Round log larch - opinion of
masters. It is interesting that larch for construction of houses is rarely used, but entirely from it log houses are laid even less often. The fact is that unlike pine, when a rounded log is used, larch is much harder and shows worse results in terms of heat conductivity, that is, it is colder material, by 20 percent.
As a consequence, if you build a house entirely of this tree,it is necessary to make the walls much thicker than when using pine or some kind of softer rock. However, for the lower wreaths, larch fits as well as possible, precisely because of its hardness, because this characteristic affects the degree of deforestation of the log walls.
Advance removal of the outer layer of the log provides an ideal smoothness of the surface of the material, so that after the construction of the house there is no need for additional processing of the walls.
About the cylindrical views differ, some masters believe that this treatment weakens the wood, since the natural protection of internal fibers is removed. However, there are supporters of fitting logs to one standard.
If we talk about pine, this kind of treatment is justified, since is the upper, softer layer( sapwood), it is removed together with longitudinal cracks, and the harder core remains and serves for a long time as walls. Another advantage of cylindering is the more dense laying of logs in the frame, while the gaps between the solid logs have to be caulked.
How does the oak beam show excellent characteristics?
Oak wells in some villages are sometimes up to several hundred years old, during this time, and the water never bloomed, and the logs themselves are intact, if you do not pay attention to small cracks. There is nothing to be surprised at here, the hardness of oak wood is almost legendary, hence the strength is very high.
Sometimes, when a house is built of this material, you can see how the sparks fly out from under the ax. As a log, oak is often used, like larch, for laying the lower crowns of the house. But the whole of this tree can be folded, the walls will be warm, then the larch is already inferior, its thermal conductivity is much higher.
Due to the fact that oak wood contains tannins, this material is absolutely not afraid of water and can withstand direct contact with water for centuries.
The oak itself burns badly, but if you want a really solid frame with good fireproof properties, try your luck in search of stained oak, villagers near lakes and river floodplains sometimes can tell where to find this valuable wood. But the best way is to contact the whiskers, they know perfectly well where the rivers are washing away the banks, releasing hundreds of oak logs from the soiled and already covered soil.
For a small fee you will become the owner of the most expensive house, which will be akin to the ancient wooden fortresses of Russian princes. Only observe two conditions: immediately wrap the logs in polyethylene so that there is no air inside, and immediately carry on vacuum drying( expensive but effective).
Birch logs - what options can there be?
Unfortunately, wood is extremely vulnerable material, and it is especially good for rotting. Different breeds of trees have this or that level of resistance to this destructive process, but not birch or, more precisely, not every kind of it. Birch logs are never used in construction, but often go to logs for a fireplace, although for a long time such firewood will not lie.
Within a year their heat transfer will be extremely low, and they will burn as a powder because of rottenness. Birch can be used only indoors, where it is always warm and dry , for example, as a support for a spiral staircase, and even then there is a certain risk that such a ladder will collapse one day.
But there is one birch, whose strength and durability is not worse than that of oak, moreover, higher than that of cast iron. It grows, however, only in one single reserve, because of its rarity, they call this tree the Iron Birch( there is also the second name - the Schmidt birch).Perhaps somewhere north of you you could have found this tree outside the reserve zone, in places where the human foot had not walked, then it would have been possible to surprise even the venerable carpenters by building a birch log, which will stand for several decades.