Which house is better: frame or profiled timber?

Among the most common inquiries we get is, "Which type of house is better, frame or profiled timber?" The question isn’t entirely accurate. Why? The solution is located later in the text.

To begin with, there are many similarities between the two options:

• these are undoubtedly houses, not temporary buildings;
• the house will outlive you, your children and will be left to your grandchildren;
• these are not houses for the poor: frame houses were designed for the US middle class, and houses made of profiled timber were designed for the Scandinavian middle class.

The Volkswagen automobile was made in an identical manner. The phrase "people’s car" is translated literally, and few people have complaints regarding Volkswagen’s quality.

Although you can directly compare house prices, there are other, more significant factors to consider:

• cost of land;
• expenses for supplying communications;
• finishing work and “filling” of the house.

Considering how inexpensive the house is in comparison to other technologies, these three factors may cover as much as 80% of the expenses.

Frame or profiled timber?

A Winter Palace on twenty acres is not likely to be built, even with unlimited funds. Any technological decision is ultimately a compromise because every option has pros and cons.

Benefits of each option:

• low weight of the structure;
• high degree of work performed in the factory;
• low labor costs and costs for construction equipment;
• high speed of house assembly;
• the construction of a house does not depend on seasonal conditions.

Advantages of frame houses

The following are some benefits of frame homes:

If all goes according to plan, the house will have optimal thermal insulation;

• communications hidden inside the walls;
• light interior decoration, which has a positive effect on its cost;
• earthquake resistance (this advantage may seem surprising; although, if you remember that the cause of the decline of the Smolensk Principality was an earthquake, the desire to discount this advantage may disappear).

Disadvantages of frame houses

Technologies are never perfect. The following are some drawbacks of building frame housing:

• the house will require care: fire retardants and antiseptics lose their qualities over time;
• high requirements for the ventilation system, which is a consequence of good thermal insulation (an open window is not enough – it can be a complex system in which the exhaust air heats the incoming air);
• the need for careful adherence to technology in the process of assembling a house: also, there is no such thing as a 50% surgical operation, a similar approach should be applied to assess housing construction.

Advantages of houses made of profiled timber

Naturally, there are benefits to homes constructed of profiled wood, such as:

• environmental friendliness, although there is one “but”: the timber is always treated (there are fire-fighting and bioprotective impregnations, which cannot be avoided);
• low heat loss; nothing new here: 20 centimeters of wood are comparable to 70 centimeters of brickwork (the technology of profiled timber is made to minimize heating costs: protrusions and grooves, of course, help in the accuracy of installation, but they also have another task – in construction this is called removing "cold bridges");
• oddly enough, but there is a frequent and worthy argument: "Grandma had a wooden house" – here and trust in the experience of ancestors, and support for traditions, and nostalgia.
• building a house from profiled timber will cost less than building a frame house.

Disadvantages of houses from profiled timber

Wood has been used for centuries as a natural material. Nevertheless, it has a few drawbacks in addition to its benefits:

• flammability;
• wood can get sick: fungus, mold, woodworms (preventive measures will be required, not very often – once every 10 years is quite suitable);
• installation of a house from profiled timber does not immediately imply finishing work: it will take time for the house to shrink;
• the appearance of cracks in the timber array is inevitable – this is a property of wood, the same as the presence of knots;
• you can"t hide communications in timber walls: you can"t violate the supporting structures.

So what to choose?

The evaluation of the first or second technology’s benefits is highly contingent. Adherence to technology is more significant than the selection of that technology. Similar to the joke, the bank must be located in Switzerland even though its name is irrelevant.

For instance, frame construction is used in both Japanese homes and half-timbered homes in Western Europe. There are a few who are 600 years old.

However, Kizhi’s museum complex was constructed some 300 years ago. It’s not a low-rise building, and it’s constructed of wood.

We can infer the following conclusion from the foregoing. For the customer, the recipe is very straightforward: pick a project you like and investigate the technologies that can be used to make it happen.

A frame house or one constructed with profiled timber should be chosen based on a number of considerations, including longevity, cost, and insulation. Frame homes offer superior insulation and greater design flexibility, and they are typically quicker and less expensive to build. On the other hand, although they can be more expensive and require more maintenance, profiled timber homes have a natural, rustic charm with superior breathability and environmental friendliness. Your final decision will be influenced by your long-term maintenance commitment, aesthetic preferences, and financial constraints.

Additionally, look up the addresses of previously constructed objects before placing an order for construction from any company. Visit the location, have a look, and speak with the construction company’s current clientele. Something dependable, like an assault rifle made by Kalashnikov. The Internet and a search engine are additions, of course.

Video on the topic

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Comparison of frame houses and houses made of timber (by wall thickness)

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