The durability of a log house depends on many components. Quality of timber, work of carpenters, assemblers, roofers, finishers. Manufacturer of protective compounds for wood, application technology. Compliance with operating rules wooden house. The service life can be significantly increased, regardless of the listed circumstances - apply to the mortgage crown of a felling a tree species capable of dropping needles called Larch.

A crown made of larch without treatment with an antiseptic composition does not rot for a long time, it does not deteriorate from moisture. Similar properties attributed to an aspen log house.

True, a healthy business aspen (especially a large diameter) is not easy to find. The tree, as a rule, is crooked, often at the root with a rotten middle, it looks unpresentable, the smell will not suit everyone. Larch is much better with this. There are any diameters. The smell is pleasant, slightly sweet with a resinous tinge. At the board after drying chamber becomes like chocolate.

The performance characteristics of larch are much more durable than common inexpensive timber conifers - pine and spruce. Over time, they are comparable to oak. From "foliage", as the breed is called, an entire house can be built, it will stand for a long time. But, very few people do that. It's not about the high cost. The house will have damp, poorly breathable, cool walls. There is no universal timber for construction. Siberian cedar is the closest to the ideal. In our case, a fairly effective combination of conifers available in Kirov + larch from Siberia on the mortgage works to isolate a pine or spruce frame from the foundation.

Among the various traditions for choosing timber for a log house, one can single out a really working scheme that has been tested by more than one generation: to cut the lower 1.5 or 2.5 rows (with half-logs) from a given type of wood. The phenomenal moisture resistance of the larch core is not the only advantage of the tree. In terms of strength, larch can be compared with hard spruce knots (much stronger than pine). Larch all over the trunk is like that. Benefits for construction: ability without significant cracking to bear increased load and resistance to creasing of logs.

In the photo above, a six-wall log house of a well-to-do peasant Borisov was felled in the second half of the 19th century and has stood to this day. Including thanks to half-logs, mortgage crowns and overhead crowns made of Siberian larch.

Ideally, they could be raised to the window sills (they are also at risk). And also apply larch on the underfloor girders and on the second crown from above. The foundation of the house went underground over time. Contact with wet soil had little effect on the well-being of the lower rims of the log house.

Parquet floors of the Ostankino Palace of Counts Sheremetevs and frames Winter Palace made of larch are still in excellent condition. For 1800 years, according to the records of historians, the Watchtowers stood in Bratsk. In 1242, the Pultus district in Poland was completely built from this wood, only in 1847 it gave way to the influence of time. The larch piles of the Trojan Bridge over the Danube allowed it to stand for 2 centuries. Many buildings with the participation of Siberian larch are known, the age of which exceeds several centuries. For example, foundations old houses in the city of canals and bridges Amsterdam.

Larch can grow for hundreds of years, and the maximum age of individual trees is truly impressive. During the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway, 425-year-old larch was found. Fallen larch is in no hurry to turn into dust. In the northern taiga, you can still find long-fallen trees that stood in the distant 18th century, with a completely healthy core, covered with moss and spruce undergrowth growing on them.

In construction, larch is considered one of the most successful materials for the construction of houses. It belongs to the practical tree species, as it is durable, resistant to weather changes, and also attractive in appearance. The construction of houses from larch allows you to get environmentally friendly housing. But do buildings made of this material really have a big advantage, are there any disadvantages, and what do the people who dealt with this tree say?

Advantages

First, it is worth considering what advantages larch houses have (photos of such buildings are in the article). The unchanged properties of this wood include:

• durability;
• strength;
• environmental friendliness;
• resistance to temperature fluctuations;
• external attractiveness;
• fire resistance.

The larch house has good resistance to decay. This coniferous is indeed the most durable of them all. She will not dry out. Also, this wood does not need to be impregnated with chemical preparations.

There is a combustible substance in the structure of the material, but, despite this, larch has a natural resistance to combustion. So, in comparison with other wood, this one does not flash like a match. However, since wood has to be dealt with, it needs to be treated with fire retardants.

An additional plus is the microclimate that is created in the room thanks to the antioxidants contained in the wood. Such an atmosphere allows you to quickly relieve fatigue after emotionally hard day... In addition, this coniferous species acts prophylactically and prevents the development of asthma and hypertension.

Resins in wood

A special point is the presence of resins in larch. Their number is so great that it is impossible to compare with another tree. This suggests that a larch house will have good biological resistance. The facts say that the log house of this needles of all the others is the most resistant to the effects of microorganisms and insects.

Another plus of resins is that they make the frame stronger. So, over the years, wood gains its strength, as resin polymerization occurs. Larch becomes so hard that it is not afraid of rotting and other external influences.

Aesthetic side

Many people like its pleasant light honey shade. The cut shows a pronounced belonging to the sound breed. This is noticeable in pink-amber and brown-red hues.

Also, larch has an unobtrusive but rich aroma of needles. This influenced the fact that most of the owners decided not to carry out any decoration inside the rooms. So a house made of larch gets a good microclimate, and residents, returning after a hard day, immediately feel the healing aromatherapy.

disadvantages

It is worth noting that there are no building materials in which there are no disadvantages at all. In addition, the advantages of larch have to some extent become its disadvantages.

The woodworking process is very difficult because larch is rich in resins. Therefore, when working with it, the saws quickly become dull, and more expensive tools are required to work with this material.

The heavy structure is also reflected in the difficulty of transporting it. The main place where larch comes from is Siberia. The main means of crossing is the river. But often the weight of the tree pulls the load to the bottom. To deliver the material by land transport, you need to spend a lot of money. Therefore, softwood has a high cost. If fate is a difficult processing process, then a larch house, in principle, cannot be cheap.

Another disadvantage is the uneven drying of the wood. A competent approach is needed here: pack the ends in time with varnish, clay or oil paint... If this is not done, the material will begin to "lead".

Over the years, a larch house gains strength and strength, becoming like a stone. This is what complicates the repair, since it seems impossible to drive in even a nail.

Larch lumber can warp, causing cracking, especially if the board is wide. This phenomenon can be significantly reduced with radial sawing.

Larch houses: owner reviews

Undoubtedly, someone sees only one plus in building from this durable and fragrant wood. But before proceeding with the construction of such a dwelling, it is worth considering the opinions of those who live in such a house.

Some say that in many regions of the country, such construction is not suitable because of the material, because it is cold. Indeed, when compared with pine, the thermal conductivity of larch is about 30% higher. But this does not mean that the finished building will be as cold. Much will depend on the construction technology. By the way, this factor is reflected in how long the house will last.

To be or not to be

Is it worth building a larch house? The pros and cons allow you to objectively evaluate this wood and decide whether you need to make the base of the building from this material. After evaluating all the elements that will be made of larch (lower crowns, base, frames for windows and doors, floors), many realize how costly this event is, and decide to make a home from more suitable material... But if the client decides that he is able to afford such luxury, he will receive a strong and fragrant building for many years and will pass it on to his grandchildren.

What is it necessary to protect larch from and how to do it?

Larch is a type of wood that is often used in residential and auxiliary construction, as well as in interior decoration. It is known as the densest and most resistant of tree species: larch tolerates high moisture and any kind of temperature effects. Famous example, proving the strength of this material: the foundations of the houses in Venice, all the time under water, are made of larch, and remain unharmed for more than a thousand years.

However, does this mean that when building a house, laying a terrace or finishing a bath, it is enough to simply lay larch without treating its surface with anything? Not at all. Modern protective compounds help to avoid damage that threatens this material by different reasons and extend its service life.

The main unfavorable factors for larch

Larch is exposed to the greatest loads, which is used as an external finishing or construction material: terrace board, facade finishing etc. The main reason for it possible damage is an climatic factor... In our latitudes, the climate is characterized by sharp temperature changes, which, together with high air humidity, can cause damage.

So, in summer time at high humidity air the tree accumulates moisture- it usually happens at night. When temperatures start to rise during the day, moisture quickly evaporates from the wood. If it evaporates from different layers of wood with different speed, this leads to warping of its surface and violation of the geometry of the products.

V winter time combination of moisture and cold is also dangerous. During a thaw, the wood accumulates moisture, but when the air temperature drops sharply, the moisture in the wood structure begins to freeze and, accordingly, expand. This can cause cracks to appear in the wood, which will gradually increase.

Another unfavorable external factor for larch is ultraviolet radiation... The sun's rays lead to the fact that the color of the wood gradually changes, it “fades”, becomes less attractive.

If larch is used as a finishing material for a bath or sauna, it may suffer from frequent changes humidity level at elevated temperature and, consequently, warping and cracking.

Consideration should also be given to the risk of damage from mechanical loads, scratches from heels, animal claws, etc., especially if larch is used for flooring.

Therefore, protective materials for larch must provide resistance against the following factors:

Mechanical stress;

Moisture penetration;

UV radiation.

Antiseptics for larch

Modern antiseptics provide protection against decay and biological effects on wood (the appearance of mold, fungus, beetles), and also increase its hydrophobic properties, preventing moisture penetration. There are several forms of antiseptics, but oil-based formulations are optimal for larch. They are suitable for wood used both outdoors and indoors, as well as in saunas and baths. Oil formulations and impregnations create an elastic, durable film on the surface of the product and serve for several years.

Antiseptics are applied to the wood surface with a brush or roller, preferably in two layers. It is also possible to apply by dipping, which is suitable for large volumes of wood.

It should be noted that materials that are connected to each other using a thorn-groove lock (lining, imitation of a bar, block house), it is enough to process only the front side and chamfers, provided there is a ventilation gap between the coating and the base. For materials such as decking, planking, etc., where there is a gap between the elements, processing on both sides is desirable.

UV protection

To provide protection against sun rays paints are used that can be transparent or opaque and change the color or tone of the wood. If you want to preserve the natural color of the wood, you can use modern oils that have ingredients that provide UV protection without altering the color of the wood. However, it should be borne in mind that such formulations need to be updated quite often - once every 2-3 years.

Among my acquaintances, along with the fashion for wooden structures for the garden, the "Legend of the Rotting Larch" has spread. It seems that somewhere it was said that anything can be done from larch, even flooring on paths and platforms, not to mention gazebos and pergolas. Here, tell me: where is this written? And, most importantly, by whom? I will find a villain and wish him to kill himself up a wall not to disturb the public order about things that he does not understand.
Yesterday, on the occasion of a family celebration, over a glass of tea, I had to read to relatives a report on the dangers of alcoholism on the use of wood in landscape work.
With your permission, I will cite it here, since the malicious misconception about the miraculous properties of larch is horror, as is common. So Venice, stands on stilts of larch, and this city is many years old, more than a thousand. But these piles are under water, and air does not flow to them. In such conditions, larch wood almost does not rot, it becomes as hard as stone, since it is heavily impregnated with resin. In the open air, unprotected larch wood is colonized by wood-destroying fungi, which leave dust from it. If you have seen on TV in mountain-landscape broadcasts or read somewhere that can be done beautiful track from the "round" - transverse cuts of larch, then look how such a path will look the next year after installation: Blackened and covered with nasty slime paving elements - what is this design? In my opinion, Nikakovsky. And this "beauty" will soon fall apart. Not a single species of wood will be resistant to rotting in our latitudes if it is in such close contact with the soil, so it is better not to dream of "village" paths made of saw cuts at all. Wooden decks, decks and walking paths can be made, but so that their coating does not come into contact with the soil. And, of course, pickle, soak! Their service life is about 5-7 years, but, fortunately, repairs are inexpensive. Now about the superiority of larch over other types of wood, which its sellers often talk about. Let's compare it, for example, with inexpensive pine. In terms of resistance to biodegradation (in air without impregnation), larch and pine are approximately equal, and the sapwood (outer layers of wood) in larch is even weaker in this respect. To make some kind of landscape structures from wood, it must be impregnated with bioprotective compounds. A common problem for all types of wood: protective compounds are poorly absorbed during normal application. Professionals use special equipment on which impregnation is performed under pressure, and an ordinary summer resident can only take rocks that absorb all these solutions relatively well. This is certainly not larch, it resists impregnation very stubbornly. Take better pine. Larch wood is also very hard: it will be difficult to saw and plan. And it also has an internal tension: when dry, it is twisted by a "screw". All these problems can, of course, be solved, but for this you need to have professional knowledge and skills. And take larch for country homemade products- only spoil expensive material. Why do they sell larch, is it worth the money spent on it? Yes, it is, if these are professionally made products. If you know how to work with it, have a powerful tool, appropriate equipment and technologies, you can make a very beautiful, abrasion-resistant parquet or steps (for home) out of it. Or garden furniture... Larch products are very beautiful due to the play of colors: from golden to pink, they resist dents and scratches well. In a word, it is beautiful if used for its intended purpose. And for landscaping, it is better to use pine boards and timber treated with bioprotective compounds.

Larch is unique natural material with mass useful characteristics and positive features, due to which wood of this species is often used in the construction of houses.

However, larch stairs are still quite a rare occurrence, experts consider this material not the most successful for decoration. But let's be honest, professional craftsmen it's just a pity to let such an excellent type of wood on the stairs, but in vain, because structures made of this type of wood not only look good, but also have extraordinary endurance.

Larch is a material that is not afraid of water

I must admit that larch is really not afraid of water, but this is not its only unique property... It has a beautiful dense texture and rich color, which makes it blend well with different furniture and looks good in premium interiors.

Ladders for summer cottages, made of this wood species, can be painted in different shades, from yellow to dark brown. The last color signals that the structure is built of old wood, which, however, is not a drawback.

Prices for larch stairs are pleasing with their availability. Due to its wide distribution in Siberia and in Far East this raw material is supplied in abundance to manufacturers of all stripes. average cost is equal to $ 2500-3000 depending on the quality of the material and the complexity of the design.

Advantages and disadvantages

Ladders for summer cottages made of larch, in addition to beauty and strength, have a number of advantages, the main of which are:

• resistance to a humid environment: country stairs are not only not afraid of water, but, on the contrary, when moisture gets on the wood fibers, they become even stronger and more durable;
• resistance to decay, especially after additional treatment with antiseptic agents;
• affordability.

Of the shortcomings that they have economy stairs, can be distinguished:

• stubbornness in processing;
• susceptibility to cracking.

The latter drawback is quite common with larch structures, but it should not stop you when buying. Unlike wooden stairs beech or oak specimens from larch do not lose their positive properties after cracking and do not deteriorate externally.

Care features

Given that larch is not afraid of water, a ladder made of this material can and should be washed with a damp cloth, although you should not overdo it. Install next to heating devices, as well as pine stairs, larch construction is not recommended to avoid cracking. Periodically, all glossy parts require treatment with special wax-based caring compounds and thorough polishing.