheet is 120 cm.
I adhered to the same principle when installing floor transfers.
It took me two more weekends to remove all the walls of the first floor - I really wanted to quickly build a house with my own hands.
Of course, thinking about how to build a beautiful house with my own hands, I studied a lot of reference material, including the book “Individual house “platform” - it inspired me to get creative!
Taking the “Canadian” project as a basis, I made a frame during construction in accordance with the provided assembly technology. And although I changed some things during the work at my own discretion, I did not change the basis of the project in order to avoid improper distribution of the load on the load-bearing structural elements.
As a result, this is the frame I got for the first floor:
Simultaneously with raising the walls of the first floor, I began to assemble the frame of the future interfloor staircase.
The next step in solving the problem of how to build a frame house with your own hands is the process of tying the first floor.
To do this, we lay two layers of insulation along all the upper edges of the structure and then lay a 5 cm thick board along the entire perimeter.
Our ceiling joists are also floor transfers for the second floor. Therefore, we lay them apart from each other at intervals of 60 cm, attaching them to the harness.
Work in good weather goes well, and the results are obvious.
Now I know for sure that anyone can build a wooden house with their own hands. This is a job in which the main thing is to comply with all the required standards and do everything with the utmost care - only then can you properly build a house with your own hands.
For those who are interested in this issue, my step-by-step photos will help you build a frame house with your own hands.
This photo of me shows that the first floor frame and floors are completely completed. This is the beautiful “platform” I ended up with.
Work doesn't always go quickly, and on the next weekend I was able to do little - the intense heat got in the way. But the staircase, which I installed anyway, served as additional support and added rigidity to the overall structure of the first floor.
Still, a lot has been accomplished in a relatively short period of time, considering that I worked almost alone.
By the way, since according to the design there should be a two-meter wide balcony-terrace above the southern side of the house, I set the ceiling joists above this part of the first floor to the required length so that they protrude 2 meters beyond the boundary of the wall structure.
The wooden parts in the right places were additionally fastened together with metal corners. To screw in the screws, I used an electric drill with a special mount for self-tapping screws.
As a result, the transfers of interfloor ceilings look like this:
Of course, it is difficult to calculate all construction costs in advance - there are many factors that influence changes in the final cost of the project. Moreover, you still need to solve the problem of how to build a beautiful house with your own hands, and not just put up a wooden box.
When building the foundation, frame of the first floor and floors, I spent about 80,000 rubles on materials.
The approximate amount I plan to spend to build a house made of wood with my own hands is 500 thousand rubles.
The next stage of completing the task of how to build a frame house with your own hands - we begin to build the second floor, and sheathe the structure with OSB sheets
It is very difficult to work in hot weather, especially at altitude. Therefore, construction is progressing slowly. I assemble the wall frame on the ground, then lift it and put it in place. If you work carefully during the assembly of structures, joining them at the fastening site does not present any difficulties.
The photo shows how the first wall of the second floor was installed:
On hot days it was impossible to work more than three to four hours, so in the middle of summer work slowed down a little. But as soon as the intense heat subsided, work continued at the same pace. At the same time as the side walls of the second floor, the end walls were also brought “under the roof”.
It was already difficult to work here alone to build a wooden house with your own hands, so he invited two assistants, and the heavy facade structures were lifted using ropes and inclined guides.
Along with the installation of the facade structures, they also made a screed along the ridge and starting rafters.
Having finished installing the wooden structures of the walls and ridge, I started covering the walls with panels - things went much more fun. First, I covered the corner parts of the walls with panels.
I tried to do the work of covering with OSB sheets in a few days - I didn’t want to take any risks and decided to protect the inside of the structures from the threat of getting wet during rains. You can see from my photos how I managed to build a house with my own hands almost alone.
How to build a house roof with your own hands?
This is exactly the question that confronted me as soon as I finished building the walls.
Before that, I did almost all the main work myself, occasionally resorting to outside help when it was necessary to support part of the structure or lift heavy facade parts to the second floor.
And now, in order to solve the question of how to build the roof of a house with your own hands, when it came to lathing the roof, I had to call another assistant, since I am not very successful at working on the rafters alone. The work was much more fun together.
Just like the ceilings of the first floor, I put a 5 cm thick board on the rafters, and also installed the rafters at intervals of 60 cm, so that I could then lay the OSB sheet on a base of three boards.
My assistant and I installed a vapor barrier on top of the rafters, using 3 rolls of roof hydraulic membrane.
OSB sheets were laid on top of the vapor barrier material. They were lifted onto the roof in the same way as the façade frames.
One side of the roof has already been covered with OSB. There are small areas and one more slope left. Since autumn is approaching and the rains have become more frequent, I threw away all other things and began to work closely on the roof - in order to protect the frame from excessive wetting. The work is hard, but perseverance conquers everything, and a helper is very helpful.
At this stage, it took me 7 cubes of 150x50 boards to build; almost two - 200x50; and 65 sheets of OSB - for external cladding, without floors and partitions.
All the lumber has practically gone into use, only the smallest trimmings - no more than 20 cm, are stored for further use as fuel - on a fire or in a smokehouse. If you use materials sparingly and carefully, you can build a house with your own hands relatively cheaply.
But since this season I am physically unable to cover the house with siding, in order to prevent heavy and frequent rains from spoiling the material, I decided to treat the slabs with tar diluted in a solvent.
The house temporarily acquired a gloomy black appearance, but is now reliably protected from moisture and destruction.
How to build a wooden house with your own hands: insulation and sound insulation
When I had completed the exterior work, during rainy weather I did a little work on the interior - insulating and at the same time soundproofing the floors with foam plastic slabs.
The gaps between the joints and walls were foamed with polyurethane foam using a gun. From the bottom I hemmed OSB sheets to the floor slabs of the first floor using wood screws, having previously supported them with spacers. This is very important in order to properly build a house with your own hands - in this way I not only protected the internal structures from strong temperature changes, but also protected the foam from destruction by mice, which love to live in it.
The floor inside the room was covered separately in rooms, so as not to damage the foam in the ceilings.
Isolon was laid on top of the log on the floor and secured with a construction stapler, and on top - OSB sheets, which were laid on the floor in a checkerboard pattern. This is important, because when laying sheets joined at four corners, the floors begin to creak heavily.
Gradually, the inside of the house is transformed and takes on an attractive appearance. Here you can already get serious about the internal work on wall insulation.
The work for the construction season has been completed, I covered the window openings for the winter with OSB sheets and covered them with film, and mothballed the construction of the house until next spring.
So, I have completed the main work and my dream - to build a house out of wood with my own hands - is close to completion. In the winter, weather permitting, I will begin interior finishing work, and with the onset of spring, work will begin with renewed vigor.
I hope I explained in detail and proved with the help of photos that you can build a frame house with your own hands!
Perhaps some of you, after reading my article, will be inspired to build one, and the photos given here will help him with this.
Construction of a frame house allows you to quickly solve a housing problem, save on materials and do the work yourself. Assembly takes only 2-3 months, and wood costs are reduced by almost half (compared to timber buildings). You can build a frame frame without serious experience in construction - step-by-step instructions will help you with this.
There are several technologies for building a frame house: Canadian, Finnish, German, using a wooden or metal base. But in any case, the design includes the following elements:
- top and ;
- vertical racks;
- rafter system;
- heat and sound insulating layer;
- internal and external cladding.
Wall thickness depends depending on the region of construction and purpose of the house– for temporary or seasonal residence. The set of materials is standard: wooden beams, boards, OSB panels, moisture-resistant plywood, insulation, fasteners. Specialized tools are not required, but sometimes equipment may be needed to install large elements.
Preparation for construction
The basis of a frame house is wood materials, which excess humidity is harmful. It is important to choose the right site for development - dry, without wetlands, and not flooded during rain. It is necessary to first level the ground, remove debris, and prepare passage for trucks.
The second stage is development. It is better to entrust this task to specialists who will take into account existing building codes and coordinate documents with permitting authorities. If your skills allow, you can take a standard project and adapt it to your own needs. The main thing is not to forget about utilities and take into account the recommended dimensions of the house.
Important! To quickly build a frame house, be sure to draw up an estimate and describe all stages of the work. You can use the following step-by-step instructions as a basis.
Stages of frame construction
Wooden structures are subject to biological destruction and are not resistant to fire. To solve this problem, use flame retardants and bioprotective compounds. It is most convenient to use a complex product that protects against fire, woodworms and rot. Treatment with impregnations is necessary at every stage of construction of a frame house.
Foundation structure
A frame house weighs much less than a timber or brick house, so a lightweight foundation is sufficient for it.
The most popular option is tape. To equip it, they dig a trench along the markings of the future house, install wooden formwork in it, fill it with concrete mortar, and compact the mixture. For compaction, hand tools or special vibrators are used.
In second place is – bored or screw. In the first case, the piles are driven into pre-drilled holes, in the second they are screwed in manually or using special equipment. A grillage in the form of a ribbon is arranged on top of them thickness 200-400 mm and height 200-300 mm. It binds the piles into a single whole, increasing the strength of the structure. When arranging a pile foundation, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the soil and strictly follow the technology. Otherwise, the soil will swell and loosen the piles.
Slab foundation– an excellent option for those who decide to build a frame house with their own hands. A slab poured from concrete compensates for seasonal expansion of the soil. The recommended height is 250-500 mm. Most practical insulated Swedish plate (USP), consisting of several layers:
- compacted sand bedding;
- rigid foam 200 mm thick;
- reinforced concrete mixture;
- underfloor heating pipes;
- leveling screed.
USHP combines the foundation, monolithic floor and heating system. But such a foundation requires large financial investments.
One of the most affordable foundations - columnar. It consists of small posts installed on the ground or buried in it. A columnar foundation is easy to make with your own hands, but due to its low reliability it is only suitable for domestic buildings.
Subfloor installation
There are two types of wooden subfloor:
- supporting structure is used in combination with strip or pile foundation;
- the lattice structure is used in tandem with a slab or concrete screed.
In the first case, the horizontal level is maintained at the stage of arranging the base or grillage, in the second - at the stage of pouring the base.
Subfloor laying technology resembles a wall construction diagram. First, a load-bearing base is installed - joists and cross members. If necessary, the logs are overlapped. To strengthen the structure, additional spacers are used. At the same stage, engineering structures are laid: water supply, gas pipelines and sewerage.
Construction of the frame
The frames of prefabricated houses can be metal or wood. If you do not have construction experience, it is better to order a ready-to-install factory kit. Otherwise it is necessary to follow assembly technology. There are two options:
- assemble all elements at the installation site;
- gradually assemble the walls on a horizontal surface and install them in place.
The second method is more convenient and productive - especially for metal frames. To assemble the latter, a welding machine is used.
The construction of the frame takes place in several stages:
- Bottom harness. The size of its cross section depends on the type of foundation. The harness is placed above the ground level, thoroughly treated with antiseptics and waterproofed.
- Frame each wall. The strut pitch is 60 cm with plank cladding and 62.5 cm with panel cladding. The latter exactly corresponds to the standard dimensions of the OSB board. At the installation stage, temporary braces are often installed. The maximum load falls on the corners, so the most durable materials are used for their production.
- Top harness. The choice of material depends on the load that the structural element will bear. With high strength, the metal requires a lot of drilling and is expensive. More convenient to use wooden beams, single or double boards. Their thickness depends on the area of the house.
- Floor beams. When building a frame house, reinforced concrete floors are not used - they weigh too much. Best suited for this purpose boards measuring 50*200 mm or paired boards measuring 50*150 mm. The pitch varies from 40 to 60 cm. Internal partitions. They can be plank (one- or two-layer), frame-sheathing with or without insulation. Dry lumber, plywood, chipboard, plasterboard, and OSB are suitable for the construction of partitions.
Several technologies are used to connect wooden elements: joint at an angle of 90°, joint with cutting at 45°, half-wood joint, tongue-and-groove joints.
Roof arrangement
Erection of the roof is one of the most important stages in the construction of a frame house. You should determine in advance its type, type of rafter system, and cladding material. A gable roof is well suited for a frame frame. with a slope of no less than 28 and no more than 50 degrees.
For the rafter system you will need boards section 50*150 or 50*200 mm– dimensions depend on the design load and the insulation used. The standard pitch is 60 cm. Two boards are connected on the ground, the finished structure is lifted onto the roof and mounted on the top frame with an overhang of 35-70 cm. To ensure that the roof is level, the rafters are installed first on the gables, and then in the middle. The final stage is the installation of thinned or continuous sheathing, on top of which the roofing material is attached.
Insulation and frame covering
The finished frame is treated with antiseptics, dried well and sheathed with OSB boards. The resulting cells are filled with insulation - mineral wool or polystyrene foam. The thickness of the layer depends on the purpose of the house - for permanent residence, at least 15-20 cm is required. The wall cake looks like this:
- wind-waterproofing;
- external cladding - slabs;
- insulation;
- vapor barrier;
- internal cladding made of gypsum plasterboard or OSB+gypsum plasterboard.
For exterior decoration use siding, wood or fiber cement panels, plaster, decorative brick.
Interior decoration
This is the finishing frame house. Light walls do not shrink, so you can immediately begin finishing. It takes place in several stages:
- Final arrangement of the floor. First they mount wooden base made of boards with a cross section of 50-150 mm– their ends are laid on support beams or on the foundation. The lower part of the logs is covered with waterproofing, followed by insulation, vapor barrier, boards or OSB. Floor covering - linoleum, laminate or parquet.
- Ceiling lining. The sheathing is attached to the support beams and laid in the resulting sections vapor barrier and insulation. The layers are covered with plasterboard or other board material.
If you follow construction technology, a frame house will serve you for many years. The main thing is to choose the right project that meets the climatic conditions of the region and regulatory requirements.
Frame construction has gained popularity due to its price and technological accessibility. This technology allows you to build quickly. At the same time, simple accessible materials are used in construction and light, warm walls are obtained. However, there are some rules that must be followed when working with this technology. They help to build a frame house reliably and correctly, select suitable panels and boards, provide high-quality insulation, perform sheathing, and assemble the roof. So, how to build a frame house correctly?
Correct frame house
Frame construction is a new technology in which the sequence of work may be different. For example, you can first assemble the frame, then hang the roof and assemble the walls. Or you can do the work differently: after constructing the frame, hang wall cladding, which will enhance its strength, and then assemble the roof.
Building with attic and balcony.
To prevent discrepancies, here is what a diagram of a proper frame house looks like:
- Prepare and mark the area.
- Pour or assemble the foundation.
- Build a complete frame and rafters for the roof. For multi-storey construction - assemble the frame of the first floor, install the floors and assemble the frame of the second floor. After this, assemble the rafters.
- Hang a roof that will cover the interior space from precipitation.
- Hang the outer wall sheathing under the protection of the assembled roof.
- Place insulation into the frame.
- Hang the inner lining of the frame.
- Make a subfloor.
- Install windows and doors.
- Lay electrical wiring, install water supply and sewerage pipes, and arrange heating.
- Carry out interior finishing of the floor and walls.
You can clearly see how to properly build a frame house in the video. We will describe in more detail each stage of the construction of a new building.
Preparation for construction
Preparation for construction includes the following work:
- Prepare construction tools. You will need a level, a tape measure, a hacksaw and a circular saw, a drill and a screwdriver, a hammer, and possibly a concrete mixer. Work gloves and a pencil will also come in handy. It is necessary to provide a place for storing tools - a utility room, a shed.
- It is necessary to provide a supply for the operation of power tools; for this, they pull wires from poles or connect to neighbors.
- Arrange an entrance to the frame construction site.
- Perform preliminary markings for ground work - mark the location of the future structure on the ground with pegs.
Excavation and foundation
The foundation of the future house will be built in accordance with the project. It can be concrete slab or concrete strip. It can also be piled - stand on metal or concrete pillars. To arrange the foundation, it is necessary to remove part of the soil and pour concrete into the prepared holes or place ready-made concrete blocks.
On a note
The work of preparing holes and ditches for the foundation is called soil or excavation work.
During excavation work, holes and ditches are prepared that are necessary for pouring or assembling the foundation. The type of foundation and its design determine the size of the pits. Therefore, the choice of foundation determines the volume of soil work - the amount of earth that needs to be excavated.
Trench for strip foundation. When pouring a concrete foundation, work is performed in the following sequence:
- Prepare a pit of the desired shape and size.
- The bottom of the trench is covered with sand - a so-called sand cushion is made. The layer of sand will ensure accelerated drainage of water from under the foundation.
- Place formwork - boards or plywood along the edges of the pit.
- Reinforcement is placed in the formwork to ensure the strength of the future foundation of the house.
- Vents (pipes for underground ventilation) are laid.
- Concrete is mixed and poured. You can also order concrete mortar at the factory and receive it ready for pouring in a concrete mixer.
- Anchors are installed on unhardened concrete - fastenings for future frame supports and lower trim.
- After pouring, it is kept for 6-7 days if the weather is hot, and 9-10 days if the outside temperature is around +20°C. At this time, the concrete gains the necessary strength. Afterwards, they begin to assemble the power frame of the frame house.
In order not to waste time, while the concrete is curing, you can prepare lumber: cut the beams to fit the size of the frame posts, partitions, jibs, and treat them with an antiseptic.
Power frame and roof
The power frame of the house is assembled in accordance with the project. The drawings and diagrams indicate the dimensions of the supporting elements, their locations, and the distance between adjacent racks. The drawings also describe methods for attaching various boards and beams to each other.
Power frame.
The frame is assembled from separate parts. The assembly of each part is carried out in two stages. The first is the assembly of the frame section “on the ground”. The second is the lifting of the assembled section and its installation and fastening. This technology makes it easy to assemble the right frame house with your own hands.
Here is a description of the sequence of assembling the wall frame:
- Future vertical posts are connected to the boards of the lower and upper trim on the ground, according to the design diagram.
- The assembled frame of each wall is lifted and installed on the foundation, attached to its surface.
- The second top frame and floor beams are laid on top of the frame.
- On top of the floor beams - the walls of the second floor, or attic, are assembled from frame elements prepared on the ground.
- The assembly of rafters for the roof begins with the assembly and installation of the frame under the gables.
- The rafter system is assembled - also from, which are pre-assembled from boards on the ground. For ease of assembly, all rafters are made according to the same template and have the same dimensions. They are lifted to the roof in assembled form, installed and attached to the upper frame of the upper floor.
A proper frame house uses a technology in which the roof is built first, and only then the walls are sheathed. Therefore, after assembling the rafters, they are covered with film, lathing and roofing - metal tiles, ondulin.
How to sheathe a building correctly
The wall cladding of the house forms a surface, protects from precipitation and ensures the stability of the house, preventing its tilt. In order for the wall to perform strength functions, the cladding is made of wall materials of a certain thickness. How to sheathe a frame house correctly?
External finishing with imitation masonry. The dimensions of wall panels are regulated by GOST. So, for one-story houses, if OSB, plywood or cement board (CSB) cladding is used, slabs with a thickness of at least 9 mm are required, and for two-story houses - at least 12 mm.
The correct frame wall of the house is assembled from individual PVC panels. In this case, the joints between adjacent panels must be reliably insulated or overlap each other. For example, when covering a wall with thin wall materials, siding, the bottom row of wall panels is hung first, followed by the top row located above it. So the wall is sheathed completely from bottom to top. In this case, the subsequent row of wall cladding overlaps the previous one by several cm.
The wall cladding is fastened with self-tapping screws. The sheathing is screwed to the frame wooden posts. Therefore, the process of assembling a wall is called “constructor”.
Correct wall
The frame wall performs the function of protecting the interior of the house from heat and cold, from the encroachments of strangers, from rain and wind. To perform each of the necessary functions, a layer of material is intended, which is part of the frame wall cake. Which is correct?
Ventilated facade. - For the strength and load-bearing capacity of the wall, a strong load-bearing frame is built.
- For heat capacity, the internal space of the walls is filled with heat-insulating material.
- To protect against precipitation, use moisture-resistant outer wall cladding.
- For exterior and interior decoration, as well as for protection from moisture and getting wet, wall cladding is required.
In addition, additional materials are used that ensure the functioning of the main layers of the frame wall. For example, cotton insulation must be covered with a vapor barrier film. This protects it from dampness.
On a note
The thermal capacity of a cotton insulator decreases sharply when moisture gets inside it. Therefore, dampness inside construction wool is unacceptable.
Here is a minimum list of layers of a frame wall and the order of their alternation, what a proper pie of a frame house should look like:
- Internal wall cladding – forms the surface of the walls of internal premises. It is made from panel materials - plywood, plasterboard, wooden lining, MDF or OSB panels.
- Polyethylene film to prevent the insulation from getting damp on the inside. Vapor barrier is important for cotton insulation and is not important for polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam.
- Insulation is a heat-insulating material characterized by low thermal conductivity. It ensures the preservation of heat inside and cool air in the interior during hot summers. The traditional choice of insulating material for a frame house is mineral or basalt wool. Also sometimes they use expanded polystyrene or combine cotton wool and foamed styrene materials.
- The film on the outside of the insulation is a membrane material that allows moisture particles to escape and does not allow them to penetrate inside the insulation. The membrane structure ensures that the film allows steam to pass in only one direction. This layer is important for cotton insulation and does not make sense when insulating a house with polystyrene foam.
- External wall cladding – forms the surface of the walls from the outside, protects from precipitation and mechanical damage. It must be made of durable, beautiful and waterproof material. Metal profiles, plastic siding, wooden boards or profiled beams, as well as OSB panels followed by plastering or painting are often used.
When using cotton wool insulation in a “pie”, the walls of a frame house provide ventilation gaps. The gap on the outside is especially important. It acts as a ventilation space through which wet steam escapes.
It is necessary to take into account a large number of conditions in order to build the right frame house; the video will show the main points that you need to pay attention to.
Correct gender
Flooring is done before insulating the walls to make it convenient to move around inside the house during work. The correct floor in a frame house must be insulated. To do this, a heat insulator is placed between the floor joists. Afterwards, they cover it with a vapor barrier and go onto the walls. Sheathing boards are placed on top of the vapor barrier film. Moreover, if a plank floor is planned, then the sheathing is placed on top of the joists, along their entire length. If a less durable floor made of OSB or plywood is planned, then the sheathing is laid across the joists. Afterwards, a finished floor is laid on top of the sheathing and they move on to insulating the walls.
How to properly insulate
Cotton insulating material is mainly used. – mineral basalt wool is a low-flammable material on a natural basis, which is obtained from molten stone – basalt. How to properly insulate a frame house?
On a note
At first glance, it is difficult to distinguish between glass wool and mineral wool. It is important to know that mineral basalt wool is more expensive and much more durable (40 years instead of 20 years for glass wool).
Cotton insulation is characterized by compressibility, which is used when installing the material between frame supports. Mineral wool slabs or mats are slightly compressed when placed between the frame studs. Then they are held between the supports without additional fixation.
We lay mineral wool in the frame of the house. It starts with the walls, where mineral mats are used, which are characterized by low compressibility and increased rigidity. In such mats, the insulation does not sag and retains heat for a long time.
On a note
When using roll insulation, additional horizontal beams are required on which the wool will “lie.” This will prevent it from sagging or caked over time.
Uses ready-made slabs, in which foam plastic slabs are laid as insulation. However, this is a worse option for wall insulation, more affordable and inferior in environmental friendliness and climate control.
Foam plastics “do not breathe”; they do not provide natural gas exchange through the walls of rooms. What creates an unhealthy microclimate inside the house.
Windows and doors
Almost always, the production and installation of windows is ordered from a company specializing in this type of work. Doors of non-standard sizes are also made to order. Standard 60x180 canvases are purchased ready-made along with the onion.
Do-it-yourself installation of PVC windows. The choice of door material is determined by the location of its installation. For a room it could be chipboard or wood. You can use metal or fiberglass as a street entrance door.
Engineering Communication
During the assembly of the wall, utility lines are laid inside it. They are placed on top of the vapor barrier film so that the cross-section of the wire or pipe is not compressed by subsequent wall cladding. For the convenience of subsequent wall cladding, small recesses are drilled into the sheathing through which a pipe or cable wire is laid.
Finishing
Interior decoration begins with hanging wall panels from the inside of the wall. For this purpose, materials with a smooth surface are used. Or finishing wall finishing materials.
Interior walls are often made of plasterboard or OSB boards. In this case, OSB requires additional plaster. And drywall - sealing joints. Also, the internal walls of frame houses are often equipped with MDF panels or natural wooden lining.
A frame house is a great opportunity to acquire your own comfortable home for reasonable money and in a short time. But to prevent the first strong wind or heaving of the soil from collapsing it like a house of cards, you need to know a clear sequence of work and some secrets of frame construction. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to do it correctly.
Design project and drawing of a house
Design will help you significantly reduce construction time, avoid many mistakes and reduce material consumption. But this is not only about designing the interior of the rooms. The design project includes blueprints. They are simply necessary for the foundation, rafter system and wall frame.
To develop a design project and drawings, you can turn to professional designers or try to master specialized programs. For example: ArchiCAD, Arcon, WoodEngine, CadWork. However, please note that some programs require the purchase of a license key and time to master.
Laying the foundation for a frame house
A frame house can be erected by you on a slab, pile, column or strip foundation. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages and is suitable for a certain type of soil. How to determine which one to choose?
Soil analysis at the construction site
A foundation selected in accordance with the characteristics of the soil is not just a reliable foundation for the entire structure. This is also a rational use of your money. A frame house does not always need an expensive slab or deep foundation.
Helps you make the right choice earth analysis, taken from the construction site. What it will help determine:
- Depth of groundwater. If they flow close to the soil surface, you will have to abandon the construction of a cellar.
- Qualitative composition of the soil (fine sand, gravel, clay, etc.). The best option for construction is gravel soil, the worst is fine sand.
- The depth of soil freezing. The larger it is, the more labor-intensive and expensive the foundation work will be.
For research, you can dig a hole yourself, at least one and a half meters deep, take soil samples and take them to the laboratory. A less labor-intensive option is to invite geological engineers directly to the construction site.
Features of strip foundation
The strip foundation is a closed loop made of reinforced concrete. It is laid under the load-bearing walls of the house along their entire length.
Despite the labor-intensive and expensive installation, a strip base is the best option for a frame house. It has a large load-bearing surface, allowing you to equip a basement and carry out construction work even on heaving soil.
Sequence of construction of a strip foundation:
- Digging a trench and laying a sand cushion on its bottom.
- Waterproofing trench walls.
- Installation of wooden formwork.
- Assembly and installation of reinforcing mesh.
- Pouring the formwork with concrete and compacting it.
Height of strip foundation should be at least 2 times its width. Under such conditions, transverse deformation does not occur in it.
Pile-screw foundation - a simple and affordable foundation for a house
A pile-screw foundation allows you to build a residential building on weak areas and areas with uneven terrain without construction experience. It becomes a reliable support for the walls, since the piles firmly cling to hard rock below the freezing level of the soil.
Screw piles– metal rods, onto the pointed ends of which blades are welded. This design allows you to simply screw them into the ground like a drill. This can be done using special equipment or manually. But in the latter case, at least three people will be needed.
Laying a columnar foundation
The columnar foundation is erected only on stable soils with high bearing capacity.
The work is carried out step by step:
- Round holes are drilled in the ground along the selected perimeter.
- They install a metal frame connected from reinforcement.
- Formwork made from casing pipes is lowered into the wells.
- Above-ground elements are cut one level at a time.
- The wells are filled with concrete and compacted.
The height of the heads (the above-ground part of the pillars) should not be less than 400 mm. Otherwise, the wood floor covering will rot from constant exposure to moisture.
Slab foundation - when considerable investments pay off
The slab foundation is rightfully considered the most expensive. This is due to the large load-bearing area, which is the main advantage of a monolithic foundation.
A house built on such a slab is protected from distortions, because even when exposed to the forces of frost heaving, it moves along with the foundation.
The technology for laying the base involves
- Removing the top layer of soil (fertile).
- Laying geofabric, backfilling the sand and gravel cushion and compacting it.
- Flooring waterproofing material.
- Installation of wooden formwork.
- Installation and installation of mesh knitted from ribbed reinforcement.
- Pouring concrete and its subsequent compaction with a special vibration machine.
The height of the slab base is usually 100 mm.
Bottom frame of the house
If you are planning to build a frame house with your own hands, you cannot do without the bottom frame. It unites all the elements of the foundation, if it is columnar or pile-screw, connects the base of the house with its walls, and serves as a support for laying the floor.
For device bottom trim use 150x200 mm timber or a bunch of boards placed at the end. Lumber must be pre-treated with an antiseptic and fire retardant.
They are fixed to the foundation using anchor bolts with a wide nut. The beams are connected to each other using panels or “half a tree”, “in a paw”, additionally strengthening them with nails and steel corners.
Laying and insulating the subfloor
The base of the subfloor is the basement beams. Their function is performed by beams with a cross-section of 140x180 mm or boards measuring at least 160x50 mm. The ideal option is material with the same cross-section as the elements of the lower trim.
The floor beams are fastened “in half a tree”, making appropriate cuts. For additional fixation, use two nails at each junction of the beams.
Then the flooring and its insulation are carried out according to the following scheme:
- Attaching the cranial bars to the bottom of the beams.
- Fixing subfloor boards on them.
- Waterproofing beams and decking using dense polyethylene.
- Laying insulation in cells formed by beams.
- Installation of vapor barrier.
- The flooring is plywood, floorboard or OSB board.
This “pie” is ready for finishing at the final stage of independent construction of a frame house.
Stages of construction of the frame of walls and roof
The subfloor with its rigid base is the reference point for the construction of the wall frame and installation of the rafter system under the roof. This is one of the most labor-intensive stages of building a frame house.
Installation of vertical racks for external walls
Using the existing lower trim, markings are made for fastening the vertical frame posts. Their length determines the height of the ceiling on the floor minus its finishing.
Work begins with the installation of corner elements with a cross-section of at least 100x100 mm. They are fixed in two main ways:
- Using a wooden dowel, which should rise 80-100 mm above the corner connection of the trim. In this case, the stand is literally strung on it.
- Using galvanized metal corners with reinforcement.
For racks on straight sections, timber with a smaller cross-section – 50x100 mm – is suitable. Its connection to the harness is made by complete or partial cutting or using steel corners. Here you can use fasteners without reinforcement.
When determining the pitch of the racks, be guided by the width of the insulation or sheet material of the wall cladding. To prevent the vertical elements of the frame from tilting, they can be fixed with temporary jibs.
Upper frame frame and interfloor slab
Only after fixing the racks strictly vertically and in a stationary position do they begin to work on the upper trim. All grooves and fastenings in it must be similar to those in a similar lower chord. This will give the structure good spatial rigidity.
Note! The width of the top frame beams should be equal to the width of the vertical posts.
Mounted similarly to the basement. Logs from boards 50x200 mm with a pitch of 600-800 mm are fastened with nails to the beams of the upper frame.
If the ceiling is not an element of the roof truss system, but the floor of the second floor, it must be additionally reinforced with spacers. Their function is performed by edged boards, which are lined up between the joists in one line and fixed with nails. With a second floor span of 2.5-3 m, one line of spacers is sufficient. For a larger span you will need two parallel lines.
Assembling the rafter system
The rafter system determines the shape of the roof of a frame house built from scratch. Most often it is gable.
Suitable for rafters boards with a section of 50x150 mm or 50x200 mm. They are installed on the bars of the upper trim in increments of 0.6-1.1 m.
The rafters are also connected to each other, which gives the roof appropriate rigidity and determines its load-bearing capacity. To do this, use the following elements:
- longitudinal runs;
- lathing;
- crossbars;
- racks;
- sill;
- puff.
If the span of the second floor or attic is less than 10 m and there are no load-bearing walls in the house except external ones, hanging rafters can be installed. This system involves fastening each rafter with one end to the frame, and the other to the counter element. Tightening in the form of a horizontal beam allows you to strengthen the structure.
Layered rafters appropriate where there is an intermediate support for them in the form of a load-bearing wall or a columnar element. They are reinforced with internal middle pillars.
Thermal insulation of walls and roof
Work on insulating walls and roofs should begin only after all windows and doors have been installed.
In a proper frame house, the technology for their implementation is similar and comes down to creating a “pie” consisting of several layers.
- External cladding. It can be fiberboard, OSB, DSP or facade board.
- Waterproofing. Necessary to protect the insulation from moisture from the street.
- Thermal insulation material. This can be polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, mineral wool, etc.
- Vapor barrier. Typically, a membrane film is used to remove moisture from the room.
- Internal lining. Suitable for these purposes: plywood, OSB, drywall.
The roof is not sheathed on the outside with sheet material. His place is taken sheathing, which serves as the basis for the roofing material.
The insulation of the interfloor ceiling is similar to the thermal insulation of the subfloor.
Frame house engineering systems
Without utilities, a frame house will be a dark and cold box. For this reason, it is necessary to know where and at what stage they are laid.
- Heating and water supply system pipes are mounted inside frame walls. This is done before they are insulated. The cold water supply pipe is placed in a corrugated moisture-resistant “sleeve”, which is associated with the constant formation of condensate on it.
- Sewer pipes are installed in walls and under the floor. Their supply to septic tanks is provided at the stage of laying the foundation.
- Electrical cables are located inside the walls, under the suspended ceiling or in the channels of the baseboards.
- The laying of hidden electrical cables can only be carried out in special pipes and ducts. These works are also carried out before the walls are thermally insulated.
Video: unacceptable mistakes in construction