The house of the sleepers with their own hands

Habitual building materials nowadays are expensive. Therefore, people with a limited budget have to pay attention to the not quite usual ways of housing construction. Older railway sleepers have been used for decades. And the house of the sleepers with their own hands - the most economical version of the construction of solid wood.

Sleepers are bars of coniferous wood, impregnated with a special compound - creosote. This mixture of phenols is used as an antiseptic, it protects the timber in the ground from rotting and reproduction of bacteria, as well as damage by insects and rodents.

Houses made of sleepers are warm and dry, they withstand earthquakes well, unlike brick or panel ones. For the construction of a single-storey log house of 10x10 m, about 350 strong pieces of wood without surface defects will be required. You can buy them in the nearby railway offices that perform repair of the tracks. It is now massively replacing the wooden parts to reinforced concrete. Second-hand dealers are also engaged in the sale of outdated supports, but, as you understand, their prices are 2–3 times higher than the nominal prices.

Is it possible to live in a house of sleepers?

Creosote is a chemical compound that is dangerous to humans. Its fumes cause swelling of the face and hands, and direct contact with the skin can cause burns. There is even evidence that it is carcinogenic and may cause cancer. Is it safe to live in a house soaked with a similar substance?

First, you can only use old sleepers, lying in the ground. The average time of their service is 15 or 20 years. During this time, under the sun and rain, wood loses most of the impregnation and unpleasant smell. In such samples, the content of chemistry is less, and they are cheaper.

You can not build from the new unused sleepers. The smell of fresh creosote is sharp and steady, it will haunt you constantly, intensifying in hot weather. A mixture of phenols is an oily liquid that can seep through any layers: putty, wallpaper or plaster - and leave yellow spots on the walls.

Secondly, careful finishing on the inside will be needed to reduce the risk of contact with residual fumes. The outer walls around the perimeter are sewn up from the inside with a membrane that prevents creosote from entering the room. Outside, on the contrary, a well ventilated facade is arranged. When building internal partitions, it is better to abandon the sleepers and use plain wood or other materials.

Thirdly, the methods of manufacturing and processing rail supports are different. Some products are soaked with antiseptic through, others - only 3-5 cm. For building needs, it is preferable to take the latter.

How to build

Having dealt with building materials, let's talk directly about installation:

• For the building of sleepers, as well as all wooden houses, it is enough column supports. If a basement or basement is planned, then a strip foundation is poured around the perimeter. A waterproofing layer must be laid along the top of the tape or grillage before laying the log house.
• The first wooden row is fastened to the concrete base with long bolted in bolts with a step of 1 m. The parallel bars are laid flat, with a wide border on each other. This increases the consumption of material, but so the house turns out to be warmer, and the frame is even and dense, without large gaps.
• Sleepers are of several types, with different geometrical parameters, therefore for each row it is necessary to select parts of the same size. Neighboring blocks are connected "in the spike" and fastened with building brackets.

• Between the rows of sleepers are fixed with pins or iron brackets at both ends. Holes for them are drilled indented 50–70 cm from the ends.
• When performing masonry, the vertical is checked on the inside of the walls by level and plumb. Irregularities outside hide the facade.
• At the corners of the log house every 3 beams strengthen metal squares. Also, to give the structure stiffness on each side, diagonally nail steel strips 4 mm thick and 20–30 mm wide.
• In the walls between the window openings sleepers can be installed vertically. The gaps between the bars compacted and warmed, filling the gaps with tow or glass wool.

Home decoration

A log house made of dark worn wood does not look too elegant, so in conclusion, finishing is necessary on both sides.

The inner lining is designed to protect creosote vapors from entering the room. A foamed polyethylene film with a thickness of 200–300 μm is suitable as a durable insulating material (also inexpensive).

All seams and joints must be carefully glued with building tape or filled with foam.

Then the crate is packed over the membrane and drywall is fixed. All the cracks and the junction of sheets to the window and door openings are carefully puttied with glass fiber cobwebs. To enhance protection against odors, you can additionally coat the primed surface of the plasterboard with paint.

From the outside, the structure of the sleepers requires a ventilated facade with the possibility of weathered antiseptic. For this reason, for external insulation of the house, it is better to take mineral stone wool, rather than foam, and similar materials - the wall should “breathe”.

First, a vertical crate is made of bars with a section of 50x50 mm. A heater is fixed between them; therefore, it is advisable to choose the grid spacing according to the width of the roll or plate. WITH

the top of the heat insulator closed windproof membrane. Then, to ventilate the facade and free evaporation of chemical impregnation and moisture, it is necessary to leave a small air gap between the finishing layer and the insulation. Therefore, an easy kontrobreshetka of 30x30 mm wooden slats is installed. The decorative decoration of the house is attached to it. The most commonly used metal or vinyl siding. Another option is wooden or PVC lining or facing brick.

See also:

• percussive well drilling;
• swing for giving with the hands from a tree;
• bath of foam blocks with their own hands (phased construction).

A photo