At the very beginning of building a house from a bar, a rather difficult task arises: how to lay the bar on the foundation? Indeed, without a foundation, not a single wooden house will stand idle for a long time: despite all efforts to preserve the lower crowns, they will rot very quickly from moisture constantly coming from the ground. And in order to successfully fix the first crowns on a concrete or brick foundation, you need good theoretical training and at least minimal practical skills.
Preparing to lay the first crowns
For the construction of a house from a bar, shallow-depth tape or pile types of foundations are most often used. It is possible to build such a house on a monolithic foundation, but this is justified only if the construction is carried out on moving ground. In other cases, the cost of building a monolithic foundation is not justified purely economically.
Monolithic and strip foundation serve as a grillage for the log house. When using a pile foundation, the grillage is formed from the first laid crowns. Fastening a beam to a foundation of a monolithic or tape type can be done in two ways:
- hard fixation;
- surface mounting.
The first option is much superior to the second both in terms of reliability and complexity of execution. Therefore, in practice, the second option is more often used, as it is simpler in execution. But, regardless of the method chosen, the following tools will be needed for fastening work:
- hydraulic level;
- planer (it is preferable to use electric);
- hand saw;
- a large wooden mallet;
- a set of wrenches (with a rigid mounting option).
After the foundation has hardened, but before laying, use a hydraulic level to check it for horizontal. Such a horizontal plane of the foundation must be absolutely flat, since the quality and reliability of the future log house directly depend on this. The difference on the tape of one wall should not be more than 1 cm. If bulges are found, they must be cut off with a grinder, and the cavities should be filled with cement mortar and given time to securely grab.
Immediately before laying the crowns, it is necessary to waterproof the foundation. It is performed in at least two layers, with a lining board laid between them. The lining board, and, accordingly, the second and subsequent layers of waterproofing should be wider than the foundation tape along its entire perimeter by approximately 25 cm.
As an insulating material, two layers of roofing material are most often used, and recently, for greater reliability, it is customary to add a layer of glass isol to them from above. When performing waterproofing work, it must be taken into account that roofing material layers in the corners of the foundation must be overlapped.
How to ensure a hard fix?
Rigid fixation is performed using foundation bolts or clamps. If, when pouring the foundation, a scheme was provided for attaching the lower row of beams to the foundation, then this is best and easiest.
Such a system is formed from foundation bolts embedded in the top layer of the foundation during the pouring process. To do this, immediately after the completion of the pouring, foundation bolts with conical ends are immersed into the upper layer of the foundation for at least a third of their length in increments of 0.5 m. In this case, it should be possible to fix each installed crown with at least two bolts.
Before laying, it is necessary to prepare the lower crowns by drilling holes in them. The pitch of the holes must match the pitch of the bolts embedded in the foundation, so that their studs can enter the holes directly when laying them. The crowns are adjusted to the size of the foundation if the log house is to be driven out “into the paw”, or left with a margin if the log house is planned to be forced into the “bowl”.
The crowns are fixed to the foundation with locknuts; wide washers are previously placed under them for better fixation. Moreover, in order to avoid distortions, the nuts must be tightened sequentially around the entire perimeter of the foundation, turning each one no more than 2-3 turns.
The scheme for fastening the crowns on a pile or pile-screw foundation looks a little different. In order to attach the first crowns to such a foundation, special heads are mounted on piles deepened into the ground, resembling the letter “P” in appearance. Mounting holes are pre-provisioned in their side plates.
In the heads mounted on piles, a sheet of roofing material is laid in 2-3 layers and only then - crowns. The beam is placed in the grooves of the heads, connecting it in the corners into a “paw” or into a “bowl”, and fixed with screws or studs and locknuts. In the latter case, it is required to additionally drill through the entire crown, and the pitch of the holes in the crown must exactly match the pitch of the holes in the head.
Overhead installation for forcing log cabins is used much more often, since during its implementation there is no rigid fixation of the log cabin to the foundation, and the immobility of the lower rims is ensured by the weight of the log house itself. With this method, the laying of the first crown on the foundation is carried out in the same way as with rigid fixation, with the exception of the use of foundation bolts and nuts.
Secrets of the technique of laying the lower crowns
Having completed the processes of waterproofing and preparing the lower rims, you can proceed directly to the device of the lower trim. It is very important for her to choose the highest quality timber. To do this, it must be sorted out in advance. Material that gives off blue, deformed or in which there are a lot of knots is best left for the top of the log house. The lower crowns must be treated with antiseptics and fire retardants before laying.
The main task of the lower strapping is to ensure the connection of the timber in the corners strictly at 90º.
It is this requirement that makes the tying process very slow, because upon completion it is necessary to check the corners using the method of intersecting diagonals (measure with a cord or thick fishing line the distance between 1 and 3 corners, and then between 2 and 4). If there are the smallest discrepancies in the measurements, the strapping must be redone until the measured diagonals show exactly the same result.
They start laying the crowns from the corners, where they are joined together according to the chosen scheme: in a “bowl” or in a “paw”. For the first row, you need to choose the most even bars. First, wooden slats with a width of at least 15 mm are laid on the waterproofing layer with a step of no more than 30 cm. This will eliminate the direct contact of the beam with the foundation, greatly extending the life of the erected log house.
On top of the laid rails, the first row of bars is mounted. It is necessary to lay so that there are no gaps between them. For the crowns laid below, this is very important, since they will continue to constantly experience the pressure of the entire wall. Even small cavities left between them can play a very cruel joke, as a result of which the entire log house will have to be sorted out.
The bars laid in the bottom row without fail in the places of corner joints must be fastened together with building brackets or nails, additionally ensuring the strength of their adhesion.
Having connected all the crowns of the lower row to each other and making sure that all the corner joints are 90º, it is imperative to measure the horizontal of the laid crowns using a hydraulic level. And only after a flat horizontal plane of the bottom row is reached, you can proceed with the further installation of the walls.
The gap between the first crown and the foundation, remaining due to the underlayment of the rails, must be eliminated. Usually it is sealed with mounting foam, which will firmly connect the foundation and the timber, protecting the latter from subsidence and providing additional support to the entire structure. Upon completion of the installation of the log house, the gap filled with mounting foam will need to be closed with decorative platbands or special ebbs, otherwise the foam will quickly collapse under the action of the sun. Sometimes wooden slats are used to seal it.
The quality and durability of the entire frame largely depends on the quality of laying the lower crowns. Therefore, it must be performed very carefully, following the saying "measure seven times, cut once." And then the built house will delight you with its warmth and unique charm of a wooden house for many years.
The construction of a solid house from a bar is a difficult process in which each operation must be carried out with special care and foundation. Much attention should be paid to laying the first crown, because this is what will affect the quality of the entire structure. If you do this step correctly, then the walls of the house will stand exactly, forming 90-degree angles.
The first crown must be laid slowly, in accordance with all requirements and technical standards. In addition, no less carefully you need to prepare for work. Even before you start laying the crown of the house from a bar, you need to take care of the waterproofing of the foundation.
Waterproofing before laying the first crown
So, before you start laying waterproofing, you need to check and inspect the upper part of the foundation. To perform this action, you will need to prepare a hydraulic level. If the difference is more than 1 cm on the surface of the foundation, then it is worth carrying out additional work related to its alignment. As a rule, this will require the preparation of a concrete solution.
Experts recommend initially laying two layers of waterproofing material, then laying boards and then again a layer of waterproofing. The materials used for this process must be fixed so that they extend beyond the edges by 25 cm on either side.
Search for quality material for the first crown
The material for building a house from a timber for laying should be prepared in advance. The first crown should consist of high quality material. It should be:
- With a minimum number of knots on the surface;
- With a perfectly flat surface;
- The material should not have blue, this is not suitable for laying the first crown;
- The density of the timber rings should be maximum - then it becomes clear that this material is made from the middle of the tree.
Before laying the first crown (larch), it must be treated with an antiseptic
After choosing a beam, you need to carefully lubricate it with bituminous mastic, previously mixed with mining. A similar composition is needed so that the impregnation is well absorbed into the wood. It is not worth processing the ends of the timber, otherwise the moisture will not be able to “leave” the tree. The thoroughness of processing and impregnation will affect many factors, including the durability and reliability of the first crown, and, consequently, the entire house from a bar.
Laying the first crown
Laying the first crown looks like this:
- It is required to lay slats on a layer of waterproofing material. They must first be treated with an antiseptic solution. The distance between the rails should be 30 cm. The width of each rail individually is 15 mm;
- Beams must be laid on top of the rails. They will form the first layer. Thanks to the use of laths in this process, it is possible to provide the bars with reliable protection, as well as to prevent their direct contact with the fundamental surface. If this process is carried out correctly, then the durability of a house made of timber will be significantly increased;
- A gap will be formed between the beam and the foundation. In no case should it be left, otherwise the building will quickly deform and squint. You can fill this void with the use of mounting foam. It will firmly and reliably fasten both sides, for a long time, guaranteeing tightness;
- Next, you should again determine the index of evenness of the surface using a hydraulic level. In the case when the horizontalness of the surface has a violation after the laying of the first crown, then the walls will be assembled unevenly. This problem can be solved by additional leveling of the surface.
Fastening the first crown
Points of view regarding the attachment of the first crown to the foundation differ greatly among themselves. Some believe that it is imperative to firmly attach the crown to the fundamental surface, other builders and specialists argue that there is no need for this.
Building a house from glued laminated timber and any other has a lot of weight, so they believe that it will stand well and firmly without the use of anchors and additional fastening. In such a situation, docking without a lock is used. When it is performed in the future, it is possible to replace any timber without dismantling the corners of the building. In the corners, simple staples or metal plates are used for connection. When building a house with their own hands, each person will independently choose whether he will attach the crown to the foundation or not.
Fastening the beam to the tape base
To fix the first crown of a house from a bar to a strip foundation, you must adhere to the following procedure:
- Purchase elements for fastening to the foundation, best with a margin;
- Check the level of evenness of the surface using a hydraulic level. If the unevenness exceeds 1 cm, then it is worth eliminating it with a solution. If the unevenness is less than 1 cm, then you can put planks under the timber;
- Choose a docking method: in a bowl or in a paw. Both options are strong and reliable. On the Internet on the video you can see how professionals collect them;
- In the beams prepared for laying to the foundation, holes should be drilled slightly smaller than the anchor studs, which will be concreted into the upper part of the base;
- The corners of the first crown must be connected with dowels or nails;
- After that, you need to check each corner using a level. If irregularities are found, you need to remove them with a planer.
Fixing and laying the first crown in this way is not an easy task. If you do it right, then the house is guaranteed to stand idle for a long time.
Mounting on a pile-screw foundation
Strapping is an obligatory and necessary laying element if there is a screw foundation. Everything is due to the fact that the piles are a point support, so in some places the load will be greater than in others.
So, for starters, you should make sure that all the piles are correctly installed on the foundation. If there are some deviations, then it is necessary to eliminate the irregularities by cutting the timber in the required places. In the corners of the lower crown, you need to place anchors filled with mortar. From the outside, the corners must be overlaid with aluminum corners. After that, in order for all sections of the beam to be joined, cuts must be made on them. The first must be done from the bottom side, the second from the top.
Docking points are recommended to be filled with jute. This method is convenient in that the lower crown acts as a strapping. This results in additional strength. Video on this installation and connection method can be viewed on the Internet.
Laying angles
It is necessary to correctly lay the first crown on the foundation so that its angles are equal to 90 degrees. This strict rule is observed throughout the construction of a house from profiled timber, which should not be violated. Thanks to this, it will be possible to ensure the exact and correct geometry of the house. If the sides of the house do not match, the opposite sides of the house will differ in length, in addition, the intersection diagonals will also be violated. If the condition about the corners is met correctly, then the house will stand for a long time without deformation.
Another important condition is the conduct of all activities at a calm pace without haste. Otherwise, it can turn into serious problems, the solution of which will require large financial costs.
Completion of installation
After the lower crown and the bars in it are fastened with dowels or nails, the anchor can not be installed.
- There should be 2 bolts on one piece of timber if the house has short walls;
- Using the building level, you need to check all the diagonals and angles. Eliminate irregularities with an electric planer;
- After attaching the bars to the base, you need to install vertical racks.
Despite the fact that the issue of attaching the timber to the foundation has both supporters and opponents, the choice is up to each builder.
Laying the lower crown on the foundation of a log house is an important technological process. A large number of factors will depend on it, including the durability and strength of the house. It is not difficult to qualitatively connect all the bars, but you need to constantly monitor the evenness of the surface.
Before erecting the walls directly, the builders have a reasonable question: how to lay the first crown in the house? It is necessary to install the first crown of the house with all thoroughness, using mathematical calculations, so that in the future the walls are as even as possible, standing at a 90-degree angle. This work is not very difficult, the main thing is not to rush and carefully prepare for it.
The scheme of fastening the lower trim and waterproofing under the first crown.
To lay the first crown for a house from a bar, you should lay waterproofing in at least two layers, after that - a lining board, and on top of it there is another waterproofing layer.
It is important to provide an effective waterproofing system for the foundation before starting the laying of the first crown of timber houses. For these purposes, roofing material is laid twice, and then a one-time installation of Stekloizol is carried out. All layers should exceed the width of the base by approximately 25 cm along the entire length of the perimeter.
All the bars that are laid should be pressed closely against each other. It is unacceptable to form even small voids in the wall, and especially in its lowest region. Since in the future it is on the bottom that the floor is hung and here the greatest loads will be.
The design of the nodes of the first crown of the house from a bar.
The fastening of the bars between each other is carried out on metal dowels, deepening into the wall by 3 cm, finishing with a wooden mallet. If there is a slight bend on the beam, it is laid, turning down with an even edge. In some situations, it is required to additionally fasten the lower bars with nails or staples, which are placed through the two crowns of the bath or sauna from the bar.
Before directly laying the waterproofing on the surface of the foundation, it is necessary to check that its outer plane is clearly horizontal. Check the horizontal foundation using a hydraulic level, since an ordinary level often shows some error. Tubercles-dimples should not exceed 1 cm over the entire surface of the foundation. When the unevenness is more than 1 cm, the surface is leveled with a mortar or another layer of waterproofing.
Which beam to choose for the lower crown of the log house?
Suitable quality material should be prepared in advance. The first crown for a bath from a bar must be formed with a material that is distinguished by its high quality characteristics:
- Bars should be selected even.
- The knotty on them should not be very pronounced.
- It is better not to use a material with a bluish tint, it will not work for laying the lower crown.
- It is necessary to take bars with the maximum density of rings: this raw material is made from the middle part of the wood.
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Scheme of assembling the first crown of a log house for a house from a bar 
Scheme of laying rails under the first crown.
Before you start laying the crown on the foundation of a house from a bar, you need to think over and ensure the durability of the entire structure as a whole. For these purposes, slats are laid out, pre-treated with an antiseptic, which are 10-15 mm thick. Between them make a gap of 25-30 cm.
Reiki is needed to prevent contact of the crown of the house from the timber with its foundation. This measure allows in the future to extend the life of the log bath by providing additional protection against decay.
The sequence of assembling the crown for a bath from a bar
- The first layer of bars is placed on the exposed slats. The voids between the beam and the base are foamed.
- After that, with the help of a level, the evenness of the surface is measured, since with an uneven lower crown, the wall will also be curved.
- After the elimination of defects, the voids are filled with mounting foam.
As already noted, the preparation of timber should be done in advance. Again, it should have a minimum of knots, no blue stain, and be even with a high density of growth rings.
It is imperative to process the first crown of the timber, and this must be done by smearing all the wood several times with bituminous mastic, coupled with working off, so that the mixture is absorbed into the bath timber as deeply as possible. You should not just process the ends, since they must be perfectly free so that excess moisture in the tree can be removed through them. The service life of the lower crown and the period of time after which there will be a need to replace the old timber will depend on the quality of wood processing.
Often the first crown is not attached to the foundation - under the weight of the house, it will not budge even without anchors. At the corners, the joints are made without locks, the bars are joined with ends. The beam in the corners at the adjunction of partitions is connected with plates or metal brackets.
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How to build a subfloor that provides a durable floor covering?
After laying the first crown and processing it with fire and bioprotection, they begin to equip the subfloor for a bath from a bar. Work is carried out in several stages:
All existing corners must be laid out clearly at 90 degrees so that the geometric proportions of the house are considered correct.
A check is made to ensure that the lengths of the two opposite sides are the same, and the diagonals between the opposite sides of the house from the timber coincide. If everything is correct, it means that the corners are accurately displayed.
When laying the lower rows of the crown of baths from a bar, haste should not be allowed, since the work will affect the evenness of the walls.
Before starting the construction of a house, everyone has a question: how to put the first crown of timber? It is necessary to lay the first crown of a house from a bar as thoroughly as possible, with mathematical calculations - so that the walls of the future house stand perfectly exactly at an angle of 90 degrees. This is not too difficult to do - the main thing is not to rush and prepare very well for this work.
Before starting the laying of the first crown, it is necessary to lay at least two layers of waterproofing, then a lining board and then another layer of the same waterproofing.
Waterproofing between the frame and the foundation
Before laying the timber, the foundation should be waterproofed to the maximum. To do this, lay the roofing material twice, and then perform a single laying of "stekloizol". All laid layers should exceed the width of your foundation by 25 centimeters along its entire perimeter.
The stacked beams should be in contact with each other as tightly as possible, in no case should even the slightest voids be left in the wall, especially its lower part. After all, it is on this part that the floor is subsequently hung and all serious loads go.
You need to fasten the bars to each other on metal dowels to a depth of 3 centimeters, and finish them off with a wooden mallet. If the beam has a slight bend, lay it down with its even edge. There are times when the connection of the lower bars requires additional fastening with staples or nails (you need to put them through 2 crowns).
Before laying waterproofing on a roofing material foundation, check that its upper plane is strictly horizontal. You need to check the horizontalness with your own hands with a hydraulic level, since a simple level often gives a large error. The difference should not be more than 1 cm on the entire plane of the foundation. If the difference in level is greater, level the plane with a mortar or an additional layer of waterproofing.
We lay the first crown of the log house - assembly diagram
Before laying the beam on the foundation, we need to take care of the durability of our structure. To do this, lay out the slats pre-treated with an antiseptic, about 10-15 mm thick. The distance between them is 25-30 cm (see picture).
- Well, on top of the exposed rails, we put our first layer of bars.
Reiki are necessary to prevent contact of the crown with the foundation. This trick will greatly increase the life of the log house, thanks to additional protection against decay, and we fill the gap between the beam and the foundation with mounting foam.
- Next, we check the level for evenness of the surface - after all, an uneven wall is obtained from an uneven 1st crown.
- After eliminating inaccuracies, we fill the gap with mounting foam.
The beam must be prepared in advance, even when the materials are delivered to the site. Choose the best bars that have a minimum number of knots, as even as possible, without blue. The beam must be selected according to the cut of the annual rings - choose the one with the density of the rings which is as high as possible (in this case, the beam should be the middle part of this tree). At the end of the cut, you should see circles that diverge from the center.
The selected wood must be smeared several times with bituminous mastic (liquid), in combination with mining, so that the composition is absorbed as deeply as possible into the future timber. The ends do not need to be processed, they must be clean, because excess moisture will be removed from the wood through them. The service life of the lower crown and the time after which there will be a need to replace it directly depend on how you process the wood.
In some cases, it is not necessary to attach the first crown to the foundation - a house made of timber will be quite heavy and will stand very well on the foundation without anchors. Angular joints are made without the use of locks, the timber is joined at the ends. Such joints are made so that in the future it will be possible to replace any beam, without dismantling the corners. In the corners, the beam, when adjoining various partitions, is connected with metal plates or brackets.
Although many builders tightly fix the timber between themselves and to the foundation.
All angles must be strictly 90 degrees, then the geometry of the house is considered ideal. It is necessary to check that the length of the opposite sides is equal, and the diagonals between the corners (opposite) of the house coincide - if everything is correct, then the corners are drawn exactly. When working on laying the lower rows, in no case should you rush, because it depends on what walls will be obtained during further construction.
If you want your house to be a solid, capital construction, to please not only you, but also your heirs for many years, then you need to carefully approach its construction, compliance with technologies and standards. It is important to understand that the strength and durability of the building depends on each action. That is why we will analyze how to lay the first crown of timber - after all, this is the key to a successful construction result.
How to put the first crown?
Norms
When laying the first crown of timber, it is important to study all technical standards, to do the work efficiently at all stages.
Even before laying, pay special attention to the arrangement of waterproofing.
The foundation must be checked using a special building level, if there is a difference of more than one centimeter, then the surface will have to be leveled. This is usually done with concrete mortar.
We make the foundation
When the leveling material is completely dry, you can start laying the waterproofing, preferably in several layers. It must be fixed so that the waterproofing material extends 25 cm beyond the perimeter of the surface on all sides.
What material to use
Laying the first crown of timber requires the highest quality, proven material. It must meet the following requirements:
- do not have notches and knots;
- have a flat surface;
- be made from the heart of a tree. This can be determined by the density of the rings;
- do not give blue.
If you have already chosen a timber, then also stock up on bituminous mastic, which is useful for processing. The end parts of the timber at this stage should not be touched with impregnation, this can lead to a loss of moisture in the wood. Scrupulousness in performing these operations will make the first crown of a house made of timber unusually stable, durable, and ensure the reliability of the entire structure.
Styling procedure
It is necessary to perform the following sequence of actions:
- lay out the slats pre-treated with an antiseptic over a layer of waterproofing material, keeping a gap of 30 cm between them, as seen in the photo;
- place the bars on the rails, which will form the first layer. Reiki play the role of a buffer between the timber and the surface of the foundation, preventing them from touching;
- fill the resulting space with high-quality mounting foam, leaving no gaps. The foam will securely fasten the materials, preventing the building from deforming or tilting;
- measure the evenness of the surface using the building level. If irregularities are found, the first crowns of the house made of timber are laid crookedly, then it is imperative to align them so that the walls of the house turn out to be even.
Fastening
The question of how the crowns should be laid from a bar causes a lot of disagreement among specialists. Some believe that the crown should be attached to the foundation, while others insist that such fasteners are completely optional.
Since the construction using glued laminated timber has a large mass, professionals say that it will be stable even without anchors. In this case, it is important to apply the technology of docking without a lock, so that any of the bars can be easily replaced without complicating the process of disassembling the corners. If you are building a house with your own hands, then having studied both opinions, you can decide how you will fix the lower crown of the house from a bar.
Strip foundation
How to attach the bars to the strip foundation? To connect the first crown of the timber, follow the instructions below:
- purchase fasteners, make sure that they are in abundance;
- check the evenness of the surface with a building level;
- eliminate the resulting irregularities with a special mixture;
- stop the choice on the methods of joining the bars: in a bowl or in a paw. In order to determine the optimal one - check out the training video;
- drill holes in the beams of a smaller diameter than the anchor studs, which are then concreted into the base;
- connect the corner parts of the first crown with nails;
- again check the level of all corners, remove bumps with a planer.
pile foundation
If your house has this type of foundation, then for laying it is necessary to make a strapping. This is due to the fact that the piles do not provide uniform support, and the pressure in some places may be greater.
Make sure the piles are properly positioned in the foundation. Eliminate deviations by sawing the timber in the right places. Place the anchor fasteners at the corners of the lower crown of the bars, fill them with mortar. Use aluminum corners to reinforce the outside of the corners. Then clearly cut the bars to ensure their secure joining. Fill the joints with jute. This method is preferred by most novice builders, as it is very convenient, and the building is given additional strength due to the first crown. In addition, there are a lot of master classes on the Internet in which experts share the secrets of this styling method.
Corner condition
It is important to ensure the connection of crowns from a bar at an angle of 90 degrees. This is a golden recommendation for the construction of corrugated timber, the violation of which can be fraught with consequences during further construction.
If you follow the rule exactly, then the geometry of the house will not be violated, the opposite walls of the intersection diagonal will be the same in length. Such a house will last a very long time without being deformed.
Final stage
If the lower crown of the beams is securely fastened with dowels, then there is no need to additionally use anchors. Check if you have followed the sequence of actions:
- if the walls of the house are not very long, then at least two bolts should be located on one piece of timber;
- check corners and diagonal connections with a building level;
- install the uprights firmly into the base.
Remember that haste in this matter is completely inappropriate, the final result depends on your actions: the fundamental nature of the structure, its quality and further comfort during living.
The lower crown works in the most difficult conditions - proximity to the ground, more wet than other crowns during rain and snowfall. Therefore, traditionally, special attention was paid to its manufacture.
Before laying the first (lower) crown of the log house, do not forget about waterproofing, which is 2-3 layers of rolled bituminous waterproofing material laid between the foundation and the logs to prevent the walls from getting wet from the foundation.
The first (collar) crown is made from the thickest logs.
If you have such an opportunity, then the first crown is best made from wood species that are most resistant to decay. Larch or oak is best suited for this purpose.
Obviously, sides 1, 3 and 2, 4 are at different horizontal levels, which differ in height by half the diameter of the log. Therefore, the first crown, from which the entire frame begins, can be implemented in two ways.
Despite some inconveniences, such a crown crown will be more durable due to the fact that the logs are minimally processed and remain almost solid.
To prevent rotting of logs of the first crown, special attention must be paid to careful antiseptic treatment of surfaces in contact with waterproofing (hewn surfaces). Before laying, we coat the cut surface with an antiseptic with a brush 3-5 times. By the way, this is the only place in the bath where I used an antiseptic.
Backing boards must not be covered with molten resin (bitumen) or wrapped in roofing felt. A tree clogged with resin or wrapped in roofing material will rot very quickly.
Between the waterproofing of the foundation and the backing board, between the backing board and the first crown, an interventional seal is laid.
The process of making an overlay crown is shown in a series of videos salary (first) crown of the log house.
Salary (first) crown of the log house - video technology.
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Cover crown. Part 2. Teska logs |
How smooth the future structure will be depends on many factors. Important is the clarity of the initial marking of the axes, the correct laying of the foundation, ensuring the horizontal level of the upper cut of the basement or grillage, as well as other equally significant moments of the construction process. The list depends on the design features of the object, which, in turn, determine what exactly should be paid attention to. For example, for a log house, the decisive stage of work is the careful laying of the first crown on the foundation. It requires a careful and unhurried approach, compliance with technology and regulatory requirements.
Waterproofing device
A waterproofing layer is necessarily laid at the junction of the foundation with the walls. First level the upper horizon of the basement or grillage. Most often, a concrete solution is used for this, which allows you to qualitatively smooth the surface. In the case of a metal piping of piles, the heads are set according to the level, on which the profile element is laid.
It should be understood that the lower crown takes on not only the most significant loads from the ground part of the structure, but also comes into contact with the foundation. In the absence of hydroprotection, capillary moisture will begin to rise up, as a result of which the wood will get wet. This will lead to swelling of the timber, the appearance of mold and the gradual destruction of the wood structure as a result of the vital activity of the fungus. In this case, even the best antiseptic impregnation will sooner or later be powerless.
Laying waterproofing is one of the most important stages in the construction of a log house, so it is not allowed to exclude it from the list of works!
Beam quality
Lumber for the first crown must be selected taking into account certain requirements. It should not have knots and blue, and all its four surfaces should be smooth, without notches, depressions or sharp bends. The timber must be pre-treated with an antiseptic and flame retardant. Even if the seller assures that the material was impregnated under production conditions, he will not be able to provide truthful information about the thoroughness of processing, the circumstances and terms of storage of the timber. So it's better to play it safe.
When buying a bar made of solid wood, you need to pay attention to its cross section. High-quality material has an average location of the core and annual rings evenly moving away from the center. When lumber with a different “pattern” shrinks, problems may arise associated with various deformations of the wood - bending, twisting, severe cracking, etc.
As for applying a film-forming composition to the ends of a solid bar, you can hear different opinions. Some opponents argue that it is necessary to “seal” the cross sections immediately so that the moisture from the wood does not leave too quickly. Others give arguments about the inadmissibility of such actions, although they agree that the ends need to be covered up. For these purposes, they recommend using clay, lime or water emulsion. The film also prevents the release of moisture in a natural way, as a result of which foci of decay form inside the trunk. In fact, both sides are right to some extent.
The technology of mounting the lower row of a timber house involves a certain sequence of work. Firstly, slats impregnated with an antiseptic 10-15 mm thick are laid on the foundation over the waterproofing layer with a step of 25-30 cm. The gap is then filled with mounting foam. Next, they mount the first crown of the timber house. At the last stage, the horizontalness of the laid timber is checked using a building or laser level. If necessary, the spatial position of the crown is adjusted to obtain the required results.
Laying the first row of timber should be done taking into account the correct design of the corners. One side must be strictly perpendicular to the other, with the exception of projects that provide for a complex shape of the house in terms of plan. After mounting the lower crown on the foundation, the conformity of the dimensions of the diagonals between the opposite corners is also checked. If the structure is rectangular, then both lengths must match.
timber fastening
On this issue, there are also disagreements among the masters. The former are convinced that the erected log house with its mass is able to reliably press the first crown to the foundation, therefore the stability of the house is ensured based on the laws of physics. By the way, if necessary, it will be much easier to replace an unsecured timber, also because the corner joints here are connected not with the help of locks, but with brackets or metal plates.
If the length of the walls of the house exceeds the identical size of the lumber, then fastening the timber to the foundation will most likely be required.
Representatives of another group of specialists have their own opinion. They prove the need for rigid fixation of the lower crown to the foundation by means of anchors. They assure that in this way it will be easier to maintain the correct geometry of the log house during its construction. In addition, fastening the beam to the underground part of the building will give greater stability to the house on stilts.
Well, both methods have the right to exist. The main thing is that the work on laying the first beam on the foundation should be carried out carefully, without undue haste. Then the house will stand longer.
The durability of the future building depends. This is a fundamental, basic question, and it must be taken with the utmost seriousness, since the cost of a mistake is too high.
Selecting and preparing material
The beam for the first crown should be of the highest quality. The selection criteria are simple:
- No knots or surface damage.
- The absence of blue on the ends. Darkening is a sign of fungal infection.
- High density of annual rings. It is desirable that the rings diverge from the center of the cut, which means that the timber is made from the core of the tree.
- The wood must be dry (it is necessary to use a "winter" tree).
- It is advisable to use oak or larch timber - they are much stronger than pine.
Before laying, the timber is impregnated with bituminous mastic. In order for the impregnation to be absorbed deeper, a little used oil can be added to it. The procedure is repeated 2-3 times.
An important nuance: the ends of the timber are not processed with mastic! This is done in order to ensure the release of moisture. The impregnated wood is allowed to dry completely, after which they proceed to direct installation.
We prepare the foundation
The first thing to do after pouring the foundation is to check its geometry. A height difference of even 1 cm in the future will lead to serious distortions in the building structure. The quality of the foundation is checked by the usual water level - if a difference is detected, the plane should be leveled with concrete mortar.
The next step is to provide waterproofing. Concrete has the ability to lift moisture and transfer it to higher elements, so the durability of the entire house depends on the quality of waterproofing. The base is thoroughly impregnated with a bituminous mixture, filling all cracks and gaps. A layer of roofing material is laid on the bitumen (the tape should be 20-25 cm wider than the foundation) and heated with a gas burner. The joints of the tapes are overlapped and heated additionally. The surface of the roofing material is again impregnated with bitumen and covered with another layer.
An important nuance: during the construction of the foundation, it is necessary to ensure sufficient ventilation of the subfloor. This is done with the help of embedded pipes or boxes. Such holes will prevent the accumulation of moisture under the floor and reduce the likelihood of fungus.
Laying the first crown
The first beam is not laid on concrete, but on wooden planks 15 mm high, located across the foundation tape every 30 cm. This is done in order to exclude contact of the first crown with waterproofing. Some builders prefer to use a special lining board instead of slats, but the benefits of this technology raise reasonable objections. Opponents of the board argue that it rots faster than a beam, and at the same time forms an additional interventional gap in the most vulnerable part of the wall.
After laying the bars on the rails and checking the horizontal position, the resulting gap is filled with ordinary mounting foam. The corners of the first crown are connected with metal brackets. It is not necessary to attach the beam to the foundation: the weight of the entire structure is enough to provide the house with the necessary stability. In some cases, it is allowed to mount the first crown on anchors located at the corners of the foundation.
An important nuance: the docking angles must exactly correspond to 90 degrees. Otherwise, the intersection diagonals will be violated, which in turn will lead to undesirable deformations of the building.
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