For all its numerous and undeniable advantages, wood as a building material is characterized by a number of shortcomings. Perhaps, one of the most significant - it dries up, or, speaking in the language of professionals, shrinks, and in some cases very significant.
We have already written about how to prevent decay or reduce the risk of ignition of wooden structures, and the population's awareness in this respect is quite high. But with how to minimize losses from this very shrinkage, not everyone knows.
To ensure that manufacturers, but even such high-quality building material as profiled bar, is subject to this "disease".Shrinkage is characteristic of any structure in the construction of which wood was used as the bearing parts. And if the house is built from a "pure" tree, then you can not neglect this factor by definition.
On average, changes in the dimensions of the structure reach 5% of the original value of the linear parameter. As a consequence - a skew of walls, window and doorways. And if to add to this the risk of damaging the cladding, the lines of engineering communications, multiple cracks with their indispensable companion - draft, then taking the necessary measures will save not only considerable money, but also nerves.
Types of expansion joints
These devices have many names - a "jack" for the house, an adjusting post, a screw propeller and several others. But speech, in fact, is only about two varieties of compensators.
Screw( jack)
The principle of operation is clear from the name. By twisting the carrier rod, the distance between the structural members can be compensated.
Screw compensators are made of galvanized high-strength steel and are characterized by the following parameters( the most common, in "cm"):
- height adjustment limit - from 10 to 25;
- cross-section of hairpins - from 15 to 30;
- the reciprocating plate is from 10 x 10 to 25 x 25.
This variety in design allows you to purchase a suitable compensator for a particular carrier beam, depending on its width, and the holes in both plates( reciprocal and supporting) ensure reliable fixation in placeinstallation with screws.
When mounting the device, the pin extends as far as possible, and during the building operation it is regularly screwed in by an adjusting screw. On how much, it is determined visually - the owner should be guided by the degree of sagging of the beam. Practice shows that if all the rules of construction and selection of materials are observed, the need to change the size of the "departure" of the support arises approximately every 6 to 8 weeks( a decrease within 1.5 cm).
Price - from 190 rubles.
Spring
If the previous type of compensator is removable, these products are installed in advance and are permanently in the "body" of the bar. The design is simple - the spring, located between the steel bowls.
Such devices are installed in the prepared holes and serve not only to compensate for shrinkage, but also temperature deformation. As a rule, they are placed in places of joints of adjacent walls and in other similar places to exclude the formation of gaps.
The price decreases with the growth of the purchase volume. The cost of the product begins at retail from 46 rubles .
