Foundation of a frame house with your own hands. Frame house - step by step instructions. Selection and calculation of material

Our step by step instructions construction frame house We will divide it into several stages:

It is worth noting that each stage of building a frame house deserves a separate article, in addition to everything, if you describe all possible options for foundations, roofs, etc., you can get a whole book. In this regard, to improve readability, some steps in construction are described in detail in separate articles, but here - only what concerns the features specifically frame house.

Step No. 1: Preparatory work for the construction of a frame house

Preparatory work for the construction of any house is the same and includes:

Site preparation
House marking

Site preparation

First, you need to clear the area of vegetation, if not all, then at least the place where the house will be built. This will greatly facilitate the marking and allow you to make it more accurately.

If the construction site has a large slope, then, depending on the type of foundation and desire, it can be pre-leveled using special equipment.

Attention! Do not neglect this procedure, spending 1-2 hours on clearing, in the future you will make your work much easier, and measurements in the grass may be subject to a large error.

House marking

Marking is a very important stage, because the layout and evenness of the corners of the walls depends on it. If the marking is inaccurate, it will be very difficult to correct this error in the next stages.

Marking the foundation of a frame house, as well as any other, as a rule, includes preliminary placement of pegs (all external walls are marked), as well as marking all internal walls.

If you want to learn how to correctly mark the foundation for a house with your own hands, and so that all the walls and corners are level and correspond to the project, I advise you to read my article about this. Given the large amount of information, it had to be submitted separately.

Step No. 2: Do-it-yourself foundation for a frame house

The great advantage of a frame house is that almost any type of foundation is suitable for its construction. The only limitation is the type of soil on the site and your capabilities.

It is worth saying that laying the foundation for a frame house with your own hands deserves separate topics of discussion and is included in separate articles. Moreover, there are several types of suitable foundations, and it’s up to you to decide which one to choose.

Here I will tell you in a nutshell about suitable foundations for a frame house, and in what cases each of them is used, and also give links to their detailed description.

The most common type of foundation for a frame house is a pile-screw foundation. This is practically the simplest and cheap option for such a house, especially since it is not difficult to install a pile-screw foundation with your own hands.

Such a foundation is suitable for almost any soil, except rocky ones. Particularly suitable for swampy soils, where dense soils are located deep and other types require huge costs.

In general, all the pros and cons of pile-screw foundations are discussed in another topic that will help you decide on the choice of support for your home.

Shallow strip foundation

Shallow strip foundation, is also used for construction quite often. This is due to the relatively low cost of laying it, as well as the possibility of using concrete floors in the house.

Such a foundation, due to its relative fragility, requires strict adherence to laying technology.

As a rule, a shallow strip foundation is used in good soils, and is strictly contraindicated in soils with very high level groundwater and swampy soils.

Slab foundation for a frame house

Recently, slab foundations have become increasingly popular for building a frame house with your own hands. Despite its considerable cost, it has obvious advantages, such as versatility, reliability, durability, and it can also be used as a subfloor in the house and not spend money on it separately.

Often, instead of a classic monolithic slab, a slab foundation with stiffeners is used. This allows you to save a little on laying, and also strengthens the entire structure as a whole.

Step No. 3: Installing the floor of a frame house with your own hands

The floors in a frame house are not much different from the floors of other types of houses and can be wooden or concrete. The choice depends entirely on the type of foundation, capabilities and desires.

In this step-by-step instructions, we will look in detail only at the wooden floor, concrete - in a nutshell, since it is used less often, and it is not possible to fit everything into one article.

Concrete floor installation

It is worth noting that a concrete floor in a frame house is installed in cases of a slab foundation or a strip foundation. With a slab, everything is clear - the slab itself will be the floor of the first floor.

But if the foundation is strip, the concrete floor is made of lightweight concrete, such as expanded clay concrete, for example.

Wooden floor installation

Let's look at the construction of a wooden floor using the example of a pile-screw foundation. For a strip one, in principle, everything is done in exactly the same way, with the exception of the lower trim, which can be made of thinner timber. But first things first.

Tying the foundation of a frame house

The installation of a wooden floor begins with tying the foundation. As a rule, the piping is made from timber 150x150 or 150x200, depending on the thickness of the wall and the distance between the piles. The greater the distance, the thicker the timber should be to avoid sagging.

The strapping is necessary, firstly, in order to give rigidity to the foundation, secondly, to evenly distribute the load on the foundation, and thirdly, it will serve as a support for the future floor of the frame house.

In order to easily carry out the tying process with your own hands, we will divide it into several stages:

The timber is laid out along the perimeter of the foundation, the length of the walls and diagonals are checked. At this stage, the final and accurate marking of the walls is carried out, according to the project. By the way, don’t forget about waterproofing, which we put under the harness in the form of roofing felt.
The next step is to outline the joining points of the timber; they should be located on the pile, since these will be the weakest points that should not “hang”. This applies to houses whose walls are longer than the length of the purchased beams.
The timber is joined with an overlap of 20-30cm, as shown in the photo. To do this, so-called “locks” are cut out from the end.
The corners fit almost exactly the same way. This is clearly visible in the photo.
The beam is attached to the foundation using bolts or studs. To do this, it is necessary to drill holes both in the head of the foundation and in the beam itself. For ease of further installation, protruding parts - bolt heads or nuts with studs - must be deepened. The joints are additionally punched with nails measuring 150 mm or 200 mm, depending on the size of the timber.
Once the perimeter is ready, we move on to the final step - tying the foundation under the internal walls of the frame house. This beam, to the already installed external one, is attached in the same way. For reinforcement, you can additionally use fastening metal corners.

When the piping of the foundation of the frame house is ready, we proceed to the next stage of our instructions - the construction of the floor frame.

Floor frame in the house

It is worth noting that already at this stage it is advisable to provide for all communications entering the house, such as water and sewerage. Electricity and gas can be supplied later, but if you plan everything in advance, there will be much fewer problems later.

The next step is to install the joists on top of the trim. If the distance between the supports is about 4 meters, then it would be better to use timber measuring 100x200mm or 100x150mm. You can use a 50x200mm or 50x150mm board, sewing them together in twos.

If the distance is less than 3 meters, you can use a board measuring 50x150mm or better 50x200mm.

Installation of logs is a simple stage in assembling a frame house, but there are some nuances that must be covered in these instructions:

Do-it-yourself waterproofing and insulation of the floor of a frame house

It is worth noting that waterproofing, as well as vapor barrier, must be installed with an overlap, according to the instructions for the material, while preventing moisture from entering the insulation, both from the outside and from the inside. And the insulation itself is laid tightly, without gaps.

So we have reviewed the instructions for installing the floor of a frame house, now it’s time to start working on the walls.

Step No. 4: Construction of the walls of a frame house

Our next step instructions I will be installing the walls myself. Just like with the floor, we will fasten all the boards and beams with nails and (or) mounting metal corners, some fastenings can be made with studs.

It is worth noting that almost the entire frame is assembled from boards measuring 50x150mm or 50x200mm, depending on the required wall thickness and the required thickness of insulation.

Some people think that it would be better to install timber in the corners of a frame house, but this is not entirely correct, and I’ll tell you why a little later, during the installation process.

So, let's start assembling the frame of the walls of the future house.

For better understanding and assimilation, we will divide our instructions for installing the walls of a frame house into several stages:

Assembling the walls of a frame house. Windows and doors
Installation and fastening of walls vertically on site

Assembling the walls of a frame house with your own hands. Windows and doors

We will assemble the walls on the already finished floor of the frame house; this is the most convenient option. But we must take into account that in this case, it is necessary that all dimensions be accurate so that the walls do not turn out to be longer or shorter than the already installed floor.

To make it clear what I'm talking about, first look at sectional wall of a frame house , and then I will tell you everything in order.

Now let’s look at step by step how to assemble all the walls of a frame house with your own hands:

First of all, we need to decide on the ceiling height in the house. Let's assume that the height of the rough ceiling will be 280cm. This means that the vertical posts of the frame walls should be 280-15 = 265cm. The diagram shows where the 15 cm came from.
The distance between the racks, as a rule, is selected based on the width of the insulation sheet, as a rule, its width is 60 cm. If the insulation is on a cotton basis, then the distance is made less by 2 cm, for a tighter contact.
The top and bottom boards of the wall are laid out on the floor and the places where the vertical posts will be nailed are marked. Then the racks themselves are laid out and pierced with 120-150mm nails. You can additionally fasten them with corners.
It is worth noting that each wall will be smaller in wall thickness than the length of the floor. This is clearly visible in the diagram.
If the length of the wall is greater than the length of the board, then the wall is assembled from several parts. This is also done in cases where there are few helpers, because the entire assembled wall will have a lot of weight.
As a rule, to add rigidity to the entire structure, jumpers are mounted between the racks. There are no strict rules on the number and frequency of installation, it all depends on the length and height of the walls, but usually they are installed one or two per space between the racks. The second option is better and is visible in the photo; in the case when they are made one at a time, they are mounted in a checkerboard pattern (one at the bottom, the next at the top). This can be done later, when the walls are installed. Most often, jumpers are made with the expectation that they will serve as a joint for plywood or osb boards, depending on further work.
Window and door openings in the wall of a frame house are arranged as shown in the diagram.
This is what it looks like “live”.

The most common mistake when assembling the walls of a frame house is that many people forget to take into account the thickness of the board when calculating, thus the wall is not as long as we would like.

Putting the walls in place

It is worth noting that when assembling walls, it is necessary to use a cord, pulling it from one corner to another, otherwise the corners will be even, but the walls will not.

Top trim and structural reinforcement

So, the wall frame is assembled, now you need to make top harness from the same board as the walls.

The top trim is necessary, first of all, for stronger adhesion of the corners, and will also give unity to all parts of the frame walls and distribute the load between them.

To do this, it is necessary to pierce the board with 120-150mm nails over the walls, along the entire perimeter, including the internal load-bearing ones, so that all joints are covered with an overlap of at least 25-30 cm. Except for the corners, where the overlap will be equal to the thickness of the wall.

The next step in our instructions will be to strengthen the entire structure as a whole. There are several options, the most common is reinforcement using plywood or OSB board.

As a rule, having pierced one side along the entire perimeter (internal or external) with sheets of OSB boards, the frame of the house already becomes very rigid.

Internal partitions of a frame house

The construction of internal partitions is almost no different from the construction of external walls, except that they have more lenient requirements in terms of thickness and insulation.

Internal partitions, unlike external walls, can be made thinner. Everything will depend on preferences and comfort in terms of sound insulation.
The insulation inside the partitions will serve primarily as a sound-absorbing material rather than as thermal insulation.
Internal partitions can be insulated without waterproofing and vapor barrier materials.

These are all the main differences between internal walls and external ones, otherwise they are arranged in exactly the same way.

Step No. 5: Roof of a frame house

The roof of a frame house is practically no different from the roof of other houses, be it concrete, brick or any other. I’ll even say more that installing a roof for a frame house will be less labor-intensive than, for example, for a block or brick house, because its fastening to the walls will be much simpler.

It is worth noting that building a roof is a very responsible process, but if you do not have a complex house layout, then you can easily do it yourself.

Building the roof of any house, including a frame one, is a very large topic with many nuances. Firstly, there are many types of roofs, and it is not possible to describe everything in detail in one article. Well, secondly, in order not to confuse you, I will probably move this topic to a separate article.

Step No. 6: Insulating the frame house

So we have come to the final stage of building a frame house - its insulation. Everything needs to be insulated - floor, walls and ceiling.

You can read more about insulating a frame house with your own hands in another step-by-step instruction; here we will discuss only general points.

When choosing insulation for the walls of a frame house, it is necessary to take into account not only the characteristics of the insulation itself, but also the characteristics of wood, with which not all types of insulation will interact well.

Here is a short instruction on how to insulate a frame house with your own hands:

Outside, over the OSB sheets, a special waterproofing membrane is stretched. Which side should be in the instructions for it.
From the inside of the house, between the studs, insulation is laid in several layers, depending on the requirements for the house and the thickness of the wall. Each layer is laid overlapping the joint of the previous one to avoid cold bridges.
Floor insulation occurs in the same way.
It is better to insulate the ceiling from the attic by first filling a vapor barrier film from below onto the ceiling beams and hemming them with boards or plywood.
After laying the insulation, it is necessary to fill a vapor barrier film over it; it will protect the insulation from moisture from the inside.
Depending on the needs and further finishing work, sheathing material is placed on the walls on top of the film - boards or slats, but most often - OSB sheets, on top of which, in the future, finishing is carried out.

As you have already seen, there was a lot of text. But, I believe, all stages of construction were described in detail here DIY frame house, despite the fact that some points were made in individual topics, but this is only for your convenience.

I hope that by following these step-by-step instructions, you will be able to acquire a warm, cozy and reliable home without much difficulty and at minimal cost.

Frame construction has been rapidly gaining momentum recently. It has become especially popular among private developers. It is worth noting that in Canada this government program. In Russia - solving the housing problem on our own. Frame construction makes it possible to build a house in a short time with minimal investment funds.

If we look at it in detail, a frame house is:

lower and upper trim, fastened with vertical posts, which form a frame for the subsequent installation of walls - both internal and external;
a base made of timber for an attic space, consisting of load-bearing beams and floors;
timber rafter system on which the roofing material is mounted - it should not be too heavy;
Depending on the region of construction, appropriate insulating material is laid between the frame elements.

Important! the thickness of the insulator must correspond to the distance between the wall sheathing.

The frame is sheathed on both sides with moisture-resistant material.

You can build a frame house yourself, without any special construction education. You don’t need a specialized tool for this, just study the technology and be patient, performing all the steps in the construction strictly according to the instructions.

House using Canadian technology - pros and cons

The frame structure has many positive aspects, For example:

Cost – if calculated per square meters, it is the lowest, which makes this technology popular all over the world.
Speed of construction - a team of three people can build a house in just 1 month, provided that the foundation for the building has already been laid. The entire structure will be ready in 2 months - along with the interior decoration.
Low heat capacity and thermal conductivity - modern heat insulators help create comfortable living conditions - both in summer and winter. In addition, the frame design allows you to save thermal energy– it is enough to heat only those rooms that are needed at the moment.
Aesthetics - already during the construction process, you can install all the necessary communications in the walls, “brick up” electrical cables and wiring, and install a ventilation system.
There is no need to build a buried foundation, since the weight of the frame structure is small.
There is no need to give the structure time to shrink. When constructing a frame structure, dry materials are used that will not shrink later.
Environmentally friendly - during construction only natural materials are used that comply sanitary standards and safe for humans.
Simplicity of finishing inside the building - the walls are sheathed with modern slab materials that do not require plastering, which significantly reduces the time spent on finishing.
Resistance to temperature changes - it is worth noting that the frame structure is a kind of thermos that retains heat. Such a structure can be heated periodically.
Seismic resistance - this design can withstand vibrations of up to 9 points.
Construction can be carried out at any time. Even the foundation can be equipped with a pile-screw foundation.
Ease of construction - no heavy equipment is needed for construction, a small construction team is enough.
Microclimate – materials for construction are natural, they “breathe”, so a certain microclimate is created in the room.

But if you don’t talk about the disadvantages of frame structures, the picture will be incomplete:

rapid flammability - in a few minutes the frame structure burns out completely, not even the walls remain;
danger of fungus and mold - in climatic zones where there is frequent rain, dampness can appear in any structure. In a house built on a frame
technology, this indicator is very high, so even during construction it is necessary to accurately calculate the “dew point”;
low sound insulation is, of course, a significant drawback, but it can be eliminated by installing special soundproofing material in the walls;
the difficulty of interior decoration is the impossibility of hanging heavy objects on the walls if you do not provide for the embeds in advance.

But if you approach construction with all responsibility, you can eliminate shortcomings, for example, follow safety precautions and treat the structure with various antiseptic impregnations.

Foundation for a frame house

In order for the foundation to be strong and serve for many years, you need to choose the right type of foundation. Things to consider:

Type of soil on the site.
The height of groundwater.
Weight of the building.
Seasonality of residence.
The region in which it is planned to build a house.
Wind and snow loads.

Most often, the following types of foundations are installed under a frame building:

pile;
pile-grillage;
tape shallow.

In Russia, a pile-grillage foundation is most often installed for frame buildings. This is one of the types of prefabricated foundations that do not require large financial investments. If you correctly calculate the load and build the structure, strictly adhering to the technology, it will last for a very long time.

Important! If you doubt the reliability of the design, use TISE technology. The piles have an expanded heel, due to which the bearing capacity of the base increases significantly. In addition, the structure will withstand the forces of soil heaving.

Wells for piles can be drilled either motorized or manually. At the bottom of each hole it is necessary to arrange a sand cushion, for this:

Compact the bottom of the well well, after spilling it with water;
Fill in the gravel-sand mixture - 15-20 cm;
Sprinkle it with water and compact it;
Fill with concrete, approximately 15 cm.

The pillow is ready.

The following can be used as formwork:

The walls of the well, if the soil is dense and not prone to crumbling. Just before pouring concrete, you need to arrange waterproofing.
Ruberoid - a pipe of the required diameter is twisted from it, which is fastened with metallized tape. The material is twisted in at least 4 rows.
Asbestos-cement pipes are a simpler, but more expensive option.
PVC pipes - can be purchased at any hardware store.

To strengthen the bearing capacity of the foundation, it is necessary to reinforce the piles, for this:

Prepare reinforcement with a cross-section of 16 mm for the main frame, and a diameter of 10 mm for the strapping.
Cut the base rods to the required size, not forgetting that they should be 80 cm above ground level. This is necessary in order to subsequently attach the grillage reinforcement.
Prepare elements for strapping.
Construct a triangular structure from the main reinforcement, connecting it with strapping elements at intervals of 40 cm.
Lower the finished structure into the shaft strictly vertically.

Everything is ready - you can pour concrete, grade no lower than M250.

Once the concrete has set, the formwork can be installed for the grillage, which can be recessed, raised or suspended. To equip the structure, ready-made plywood panels are used, built directly on site from boards 40 mm thick.

Waterproofing is placed in the formwork and reinforcement is carried out. The longitudinal bars of the frame are connected to the outlets from the piles. You need to make holes in the tape for communications and ventilation systems - to do this, just install sections of pipes.

You also need to prepare pins to secure the strapping beam. Elements should be installed with a distance of 30 cm from the corners, then the step is 1-2 meters. It must be remembered that it is the studs that will connect the base of the house to the foundation, so the more often they are installed, the stronger the structure.

Important! No matter how long the wall is, at least two studs are installed for it.

The next step will be pouring concrete. In order for the structure to gain the required strength and not crack, it should be covered with polyethylene or roofing felt. TO further work start in a week, provided that the air temperature is not lower than +20 degrees. At lower temperatures you will have to wait longer. The main condition is that the concrete must gain at least 50% of its strength.

Bottom rail and floor

Wood tends to absorb moisture, and to prevent it from taking it away from the concrete, you need to arrange high-quality waterproofing. You can apply the same roofing felt or bitumen mastic in two layers, which is more reliable, since roofing felt can become brittle over time. When insulating work, you need to take into account the location of groundwater - the closer it is, the more layers need to be developed.

The next step is tying, which is done in the following way:

For the beds, prepare boards measuring 150x50 mm; they must be dry and impregnated with sewn-in compounds;
The boards are aligned along the outer edge of the base;
Drill holes for the studs, which should be larger in diameter, approximately 2-3 mm;
Lay the first row of boards;
The second row of material is arranged in such a way that the joint of the boards of the first row falls in the middle of the board of the second;
Nail the boards together with nails at 20 cm intervals in a checkerboard pattern.

Advice! For strapping, you can use 150x100 timber, but its cost is much higher, and boards assembled in this way have a greater load-bearing capacity.

We install the harness and logs

The harness is constructed as follows:

Take boards measuring 150x50, which should be installed on edge with alignment along the outer edge of the base along the perimeter of the building. Nail them with 200 mm nails to the frame, the fastener spacing is 40 cm.
The logs are mounted from the same board, placed on edge and secured with 90 mm nails; two nails are driven into the end of each board on both sides. The fasteners should be driven in obliquely.
The first board is installed at a distance of 40 cm from the frame, subsequent elements are installed at the same distance, but you should understand that the longer the board, the smaller the distance between the logs.

Important! If the logs are very long, then a transverse beam is installed onto which jumpers are nailed so that the structure stands firmly.

Insulation and flooring

As soon as the joist structure is constructed, you can begin arranging the subfloor. It can be built from boards 250 mm thick. To do this, 5x5 cm slats are stuffed onto the logs along the bottom edge, onto which elements of the required length are laid. Nail each piece of board with 4 nails, 2 on each edge.

The rough coating is ready, you can begin insulation. For this purpose, polystyrene foam is used - it is environmentally friendly, cheap and moisture resistant. The thickness of the insulation in this situation should be 15 cm. To do this, lay the first layer of 10 cm. All cracks and gaps must be foamed. The second row is laid in a checkerboard pattern, the material is 5 cm thick.

It’s worth talking about polystyrene foam, which has many advantages:

easy;
easy to install - cut with a hacksaw or a stationery knife;
environmentally friendly;
inexpensive;
has a long service life;
a layer thickness of 15 cm is capable of retaining heat, like an ordinary brick wall.

After this, you can lay the finished floor, on which the floor covering will subsequently be installed. The floor can be made of 15 mm thick plywood or 12 mm thick OSB boards, in 2 layers. It is worth noting that OSB is cheaper, which is why many private developers prefer this material.

The sheets are laid in a checkerboard pattern, and a gap of 3 mm should be left between the sheets to compensate, since the material can change its volume due to changes in humidity.
The plates are fastened with self-tapping screws, 35 mm long, along the seams in 12 cm increments, along the perimeter of the sheet 25 cm in a checkerboard pattern.

Construction of walls

There are two ways to install walls:

Frame-panel option:

Assemble the frame of the walls on the floor - you can do it all at once, you can do it in parts;
Cover the frame from the outside OSB boards or GVL;
Raise the elements, level them strictly vertically and secure them.

This assembly principle is used by factories - panels are assembled in workshops according to a specific design, which are then delivered to the construction site and mounted on a finished foundation with strapping. Also, frame-panel technology can be used when building a house structure with your own hands.

Method - balloon:

A 100x100 or 150x150 beam is attached to the bottom trim around the perimeter, depending on the thickness of the thermal insulation, the pitch of each element should be no more than 120 mm - this is the width of the sheathing slab;
Install intermediate racks at a distance of 60 cm, that is, in the middle of the main ones, their thickness should not be less than 50 mm;
The upper frame is constructed from timber or boards, similar to the lower one;
Sheathe the frame of the walls from the outside - pitch of self-tapping screws along the seams: 12-15 cm;
Lay insulation, foam all cracks and seams;
Sheathe the frame from the inside.

The developer himself decides which method to choose. But this directly depends on how many people work for construction site. If it is possible to invite several people to help you, at least occasionally, then assembly on the floor is much more reliable and easier.

Installation and section of racks

Corner rack elements - timber 150x150 mm or 100x100 mm. It is worth noting that everything depends on the load, for example, for a one-story building 10 cm is enough, for a two-story building – 15 cm and above.

There are several ways to attach racks:

on wooden dowels;
cutting;
on steel corners.

The method of installation on dowels is old and complicated:

You must first prepare dowels from dry wood of the required diameter.
Then drill holes diagonally through the bottom trim beam and the stand.
Hammer the dowel into the prepared hole and saw off the protruding ends.

It is worth mentioning right away that this method is reliable only if the material is well dried. In the case of raw wood, it dries out, the wooden tenon will also dry out, and the rigidity of the fastening will be lost.

Cutting is made in the lower frame, and you can only choose 50% of the depth of the beam.

The easiest way is steel corners, which are installed on both sides of the racks and screwed with screws, 3-5 pieces on each side of the corner, depending on the load.

Also, when building using Canadian technology, the beams for doors and windows must be double, since the load on these structures is very large and reinforcement is necessary.

Bevels or braces

These elements are necessary if the frame of the house walls is being assembled on site. The slopes can be temporary - on the inside of the walls, if it is intended to cover the frame with any slab material. These elements are needed in order to set the racks in a strictly vertical position and fix them until the sheathing is completed. After this, the cuttings are removed.

When using stacked cladding, for example, lining, you need to install permanent braces. They are installed on each pair of racks, 4 pieces - 2 on top and 2 on bottom. You should not neglect this rule, since during the sheathing process the racks may “float” and the geometry will be disrupted.

Advice! To reduce construction costs, you can use the technology of prefabricated racks, which are assembled from two boards. To do this, they need to be knocked down with nails in a checkerboard pattern in 20 cm increments. Of course, construction will take more time, since each rack will have to be assembled separately, but the load-bearing capacity of these elements is several times higher.

Corners of a frame house

The arrangement of corners raises many questions. If you install the rack beam directly on the corner, then the installation can be done without problems, but in this case it will be cold. For areas with mild climates this is not a problem. But in central Russia, winters are cold, and corner elements need additional insulation.

There are two options to solve the problem:

Install the racks at a distance of 15-20 cm from the corner, then there will be a gap between the frame sheathing and the timber, which is insulated with an insulator.
Install 2 racks in the corners at a distance of 10-15 cm, depending on the thickness of the heat insulator.

In addition, the structure can be insulated again when installing the facing material, then the house will not only be warm, but will also acquire an aesthetic appearance.

Overlap

The beams are secured to the top frame in three ways:

On steel support brackets;
On steel corners;
With insert.

The installation step of the beam structure and the size of the elements directly depend on what is planned to be done on top. If you plan to equip an attic floor, then in order to prevent the floor from sagging, the maximum cross-section of the beams is taken, and the step between them is reduced to 40 cm. If there is just an attic and roof on top, then the step can be increased to 60 cm, and the beams are arranged with a section 100x100.

If you plan to build a second floor, then take 150x150 beams and install a subfloor on them - this will make it easier to work with the walls of the second floor. The assembly of the structure itself is carried out similarly to that used during the construction of the first floor, but with the difference that the wall frame structure will have to be dragged to the second floor.

Rafter system and roofing material

Often, when building a house using frame technology, two types of rafter systems are used:

Gable;
Attic.

The difference in their arrangement is small; it is enough to correctly calculate the material. But in the case of frame buildings, there is a limit on the weight of the roofing material - it must be light, otherwise wooden beams may not be able to stand it heavy load.

Insulation

To insulate a frame structure, you can use any of the known insulators that meet the characteristics and requirements for thermal insulation:

Mineral wool - meets all the requirements, but it is worth remembering that this material is not moisture resistant and, when wet, can lose its insulating properties by 30-50%. To prevent such consequences, you need to install high-quality vapor barrier.
Polystyrene foam is the most inexpensive and popular insulation material that does not absorb moisture, does not sag, and retains heat well.
Basalt wool is a natural insulator that can be purchased both in rolls and in mats.
Expanded polystyrene is almost the same foam, but its fraction is much finer. The material meets all sanitary standards, does not absorb moisture, and retains heat well. The only drawback is that they are straight sun rays destroy the material.

Important! When choosing the size of the insulating material, it is worth remembering that the slabs should be 2-4 cm larger than the gaps between the posts, so that when installing the insulator there are no unwanted cold bridges.

The choice of insulation material depends on financial capabilities and the region of construction, but it is better not to skimp on insulation, since this determines how much money you will spend on heating the room.

In conclusion

Using the tips and step-by-step instructions described above, anyone can assemble a frame structure on their own, without the help of professional builders. Houses using Canadian technology are assembled in a short time and are inexpensive, which is what made them so popular among private developers.

A frame house is light and very simple; it can be built in a short time. Such structures are becoming increasingly popular. Buildings are being erected on summer cottages both for seasonal and permanent residence. When constructing buildings using this technology, it is necessary to take into account only one detail - the period of residence. In this article we will give step-by-step instructions for building a frame house with your own hands.

Choosing a foundation

Since frame houses are very light, a particularly powerful foundation is not required here; the following types can be installed:

screw piles;
columns;
shallow tape.

Much when laying a foundation depends on the type of soil and the number of storeys of the structure. So, when building a simple one-story house, you can get by with a columnar house even on capricious soil.

Columnar foundation

In order to build a small house for one average family on columnar foundation, for the base you need to purchase about 120–150 columns.
Using a regular drill, you need to make holes in the ground with a diameter of 20 cm and a depth of about a meter. The distance between the holes is about 80 cm.
Then asbestos cement pipes (columns) are inserted into the holes. The remaining space next to the pipes must be compacted, filled with crushed stone and sand.
Through a funnel, a cement solution must be poured into the holes of the posts.

Having installed such a foundation, you don’t even have to wait for the solution to harden to continue working.

Screw pile foundation

You can build a house on screw piles without involving a team of workers. To install piles, on the contrary, it is advisable to use manual labor. This is due to the fact that such work allows the piles to be screwed in strictly to the level without deviations.

When screwing in piles, one basic rule must be remembered: screwing out piles again is strictly prohibited. Even if one of them was installed incorrectly, it is better to simply leave it in the same position than to disturb the compacted soil.

Unscrewing piles is the main mistake of all beginners.

Construction stages

There are two technologies for constructing frame houses: Finnish and Canadian. However, the principles of constructing such structures themselves are the same.

Construction stages:

Frames are used to build a house. They can be wooden or steel depending on the wishes of the owner. Today, wooden ones made of timber are most widespread. They are economical, environmentally friendly and easy to install. Steel frames are about a third more expensive. However, they are somewhat lighter in weight, which allows you to save on the foundation. IN steel structures You can safely use steel fasteners. But for wood it is better to choose wooden dowels.
First of all, we need to make the floor. To do this, you should put roofing felt on the base of the floor. Next, you need to install a beam around the perimeter, which will serve as the basis for installing the subfloor. The subfloor is made from the most inexpensive material - unedged boards.
Before installing the subfloor, you need to make joists and put insulation between them, which will protect against cold and moisture. Before laying, it is better to pre-treat the boards with impregnations against rotting and dampness.
When the floor is ready, you need to assemble the walls. They are first mounted on some flat surface, and only then installed. It is advisable to choose an absolutely flat place in order to knock down the frame of each wall, otherwise distortions may occur. On each side of the walls it is necessary to make jibs that will support the racks.
When installing walls, you need to take into account the desired ceiling height. It is better if it is within 2.5 meters. This ensures that after decorative finishing it will not become lower than 2.3 meters. Typically, low ceilings are depressing and cause unpleasant feelings.
The house is covered with boards.
Window installation is of no small importance. According to technology, their size should not exceed 20% of the wall size. When glazing, you can choose any double-glazed windows. If you plan to live in a house all year round, then it is better to choose triple sealed double-glazed windows.

After the frame is assembled and sheathed, and the roof is ready, it is necessary to begin decorative finishing of the structure. The house can be finished with clapboard, siding or sandwich panels. When finishing the roof, care should be taken to ensure that it does not leak. It is better to lay a layer of heat insulation and waterproofing material between the joists. A modern material such as metal tiles is well suited for external covering.

Insulation of the house

Before insulating a house, you need to select materials. Insulation is carried out from the inside and outside. Interior decoration It is better to do it using mineral wool and drywall. If desired, you can use vinyl plasterboard inside, which not only retains all the thermal insulation properties of this material, but also has excellent aesthetic characteristics. Thus, the master will simultaneously solve the problem with insulation and decorate the room.

External insulation is carried out before finishing. Thermal insulation still needs to be done.

First they frame the house. A layer of mineral wool is laid between the lathing slats.
Polystyrene foam is placed on top of the mineral wool.
The gaps between the foam plates and the racks are foamed with ordinary polyurethane foam.
Insulation of the outer part of the frame can be done without lathing.

The interior is insulated in almost the same way. It is necessary to lay the material between the pillars of the house, and then additionally cover it with foam plastic.

Features of arranging a vapor barrier for a frame house

Vapor barrier is simply necessary in any room. Especially if this is a residential building in which there is a kitchen, bathroom and other places of high humidity. It has been noted that in such rooms the moisture level can be even higher than in the open air.

Vapor barriers are often installed incorrectly.

The main mistake is using homemade materials and polyethylene instead of factory-made vapor barriers. Vapor barrier film, despite its similarity to polyethylene, has a special structure. It's multi-layered.
Incorrect and poor-quality installation of the vapor barrier. Sometimes during the installation of the membrane, builders can tear it or damage the seams. It also often happens that the membrane does not adhere well to the walls.
Installation of a vapor barrier membrane on the outside of the house. Windproof layers are usually made on the outside. And the vapor barrier must be installed only from the inside. By the way, during installation you should make sure that the membrane is installed on the right side.

The vapor barrier membrane is mounted on the heat-insulating layer. The fact is that it is the heat insulator that is most often damaged by condensation. Therefore it must be protected. If steam gets inside, then after about a couple of seasons the owner of the house will discover that the insulation has stopped functioning. The culprit here is moisture, which caused the appearance of cracks in this layer. If the defect is not eliminated, it will only get worse. Soon the steam will reach the boards.

Typically, the thickness of the walls of a frame house consists of 70% insulation. If the insulation layer is destroyed, the structure will collapse very quickly.

When installing a vapor barrier, you must remember that the building must “breathe”. It must contain natural movement of air masses.

Installing polyethylene instead of special membranes destroys ventilation processes. This causes the destruction of the house. Dampness, mold and mildew begin to appear in the premises. Forced ventilation is unlikely to save the situation.

No material is as destructive as polyethylene. It completely seals the room. Considering that modern houses also have sealed double-glazed windows and double doors, you can imagine what the atmosphere would be like in such a room.

Photos of interesting solutions

Video: self-building a house using frame technology

It is rapidly gaining popularity among individual developers. In Canada, this is a government program. In Russia, this means solving housing problems independently, and in the shortest possible time with the lowest possible costs.

It is possible to build a frame frame with your own hands, even in the absence of special construction education, skills, or experience. To do this, you will have to make an effort, understand the technology, and also acquire the simplest skills in performing construction work. As a result, you will be able to build a frame house with your own hands , and get an individual home for your special requests, needs, and needs at an affordable price.

Let's bring detailed description technological operations. Using technology, you can do it yourself ( step by step instructions, 6x6 m2 - the dimensions of the house that we took as a basis) qualitatively.

Frame house: step-by-step instructions

Let's list the main steps that need to be completed sequentially in order to build a new frame house with your own hands; step-by-step instructions will give you the right idea about construction.

Frame wall diagram.

Design - planning, thinking through the structure of a house, layout of walls and rooms, doors and windows, plumbing fixtures, water supply, sewerage, electrical wiring, heating. During the design process, a diagram of a frame house is drawn , which indicate locations utility networks and plumbing and heating devices. Working out diagrams of frame houses with your own hands , household utility rooms, it is important to consider how the house will be heated - choose a heating system and a layout of its elements. Step-by-step construction will be carried out according to the finished scheme.
Ground work is the preparation of a hole for the foundation and the actual construction of the foundation.
Assembling the frame of walls and roof.
Construction of walls and subfloor.
External doors, windows and partitions.
Interior decoration and internal doors.

Now let’s move on directly to the question, with our own hands, what to consider for high-quality construction and proper execution of the work.

DIY frame house

Preparatory work is necessary for any construction, especially if you decide to build a frame house, you will simply need step-by-step instructions. If you thought through the house design yourself, then you took into account the peculiarities of the location of the building on the site. If you bought a ready-made project and decided to implement it on site, then you will need to “tie” the building to your terrain. How to build a frame house, instructions will be useful at the very early stages of construction.

DIY frame house step by step photo.

Site preparation

What will need to be done on the site where I am building a frame house with my own hands:

Clear it of old buildings, if there are any on the site, of construction debris and stumps and snags.
Provide the possibility of transportation building materials, clear the road for the car and a place to turn around.

Shed for storing boards.

Consider places for storing building materials; if the terrain is uneven, they should be located on elevated surfaces.
Perhaps the area needs to be leveled, for this you need to call construction equipment.
For some areas where frame construction is taking place, instructions will be relevant on how to build a fence to prevent theft of materials.

Site marking

By marking we mean the designation of the location of the future structure on the ground. The frame house diagram is transferred to the area using pegs and ropes. The pegs are driven into the ground and a rope is pulled between them, indicating the location of the future external walls.

Marking the site for construction.

Carefully measure all angles, observe the degrees (clearly marked 90°) and the length of the walls. Deviations of even a few degrees are not allowed. They lead to distortion of the structure and improper distribution of loads. Which, as a result, can reduce the strength of the entire structure and reduce its reliability.

Instructions for the foundation

The step-by-step construction of a frame house with your own hands begins with the foundation. This is the foundation of the house, a large, flat and strong “stand” on which the entire frame structure rests. It can be poured from concrete or assembled from ready-made concrete blocks.

Strip foundation for frame.

Frame construction is called “light”. Frame walls put much less pressure on the surface of the earth than permanent brick structures or concrete monoliths. The frame is also lighter than timber wooden house. Therefore, your building will need a small, shallow foundation.

Note

When deciding with your own hands, you invariably face the question of choosing designs and materials. For frame buildings, shallow strip foundations or slabs are constructed. In some cases, foundations for frame frames are made deep.

This happens when the soil is unstable, mobile, loose, and the structure is planned on the shore of a reservoir. In this case, which will rest on deep and stationary layers of soil.

Strip foundation

It is a stone ribbon, a path buried 100-400 mm into the ground. The foundation rises 100-300 mm above the ground surface. Thus, the total height of the strip foundation for a frame house is 200-700 mm.

Strip foundation formwork with reinforcement mesh

Note

You can make the foundation deeper and higher - but this is at your discretion, if you want to use more building materials and get a more massive structure for the foundation of the house.

The foundation tape is poured into trenches prepared in advance. You can mix the concrete for pouring yourself. Before pouring, a layer of sand is poured into the trenches, thereby creating a so-called sand cushion (thickness up to 100 mm) and metal reinforcement is laid.

Slab foundation

A slab foundation is also called a floating foundation. The frame house will rise and fall with it, with seasonal expansion of the soil. Therefore, the slab must be strong enough.

The slab foundation is poured from concrete and reinforcement, and the reinforcement is tied with wire. The reinforcing mesh provides the frame house slab with the necessary strength.

The foundation is poured monolithic slab

The slab base can be minimally buried into the ground by 100-200 mm, or concrete can be poured onto a gravel bed without deepening. The total height of the slab should be 200-300 mm.

It is important for the foundation slab to ensure resistance to rising ground moisture. Therefore, when mixing concrete, a waterproof additive is added to it. This will ensure the concrete slab is waterproof and the floor inside the future room is dry. It will also extend the durability of the foundation and the entire structure.

Pile-screw foundation

To obtain a pile-screw foundation, you can use asbestos pipes or ready-made metal piles. For asbestos pipes, pits are prepared, into which the pipe is installed and concrete is poured into it. Pre-reinforced, i.e. place metal fittings inside the pipe. Metal piles screwed into the ground without removing the soil, without digging a hole.

To make it easier and clearer how to install a pile-screw foundation and a frame house with your own hands – step by step photo.

Set of piles for screw foundation

Screwing in foundation piles manually

Compound screw piles foundation between each other

Pile-screw foundation

Timber tying

Horizontal beams are laid on top of the finished piles. This design is called a grillage. When you decide to build a frame house with your own hands, the step-by-step sequence begins with the installation of a grillage, which is also the bottom frame of the frame with vertical fastening of the racks on them.

For the bottom trim, choose a wooden beam with a cross-section of 150x150 mm. This is a load-bearing element of the structure, which must have sufficient strength and support the walls, roof, decoration and internal household appliances.

To connect the corners of the strapping, choose one of the methods suggested in the picture - half-tree or half-paw.

Half-tree connection options

Half-tree and half-leg connection

They differ in the thickness of the wood cut for corner joints. Half a tree - exactly half the thickness of the beam is cut, half a tree - the beam is cut at an angle to each other. The connection is reinforced from above with a metal bracket or plate. Then the corner of the trim is secured to the foundation with a metal anchor. After installation is completed, the timber is treated with an antiseptic.

Instructions for the subfloor

To build a frame house, the instructions will describe in detail the entire construction process. First of all, the floor of a frame house with your own hands consists of a rough layer and a finishing coating. The subfloor is made of concrete or wood. Finish coating made of wood, laminate, linoleum and other finishing materials.

Concrete subfloor

The concrete floor is poured on top of the ground. It represents a multi-layer structure, in which there is a layer of waterproofing, thermal insulation, reinforcement mesh.

Subfloor made of concrete - concrete screed

The bottom layer is 10 mm sand. On top - thermal insulation made of expanded clay, sawdust with clay - the so-called adobe, penoplex. Next is concrete with a waterproofing additive.

Wooden subfloor

If wood is used to construct a subfloor, then empty space will form underneath it.

Subfloor between joists

Wooden logs laid on top of the bottom frame and used as a base, to which subfloor boards are nailed from below. Insulation is laid on the subfloor boards. Then the floor covering is spread on the logs: laminate, linoleum, OSB, parquet.

Installation of a frame house

How to build a frame house with your own hands? Step by step diagram construction begins with the construction of the frame - one of the most important construction operations. It is important to choose the right beams and boards (size and cross-section) and connect them correctly. What features arise when the installation of a frame house begins: racks, beams, jibs and crossbars? You can easily start building a frame house with your own hands; the video will show you step by step all the main points of assembling the house.

The locations of the posts and joints of wooden elements are measured with a tape measure and marked with a pencil.
Carefully check the verticality of the posts, the horizon of the top trim and the angle of the connection. The angles between the posts and beams should be 90°.
For connecting frame elements, the most reliable options are used - metal staples and nails.
The installation of a frame house is carried out from elements assembled in advance on the ground - wall templates, trusses. They are lifted, installed, temporarily supported by oblique beams and then secured with connecting elements.

Installation of walls in a frame house

Step by step construction frame house, the technology for assembling the wall frame is as follows:

Lay the bottom trim.
The frame of each wall (lower, upper and vertical elements) is assembled separately - the so-called wall template. Afterwards, the assembled template is lifted in its entirety and installed on the lower frame.
A second top frame is laid on top of the wall templates, on which the rafters for the roof are then placed.

Note

Three people will be needed to lift the 6 m long wall template. It’s quite possible for the three of us to raise such a template. Longer walls are assembled from several templates and their joints are connected with special threaded connections.

Assembling a frame house, photos and videos demonstrate the progress of construction operations - assembling the template and installing it in the location of the future wall.

Ukosiny

In some frame house installation schemes, not only vertical and horizontal frame elements are used, but also inclined ones - the so-called jibs. They enhance the strength of the frame structure. They are made from boards 150-50 mm or 100-50 mm.

Correct location ukosin

Rigel

A crossbar is a horizontal board that is attached next to the top trim board. The crossbar is attached to the template during assembly on the ground. For crossbars, wooden boards with a thickness of 50 mm or more are used.

Crossbar across the entire wall of a frame house

The horizontal support between the inclined roof trusses is also called a crossbar. In general, a crossbar is any beam that works in compression.

Angles

The corners of the frame carry the maximum load. Therefore, they are assembled from two or three support boards.

Options for fastening frame wall corners

Internal walls

The frame of the internal walls is assembled from wall templates in the same way as the external walls. The internal walls do not carry a large load, and therefore can be of a smaller cross-section.

The main requirement for internal walls is sound insulation. Therefore, their thickness should ensure the installation of soundproofing material during the subsequent arrangement of walls and their insulation.

Windows and doors

After assembling the frame, windows and doors are installed in the openings provided for in the diagram. It is easier to order this work from the manufacturer - along with installation in the window opening. As for the doors, their frame can be successfully assembled independently from wooden boards 25-30 mm thick.

Instructions for proper insulation

The frame house is being built step by step, and now it is necessary to start insulating the house. High-quality insulation ensures the ability to maintain comfortable temperature during the winter period, and also determines your future payment costs winter heating. Therefore, here it is better to overdo it and insulate a frame house well with your own hands, than to save money and insufficiently insulate the walls of the building. What is used for insulation:

Mineral wool in the form of pressed mats– the optimal option for insulating a frame structure. It allows air to pass through, provides air exchange, limits heat loss due to the fact that it does not conduct heat from the house to the street, does not cake and does not lose its properties over time. During installation, it shrinks a little and then expands, which ensures the absence of installation seams and cracks through which heat loss also usually occurs.

Wall insulation with mineral wool

Foam plastic– rigid polyurethane foam boards. They have one advantage over mineral wool mats - they are cheaper in price. In all other respects they are inferior to cotton insulation. They do not shrink during installation and leave small gaps that need to be filled with foam. They do not allow air to pass through and do not provide air exchange. Requires exhaust ventilation facilities for permanent residence in a residential building.

Since thermal insulation with mineral wool mats has obvious advantages, we will turn to this technology.

Mineral wool– moisture-absorbing material. Therefore, when installed inside the wall, it is covered from the outside with a special film. This film must be made of a membrane that will not stop air exchange. That is, the membrane structure should allow wet steam to pass through only on one side, i.e. do not allow moisture to pass through from the atmospheric air and release from the inside.

Note

Using polyethylene instead of a membrane negates the efforts to build a “breathable” wall at home. You can equally well insulate the wall with airtight foam.

External finishing material can also block the removal of moisture. Therefore, an air gap is provided between the membrane and the outer slabs - a void or air layer 50 mm thick. The moist air that has accumulated in the frame wall will come out through it. To construct such a gap, a wooden sheathing is used - wooden planks 50x50 mm wide. They are attached along the supports on top of the insulation. Afterwards, the outer wall panels are attached to the sheathing.

Step by step finishing

After installation of the walls, interior wall finishing begins. The basis for finishing are panels of wall material that were installed during the installation of the wall from inside the frame. The following materials are used as internal walls:

GKL plasterboard is a natural material, environmentally friendly, with an absolutely flat surface that does not need to be plastered or leveled in any way. Only the joints between adjacent plasterboard boards need to be sealed with putty.

Wall finishing with plasterboard.

Gypsum fiber boards GVL are a variant of plasterboard walls with higher strength properties.
OSB is a wood-containing material, shavings joined with synthetic glue. Has a lower degree of environmental safety. In addition, it has a rough surface and requires plastering and putty.

So, the sequence of operations when performing wall finishing is as follows:

1. Installation of an internal wall (gypsum plasterboard or OSB wall panels).
2. Sealing joints between panels. If it is drywall, then putty and glue the joints with paper tape. If OSB - then plastering the surface of the wood board.
3. Primer for appropriate wall finishing. For gluing wallpaper - primer with glue. For painting - primer for paint.
4. Direct execution of wall finishing - wallpapering, painting, decorative plastering of room walls.

If wall panels (MDF, cork) are used as wall decoration, then they turn to a different finishing technology. They do not make a rough wall, but immediately install the internal finishing material.

Finally, we offer you an interesting educational video about building a frame house with your own hands (a video with a step-by-step demonstration of technological operations).

It is important that the result is of high quality. If I build a frame house with my own hands, then I do everything reliably and correctly.

Despite the fact that the general construction season is ending, some developers continue to build houses. How can this be, since with the advent of cold weather, construction usually comes to a standstill, the unfinished project is mothballed and waits for the next season? All this is true when it comes to brick, stone or block buildings. However, frame houses can be built all year round. Therefore, if you have not yet managed to acquire your own home this year, do not despair - find out how to build a frame house in one season!

What is the essence of frame buildings?

First, let's look at frame technologies. What does "frame house" mean? These are, as a rule, wooden buildings, which are based on a frame. The frame can be made from dry solid or laminated veneer lumber. It is installed on the foundation, fixed to it using strapping. All work can be done with your own hands, since working with wood does not require any special skills that the average man does not possess. We will look at how to assemble the frame correctly later.

The next stage is insulation and waterproofing. We insulate the frame so that the wall looks like a multi-layer cake. Insulation, most often mineral wool, is fixed on the frame. It is overlapped and glued. You can use rolls, mats, liquid alluvial, polystyrene foam and other types of insulation. The outside of the house can be additionally insulated with foam boards, providing wind protection and sound insulation.

Waterproofing is carried out with films and membranes. They protect the walls from moisture getting inside.

Vapor barrier in a frame house is an important element of the wall. Without it, the wall becomes covered with condensation, and in addition, moisture accumulates at the dew point, which is located at the center of the insulation. As a result, the insulation quickly becomes unusable, and the walls become covered with fungus and mold. Good vapor barrier acts as ventilation gaps, but this applies to modern membranes, not films. Films are significantly cheaper, but not as functional. A properly assembled wall pie guarantees the warmth of the house and reduces its energy loss.

At the next stage, we cover the filling of the wall with OSB-3 sheets. It is advisable to foam the joints, ensuring that there are no cold bridges.

Next we carry out the interior and exterior finishing. The inner wall is most often covered with wallpaper, and the outer side is painted. However, you can also use siding, block house, stone finishing, “brick-like”, “beam-like” and any other.

You can read about Finnish houses built using frame technology. And about Canadian frame houses -.

The foundation for a house is the basis

Despite the fact that for a frame house there is huge selection foundations, experts recommend choosing strip foundations. The strip foundation has undeniable advantages:

can be done by hand
inexpensive
reliable
it's quite easy to do

So, if you decide to make a strip foundation with your own hands, you will first have to work with the site. Determine where your house will be located, taking into account the neighbors, the fence, the installation of a septic tank, the location of the well, etc. It is necessary to take into account all the nuances, check whether it will be convenient for transport to enter, whether there is enough space for other buildings if you want to build a garage or bathhouse later . It is advisable to have the area level; you may have to use equipment to level it by removing the top layer.

When the area is prepared, we begin marking. You should already have a ready-made project or plan with the dimensions of the house. Based on these parameters, using rope and pegs, we mark all load-bearing walls.

Next, if we decide to do everything ourselves, we need to either take a shovel or hire equipment. We dig a trench under the foundation, about 40 centimeters wide. Next, we install the formwork, which you can buy, rent, or assemble with your own hands from boards. The formwork should rise above the ground by about half a meter - a high foundation looks more beautiful and protects less durable walls from snow.

The finished formwork, if it was made by hand, must be covered from the inside with film, fixing it to the formwork. This is necessary so that liquid cement does not seep into the cracks between the boards, and it will be easier to remove the formwork - the cement will not stick to the rough wood. Under the weight of cement, the self-supporting formwork can split apart, and the film will hold the cement mortar.

If you have clay soil, add 20 centimeters of PGS to the bottom of the trench. Pour cement over the sand to the edge of the formwork. This must be done quickly, as the cement hardens. Most likely, you won’t be able to do it alone, and you’ll have to call two or three people for help.

Let the foundation harden, this will take at least a week. If the forecast is for rain, cover the surface with film. We leave the foundation for the frame house for about a month, and only then can we do the strapping.

A strong frame is the key to a strong house

As the name itself suggests, frame houses are houses built on a frame. Thus, the frame is main element the entire building, so it must be installed correctly.

How to make a harness - read here. When the piping is ready, we begin the construction of the future wall. You can mount a wall using the following timber elements:

racks
braces
inserts
cross members

All these are elements of the wall. The racks are a vertically placed beam, which is located between two trims - lower and upper. The top trim refers to the floor beams.

Braces are timber placed at an angle between the posts. They are also fixed to the top and bottom trim (not to the posts, as some people mistakenly assume).

Inserts are small pieces of timber used to provide additional strength to the frame.

Cross members are timber placed strictly horizontally between vertical posts. They are fixed on racks.

The racks should be knocked down with 80 mm nails, at a distance of 450 mm from each other. They are nailed to the harness with 2 120 mm nails on top and 2 of the same on the bottom. Using metal corners, the structure can be made stronger. All materials used in construction must be treated with a septic tank.

Particular attention must be paid to the corners. Here it is necessary to strengthen the racks with jibs.

Do not forget to check the geometry of the house after each stage - all horizontal beams should lie strictly horizontal, and vertical beams should lie straight up. The piping must be laid evenly, and for this, the surface of the foundation must be flat around the entire perimeter - an error of 1 cm is allowed. The top piping is also checked with a level. If there are errors on the foundation, it is topped up with cement to level it out. If the level shows slight unevenness, we use parts of the timber, having previously treated it with a septic tank, and level the surface. We check the evenness of the walls with a plumb line.

All components of a frame roof

The roof is the most important element, and in a frame house the roof can be installed with your own hands if you have some experience. However, before installing the roof, it is necessary to make the top trim of the walls and check its level. How the overlap will lie depends on the evenness of the strapping. If there are small irregularities, we eliminate them with our own hands by placing wood chips under the lower part.

There are two ways to install the rafter system:

layered method
hanging

Both types of rafter systems are used in frame construction, however, the beams of a hanging rafter system rest on the Mauerlat. The Mauerlat is made by hand; it is a timber beam with a cross-section of 10.0×10.0 cm, which is arranged around the perimeter of the building and fixed to the surface of the load-bearing walls on the top row of the frame. On the upper side, the rafter legs are attached to each other using a ridge beam.

The inclined structure is made with your own hands in a different way; it is not attached by rafters to each other in the upper part. The rafters rest at the top on the longitudinal central wall or specially provided support columns.

Which rafter system to choose in your case will be determined by the dimensions of your building. The hanging roofing system is suitable for small buildings, the distance between the load-bearing walls of which is no more than 6 meters.

First you need to assemble the rafter legs in the amount of 2 pieces. Ties are necessary to connect the first rafter legs in their lower part; they are attached to the rafter legs using anchor bolts. The legs are placed against the Mauerlat and secured using sawn grooves. We cut out the grooves of the correct shape with our own hands. Rafters are installed in the grooves, the distance between which depends on the size of your roof. The approximate step is about 1 meter.

If your roof is higher than three meters, pay attention to rafters with a vertical direction.

Thus, the frame of your roof will consist of:

rafters
support board
ridge beam
racks
attic floor beams that overlap above the internal load-bearing wall
run
rafter leg
bed
contractions

When the roof frame is assembled, it is necessary to make lathing. This is the most important element of the roof, so when doing it yourself, be careful and careful: the sheathing is not only necessary for fastening the roofing material, but also for tying together all the structural parts of the roof frame. The lathing ensures the stability of the frame, so before installing it, it is necessary to organize a temporary strapping on the bottom side. The sheathing can be:

solid
intermediate

The choice of type of lathing primarily depends on the material with which the roof will be covered. Continuous sheathing is performed for soft roof, which is best suited for a frame house. Metal tiles or slate can be laid on the intermediate sheathing.

Basic rules of frame construction

Frame house is the best choice

To avoid getting a frame house of poor quality, you must follow some rules:

Only high quality materials. If you choose wooden construction, use either glued laminated timber, or technically dried timber, or do not undertake construction at all. The timber sold at sawmills is raw - after 3 years of operation, 90% of the timber will crack, and the remaining 10 will twist so that the screws are pulled out.
If you don’t know how to do it yourself, trust the professionals. Don't experiment with complex construction work– entrust something to specialists. This is especially true for work at heights, electrical wiring and other complex, narrow-profile work.
Don't skimp on the little things. You won’t save much on small things, but you can significantly damage your future home. This primarily concerns wood impregnation. Make two layers, and choose European fire protection.
Down with Chinese materials. Do not buy Chinese insulation and insulation, they are not only of low quality, but also emit harmful substances. European materials have confirmed certification and safety class.