Diy wooden house repair
Nothing that man has created exists forever. And this is an axiom (we will not take into account the Egyptian pyramids and dolmens, because scientists still argue about who and when they erected). Therefore, if your wooden house with time began to be repaired, it should not surprise you. But to master in the shortest possible time the repair of a wooden house with your own hands (unless, of course, you do not want to overpay employees for hire).
Log house
Eco-friendly, beautiful, warm log house most often needs the following types of repair:
- Replacing the rotted rims of the house (if this is not done, the upper ones and very heavy logs will simply crush the rotted log, distorting the whole house). To perform this type of repair work you will need several new good logs of suitable diameter and length. The house will have to be slightly raised above the foundation (with the help of special tools and a couple of assistants), to pull out the damaged logs, and in their place put new ones. After that, if possible, change the waterproofing on top of the foundation and the house is lowered to its original place.
- Elimination of horizontal longitudinal cracks (they will get moisture and various insects that contribute to the destruction of wood). The first option of repairing a wooden house with their own hands in this case is to make the exterior cladding of the building with boards or panels (they will create a barrier in the path of moisture and the cracks will cease to grow). The second option is a thorough stripping of a damaged log, its treatment and crevices with antiseptics, and smearing with a special compound (sealant), which can be bought in a store. Ideally, for the preservation of a wooden house, it is better to combine these two solutions to the problem.
- Replacing a section of a log that has rotted due to water falling from the window drain (rot will gradually spread to other logs at home, leading to serious consequences and the need for more expensive and complicated repairs). Compared with the replacement of rotten lower rims of the house in this case, the amount of work will be significantly less. The damaged part of the log under the window must be cut out, and in its place put a new piece of log. So that it does not fall out, wooden combs are nailed to the ends of the remaining part of the old log, on which a new piece of the log is put on.
House of timber
In principle, a house of timber is subject to similar problems, if only it is built from solid timber, not glued. In the process of operation, glued laminated timber practically does not rot (for this, at the production stage it is deeply impregnated with special compounds), it does not crack and does not deform.
When replacing a solid timber, pay special attention to the exact correspondence of the sizes of the element being removed and re-laid, otherwise cracks may appear between other rows of the timber, which will further deform the entire structure.
Video
This video shows how the bottom bar of a wooden house changes:
Roof
In wooden houses (both from logs and from timber) the roof is repaired in approximately the same way. The differences will not depend on the material of the walls, but on the roofing material:
- Carefully inspect the supporting elements of the roof (rafters) and crate. Mark the paint items that need to be replaced.
- Check the condition of waterproofing and insulation (it is possible that they are also better to upgrade).
- If it is necessary to replace the roof covering, measure the damage area.
- Purchase the necessary material for replacement, give it the right size.
- In dry weather, remove the damaged areas of the roof and replace them with new ones.
If the roofing is badly damaged, consider replacing it with a partial replacement instead of a partial repair.
The material needs to be selected not only by its main characteristics (strength, durability, beautiful appearance), but also by weight, since for heavier roofing materials it is necessary to reinforce the roof system, and in this case it is not always possible to repair the wooden house with your hands quickly and at no extra cost.
Floor
Repairing the floor is the easiest way to repair a wooden house with your own hands. Most often, you have to completely remove the floor and change the rotten wooden logs.
In order for the new floor to last longer, be sure to dry the underground space before laying it, and treat all wooden elements with antiseptics and fire retardants.
Foundation
Often in old wooden houses have to replace or strengthen the foundations. In this case, the building itself will have to be raised, and the repair of the foundation should be carried out in stages (one side of the house at a time). For convenience, you can disassemble the house flooring.
Prior to the start of repair work, mark out for yourself the parts of the foundation to be repaired (they can be dismantled, and in their place lay down or concreted a new part of the foundation). In some cases, the foundation under the wooden house will have to be changed completely, partly replacing it with a new tape or columnar with a reinforced concrete grillage.
Video
In this video you will see how the process of replacing the foundation under the wooden house: