Disadvantages of frame houses and their undoubted advantages. List of pros and cons of frame houses Advantages of a frame house over a brick one

More and more often you can see among the buildings frame house, the pros and cons of which should be studied before starting construction work and purchasing materials. Frame construction is gaining increasing popularity. But is it worth building your own house using this technology? Here everyone must independently weigh the pros and cons.

Advantages

The advantages of frame houses attract people to this technology all over the world. The option is relevant not only in our country, but also abroad. The method of such construction came to us from Europe and confidently took a leading position. The advantages of frame houses, first of all, lie in their efficiency. They allow you to save your budget not only at the construction stage, but also during operation. More often than not, there are more pros than cons.

The advantages of frame houses are presented the following characteristics and features:

• absence of wet processes during construction;
• the ability to perform work at any time of the year, independence from temperature conditions;
• there is no need for powerful foundations;
• you can perform installation work alone and with minimal labor costs;
• good thermal insulation, saving on heating;
• comfortable microclimate when choosing insulation with good vapor permeability;
• high installation speed;
• ease of finishing and repair of the building;
• resistance of the structure to minor deformations during soil heaving and shrinkage;
• possibility of changing the internal layout.

Let's find out all the pros and cons frame house, which will give you the opportunity to decide whether it is suitable this technology for your own construction. It is important to note that the owners of such buildings note that the costs at the construction stage were approximately 30% less than what would have been the case when building a structure made of brick or concrete.

At the same time, heating costs during operation are very low. But this is only relevant if the thickness of the insulation is chosen correctly.. It must meet the standards for a specific climatic region.

Peculiarities

To avoid problems at all stages, it is worth considering that a frame house requires more attention to itself at the design stage. When assembling, it is important to follow all stages of technology. Here the accuracy of manufacturing and joining of frame parts is of great importance. A lot will depend on the quality of materials, so preparatory stage you will have to find reliable suppliers.

Considering the advantages and disadvantages of frame houses, one cannot help but mention their important features:

• in order to prevent the walls from blowing in or the insulation from sagging, at the construction stage you need to carefully monitor the quality of the joints;
• all parts of the casing must be perfectly adjusted, installation panel elements may take a lot of time and effort, but you need to pay attention to it;
• If all the details fit perfectly, the building will be very efficient in terms of energy savings, but this is not so easy to achieve in practice.

Disadvantages of technology

Many professionals believe that a frame building is not very suitable for use in our conditions. In this area, we do not have much experience, a developed regulatory framework or sufficient knowledge. This phenomenon is unusual, so it can be frightening, like the unknown. But among non-professional craftsmen, the frame is gaining more and more popularity. Is this technology worth trusting?

Some of the disadvantages of frame houses have no real basis. They can be compared to myths. But there are also serious problems that cannot be ignored.

Typical problems include:

• Fragility. The building is unlikely to last more than a hundred years. But here everything depends on the regularity of repairs and the quality of care. If you carry out repairs every 25 years, you can significantly improve the situation. But it is important to understand that frame construction It is not intended for a family to live in a house for generations. But for one or two generations the resource is quite enough.
• Fire hazard. There is practically nothing in the wood frame building that could prevent a fire. In addition, such a light structure can literally burn out like a match. But the problem can be solved by selecting insulation. Nowadays mineral water is popular on the market. basalt wool. It resists fire well. Also for protection everything wooden elements can be treated with fire retardants, which will increase the level of safety.
• Prone to rot. Wood is easily damaged by high humidity. This is relevant not only for frame buildings, but also for wooden ones. But if you take care of the house and periodically treat it with an antiseptic, no problems will arise.
• Low noise insulation. The weight of the structure affects sound absorption. In a frame house it is small, so problems with noise levels may arise. It is worth remembering this when building near roads or railway tracks. The problem can be solved at an early stage by selecting high-quality insulating materials.
• Low environmental friendliness. It all depends on the choice of materials. It is important to pay attention to the type of sheathing and insulation. This point is quite controversial, since it is now extremely difficult to find an eco-friendly home. Chemical impregnations are used everywhere, artificial materials and so on.
• Great place for pests to live. In our climatic conditions, such a problem occurs extremely rarely. It is more relevant for other countries. But we may have another problem - mice. The problem is relevant when choosing foam plastic as insulation. Rodents are indifferent to mineral wool.

What problems arise

Considering frame houses, the pros and cons that builders know, one cannot help but talk about probable problems and ways to solve them. Otherwise the information will not be complete. In some cases, it will be wise to involve a professional: a builder or engineer.

Purchasing materials

Building a building using a frame is a new phenomenon. For this reason, you may encounter the fact that certain components are not available in every store. hardware store. Due to the lack of competition, manufacturers and sellers can increase prices significantly.

To avoid unnecessary expenses, you should constantly monitor manufacturers’ websites, compare offers and choose the best. The cost is also affected by the season. At the end of winter, materials may cost significantly less compared to summer. This is due to the fact that the greatest demand is usually observed during the warm period, and in winter there is a lull in the construction market.

Ventilation

There will be no problems when using vapor-permeable insulation and finishing materials. But if one of the layers of the wall is made of impermeable material, you will have to think about forced ventilation of the premises. The question is relevant, for example, when installing polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex). In order not to carry out unnecessary measures, it is recommended to carefully consider such characteristics of materials as vapor permeability. It shouldn't be too low.

Another issue is façade ventilation. When using mineral wool, you need to make a gap between the insulation and the sheathing 3-5 cm thick. At the bottom of the façade there are openings for air intake. The exit is in the area of ​​the roof eaves. This technology allows you to protect the insulation from condensation droplets.

Insufficient ventilation in both cases will lead to disruption of the microclimate and increased humidity. High humidity leads to mold, mildew and other microorganisms that can greatly ruin the life of the residents of the house. To avoid complex repairs involving replacement of cladding, insulation and supporting structures, you need to think about ventilation in advance. The same rule applies to the roof of a building.

Wiring

According to the standards, wires must be laid in metal pipes. The use of plastic on combustible substrates is unacceptable. But this is only relevant for mass construction, where upon delivery you need to pass an inspection. In a private building there is no urgent need to use Russian standards. But here it is important to understand where you can deviate from the recommendations.

In terms of wiring, it is wise to take advantage of global experience. Most often, safe wires with good insulation are used. Such elements can be laid directly in the frame, having previously provided cuts. This will save time, effort and nerves.

Performer qualifications

This problem may become the biggest stumbling block. At self-construction you need to carefully study the technology. It’s even worth purchasing a couple of textbooks, because this is building your own house, on which there is no point in saving.

Frame requires high precision connections, so this option is recommended for those who already have some construction experience. A beginner may not perform the knots well enough, which will lead to certain troubles during operation.

In the last decades of the last century, the technology of building frame houses became the most popular in Europe and the USA, and a little later it reached our country. Today, such houses are in demand by people who want to save time and budget. Before deciding to build a frame house, study all the advantages and disadvantages of frame houses.

Construction technology

The basis load-bearing structure the building is framed from wooden planks. It is easy to use, and most importantly, it is an environmentally friendly material that, if properly processed, will last a very long time. For a frame house, a strip foundation is chosen, on which the lower frame is laid. It is made of timber, the size of which is selected depending on the level of load (the area of ​​the building and the number of floors are taken into account). To build vertical posts, boards measuring 150 x 50 mm are used; they are placed end to end against the beam and fixed with high-strength metal corners. Optimal width between the racks - about 60 cm. It is selected depending on the insulation used, which can be foam boards. Then it is built top harness from timber. The resulting frame is sheathed OSB sheets. Due to its environmental friendliness, reliability and ability to retain heat, it is suitable for permanent residence.

Used for roofing rafter system and roofing. Roof shape and roofing materials choose depending on the layout. As a result, the roof can be sloped or completely flat, gable or multi-slope. In most cases, preference is given to the gable system, this is due to the simplicity and convenience of its construction. Its installation takes a little time, and further care does not present any difficulties.
A layer of insulation is laid between the rafters and a sheathing is created. The roof is covered with slate, tiles, roofing siding or other materials. Frame facades are finished with wood, brick, metal or vinyl siding. The outer side of the house wall will resemble brickwork or wooden frame. Materials for exterior finishing are selected based on preference.

Affordable price is one of the main reasons in favor

Foundation

This is where the construction of the future building begins. Due to its light weight, a frame house does not need a strong foundation. The lightness of the walls makes it possible to construct a strip foundation with slight depth. This option is optimal for construction on difficult soils. If we compare the weight square meter frame and timber walls, then the first is 2.5 times lighter, and compared to a brick wall, the difference will be even more obvious. If construction is planned near reservoirs or groundwater, then the most preferred option will pile foundation. If the house is located in regions with high seismic activity, then it is better to consider frame construction. Such a house can withstand shocks of up to 9 points. A simple foundation is the first thing that saves time and money for the future owner of a frame building.

Ease of transportation to the construction site

The structural elements of the house can be easily delivered to any site by regular freight transport. Ease of transportation is largely due to the low weight of materials.

Lack of expensive construction equipment

There are no massive components in the structure of the building. The simplicity of erecting and arranging the foundation allows you to do without the use of heavy equipment: a crane and an excavator, which significantly reduces costs. In addition, the site does not always have conditions favorable for the passage of equipment.

Year-round construction

A frame house can be erected in any weather. Traditionally, construction work is carried out in the warm season, in dry weather, but frame construction is an exception and can be carried out even at subzero temperatures. In some cases, construction in the cold season turns out to be more convenient, which is due to the lack of dirt typical for the autumn-spring period. In addition, for construction work on frame technology no water supply is required, which also makes it possible to build houses on plots not yet equipped with utilities.

Speed ​​of construction work

In many ways, the advantages of frame houses are achieved due to the high speed of construction, which is ensured by the simplicity of the technology. Such a structure can be built much faster than using other methods of constructing low-rise buildings. Even a small team of 3-4 builders can build a turnkey building in just 4 months, and a housing box can be assembled in a month. This is the shortest production cycle in modern construction, which gives another important advantage to the construction of a frame house over other technologies.

Another plus is the ease of basic communications. There is no need to allocate a separate budget for the installation of communication tapes: they can be laid in wall cavities.

Carrying out finishing work

The advantage of frame construction is the ease of finishing work. Such a house does not require plaster, as when erected from brick or foam concrete. There is also no need for an additional contour frame, unlike timber buildings. This results in significant time and cost savings. The walls, floor and ceiling are perfectly smooth, which opens up the possibility of free planning internal space and makes finishing easier and faster. In this case, you can use any wall configuration options that will not lead to an increase in the cost of the object, as happens in timber buildings. If you wish, you can show your imagination and do it yourself finishing works. This is also a big plus, as it allows you to create exclusive interior without putting a strain on your personal budget.
Frame houses are an advanced technology with great prospects. They are chosen primarily for their cost, which is half the price of brick buildings. Such a house will last a very long time without major repairs, which is confirmed by the reviews of many owners. It is built from environmentally friendly materials that retain heat inside the building, thereby increasing the efficiency of the heating system. In addition, the construction process itself takes a minimum of time, and the result is beautiful and cozy housing. Many years of practice have shown that frame technology is the most interesting option construction of a house in terms of cost, quality and performance properties.

Advantages and disadvantages of frame houses (video)

Have you decided to build a house using frame technology? Familiarize yourself with the disadvantages of frame houses before you begin construction.

Managers of construction companies sing arias about the advantages of frame and frame-panel houses. They are inexpensive and highly environmentally friendly, and your grandchildren will inherit them. well just fairytale house. Is this really true, or are we being told another fairy tale?

Frame houses or frame-panel houses are known to everyone who has seen old Soviet dachas. Thanks to these dachas, the technology was popularly called “frame-slit”, and we traced the disadvantages of frame houses to the advent of Finnish, Norwegian and Canadian technologies so actively advertised now.

Controversial merits

Advertising of frame houses appeals to economy, environmental friendliness, and speed of construction. Let us consider in detail what building a house using frame technology entails and what obvious disadvantages have already appeared during operation.

Noise level– most of these houses have a very low level of sound insulation. Being on the second floor, you will hear a conversation or a working TV on the first floor without making any effort. The fact is that having adopted foreign technology, we did not adopt their pedantry - the wrong arrangement ventilation ducts or installation of partitions in violation of technology - and you live in “noise hell”.

Humidity– wood, especially poorly processed wood, tends to absorb and retain moisture. With poor ventilation and treatment of building beams, fungus appears, and this is a direct threat to health.

Ignition– in frame houses the risk of fire is much higher. Basically, all due to the same violations of building codes: for example, improper insulation of the roof structure and chimneys. Materials add their contribution - 90% is wood impregnated with flammable agents and adhesives.

Thermos effect– frame houses do not “breathe”; there is poor air exchange in them. It is cold in such houses in winter and hot in summer. In general this is an exaggeration due to the fact that most people confuse plastic panels, from which shops and panels are used to build frame-panel houses.

Fragility- compared to brick houses and houses made of stone, frame houses made of light panels are very short-lived. Manufacturers guarantee us an operational life of up to 100 years, but the reality of domestic construction is such that no one believes the guaranteed terms.

Instability– frame houses are very sensitive to vibration – work washing machine can set the whole house in motion. Instability leads to loss of rigidity of the entire structure.

Low quality- the general quality of materials provided on the market, their improper storage, lack of necessary skills and experience among builders give rise to a low-quality product - a low-quality house, unsuitable for habitation.

Everything is bad?

Despite the above-mentioned disadvantages and shortcomings, the construction of frame houses is slowly, creakingly developing and looking for its market. With all the nuances, this is the best option for a young family to acquire own home. Most of the negative aspects arise due to the unprofessionalism of builders, disregard for the process and basic ignorance. If everything were so bad and impractical, this technology would have been abandoned long ago in both Europe and the USA, but they have been building this way for centuries.

We do not urge you to abandon this construction technology. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with all the disadvantages of a frame house to avoid disappointment in the future.

What are the disadvantages of frame houses, the possibility of dampness and fungus. Noise insulation, vibration, complexity of finishing. How great is the reliability and durability?

Despite the advantages of wooden buildings, there are also disadvantages of frame houses. Are frame houses really flammable? How great is the risk of fungus and dampness in the house? How reliable is the soundproofing of the room? Does vibration have a significant effect on the structure? What is the difficulty of interior decoration?

What are the typical disadvantages of frame structures? How long is the durability and reliability of the frame? Why frame structures do not inspire confidence. What are the main disadvantages and weak spots frame houses.

Easy flammability of frame houses

No matter how many thousands of years humanity has existed, it has been building homes for itself for the same amount of time. From caves and primitive dugouts, people gradually came to build more advanced houses made of stone and wood, depending on the availability of a particular material. Construction processes, technologies and materials improved, life became more comfortable, but to this day, any technology and materials have their drawbacks. This is expressed in durability, availability of materials, cost of construction, time spent on it.

Traditional stone and wooden houses durable, but require a lot of time, materials and money. A revolution in house building occurred in the middle of the last century, when the technology for constructing frame houses was developed in North America. American and European developers immediately identified the pros and cons of frame houses, so the technology has been developed in many countries, and in recent years in Russia.

When discussing the pros and cons of frame houses, it is worth remembering that a house built from any material, while having undeniable advantages, will certainly have disadvantages. This may be due to design features, properties of wall and other materials and operational parameters. Considering the low cost of houses built using frame technology, some disadvantages have to be put up with, while others need to be discussed and, if possible, the consequences of them minimized. The main disadvantages of frame houses lie in the peculiarities of their designs and materials, and such disadvantages include:

Expert opinion

Filimonov Evgeniy

A fire in any house brings great destruction and destruction of structures, but if at least the walls remain of a brick house, the frame house burns out completely.

But can flammability stop the process of building frame houses? It won't stop. Construction has been going on for decades, and manufacturers protective equipment They are constantly producing more and more reliable fire retardants - fireproofing impregnations. These impregnations prevent the wood from igniting when it comes into contact with an open flame.

In addition, it is easier to prevent a fire than to put it out, and for this there is a large number of electronic fire protection systems, monitoring emergency situations around the clock. Control of the internal electrical network and other communications is of great importance. Compliance with the rules fire safety, makes the advantages of frame houses more significant than this disadvantage.

High incidence of dampness and fungus

In areas with high levels of precipitation and high humidity, dampness may appear in any building. In a frame house, the risk is somewhat greater, since a very accurate calculation of the “dew point” is required, the boundary between the different temperature backgrounds of the street and the house.

If this point is calculated incorrectly, condensation occurs, followed by fungus and mold, but this can only happen when the premises are completely sealed, when the walls do not “breathe” and moisture does not escape outside. During the construction of walls of frame houses great importance has a correctly assembled “sandwich”, processing wooden structures antiseptic that protects against fungus and pests. A properly built and carefully treated house with antiseptics will not be afraid of fungus, mold and pests for many years.

Low noise insulation

A big disadvantage of frame houses is the low noise insulation between individual rooms and interfloor ceilings.

Expert opinion

Filimonov Evgeniy

Professional builder. 20 years of experience

The lack of thick walls and slabs on the ceiling affects this, but the noise level can be reduced by laying a thicker layer of insulation in the walls and installing decorative soundproofing materials, of which quite a lot are produced today.

But all these measures will not help in the fight against noise and vibration when walking in shoes on the second floor and moving furniture. Make as little noise as possible.

Vibration resistance

Because of their design features frame houses are sensitive to vibration, which leads to a loss of rigidity in the connection of parts and structural elements and the house gradually goes to destruction.

Difficulty in interior finishing

Disadvantages include problems with driving nails for certain needs, but this is a problem for all houses whose walls are lined with gypsum plasterboard. It can be solved, since manufacturers offer wall fasteners different types, so you can always hang a family portrait.

Method frame house construction in our country became widespread in the middle of the last century. Then it was better known as frame-panel or frame-slit. On its basis, it was possible to quickly and inexpensively create acceptable living conditions for large groups of people. Such advantages of frame houses made it possible, for example, to quickly build entire workers’ settlements in harsh Siberian conditions for the families of those who came to explore this cold region.

Frame yesterday and today

Nevertheless, frame buildings, adapted to Soviet realities, have earned the reputation of short-lived, sometimes windswept housing. This happened for a number of reasons, in particular, due to some simplifications when copying, as well as the use of low-grade building materials. Therefore, at one time, frame houses could not seriously compete with traditional Russian log houses or more solid brick (stone) structures.

A new round of development of the Western method of construction has been observed in our country for the last 25 years. Taking into account the mistakes of predecessors, using higher quality and new high-tech materials, contemporaries are building houses that freely compete in many respects with stone or solid wood. But still, since nothing is ideal in the world, when choosing a project it is necessary to take into account the pros and cons of frame houses. Let's look at the most typical of them.

Advantages of frame houses that you should know about

Universality of technology

Modern frame construction in Russia can hardly be called canonical. Of course it has general principles construction of multilayer frame-frame or frame-panel structures, prescribed in a number of regulatory documents. For example, in the widely used SP 31-105-2002 “Design and construction of energy-efficient single-family residential buildings with a wooden frame.” However, in practice, frame technology turned out to be so universal that it made it possible to work with a wide range of materials, to create buildings with shapes - from simple to the most unusual, endowed with versatile functionality.

Thus, frames are made of solid or laminated wood coniferous species, as well as from metal profiles of various configurations. Polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, ecowool, mineral wool, sawdust, etc. are used as thermal insulation fillers. Even greater variability is observed when choosing facing materials. Almost all known sheet construction products can be used to cover the panels (taking into account the location of its external or outdoor installation): OSB, DSP, chipboard, plywood, plasterboard, glass magnesite, slate, profiled metal, siding, etc. In addition, the outside of a frame house can be lined with brick or stone. In this case, the external sheet cladding of the frame is not always necessary (installing a wind barrier film is sufficient). Sheet covering can also be replaced with clapboards both outside and inside the building.

Pre-fabricated and all-season construction

These are some of the most significant advantages of frame houses. Largely thanks to them, frame structures have long been recognized in the West and are already liked to a wide circle domestic developers. For example, the box of a medium-sized one-story private residential building can be assembled on a pre-prepared foundation in just a day! Of course, we are talking about one mounted from factory-assembled panels. But even if the walls and ceilings are completely manufactured on the construction site, the speed of their construction is still quite high. Thus, the construction of an average turnkey frame house from the zero cycle to the start of operation takes time, in the case of assembly:

• from ready-made factory panels – 2-3 months;
• from materials on the construction site - 4-5 months.

At the same time, installation of enclosing structures can be carried out year-round, since there are no “wet” processes. The only exception is monolithic foundations, but they can often be replaced with screw piles.

Competitive cost

When weighing the pros and cons of turnkey frame housing construction, we should not forget about the attractive price tags for such structures. If we compare them with “classic” brick buildings, the difference in prices will be two or even three times not in favor of the latter. At the same time, it is important to measure the full volume of investments, since there is wide scope for manipulation with the figures characterizing unfinished buildings. For example, it won’t be too expensive to install a bare brick box. However, in order to bring it to modern standards of thermal efficiency, the masonry will have to be insulated, which will also be a considerable expense. On the contrary, the advantage of a frame house is that its enclosing structures initially combine load-bearing and heat-insulating functions.

The same goes for finishing - smooth walls It is often enough to putty the frame to prepare it, for example, for painting. In turn, even high-quality brickwork(which is no longer cheap) requires an additional starting layer of plaster.

Important! The relatively low labor intensity of constructing frame housing also has a positive effect on its market value. It is much easier to build than houses made of stone.

Application of lightweight foundations

A noticeable saving in the total estimated cost of the structure falls on the foundation. Indeed, due to the low mass of the building, material-intensive foundations are not required for its installation. For example, the most popular frame houses with a skeleton made of 50*150 mm boards are characterized by specific gravity wall panels 30-50 kg/m2. For comparison, brickwork reduced to a thickness of 150 mm is 200-250 kg/m2. If we take into account that in reality, external brick walls are rarely less than 380 mm or 510 mm, then the difference in the masses of brick and frame houses is already huge. And this is not even taking into account the excellent loads from heavy hollow-core reinforced concrete floors in brick and on wooden beams in a frame structure.

Based on low requirements for bearing capacity bases, frames can be installed on any of known types foundations. The variability of choice can only be limited by very problematic soils. In all other cases, the type of foundation is selected based on the characteristics of a particular building, local conditions or availability of materials. For example, a one-story frame house can be installed on block posts, screw piles or reinforced concrete strips with a width of only 250 mm.

Disadvantages of frame houses that can be avoided

Like a permanent structure of any type, a frame structure requires compliance with construction technology. However, in his case, the manifestation of crookedness, negligence or unjustified savings can play an overly pronounced negative role. Thanks to the efforts of some “professional” teams or dubious fly-by-night productions, those disadvantages of a frame house appear that theoretically should not exist. This, perhaps, is the main drawback of frame construction - many of its aesthetic and operational properties are too dependent on compliance with installation rules and the quality of the source materials. If everything is done without violations, then the house, even without major repairs, will stand freely for decades, delighting its residents with a high level of comfort and coziness.

With this in mind, the disadvantages of a frame house should be considered in terms of the problems encountered and ways to eliminate or prevent them.

Weak stability and strength of load-bearing structures

Opponents of construction using frame technology will certainly remember the sights of some country or cottage villages in the form of rickety houses, like those shown in the figure below.

However, the problem is not at all in the initial flimsiness of the structure, but in the fact that it requires careful preliminary calculation or at least understanding (based on practical experience) the specifics of the operation of the spatial frame, the loads applied to it and the distribution of loads, the properties of materials and nodal elements. Reliable facilities are built according to designs developed by engineers using computer modeling tools. Strength deficiencies of a frame house can also be eliminated if it is built according to standard scheme qualified installers. Typically, teams of such people have a significant track record with positive reviews that they have accumulated over the years. Engaged in the construction of frame structures for more than one day, practitioners, among other things, must have a clear understanding of regional wind and snow loads, work with proven suppliers of quality building materials.

Insufficient or gradually decreasing thermal efficiency of building envelopes

One of the problems due to which in past years there was a slight loss of interest in frame-panel houses. Unfortunately, it still happens today. The reasons are as follows:

• the thickness of the wall or floor panels, and accordingly the insulation in them, does not correspond to local climatic conditions. For example, layer effective thermal insulation 100 mm (mineral wool, expanded polystyrene) can be considered as a sufficient thermal barrier only in walls garden house, and even then, located in the temperate climate zone;
• poorly fitted or loosely tightened building elements, insufficiently sealed joints of frame parts, windproof fabrics or sheathing sheets - these technological violations cause through blows. Similar disadvantages of frame houses can also manifest themselves as a result of intense shrinkage of the building or its deformation, as a consequence of the use of lumber with natural moisture. Shrinkage of wood leads to the opening of joints in structures;
• violation of the integrity of the vapor barrier, incorrect choice of materials for it or its incorrect installation– promote rapid dampening of the insulation. Wet thermal insulation not only ceases to fulfill the tasks assigned to it, but also becomes a source of putrefactive processes that destroy load-bearing elements;
• subsidence (sliding) of the insulating filler of wall panels, due to which an area with reduced energy efficiency is formed in their upper part. This usually occurs if low density mineral wool is selected but sufficient measures are not taken to fix it;
• Damage to the thermal insulation of a frame house by rodents sometimes becomes a really serious problem. To prevent this from occurring, you should try to make it difficult for pests to penetrate inside the panels or discourage them from doing so. For this purpose, for example, ventilated facades are protected from below with metal gratings or meshes. If the lining is “wet”, then good decision will be the installation of Knauf Aquapanel or DSP boards plastered over steel mesh. In addition, various chemical impregnations and ultrasonic devices are used to repel rodents. A couple of cats on the property will also help significantly reduce the risk of damage to insulation by mice or rats.

High fire hazard

This disadvantage of frame houses is quite relative. However, in any case, it is no more significant than that of traditional solid wood structures. After all, even if the building envelopes are assembled on wooden frame with foam filler, then the outside can be sheathed with sheets of plasterboard or glass-magnesite boards. This lining reliably blocks access open flame to flammable materials. In addition, building codes require that combustible materials be initially flame retardant, either in the factory or on site.

Important! If a frame is installed from a metal profile with a mineral wool filler, then its fire resistance can already be commensurate with a stone structure.

Fire safety issues also affect electrical installations. PUE regulates the installation of electrical wiring on combustible structures open method or hidden in metal pipes or sleeves.

Fragility

It hardly makes sense to say that a frame house, unlike a stone one, will last for centuries. However, as mentioned above, you can count on decades. A building that has received timely care and preventive maintenance of its structures may well serve its children and grandchildren. At the same time, simpler and cheap repairs, in comparison with massive structures made of stone or wood, can also be considered an advantage of a frame house.

The key factor in the durability of the frame is the hydrophobization and antiseptic treatment of the structural materials of its walls and ceilings in parts located no higher than 250 mm from the ground. For internal wood elements, processing is carried out at the construction stage of the building, as well as during repairs when opening the panel cladding. Preparation of beams, racks, crossbars, lintels, etc. on construction sites it is performed by painting or dipping them in containers with a working solution. Today, complex-action compounds that are simultaneously water repellents, fire retardants and antiseptics are often used as such solutions. Parts of the frame located above 250 mm from the ground do not require mandatory treatment with antiseptics (SP 31-105-2002).

It will be possible to fully use the advantages of a frame house for many years if you avoid getting moisture in any form inside the panels. For example, water may seep through a damaged roofing decking, rise through the capillaries of the foundation through a broken shut-off waterproofing or migrate with steam flows from the room through poorly glued vapor barrier joints. If this happens, you should remove the sheathing, remove the insulating filler and thoroughly dry the frame. Thermal insulation material is dried separately, but sometimes it is better to renew it altogether.

Before reassembling the panels, the frame elements must undergo mandatory protective and preventive treatment:

• parts that have undergone biological damage or corrosion are cleaned, and if they are significantly damaged, they are replaced;
• Wood parts are impregnated with complex compounds, steel parts are treated with anticorrosive agents, then galvanized or painted.

Soundproofing problems

Although this disadvantage of a frame house is cited, often when comparing it with a brick building, you should clearly understand what we are talking about. Of course, a thick brick mass is identical in thermal conductivity frame wall better insulates from street noise. However, its intensity in places where frame frames are predominantly located is not so high. After all, they are usually built not in urban centers, but in cottage villages, the private sector or rural areas.

The problem of internal noise remains. And in this matter, again, everything depends on compliance installation rules and materials used. For example, to avoid listening to conversations of people on another floor:

• floor coverings are installed on the ceilings using the “floating floors” system;
• filling of ceilings or partitions should be carried out only with fibrous materials with special acoustic parameters;
• Air cavities in ceilings, walls, partitions are not allowed;
• interfacing of structures is carried out through elements of acoustic decoupling in the form of elastic gaskets or layers made of latex, cork, porous rubber, etc.

Urgent need for ventilation

The ideal frame house is a thermos with zero heat loss. In practice, having selected the appropriate Construction Materials and by performing a high-quality assembly of them, you can come very close to the theoretically possible minimum of heat loss through the enclosing structures. However, in any case, there will remain one more problem area in the thermal circuit of the building, through which significant amounts of energy will be lost. We are talking about the ventilation system. After all, you can still do without it in a log house or brick building, where the walls are directly involved in steam, gas and heat exchange in the premises. But in the frame, where under internal lining There is a continuous vapor-proof carpet over a layer of insulation, without any ventilation.

And no matter how sorry it may be in winter to blow precious calories out into the street along with air currents, if you do not ensure the required level of gas exchange, then serious problems cannot be avoided. In addition to other negativity caused by the lack of fresh air, the accumulating dampness will gradually find a loophole in the vapor barrier. Steam, migrating through the insulation from the room to the street, will cool in the outer layers of the enclosing structures, falling into condensation. The result is a decrease in the effectiveness of thermal insulation, rotting (rusting) of the frame, and the development of harmful mold microflora.

Therefore, the urgent need for ventilation can be considered both a plus and a minus of a frame house. After all, on the one hand, it will no longer be possible to ignore this important issue, which means that there will always be a healthy atmosphere in the premises. On the other hand, you will have to choose one of two options:

1. Increase energy consumption to compensate for heat loss due to ventilation. This is a rather dubious method, since the high thermal efficiency of enclosing structures is practically negated.
2. Install a comprehensive climate system, complete with blocks air heating, recovery and conditioning. Despite the fact that such devices cost a lot, they gradually pay for themselves and begin to save energy resources. As a last resort, you can at least install a recuperator on the supply and exhaust ventilation system.

conclusions

Taking into account the opinions of experts regarding the pros and cons of frame houses, as well as positive and negative reviews from numerous users of these structures, we can draw general conclusions that:

• frame housing, with strict adherence to the technology of its construction and subsequent careful treatment, can provide its owners with many years of comfortable use;
• is quite affordable due to its low cost;
• Having a number of advantages and disadvantages, it cannot be considered as an absolute replacement for other popular types of buildings, but only as a worthy alternative to them.