Log felling technologies: description, pros, cons, examples

Let’s talk about what logging technologies exist and are actively used now. Our advice site will not only tell you how you can build a log house, but also point out the advantages and disadvantages of each technology. For clarity, we give photo examples of different felling of log cabins.

It will not work just to connect round logs together! Everyone understands this, even people who are very far from construction. That is why, in order for the crowns of the logs to fit tightly to each other, various cutting technologies are used. Whichever technique you choose, you will definitely need tools:

• a hammer;
• carpenter’s ax;
• chisel;
• chainsaw;
• drill and drill for wood;
• chainsaw;
• device for marking the bowls of the log house – devil.

As Our website sovetov.ru already wrote, logs are traditionally connected with dowels, most often birch.

Important! Experts advise to first carry out a rough assembly of the log house on the ground. It is necessary to fit all the elements, then roll out the structure and assemble it again, already on the foundation, using dowels and insulation. Previously, all wooden elements should be treated with antiseptics..

Log felling into a bowl

This is the most traditional, Russian, widespread method of felling a log house. It is very easy to recognize it from afar – crowns and end remains protrude from the wall in the corners. Usually the protrusion is about 30 cm from the castle connection itself.

The method is quite simple – a notch is cut out in the crown, a bowl, which becomes a groove that allows two logs to be connected as tightly as possible. The width of a semi-oval bowl is usually 150-200 mm, and the depth should be half the diameter of the crown.

Pros of chopping into a bowl:

• Simple installation;
• High construction speed;
• The corners look aesthetically pleasing thanks to the protruding crowns;
• The corners are protected from blowing, there is no need for additional finishing;
• The log house is very stable.

The main disadvantage of this technology is the additional consumption of wood. The protruding crowns “eat up” part of the length of the log, which reduces the area of ​​the premises inside the frame.

Let’s clarify that the chopping into the bowl can be different:

• In a flash, when the groove is selected at the bottom of the crown;
• In the ochlop – at the top of the crown.

Felling is much more popular. The location of the bowl at the bottom in itself protects it from precipitation and moisture penetration. In addition, it is so easy to work more conveniently.

Felling in the paw

The difference between cutting into a bowl is obvious and immediately striking in the presented photos. The main plus is saving wood, there are no protruding crowns, the logs are joined end-to-end, used as much as possible, along the entire length.

But there are many disadvantages to the felling:

• The corners will need additional finishing and insulation;
• The process itself is more technological, it involves the ability to use carpentry tools, one should very clearly adhere to the dimensions in order to get a tight connection.

It is easy to understand how the felling is carried out – you need to remember how the walls of houses are assembled from a bar. At the ends of the logs, excess wood is removed, the paw itself is cut out – a protrusion that will become a connection element.

The following chopping options are available:

• Straight paw;
• Straight paw, but already with an undercut, that is, a thorn;
• The oblique foot is a popular variant called the dovetail;
• Oblique foot, but with undercut.

A straight paw is the simplest option, but such angles are the most blown and unreliable. Therefore, this technique is used only in the construction of sheds and other outbuildings..

Important! The log with the smallest diameter should be edged first. It will become the benchmark when preparing the rest of the logs. It is convenient to use a template – a square inscribed in a circle, with marked markings.

Cutting a straight leg begins with finding and marking the center of the log’s circumference and the edges of the leg. The slabs that turned out to be superfluous are removed. Thorn, undercut, cut with a chisel at the top of the crown.

The dovetail foot assumes that the sides are parallel, while the top and bottom form a trapezoid. In this case, the angles of inclination of the edges must be the same for both connecting rims. A thorn for the oblique foot is also cut on the upper edge. It will make the connection more durable.

Canadian cuttingand log cabins

At first glance, this technology is very similar to traditional bowl chopping. However, there are differences. The Russian bowl is semi-oval, but the Canadian one has a somewhat pointed, rather trapezoidal shape. In addition, the rims on the sides are carefully adjusted to ensure a tight connection..

The main advantage of the Canadian felling is that, unlike the Russian bowl, the seal in the form of a tape is laid in a special channel between the logs and is simply not visible from the outside. That is, the bowl is more reliably protected from precipitation, the crowns do not rot.

In addition, after the shrinkage of the log house cut using the Canadian technology, all the gaps are jammed, no caulking is needed..

The main disadvantage is that the technology of marking and cutting the bowl is more complicated, not all craftsmen can cope with it. In addition, as some experts note, the beads at the bottom and top of the crowns make them thinner, which can negatively affect the strength and thermal conductivity of the corners..

Norwegian log cabin or gun carriage

In Norwegian, lafteverk simply means log house. However, the cutting technology itself has a number of differences. First of all, we note that not a round log is used, but a bed – a log with two full edges on the sides. It is customary to call such logs cut on the sides, in fact, “carriage”.

The required diameter is from 400–500 mm. The joint, dubbed the “Norwegian Lock”, is a wedge-shaped notch that looks a bit like a saddle. There is a secret in this “lock” – a secret groove for connection with a spike, which makes the fastening more durable. Like the Canadian felling, the Norwegian provides a gap-free connection after shrinkage, so re-caulking is not necessary either..

Important! To cut out the joint using Norwegian technology, not an ordinary ax is used, but an adze – an ax with the blade perpendicular to the handle.

The advantages of a Norwegian felling include the tightness of the insulation in the bowl, the economy and the increase in usable area. The walls are flat thanks to the use of a carriage, which facilitates the installation of communications and interior decoration in general.

A significant disadvantage is the fact that the upper, most durable layer of wood is removed. Careful protection is required, impregnation with antiseptics. In addition, the side surfaces may crack..