Assembly of frame houses: defects and irregularities in the process

Recommendation points

• Violation # 1. Using a frozen board
• Violation # 2. Sloppy trimming
• Violation No. 3. Neglect of metal parts
• Violation No. 4. Weak screws
• Violation No. 5. Blocking the air
• Violation # 6. Use of drywall on racks

In this article, we will talk about typical assembly defects that can be made when installing a frame house. You will also learn about the risks of each of these violations. We hope that the information in this article will help you maintain the quality when building a frame house..

Wireframe technology is called differently – “Canadian”, “Finnish” and even “American”. The supporting frame of the frame is created from planks and beams, and the slabs for external cladding are made of wood waste..

Violation # 1. Using a frozen board

You should always be careful when working in winter. This method requires additional labor costs associated primarily with the storage of the material. A freshly sawn board that has got into a humid environment or has been swept up by snow freezes not only outside, but also inside. Negligence in the storage of products does not immediately affect.

There is a common technique used by builders to use frozen lumber in winter. The frame is assembled in winter at sub-zero temperatures and is insulated. The roof is covered and windows and doors are inserted, or the openings are simply blocked. This creates a heat circuit that is sealed. Then the room is heated intensively. The board thaws and the moisture evaporates from it. The lumber, already fixed in the frame, does not deform during drying.

What is dangerous.When the board or timber shrinks in the structure, it does not “lead” them, but excessive stresses are formed – the load on the nodes, ties, hardware. When moisture changes, the fibers change properties, which leads to weakening of the knots. The general negative effect is that the strength of the “box” decreases by up to 30% in the first 5–7 years. Problems with interior decoration guaranteed. As a rule, they try to sell such a house without finishing in the first month after construction..

Violation # 2. Sloppy trimming

Smooth ends under 90 ° of the vertical struts are a guarantee of the rigidity of the frame frame. There is only one way to achieve this – using a special tool called an end trimmer. It is a circular saw mounted on a movable arm. The rocker, in turn, is installed on a turret that rotates to the required angle. Maximum cutting depth – 85 mm (depends on the disc diameter).

Sometimes you can see how the “would-be master” cuts the butt by marking it with a jigsaw, a grinder with a disc on wood, or even by hand. It is impossible to achieve a flat end on mass cutting using such methods. The hand gets tired, the file bends and breaks, the grinder breaks out of the hands. And all this for the sake of saving $ 150. e. on the purchase of a trimmer.

What is dangerous.The end of the vertical post, cut at an angle, concentrates all the load on the post at the point of contact with the horizontal element. The flat end has contact and uniform distribution of the load over the entire cross-sectional area of ​​the rack. An oblique end can lead to fiber chipping.

Violation No. 3. Neglect of metal parts

The use of special parts when connecting wooden elements gives up to 25% to the strength and durability of the entire “box”. Of course, the price of these parts is palpable, and this item is crossed out primarily “in order to save money.” The negative effect of such a move does not appear in the first or even in the fifth year of operation..

Corners, connecting and rafter elements – insurance against drying out of wood, which is a constant companion of lumber. Galvanized metal with a thickness of 2.5-3 mm in key nodes will help to hold the structure and distribute the forces during drying over the entire structure. This is not a main element, but an auxiliary one. Correctly applied details prolong the life of the home.

What is dangerous.There is no direct danger in the absence of parts, but this can significantly affect the durability and stability of the structure. The more reinforcements of the nodes, the longer the life of the box at home.

Violation No. 4. Weak screws

When assembling the frame, two types of self-tapping screws are mainly used: 40 mm and 75–90 mm. The assortment of self-tapping screws is quite large, but we are interested in products that are popularly called “black on wood”, or rather, their gradation in thickness. In the range of sizes we are interested in, there are self-tapping screws with a thickness of 3.2, 3.6, 3.8 and 4.2 mm. The price significantly depends on the thickness – the thicker, the more expensive.

Practice has shown that the weakest point of a self-tapping screw is the pairing of the cap and the rod. This point is the place where the load is concentrated. Thin self-tapping screws 3.2-3.6 mm simply do not withstand the applied force and often break even when screwing.

What is dangerous.Even if a thin self-tapping screw is twisted qualitatively, constant loads act on its weak point (mating) – on separation (tension) and shear. With seasonal fluctuations in the moisture content of wood, these loads increase, and the cap may come off.

Violation No. 5. Blocking the air

With external cladding, humid air rises through the channels formed by the vertical crate. For air movement, air vents are needed in the upper part, which are in communication with the atmosphere. The heated steam-saturated air comes out through them through the soffits. Sometimes, for unexplained reasons, this factor is not taken into account, and the air vents are closed, fearing for the penetration of cold.

What is dangerous.Moisture will collect at the dew point – a solid plane where the temperature drops. In the case of a frame house, this is an OSB wall slab. The consequences of moisture concentration are obvious – fungus, rotting, deterioration of insulation, freezing, etc..

Violation # 6. Use of drywall on racks

This “phenomenon” can be found often. “Savings” on hidden work beckons with its simplicity and the gypsum board can be screwed directly onto the racks without crate. A wild, at first glance, idea came, oddly enough, from the homeland of Canadian technology. Yes, indeed, this approach takes place in the case of mass cheap development, when speed and cheapness are important (in Western countries this is also important). Arguing this method with “adapted” technology in Russia, builders sometimes “forget” about the requirements for wood and construction.

In the original version, the racks are located at a distance of 500 mm along the axes and have a section of 60×180-200 mm. At the same time, the wood has optimal moisture content. Then the base of the racks is considered sufficiently stable for the gypsum board. Our craftsmen began to use this method on racks of 50×120-150 mm with a step of 600 mm, sometimes on freshly sawn wood, which is unacceptable.

What is dangerous.Crackling and, ultimately, cracks in the gypsum board. There must be a lattice. If the house is new, use an intermediate fastening on the U-shaped fasteners. This will protect the plasterboard from possible movement of the base..

Before building a frame house, try to study the nuances – they often contain a guarantee of the building’s durability. Trust information not from “trusted persons” and relatives, but only from certified representatives and from original magazines and videos.