Beam or frame: a comparative analysis of materials and

As soon as the question concerns the construction of a wooden house, the developer can easily face a choice - to use a timber or frame?

To answer this question, and to show all the pros and cons of materials and types of structure, you can conduct a comprehensive analysis, which will consist of:

• Quality differences log and frame house.
• Ease of installation and assembly of the structure.
• The cost of the material.

Timber or frame

Taking into account the fact that certain parameters of the analysis are defined, you can make the first digression and talk about environmental friendliness. This is a very important point to which modern developers will pay a lot of attention.

On the one hand, both options use wood in their basis, but if a bar-shaped house is natural wood without any impurities, the frame version uses shields made of plywood, chipboard, and this is a hint of the presence of various chemical compounds, some of which are danger to humans.

In a question of environmental friendliness, preference can be given to timber!

Warm house

The next point is an indicator of home comfort, its heat saving. And the question of which house is warmer than a frame or a bar-shaped one can be given an unequivocal answer - a bar-shaped one.

Here you can make very interesting observations. On the one hand, the frame version of the structure in terms of thermal conductivity is not inferior to a timber.

On the other hand, the frame house is not able to adequately retain this heat, accumulate, so to speak, so after the building is heated, it cools down rather quickly if you do not maintain a constant temperature in the heating system.

A house from a timber is the other way around; it warms up perfectly and is able to accumulate heat, thus cooling down, it remains warm for a long time. This is to talk not only about comfort, but also about economical energy consumption.

Another point that can play a role in the choice of which building a timber or frame house can play ventilation. The fact is that in frame construction it is necessary to pay great attention to the ventilation system. This is due to the fact that the elements of the frame house undergo a preliminary "factory" drying, and practically do not let air through.

While timber, wood has the ability to “breathe” freely by passing air through the pores. This instantly affects the indoor atmosphere. The air here is always clean and fresh.

Строительство

The following analysis item will imply a comparison of materials and houses in terms of construction work, and this:

• Speed. Each material has an approximate speed with which you can build a house.
• Ease of work. Installation can be considered as an element of independent work, which, ultimately, affects the estimate.
• The time from the start of construction to commissioning. In this case we are talking about the time it takes to shrink houses.

The speed of erection. Here, in a kind of competition, who will be erected faster, a bar or frame, the frame type wins without options.

The frame house is built very quickly, dried wood is used in the work, and after construction it is possible to enter immediately. The house is ready for use.

The house from a bar, of course, is built a little longer in time, due to the following points:

• There is a need for a more massive foundation. If we are talking about concrete work, then it is at least 5-7 days.
• Bricklaying is carried out by single elements, if the constructor of the house is not used.
• The installation itself requires more accurate performance, attention and time.

Note! It is possible to enter the house from a bar almost immediately after construction, however, the building will still have to be finished in a few months. It takes time to shrink at home.

It should be noted that the instruction for the construction of a log house suggests two options:

• Profiled material in which grooves are made, and it is easy enough to lay it.
• Unstressed timber, which is cheaper, but also requires a more labor-intensive process of installation and finishing, plus additional thermal insulation.

Note! Here it should be noted that the house of not planed material will have to stand for at least a year, and all this time it will shrink, and the structure of the profiled bar will require 2 times less time to shrink.

Reliability

Most developers are absolutely sure that the timber version of the structure is distinguished by increased reliability and durability, and here the following differences can be noted:

• The frame house is a few layers of fine finish, between which there is insulation. Functionally, this structure can not boast of strength. The walls are easily opened and collapsed.
• A lumber wall is wood, which in itself is a material that is rather durable, and a timber of 150 mm, for example, is already a serious obstacle.

From the point of view of reliability, the answer to the question of whether it is better to frame a house or from a bar, for a clear advantage, the timber version wins.

Note! The life of the houses is completely different. The frame building is able to be in operation for no more than 20 years, after which a complete reconstruction of the entire structure will be required, with the replacement of all support columns.

Architectural nuances

In that case, if the project of the house assumes a rather complicated facade, on which there will be a set of complex geometric shapes, then preference is given to the frame type. In addition, the frame allows you to implement designs of irregular geometric shapes.

For example, houses of non-rectangular or square type are much easier to construct using frame technology. The frame allows you to recreate even the most complex projects.

On the other hand, timber allows you to recreate the same complex geometric shapes. Modern technologies of laying, factory elements, will allow to build complex projects, although it will take much more time. But when all the work is completed, it turns out a beautiful and unusual and reliable home.

As for the internal layout of houses, it is quite difficult to compare here, you can lay timber with your own hands as indicated in the project, or add certain nuances from yourself. And in the frame and in the log house the internal layout is completely dependent on the developer.

From the point of view of speed, the frame wins here, however, if the decision is made to build everything from timber, and even more so from profiled wood, then the internal partitions and layout do not cause any difficulties.

The only, but significant advantage in this case is the structure of natural wood. If, for example, to carry out the polishing of the timber, and then varnish, then the texture of the wood will look much more beautiful than the finish of the frame type, even if the panels are under wood.

There are some nuances regarding the time of construction, and more precisely the time of year. If the frame option can be erected at any time, at temperature and weather conditions suitable for work, then the bar is still best used in the cold season.

This is due to the fact that the house quietly passes the first stage of shrinkage, its walls are not exposed to direct sunlight, which does not allow the wood to crack.

Cost of

To answer the question, which is cheaper frame or timber, you need to consider options through the prism of a completely identical project. And in this case it turns out that the bar-shaped version may be more economically advantageous. However, it is worth emphasizing that the conversation is only about the cost of materials.

The cost of a log house consists of the price of wood, and the cost of a frame of the following materials:

• Wood.
• Decoration Materials.
• Waterproofing.
• Thermal insulation.
• Facade work.

In the end, it turns out that the box house frame is no cheaper, and even more expensive than the bar-type. The price in this case may not completely influence the choice of the type of construction, but the role is significant.

Conclusion

You can certainly say that choosing a timber or frame house, you get in any case a fairly inexpensive and modern version of the structure. However, if you make a comparison, and give the prize to any one material, then this "competition" is won by timber.

And to make it easier to make decisions independently, below are the main pros and cons of both options.

Log house, pros:

• Strong walls.
• Excellent thermal insulation.
• Durability.

Minuses:

• Shrinkage.
• Long construction time.

Frame house, pros:

• Assembly speed
• Lack of expensive foundation.
• No shrinkage.

Minuses:

• Short life.
• High cost of finishing.

In the presented video in this article you will find additional information on this topic.