Warm timber house. What log diameter to choose? The optimal diameter of a log log What diameter of a log is better for a bath

02.04.2020

A log house is a traditional design of a bath, used since ancient times. The durability of the structure and the comfort of its operation depend on the correct choice of the diameter of the logs. Optimal size lumber should be determined based on a number of factors.

Log type selection

At the moment, the following types of lumber can be used for the construction of log cabins:

A simple skinned log, structures from which have a traditional appearance. The main advantage of the material is the protection of the core due to the preservation of the upper layer.
The planed log has a beautiful texture and a light shade due to processing by hand planers. It has a high cost and requires the use of protective compounds.
The rounded log, due to the use of special equipment in the production, has a smooth surface and the same diameter along the entire length. The disadvantages are similar to those of planed lumber.
A bar with a square section has a democratic cost. Structures from it have smooth, even walls. The disadvantage is the complexity of the assembly, which requires fitting each element on the construction site.

Advice! Regardless of the type of lumber chosen, it must be treated with special compounds to increase the durability and aesthetic appeal of the structure.

What influences the choice of log diameter?

As a standard, lumber 20-36 cm in size is selected for baths. Rounded logs have a diameter smaller by 1 cm than unprocessed logs, which are measured together with the bark.

Factors to consider when choosing lumber:

The air temperature in the region in winter time;
The frequency of use of the bath;
The size of the log house;
drying technology.

Advice! For construction in central Russia, it is advisable to choose conifers trees grown in the northern regions. Such material has a higher density and less moisture absorption, which, accordingly, increases the service life of the structure.

Dependence on winter temperature in the region:

* For the middle band, the cross section should be within 22-30 cm.

For one-story bath on the suburban area, used exclusively in summer, there are enough logs with a diameter of 18-20 cm. The building does not require the construction of a powerful foundation and can be built by hand. Such a building warms up quickly, but retains heat for a short time.

A bath for year-round use is built from a log with a diameter of at least 24 cm. The foundation is required to be monolithic or massive tape.

Important! When using large diameter lumber for construction, it is necessary to involve assistants or special equipment.

It is more difficult to warm up a two-story bathhouse or a building with an attic, therefore, in order to reduce heat loss and increase the bearing capacity of the walls, they are built from a log with a diameter of at least 25 cm.

The drying technology of wood is reflected in its moisture content, which determines the degree of shrinkage of the structure, which is:

Lumber of natural moisture obtained by manual felling - at least 15 cm;
Winter forest and natural drying - not less than 4-6 cm;
The rounded log of chamber drying - 3 cm.

This parameter must be taken into account when designing the height of the building and calculating the amount of wood required.

Logs must not be damaged by insects and mechanical damage. You should choose straight trunks without curvature, having the smallest discrepancy in the diameters of the ends - up to 3 cm. For sawn timber with a length of more than 3 meters, a tolerance of 1 cm per 1 linear meter is accepted.

Important! The labor intensity of the work, as well as the cost of the log house, is directly proportional to the thickness of the logs - the larger it is, the more difficult it is to build and the more expensive it will cost.

Self-harvesting logs:

Independent logging is carried out in winter, when the wood has a moisture content of up to 10-12% - this ensures minimal shrinkage of the building and makes it possible to use material with a smaller cross section.
When choosing trunks, it adds 1 cm to the estimated diameter of the logs for subsequent processing.
When using an electric or chainsaw, it must be taken into account that after the passage of these tools, the treated surface turns out to be significantly disheveled, as a result of which it is more susceptible to decay. To warn this master, it is recommended not to reach the markup of 5-10 mm, to cut down the wood between the previously made transverse cuts and to carry out the finishing with an ax.
For construction, freshly sawn logs are used, which are easier to process. Such wood, after drying in a laid frame, is less deformed and cracked.
After removing the bark, the lumber is stacked, placing bars between the layers to organize air circulation. The logs are stored under a canopy or covered with a moisture-proof material that also protects from direct sunlight. Drying lasts two weeks, after which the felling of the log house begins. Dried wood is difficult to process.
To reduce the cracking of logs on the facades, in each of them, cuts are made from the side opposite to the longitudinal groove. Their depth should be up to ¼ of the diameter of the lumber. These files are designed to compensate for internal stresses that occur during the processes of wetting and drying under the influence of atmospheric factors, and, as a result, to prevent cracks.

A competent choice and logging for construction allows you to get a durable, warm and aesthetically attractive bath.

I will not hide, the most popular size of a log cabin for a bath is 6*6 (6m*6m). But here, so to speak, the “dog” is buried, about which the cutters do not like to spread, and the customer (and this is you) gets what happened.

Consider the example of a 6 * 6 bathhouse log house, with log diameters of 230-250 mm at the top (my opinion is the most optimal section for a bathhouse).

Not a big retreat. The fact is that on plots in the forest, sawlogs are harvested 6 meters long (or a multiple of 6 meters - 12 meters).

Second retreat. The bulk of the cutters are not engaged in logging, they work with purchased sawlogs, and therefore if the dimensions of the log house are not standard, then the process of buying non-standard logs is not fast and expensive (in spring, summer and autumn it is simply not real).

And so let's get started. You come to the cutter (call or order from the site) and indicate your need - “you need a log house of a bathhouse measuring 6 * 6” - and they answer you, indicate the terms and cost.

But the trouble is, what dimensions do you mean when talking about a log house with dimensions of 6 * 6? The internal space of the bath 6 * 6? Or the size of the outer walls? Or in general on the central axes?

Choppers by default are guided by a log length of 6 meters!

If you order 6 * 6 with a cabin in the "LAPU", then everything is clear here, 6 * 6 will turn out along the outer walls (subtract the thickness of the walls and get an internal space measuring 5.5 * 5.5). For someone, this information will be a revelation.

Now consider the dimensions of the bath 6 * 6 when cutting into the "RUSSIAN CUP". Indeed, many do not like log cabins in the "paw", and it does not look so colorful and something needs to be done with the corners, and it is imperative to insulate and close both inside and out for aesthetic beauty. But, in this case, it must be taken into account that, when cutting into the “Russian bowl”, “remnants” of logs will stick out from the edge of the outer wall (exactly the same color, beauty and aesthetics of the log house), about 25-30 cm. in this case, the size along the outer walls will be 5.5 * 5.5, and the internal space 5 * 5. This is clear?

But many people don’t even think about it when ordering a log house, I have seen this more than once or twice: strip foundation usually 15-20cm wide, 6*6 by external dimensions(after all, I ordered a 6 * 6 bath), but when installing it already on a new foundation, it turns out that two walls of 0.5 meters do not stand on the foundation, if the five-wall then the third wall too, and the stove will not fall into place (dimensions baths have changed!). Consequences on the face - plus 50% of the foundation for money (at best).

I hope you Customers now have an idea about the dimensions of the log house and the internal space of the log house.

About the cost of a log house. You understand, the cost of a log house varies from the size.

What else affects the cost of a log house (briefly): the height of the log house, the debarking of the log house (they simply cleaned the bark or processed the logs to white with a jointer), the complete set of the log house (whether or not there are cut logs on the floor and cut beams on the ceiling, in addition to convenience, structural rigidity is added), if not the entire frame is made of Siberian larch, then at least the lower (at least one) crown should be made of larch, the diameters of the logs.

Based on the results of the above, I give advice: initially decide in size WHAT kind of log house do you want. Then popularly and clearly explain to the cutter what exactly you want! Tell him what dimensions are important and necessary for you - internal, external (along the wall or the rest) or generally in the centers, be sure to indicate the height of the log house and the diameters of the logs. Find out what type of wood and what equipment the log cabins made by him have. Only when you have mutual understanding will you get what you want, and not what happened.

I hope that the above information will help the novice developer, and will be useful for customers of any log cabins.

Of course, not everyone can different reasons) to make a hand-cut log house 6 * 6 along the central axes or along outer wall into the "Russian bowl" - we can.

The choice of log thickness for a bath is an important design and construction stage that affects many aspects. Firstly, it depends on whether you can use the steam room in winter or only in summer. Secondly, the diameter of the log directly affects the cost of construction. Thirdly, the aesthetics of the building depends on the choice of material. Let's analyze all these nuances in more detail.

Criteria for choosing a log for a bath

So, you should choose the diameter of logs for the construction of a bath, based on the following criteria:

seasonality of operation;
building dimensions;
budget.

The first point affects the choice of material the most, so it is worth focusing on it especially. The size of the bath is a purely individual criterion. The building can be either small (4 × 4 m) or very large. And the diameter of the log house plays an important role here. And, finally, the budget - as a rule, is far from rubber, and quite often forces people to sacrifice something.

Seasonality of bath operation and maximum frosts

Let's go from simple to complex. First, let's deal with the case when a bath is being built, for example, in a dacha that you visit only in the warm season, since there is no home for permanent residence(or for other reasons). For summer operation, the choice of log diameter is not very important, and in most cases relies only on the available funds and common sense. A 150-mm log, and even less thick, will be quite enough. This will not reduce the pleasure of taking bath procedures. But the budget - how.

Another thing is if the bath is planned not only for summer, but also for cold winters. In this case, you need to focus, first of all, on local climatic conditions. The simplest method is to choose the thickness of the log according to the minimum low air temperature. For example, if in winter frosts do not exceed -20 ° C, then a log with a diameter of 180 mm to 200 mm is suitable for the construction of an all-season bath. Accordingly, if the temperature drops below, then it is worth considering options with a log from 200 mm to 240 mm.

In general, a log with a diameter of 200 mm is considered the golden mean for the construction of baths in central Russia. It should be remembered that this, after all, is not a residential building, and the requirements for thermal insulation properties are not so high here. Therefore, looking towards a log with a thickness of 36-50 cm is not particularly worth it. Although there are exceptions to this rule.

Bath dimensions

In some cases, the log is selected not only taking into account local frosts, but also according to the size of the building itself. And there are several reasons for this.

Firstly, a large two-story bath with all kinds of zones and functional rooms will not look quite harmonious if it is built from too thin a log. For such buildings, a thicker log should be taken. And not only in terms of aesthetics.

This will be second - a large building has a significant weight and gives the appropriate load on bearing walls with foundation. In order for the building to be reliable, not to squint and begin to fall apart over the next few years, the log for its construction must be picked up thicker.

bathhouse budget

What to do for those who simply do not have enough money for a log of sufficient diameter. There are several simple and painless ways out of this situation. First - reduce the size of the project, removing unnecessary zones from it, and also optimize the space to the maximum. So you can build a warm bath from a log of the desired diameter, which can be used all season.

The second way is to use modern technologies. Be sure to seal the joints between the logs with special seals. If you already look at the issue from this side, then no one has canceled the laying of insulation under the inner lining, especially since in the steam room this will have to be done anyway.

What diameter of a log is needed for a bath

Before answering this question, let's decide which bath in question. The rounded material has a smaller diameter, since the untreated section is measured together with the bark. Should be to overall cross section add 1 cm of rounded material. Standard material for the construction of a bath is used with a diameter of 20 to 36 cm.

A log bath with a cross section of 28 cm will be reliable and will quickly warm up even in winter.

Such a wide size range is due to factors that affect the choice of diameter for your bath:

maximum winter temperature in the region;
bath will be used only in summer time or all year round;
structure size;
wood of chamber drying or natural humidity.

How temperature affects the choice of wood section

The temperature in winter in Russia can reach -45 °C. Each region chooses a section depending on its average temperature in the winter season:

At temperatures below -30 ° C in winter, the bath is built from a material with a cross section of 26–36 cm.

Southern regions with temperatures down to -15 ° C in winter can use a section of 20–25 cm.

For the middle strip, take a cross section of no more than 30 cm, but not less than 22 cm.

You can deviate from the norm and use a smaller section, but then the bath cannot be used in the winter or you will have to additionally insulate.

When choosing a log of manual cutting, it is necessary to add 1 cm to the given section.

What is the difference between the diameter of a log for a bath in the country and used all year round?

He does not build a pile of baths in a summer cottage made of large-section wood. The design will be used only in the warm season, and its dimensions are small. So, for a 3x3 bath on one floor, a section of 18–20 cm is suitable. This will be enough to keep warm for a short time, and the steam room will warm up quickly. You do not have to make a massive foundation, and you can do the work yourself. For a larger section, the weight will not allow you to cope with the work without the involvement of several assistants or special equipment.

The bath in the summer cottage is assembled from a small diameter log.

For a bath that is supposed to be used all year round, the diameter of the lumber is taken at least 24 cm. The foundation is mounted massive tape or monolithic. Especially if the wood is used in natural moisture.

How does the size of the bath affect the choice of log diameter?

When choosing big project baths on two floors or with an attic, you need to understand that it will be more difficult to heat the structure. For better thermal insulation, a log is taken with a larger section of 25 cm. You can go for a trick and save money by building the first floor from a section of 25 cm and an attic with a diameter of 20 cm.

A bath with an attic and a porch is assembled from a bar with a section of at least 28 cm

For a small bath, there is no need to take a large diameter. The design will warm up quickly, and keep warm for up to a day. The diameter is sufficient from 20 cm.

For hand-cut wood, 1 cm is added to the given size.

How does wood moisture affect the choice of log diameter?

When building a bath from wood, it is necessary to take into account the shrinkage of the structure. So a bath from a hand-cut timber of natural moisture will shrink at least 15 cm in height. After natural drying or from a winter forest, shrinkage will be at least 4–6 cm. These dimensions must be taken into account when building a log cabin from a log. When choosing a section suitable for a box height of 240 cm, subtract the shrinkage.

The shrinkage of a rounded log of chamber drying is minimal and reaches 3 cm. Therefore, you should not take too large a section of wood.

The larger the cross section of wood for the construction of a bath, the higher the price of material and assembly work. But you should not save if you are building a bathhouse for many years. Factors when choosing a diameter must be considered not individually, but in the aggregate. So, during the construction of a bath from rounded wood small size in the northern region, it is better to use chamber drying. The shrinkage of the box will be minimal and a diameter of 26-30 cm can be used. If the bath will be used only in summer, autumn and spring, then a diameter of no more than 24 cm is taken, regardless of winter temperatures. Chamber drying can be used from 18 cm.

More information about how the cabin of a bath is made from a log of a large section is told in the video:

When choosing the diameter of a log for your bath, count on your capabilities. The thicker the section of the log, the more difficult it is to work with it and the more expensive the log cabin will cost. If you harvest the logs yourself, we recommend that you cut them in winter, when the moisture content of the wood is no more than 10-12%. So, a log house will give minimal shrinkage and a smaller section of materials can be used.

For the convenience of the reader, we present the average indicators from GOSTs once again:

the diameter of wood for a residential log house or a bath used all year round is 24–36 cm;
at a temperature in winter below -30 0С, the diameter of wood for a bath used all year round is at least 25 cm;
for the construction of a small bath in a summer cottage, a material diameter of 18–24 cm is taken.

We hope that by choosing the right section of the log, our readers will receive a high-quality and warm bath. Which will delight the owners and all loved ones with a light steam and a pleasant atmosphere.

By Admin

When building a house, the question of the diameter of the necessary and suitable log is very relevant. This issue must be resolved immediately before the construction of the house.

Until 1999, in our country, construction was carried out in accordance with SNiP 2.01.01-82, now the standards have changed, and houses are being built in accordance with SNiP 23-01-99. Innovations in building climatology differ from previous standards with new requirements for the thermal conductivity of surrounding structures in a big way. For example, if earlier, according to the requirements of climatology, a brick wall of 30 cm was enough, now its thickness should be 60 cm.

Interestingly, new requirements for insulation have appeared along with the development of companies in the construction market that specialize in the production of insulation materials. It is likely that the changes are related to lobbying interests from new companies. Otherwise, it will remain inexplicable that people in Siberia with both the old and the new SNiP continue to spend the winter in houses where the wall thickness is 20-30 cm.

It is possible to answer the question about the required thickness of the rounded log only by deciding on the purpose of construction. The house can be intended for seasonal (summer) use and for permanent all-weather use. It is on how the house will be used in the future that the choice of the diameter of the rounded log for the house depends.

If the construction of the house is carried out for living in it in summer period, then a thickness of 20 to 22 centimeters is suitable. And if the house will be used in winter period, then it is advisable to choose a thickness of 24-26 centimeters. It is quite possible to buy rounded logs with a thickness of 28 centimeters or more for all-weather operation, they will not be warmer, but will help save on heating.

For the implementation of the correct construction of a house from a log, you need to follow the formula. This is a special formula, it is indicated in SNiP. Its essence says that the width of the log is equal to half the diameter. The thermal properties of the house will directly depend on the thickness of the groove. So, for a 22-centimeter log, the groove is 11 centimeters, and for a 26-centimeter log, this value will be 13 centimeters.

Of course, it is possible to save on the thickness of the logs, but in this way you will only postpone the costs for the near future. If you build a house for all-weather use from a log with a diameter of 20 centimeters, then you will save on construction, only in winter even more savings will be spent on heating, since the house is guaranteed to be cool. If you build a house with logs with a diameter of 28 centimeters, then the cost of money and time will increase slightly, but you will not have to spend extra money every winter on adequate heating. The volume of material with such a diameter will be greater, which means that the cost of the house will increase by an average of 50-150 thousand, depending on the size of the house.

Heat loss

All load-bearing structures have their own heat loss index. In percentage terms, it looks like this:

If there is no chimney or ventilation, then these 20% heat losses are distributed between the roof and windows. This is due to the fact that in such a situation they are the main sources of heat output and inflow. fresh air. The presence of skylights adds several tens of kilowatts to the heat loss to the roof per month.

Considering all of the above, it becomes clear that the greatest heat loss occurs through the walls, in a log house this figure can reach 40%. But you should not forget that all these data are relevant with a normally insulated roof and a well-executed roofing cake, because with a non-insulated roof and a cold foundation, the choice of the thickness of the rounded log does not play any role at all.

It is quite possible to make a house warm enough with walls made of logs with a diameter of 22 centimeters with a good foundation, insulated roof and windows. Take care of this first. After that, you can do the warming of the log, meaning the warming of the interventional space, which is a kind of "bridge" for the cold. In this case, it is ideal to use an acrylic sealant for rounded logs. It is used only together with a cord made of polyethylene foam. Without such a cord, the sealant will have the usual properties: it will resist wind and moisture, but will not be able to keep the heat in the house. A cord made of foamed polyethylene, the thickness of which is 1 cm, can be confidently equated to 2-3 centimeters of wood. It turns out that if you lay it on both sides, it will replace up to 6 centimeters of wood. In this case, the thickness of the groove of a rounded log with a thickness of 22 centimeters will be as much as 17 centimeters.

Practice and experience show that optimum thickness rounded log for a house in which they are going to live permanently is 24-26 centimeters. But you should not be particularly upset if the house has already been built using a log 20 centimeters thick. Check the foundation insulate the roof , put good windows and doors, use an insulating cord. After that, the heat-saving properties of the house will noticeably improve.