Where to start building a house on a site - all stages, from foundation to roof. How we built a house with our own hands We build a house from a to z

Many people are looking for an option on how to build a house cheaply and quickly themselves. Nowadays, there are many materials and technologies in construction that allow you to save significantly, but at the same time get a high-quality building.

Aerated concrete blocks

You can build a small house from aerated concrete blocks. This is a good alternative to regular brick. It is much more profitable to build such a box. The thickness of the wall can be reduced by a third, but there is no deterioration in the thermal insulation properties. The material itself is much lighter, so you can also save on the foundation. In addition, the blocks are larger in size than standard bricks, so you will need few aerated concrete blocks for a small house. Another advantage is that aerated concrete blocks are a “breathing” material, so air exchange is not disturbed. But in terms of waterproofing properties, such material is considered not the best. And if you don’t follow all the rules when building a house, then the structure will also be ventilated. It is very important to make a high-quality finish.

As for the period during which you can build a house with your own hands, it will take much less time if you use aerated concrete blocks rather than bricks. The process will take approximately 3 times less time. In addition, there is virtually no shrinkage. To connect the blocks, a special composition with adhesive properties is used. It is not recommended to use cement mortar, as the seams will be thick, which will lead to the formation of cold bridges.

Aerated concrete has the following advantages:

  1. The walls won't burn.
  2. The walls don't rot.
  3. The material is considered environmentally friendly.
  4. Due to the low weight of the material, there is no need to make a reinforced foundation.
  5. Due to the large size of the blocks, it will be possible to build a house in less time than using bricks.
  6. The material is easy to process, so walls can be made in different configurations.
  7. It has good thermal insulation and sound insulation properties.

However, the following disadvantages must be taken into account:

  1. It is capable of absorbing water, so the building needs to be heated periodically.
  2. To avoid deformation of the walls, it is recommended to make your foundation of a strip type or from reinforced concrete slabs.
  3. Due to the porous structure of the blocks, finishing is required.
  4. It is prohibited to violate technology.

Aerated concrete blocks are the cheapest material for building a house. The cost of the box itself made of such blocks together with a reinforced concrete foundation (without a basement), as well as a metal tile roof, will be as follows:

  1. For a house with 1 level with an area of ​​86 m² - 910 thousand rubles.
  2. A house with an attic and a total area of ​​106 m² - approximately 1,150 thousand rubles.
  3. A house with two levels, whose total area is about 240 m², costs more than 3 million rubles.

All this must be taken into account when choosing such material.

Brick buildings

When choosing what material to build a house from, some people prefer brick. This option is considered classic. Brick is the most popular material. However, buildings made from it can hardly be called cheap. The walls must be made thick and additionally insulated. This leads to the fact that the house is not at all economical. Such a structure weighs quite a lot, so you also need to fork out money for a solid foundation, which is difficult to save on. The disadvantages of this design include the complexity of the process and its duration. But on the other hand, if you build a small house rather than a large mansion, you will need much less money. In addition, the advantages are the durability of the structure, fire safety, practicality, so it will cover the costs. So it is not surprising that some people decide that it is better to build a house out of brick.

In addition, if you build the box yourself, you will only need to spend money on materials. You will be able to save on wages for workers, and this is a large amount. But this option is only suitable for those who already have experience in such work. The main thing is to carefully think through the entire project.

  1. Good sound insulation properties.
  2. Durability and structural strength.
  3. The material does not rot.
  4. It is fire resistant.
  5. Considered environmentally friendly.

But there are also disadvantages to such buildings:

  1. Too much weight, which will require a reinforced foundation.
  2. High heat capacity.
  3. Quite difficult to process.
  4. Low thermal insulation values, so additional insulation will be required.
  5. The building is not suitable for seasonal use. If the house is not heated for a long time in winter, it will quickly cool down and you will have to wait until it warms up.
  6. Construction is very long - it will take about a year to make a solid foundation, and then another year for the walls to shrink before finishing work begins.

As for the cost of brick houses, the indicators will be as follows:

  1. If your house has only 1 level with an area of ​​52 m², and the foundation without a basement is made of reinforced concrete, plus there is a tile roof, then the cost will be about 800 thousand rubles.
  2. If the area of ​​a 1-story building is 89 m², then the price will be approximately 1.5 million rubles.
  3. If you make an attic, and the area of ​​the entire house is 170 m², then the cost will be more than 2.8 million rubles.

This must be taken into account when making calculations.

Timber buildings

When choosing what is best to build a house from, some people pay attention to timber. It is possible to obtain economical buildings from such material. For developers, timber is considered more profitable than other materials. If we compare walls made of timber and brick in terms of heat saving properties, then a structure made of spruce with a thickness of 22 cm and of brick with a thickness of 60 cm will have approximately the same indicators, so that both buildings will be warm.

As a rule, to make a house, they choose 20 cm timber. Additionally, they use insulation, the thickness of which should be about 10 cm. In addition, they also make a layer of plaster 2 cm thick.

The advantages of timber include the following:

  • enocomics;
  • speed of building a house - it will take only a few weeks to build;
  • the construction technology of the building is quite simple;
  • the material is considered completely safe from an environmental point of view;
  • good thermal insulation properties;
  • the material is not afraid of sudden temperature changes;
  • walls warm up quickly after frost;
  • good sound insulation;
  • the material does not deform after drying;
  • the timber is very durable;
  • timber can be processed;
  • the material maintains an optimal indoor microclimate;
  • the design is very light;
  • The appearance of the building is quite beautiful, so no finishing is needed.

In addition, it is necessary to take into account the disadvantages of this option:

  1. If the material is not dried well, the wall may begin to sag.
  2. The walls must be caulked at the beginning of the building's use.
  3. Walls, especially below, need to be protected from rot, water, and insect pests.
  4. Fire safety is very low.

Timber is considered an excellent alternative to brick. This option is a win-win. A cheap house made of timber will require much less money than one built from brick. For example, if you build a house with an attic, the total area of ​​which is about 110 m² (there is no basement), then the costs will be as follows:

  1. If you use timber with a cross-section of 15*15 cm, it will cost approximately 13 thousand rubles per 1 m².
  2. Round logs with a diameter of 240 mm cost about 16.5 thousand rubles per 1 m².
  3. Round logs with a diameter of 300-350 mm - about 21 thousand rubles.
  4. Glued laminated timber with a cross-section of 21*27 cm - 36 thousand rubles per 1 m².

It is imperative to take such costs into account when designing a building.

Frame house construction

You can build a house for permanent residence with a frame structure. A building using this method can be erected in a period from several weeks to a couple of months - it depends on whether the construction is carried out by a team of workers or only by the owner of the future house.

It is better to build a house with this design, as it is considered durable. It is resistant to deformation. According to calculations, the service life of such a building is about 80 years. Load-bearing structures are very convenient for further finishing work, since all parts are unified. Thanks to this, there are many options for cladding the building. For example, you can use a block house, cassette panels, siding. When using such skins, the strength of the structure increases, but this does not significantly affect the weight.

There are 2 main technologies. The first is the frame-panel method. In order to assemble such a structure yourself, you need not only the appropriate equipment, but also skill. The only drawback is that you will have to purchase additional materials to insulate the building. The frame is made of wood, and then the skin is made of sandwich panels. All elements must be installed separately, so the process is quite labor-intensive.

The second option is frame-panel technology. It is considered more expensive, but is reliable. Another advantage is that labor costs are much less. The structure is assembled from panels, which are made in factories upon pre-order. Moreover, they are already additionally insulated, so that they are completely ready for assembly.

If we compare panel and panel buildings, the former are more expensive, but the final price may be the same if you hire workers to assemble panel buildings, rather than do everything yourself. This is due to the fact that you will have to pay for all the work on assembly, cladding, thermal insulation, and finishing.

The advantages of this option include the following:

  • efficiency;
  • light weight;
  • short construction time.

It is believed that houses built using this technology are the cheapest, but the cost depends on many factors: the selected materials (including finishing), the area of ​​the building, etc. As for the shortcomings, there are few of them. It will be necessary to have special skills and tools in order to assemble the structure. Not every developer will be able to cope with such work on their own. If you hire a team, the costs will be much higher.

Conclusion

When choosing what is best to build from, you need to pay attention to various indicators and characteristics. Some people prefer to rely only on prices. As for them, the most profitable option is a frame structure. The cost of 1 m² will be about 900 rubles. If you use brick, the price will be approximately 2.5 thousand rubles. For timber it is up to 1.9 thousand rubles, and for aerated concrete and foam concrete - no more than 2 thousand rubles. But in addition to prices, it is also necessary to take into account the nuances in the use of such materials, their advantages and disadvantages. Inexpensive does not always mean that it is of high quality and fast, so all factors must be taken into account.












More and more people prefer living in their own home - in the suburbs, away from the bustle of the city. And although this choice is justified by the presence of undeniable advantages - relaxing in your own garden, playing with children in the fresh air, barbecuing with friends and other joys of private home ownership, initially you have to go through, albeit pleasant, but still significant troubles associated with building a house. Therefore, it is not surprising that the decision to begin construction of a private home is an important stage in the life of any family.

Completely unreasonably, when thinking about where to start building a house, many people mistake the preparation of a construction site and laying the foundation for the zero cycle. In practice, this is only the “tip of the iceberg”, because before the actual start of construction, a large amount of preparatory work will have to be done, on which the success of the entire enterprise largely depends. In addition to obtaining the necessary permits, it is necessary to work out each stage of construction, which will help to avoid future problems, such as inconvenient stairs and a waterlogged garden.

A long way from decision to implementation Source project-home.ru

Preparatory stage of construction

At this stage, you will have to resolve several important issues: choose a place for construction, determine its budget, choose a house design, obtain a building permit and choose a contractor. All questions are of equal importance, each will have to be given enough attention.

Buying a plot

When choosing and purchasing land for a new home, attention is paid to both legal and practical nuances. The procedure is accompanied by the execution of many documents, so it is advisable to involve a trusted intermediary - a realtor or lawyer.

It is impossible to decide how to properly build a house without a detailed inspection of the site where the work will be carried out, and ideally, everything starts with finding land for construction. Since the comfort of future life directly depends on the location of the site, when choosing the latter, they are guided by several criteria:

  • Features of the site. Not only the area, but also the relief is taken into account. A site on a slope will require additional financial investments for planning and excavation work, and the construction of retaining walls.

A complex site dictates the rules for the location of the house Source haeuserland.de

  • Documents of the owner (seller). It is necessary to verify their authenticity and correct filling (in the given dimensions).
  • Location. The proximity to civilization, the quality of access roads, the presence of public transport stops, and the environmental situation (harmful industries located nearby) are taken into account. It is important to find out if there is a swamp, wastewater treatment plant or landfill nearby.
  • Infrastructure. The availability of utilities is assessed (it is better to obtain detailed information from the management company).
  • Additional possible expenses. Perhaps there are dilapidated capital buildings on the site that are subject to demolition, or the groundwater flows high, which means that an effective drainage system will have to be installed.

This and other useful information can be obtained from the owners of neighboring land plots, as well as from the administration of the locality.

Experienced experts who know how to properly build a private house advise making a request to the relevant institutions about the possibility of connecting to existing utility networks. Otherwise, an unexpected ban will become a serious problem.

Geodetic surveys provide a comprehensive assessment of the conditions of the territory for further construction Source penza-press.ru

When the site for building a house is finally chosen, measures are taken to facilitate the work:

  • Geological and geodetic surveys and topographic surveys of the area are carried out. The result will be information about the composition of the soil and the depth of groundwater, which will help adapt the foundation of a standard project to specific conditions. If there is ongoing construction on the land, you will have to tie into the existing foundation and possibly strengthen it.
  • After the purchase, the plot is fenced.
  • In order not to pollute most of the land with construction waste, it is necessary to determine a place for storing waste, mixing concrete, burning waste, as well as access for construction equipment.

Video description

How to minimize losses when building a house on video:

On our website you can get acquainted with the most - in the filters you can choose to display projects from one or several construction companies presented at the exhibition of houses “Low-Rise Country”.

What to build a house from

The choice of suitable material is a topic for a separate detailed discussion. Any material, be it brick, wood, sandwich panels, foam or aerated concrete, has a set of individual properties. These qualities can manifest themselves both positively and negatively, depending on the context of use.

When choosing a material, the decisive factors are local conditions (climate, topography) and economic arguments. The latter often conflict with the desire to make the home comfortable, reliable and environmentally friendly. It must be remembered that any house needs thoughtful insulation, a reliable roof and modern engineering support.

In general, block (cellular concrete) and frame houses (including SIP panels) are built cheaper and faster. It will take the least amount of time (1-2 days) to install a modular house, but this is not the most budget option.

Construction costs

Such an understandable desire to save money does not justify itself when building a house, since it most often leads to increased costs in the future. Phased construction of a house involves a detailed preliminary calculation of the estimate; It is better to draw it up together with the foreman.

After the walls and roof are erected, the cost of engineering support for the building may seem unreasonably high, but it is not recommended to reduce them without compelling reasons.

Construction costs can be reduced by choosing a ready-made project Source www.mastyk.ru

Preparation of the project and its connection to the area

In many respects, a standard project is the most profitable option (when compared with self-construction and an individual project). It allows you to immediately begin construction without delaying design work.

It would be optimal to purchase from a company or construction company with solid recommendations and guarantees. The version downloaded from the Internet may end up costing more. When choosing a project, owners take into account the conditions and way of their life, determining the important parameters of the future home:

  • Is a second floor needed? The costs of foundation and roofing work for a two-story house are lower, and you can also increase the area for a flower garden or gazebo.
  • Roof shape.
  • The number of rooms and their area (depending on how many permanent residents there are and how often you plan to receive guests).
  • It may be possible to build a house with a bathhouse
  • Height of premises (for residential floors - from 3 m).

The shape of the roof and the dimensions of the rooms are determined when choosing a project Source pinterest.com

  • Size of living room, kitchen, utility rooms.
  • Number of bathrooms.
  • Additional premises: sauna, dressing rooms, garage.
  • Interior finishing (design project is being prepared).
  • Additional amenities (sink in garage).

After agreeing on all the details, the project is linked to the area. During this stage, the optimal position of the building on the site is selected.

Video description

Step-by-step process of building a house on video:

Construction permit

Before starting construction work, it is necessary to coordinate it by obtaining permission. To build a house from scratch, you need to start by preparing documents, the list of which has some differences in different regions. The list can be clarified in the administration.

Next, a site inspection report and a construction passport of the facility are drawn up. The sanitary-epidemiological and fire inspections coordinate the development plan, and the fire department additionally approves the electrical and gas circuits. After studying the agreed plan, the architecture committee issues a construction passport.

Family-friendly design Source jackhobhouse.com

The need for landscape design

The purpose of landscape planning is to transform the site into an area that best suits the needs of the family. The arrangement, carried out by specialists, will solve several problems:

  • Choose a place for your home, utility rooms, recreation area, garden and vegetable garden. This takes into account illumination, soil composition, shape of the site and the location of groundwater.
  • Determine the location for laying utilities; If necessary, a place for a septic tank is designed.
  • Play around the difficult terrain and possibly change it.
  • Provide soil drainage.
  • Choose a design style for the site and create a unique design.
  • Select useful and ornamental plants suitable for growing in these conditions.

Purchasing materials

The composition and required quantity of materials are specified in the estimate. When choosing, construction and finishing materials that have a manufacturer’s certificate (quality guarantee) are preferred. This will help avoid future disappointments in the roofing or exterior finishing, which begins to rapidly lose its appearance after 2-3 seasons.

Even bricks can be damaged by improper storage. Source homebuilding.co.uk

Usually most of the materials are prepared for future use. Construction is often delayed or temporarily suspended, for example, during the winter. If stored improperly, the quality of materials can decrease, sometimes significantly (this applies not only to wooden structures, but also to bricks, building blocks, and dry mixes).

Video description

How to build a house and avoid common mistakes, watch the video:

How to choose a contractor

Many site owners prefer to rely on the recommendations of good friends and acquaintances who have personally experienced construction. This strategy can be expanded and strengthened with additional actions:

  • Exploring options. Conscientious construction companies willingly provide their qualification certificates, recommendations and portfolios of completed work.
  • Conclusion of an agreement. It specifies a list of works, deadlines for their completion, payment and additional conditions at the request of the developer (fine in case of failure to comply with conditions, cleaning the area from construction waste).
  • Materials. Their quality must be controlled, for which it is better to involve independent technical supervision or at least check that the purchased materials comply with SNiPs.
  • Work of the technical supervision service. Service specialists can monitor compliance with building regulations, which will help reduce costs. In addition, technical supervision can additionally check the contract, estimate and the company itself before construction begins.

Laying a reliable foundation takes time Source postroika.ua

Construction of a house

Knowing where to start building a house on the site, you can think through the subsequent stages of building a private house and not worry about missed deadlines. Before starting work, it is necessary to ensure access roads, water and electricity supplies to the construction site. At this stage, the axes of the building have already been placed on the site in accordance with fire and sanitary standards. The construction of a private house goes through several stages.

Video description

Is it worth ordering technical supervision for construction? This question interests almost everyone who builds a house, makes repairs, etc. Today we will look at how to control a construction company? What should you pay attention to? Where can I find independent technical supervision and what is the essence of this service? Let’s also consider how much technical supervision will cost you and what are the advantages of this service?

Earthworks, foundation

The location of the water supply inlet and sewer outlet is outlined, trenches are dug for them, pipes are laid and insulated. The foundation is being laid. To do this, a pit is dug, a cushion of crushed stone is laid on the bottom, and formwork is installed. After installing the reinforcement, concrete is poured.

It will take 20 to 30 days for concrete to gain strength. This time can be devoted to installing a septic tank or well. Then the foundation walls are erected.

Frame installation work Source resiinspect.com.au

At this stage, walls are built and floors are installed, then rafters are constructed and the roof is laid. Lastly, the windows are installed and the garage doors and front door are installed.

Façade finishing and primary interior work

This includes exterior wall decoration, installation of a balcony and stairs (if provided for by the project). Next, internal insulation of the floor and walls is carried out, primary finishing of the walls, floors are installed, and the ceiling is sheathed. At the same time, utility networks (sewage, water supply and electrical wiring) are laid.

After this, the building can be insured as an unfinished construction project. Before finishing the walls, an air conditioning system and heated floors are installed.

Laying floors in a private house Source analytspectr.ru

Conclusion – final arrangement

The stage includes completing the interior decoration, installing the kitchen and plumbing equipment, and tidying up the area. After completion of the work, the owner and the contractor sign a work acceptance certificate indicating the guarantee for the work performed. Next, the building must be registered in GASN (State Architectural and Construction Supervision) and in the State Register.

Building your own home is an exciting time in the life of a family. The journey from architectural plan approval to housewarming will be remembered for many years to come. These will definitely be pleasant memories if you choose the right construction company, whose specialists will help you with the right choice of site and project, plus they will draw up a well-thought-out construction plan.

Our young family built this house for 3.5 years, and our parents on both sides and my husband’s brother helped us. At first they built on weekends and vacations, and after that they happily devoted almost all their free time to it. And although it was not easy, I remember these moments with such warmth! All stages were captured - as a result, today we have more than 1800 photographs and a wealth of experience behind us. But first things first.

By a happy coincidence, around 2000, my husband’s parents got tired of traveling to their dacha 60 km from the city, and 20 acres of land were sold. A new plot of land was found 3 km from the city - 6 acres of country land with a small shed.

At that time, the intended purpose of this land was clearly a vegetable garden, but life made its own adjustments. My husband and I met at the university and after a couple of years of close relationship we started thinking about the housing issue: a job placement with the opportunity to move to different parts of the country was hanging in the balance. Therefore, we decided to take root next to our parents. Our families could not afford to buy an apartment, and besides, we also had to think about solving this issue for my husband’s brother. Then the idea of ​​building my own house was born. I really liked the idea, because I myself grew up in a private house and was well aware of its advantages over a city apartment.

We were aware that everything would not be easy at all, but we did not deviate from our plan. Having found out that the previously introduced restrictions on the area and configuration of the garden house no longer apply, we started with the project. By the way, the Internet helped us in everything, where there were answers to any questions, which allowed us, who were not related to construction, to still get down to business on our own.

The sketch of the house was developed in the 3Dhome program. The box was designed to be rectangular (the best in terms of price/quality) and divided into 2 halves (our family and my husband’s brother’s family). Then we turned to one of the architectural firms, where for a small amount (we’ll write about the financial side in more detail at the very end) our drawing was implemented into a multi-page project (however, it still had to be finalized later); a separate pile of documentation was the design of utility networks.

In the fall of 2008, preparations began - the fertile layer of soil was removed, the foundation (12.8 × 7.6 m) was marked, and a trench was dug for it using a small excavator.

True, the next day it rained heavily, and everything collapsed... There were even thoughts about stopping work until spring (they say it was a bad omen). However, we decided to try again. I’ll say right away that that unfortunate rain became the biggest problem during the entire construction period.

The second time (we dug by hand, with shovels, standing chest-deep in a trench) turned out to be more successful. The final depth of the trench was 150 cm; the foundation rose 1 m above ground level at the lowest point of the site (a total of 51 m³ of concrete was used).

The pillow and reinforcement were made in accordance with the project. We made it just in time for the first snow. During the thaw, they dug a basement (3.5 × 5 × 2.2 m) under one of the future kitchens - and froze until spring.

In March 2009, having already missed construction, they began to make formwork for the ceiling between the basement and the future room, and soon they filled it (18 cm thick). Thus, the foundation for the load-bearing walls was ready.

Next stage. 75 m³ of gas silicate blocks 40 cm thick were brought, which with our hands, under the strict guidance of a familiar mason, were slowly transformed into walls. We made the lintels above the windows ourselves (by pouring a reinforced strip of concrete into a cut groove along the upper edge of the blocks placed close together), and we made a reinforced concrete belt between the floors.

The foundation for the partitions was made shallow. Here we made a mistake - we did not take into account the clayiness of the soil and did not backfill with sand, as a result of which in the first winter frost heaving lifted the partitions, and they, being in places tied to the load-bearing block walls, developed cracks at the joints. Which, however, did not happen again, since the next winter the house was already heated. The ceiling between the floors was made of wood - beams 200 × 100 per edge every 80 cm.

Then the second floor began, and behind it the gables. We were afraid to tackle the roof ourselves and turned to specialists who dealt with it in 2 weeks

They laid vapor and waterproofing films, insulation (between the 2nd floor and the attic), and left a manhole. The roof covering is metal tiles (roof area 140 sq. m, the most affordable configuration is gable).

We decided to make the partitions on the second floor plasterboard, and taking into account the prices of the profile, we replaced it with wooden blocks, sawn from inherited boards.

With the arrival of spring, we ordered windows (double-glazed windows 6-4-4 for sound insulation, since there is a railway nearby), finished the wiring and built the frame of the future stairs to the second floor - welded from a metal square and a corner. To give it a comfortable climbing angle, the staircase was designed so that it “cut off” part of the bathroom.

They started working on the attic only in May, which, frankly speaking, was very inconvenient - even at 20 degrees outside in sunny May weather, in the attic you feel like you’re in a steam room! We covered the floor with a board with a selected quarter - we even bought a machine for this (in the expectation that we would also process the boards for the finished floor in the house). But here we clearly overestimated the capabilities of a household woodworking machine.

By this time, we had graduated from the university and, upon moving out of the dormitory, we happily moved into a growing house - work immediately became more fun. At this point, the first stage was completed, and we moved on to finishing: finishing screed, plastering of brick walls inside with beacons, gas silicate walls without beacons, plaster outside (a total of 220 25-kilogram bags of plaster mortar were used!), plasterboard ceilings on wooden profiles... Here It must be said that July 2010 broke all temperature records, and it was possible to work in accordance with the conditions indicated on the packaging of the plaster solution (not higher than +25ºС) only in the morning and evening.

Using a folding attic ladder system we spotted in hardware stores, we tried to do something similar - it turned out quite well! The lock was replaced with a clip of magnets for cabinets: smooth opening is ensured by several door springs. Folding into three, the ladder fits perfectly into the manhole space, covered from below with an insulated lid.

Then we took up the internal plumbing and heating system from a double-circuit boiler with an open combustion chamber with a capacity of 25 kW (by the way, during the last heating period, 150 sq. m “ate” 2830 m³ of gas). Gas was supplied to the site two years ago. When it came to introducing it into the house, it turned out that supplying gas underground required expensive design work, “introducing a new point,” etc. It turned out to be much easier to conduct it by air, on supports. Moreover, plans for the construction of a garage in the future were taken into account (and the location of the foundations, according to the standards, should be no closer than 2 m from underground gas pipelines). That's what we did.

After the main interior work, we returned to the street again: we lined the roof with soffit, insulated the foundation, plastered it, built a carport and fenced off the future tiled area (blind area). \

We worked inside throughout the late fall, winter, and early spring of 2011. The ceilings, as already written, were made of plasterboard. True, we slightly shortened the scheme for its finishing: only the seams were filled with putty after gluing them with sickle and the places where the screws were screwed in, and the sheet of drywall itself was only painted.

And then the fun began - the house had to be filled with colors and gain individuality. The wallpaper was bought from Belarusian paper with the expectation that it would soon be painted anyway, and the variety of patterns and colors was pleasing - there was plenty to choose from.

The bedroom was designed in African motifs (we dream of visiting Kenya!). We made the bed with our own hands so that it was both wide and not very high, and there were drawers under it (we couldn’t find one like this in stores with a reasonable price).

The footprints of a large cat were depicted on the floor under the varnish and stain.

There will definitely be paintings hanging above the bed, someday brought from Africa itself!

The lamps for the bedroom and corridors were made from fabric and a wooden frame, as well as from threads passed through glue onto an inflated balloon.

It’s interesting that we glued the ceiling skirting boards to styrofoam, which, according to the instructions, should have set in 10 minutes. But for some reason they fell off - we had to temporarily prop them up with floor skirting boards.

We hung the curtain rods, chose fabric for the curtains, which we simply processed on a sewing machine. And the side holders were made of thick wire bent to 2/3 of the circumference, coated with gold paint. The cornices in the hallway are made from ordinary dried sticks, covered with stain and varnish.

In the gap between the wall and the ventilation shaft, shelves were installed from the remnants of chipboard after assembling the wardrobe.

After preliminary leveling, the floor in the kitchen was covered with linoleum, which we have never regretted. The table was made from a piece of chipboard, always with rounded edges. We glued a decorative film on top and wrapped the whole thing around the perimeter with a furniture PVC profile.

Then it was the turn of the tiles.

At the same time, the staircase was finished: the remains of the floorboard were used for the steps. The space under the stairs was covered with plasterboard - it turned out to be a mini-wardrobe. The railings were sawn from wooden blocks; we couldn’t resist buying balusters to start and complete the railing.

The veranda serves as a temperature buffer between the street and the house. At first we were going to make it heated, but later we abandoned this idea - it was unprofitable. We installed an original bench-stand for shoes. On the door they hung a horseshoe from a large draft horse found by our parents, which they cleaned of rust, painted with gold paint and presented to us.

During the winter of 2011-2012, a plan to build a hexagonal gazebo matured, which came to fruition this spring. The foundation was made as a strip foundation, buried 10 cm, 12 cm wide, on a high sand cushion. The pillars are 2 5 × 12 cm boards sewn together, 2.2 m high. The distance between the pillars is 1.5 m. The roof was made with an angle of 25°, the assembled rafters were covered with film, and then with an overlapping board. In heavy rain, water still seeps between the boards, but it flows safely down the film, it’s been checked. After sanding, they were coated with profitex, and the benches, railings and table were also varnished. The floor was tiled.

The most enjoyable part of any construction work is, of course, the finishing touches. Using an old wooden cart wheel we found, we made a lamp - it looks like it turned out beautifully. The ceiling from below was hemmed with burlap. The path to the gazebo was paved with round apple trees cut from old apple trees, uprooted before the construction of the house, with fine gravel sprinkled between them.

Now we are happy to beautify the area around the house: we have placed several “antique” baskets purchased from a village craftsman in the distant Zheludok, Grodno region (we have relatives there). We made an “alpine hill”, which should bloom with all the colors of the rainbow this year. We planted a small but very fluffy blue Christmas tree. And there are many more ideas in the plans!

Our beloved house is very dear to us! Knowing in detail about the origin of every detail, you approach it completely differently. To be honest, we enjoyed building so much that if finances had allowed, we would have started building another house!

How much money did it all cost?

Since construction began with a small starting capital, “strict financial reporting” was very important to us, and today we are happy to share it with you. The total area of ​​our house was 150 square meters. m (75 per brother, excluding the area of ​​the attic and basement). The average cost per square meter for our half was $298, the total cost of the house was $42,000 (excluding my brother’s finishing touches). The cost structure was as follows:

Of this amount, expenses for wages of hired workers amounted to a total of $3,620, the rest was construction materials.

Perhaps the story turned out to be overloaded with numbers and too dry, but we tried to present as much as possible not only general, but also specialized information that may help someone decide to build their own home. Believe me, we have never regretted it! We wish you good luck in solving the endless housing problem!

Many people dream of building their own home inexpensively for permanent residence, but most are put off by the high cost of building materials and labor. However, costs can be significantly reduced if you use new technologies, optimize the project and do at least some of the processes yourself. In addition, home-built housing will fully meet the owner’s needs, will serve as a source of special pride, and will delight the owner with comfort and a cozy atmosphere for many years.

What an inexpensive home shouldn't be like

When planning to build your own home, you need to not only understand the goals and objectives, see the prospects and advantages, but also be aware that excessive savings can lead to significant disadvantages and cause inconvenience. Much has been written about what a modern home should be like. We want to warn you about what your own home should not be like:

Too compact. The desire to reduce the size of your home, of course, allows you to save on building materials, but the size of the house must fully meet the needs and size of your family.

Inconvenient. Optimizing space and the desire to create an energy-efficient home should not interfere with the normal lifestyle of your family.

Poor quality. When choosing materials for future construction, it is better not to look in the direction of ultra-modern pretentious solutions. As a rule, their low price directly indicates poor quality. It is better to opt for traditional, time-tested building materials, which, moreover, will require less effort and cost during the installation process.

It should be understood that building an inexpensive home of your own involves a lot of compromises and a rather difficult choice between the criteria of price, quality, appearance, complexity, etc.

What can you save on?

When starting work, it is important to understand that an inexpensive house can only be built if you save not only on equipment and materials, but also by making decisions to reduce the cost of construction at all its stages.

During the design process. When choosing a ready-made project for your own home, or planning it yourself, you should take into account points that will allow you to save money due to the optimal layout and design features. For example, you can build a house relatively inexpensively using frame construction technology.

How to build a house inexpensively

On the cost of facing materials and finishing works. An inexpensive solution for interior decoration is plastering or covering the walls with plasterboard, laying laminate flooring, and using simple ceramic tiles in the kitchen and bathroom.

On delivery of materials. Of course, it is easier to entrust the care of construction materials to a contractor, however, if you take on this responsibility yourself, you can save additional money. For insurance purposes, a third party will purchase materials from well-known manufacturers. You can buy everything you need, focusing not on the brand, but on the quality that suits you personally. As a rule, among the products of unknown companies there are many worthy options with a significantly lower price. To avoid mistakes, you can collect information about the manufacturer online or ask familiar developers. However, do not be fooled, remember - only high-quality products will allow you to build a good house, and they cannot be too cheap. When looking for inexpensive building materials, do not forget about seasonal discounts. During the cold season, sales of products fall, and many sellers reduce their prices. Take advantage of this and stock up on everything you need even before starting work on your suburban area.

On the cost of work performed. By hiring "shabashniks" from the province instead of a professional team from a well-known construction company, you can reduce the cost of construction by 2-3 times. Of course, when concluding an agreement with a company, you will have legal guarantees, and a team of provincial builders may not even have tax status. However, if you have the opportunity to constantly monitor the progress of work, then the second option will allow you to save a lot of money. Before concluding a contract with a construction team, be sure to talk to developers who have dealt with them before. Before the team begins work, sign a written document with its leader indicating the stages of construction and the deadlines for their completion. Take the time to specify in the terms of the contract the cost of work, the rights and obligations of each party, and penalties for non-compliance with certain articles of the document. If you are not satisfied with the quality or other aspects during the work, change the team for another without regret. The only thing left to advise is don’t look for the cheapest builders. Remember that a self-respecting master will never work for next to nothing, and mediocre and irresponsible inexpensive “specialists” will force you to incur unforeseen expenses.

As you can see, there are many ways to inexpensively build a house, saving at the preparation stage, without even starting construction. It is only important not to overdo it in an effort to save the budget and to find that “golden mean” in any matter.

What you shouldn't save on when building a house

Despite the greatest desire to save resources during the construction process, there are a number of significant points on which you should not save.

Technical Supervision

If you are not a professional in the field of construction, then no amount of materials you have read or conversations on specialized forums about how to quickly build a house can replace your special education and many years of experience in this field. You can save on anything, but not on hiring a specialist who will provide technical supervision over the construction progress.

You should be aware that the construction of a residential building is an extremely complex undertaking that requires understanding a lot of nuances and subtleties. No textbook or reference book can replace specific knowledge and skills acquired over the years.

By engaging an experienced, qualified builder or technical supervision engineer, you get a lot of benefits at all stages.

When designing and selecting materials for future construction.

As a rule, specialists who move in construction circles are well aware of which team will quickly and inexpensively cope with the specifics of your home, so they can recommend a good contractor.

When drawing up contractual documentation with a contractor, all necessary conditions are guaranteed to be included in the documents.

Experienced builders are well versed in the prices of building materials and prices for certain works, so you won’t have to worry about inflated numbers in the estimate documentation.

The work will be monitored for compliance with project documentation and SNiP.

The purchase of the required amount of building materials and its consumption will be under the full control of your representative.

A disinterested person in the form of a technical supervision engineer will be able to competently assess the quality of work performed, control deadlines and check reporting documentation.

Choosing a person responsible for technical supervision can save you from a lot of difficulties associated with construction and communication with the contractor.

Project documentation

A good design is the key to successful construction only if the design features of the building are consistent with the conditions of your construction site.

It is best to buy a complete package of design documentation, having previously specified for which region it was created. It is important to clarify the climate, average annual temperatures, and resistance to snow and wind loads.

Home quickly and inexpensively. Photo

Be sure to link the purchased project to local conditions. To do this, you will need to check and adjust the foundation calculations in accordance with the type of soil and its characteristics. Often this procedure allows you to optimize costs, since the contractor benefits from increased construction costs. If an increased safety margin is not required from the foundation, then a significant amount can be saved.

Adapting the project to your own needs - changing the size of the interior, the location of door and window openings, floor and roof elements, as well as the choice of other materials is also best left to certified engineers.

And lastly, never entrust the development of design documentation and construction to one office. You can achieve the truth in a particular issue only when the opinions and interests of the designers and the contractor do not depend on each other. By creating healthy competition between them, you will be able to optimize costs and find the most optimal solutions.

Engineering systems and communications

Your home's connections to the outside world should be the most reliable and modern. Remember - if you save now, you are doomed to additional expenses during operation. Properly equipped gas and electricity supply systems, water supply, ventilation and sewerage, heating and lighting systems should not only provide the required degree of comfort, but also be safe to use.

Don't give up any communication advantage. Provide your home with convenient access roads, lay cables for television and the Internet. All this will give you invaluable convenience and comfort in the future.

What should be the design of an inexpensive house?

You should not look at large houses with many passages and multi-level roofs. As a rule, such projects are created by professional architects, for whom the cost of construction does not matter; their goal is to sell a beautiful picture. In your quest to build cheaply and with high quality, it is better to pay attention to projects that have the following features:

  • simple rectangular layout with a gable roof - the most optimal design in terms of consumption of building materials;
  • one floor, which will allow you to do without expensive floors and stairs;
  • low-basement construction on shallow foundation with floors arranged on joists laid on the ground;
  • lack of pretentiousness decorative elements in the form of arches, passages, balconies, turrets and columns;
  • absence basement, the cost of which is often up to 30% of total costs;
  • simple and uncomplicated layout interior spaces;
  • small number openings under windows and doors;
  • inexpensive finishing internal and external surfaces of walls;
  • simple cement-lime plaster as a finish facade.

By spending maximum time choosing the most cost-effective solutions at the design stage, you can save effort and money during construction.

Correct layout of an inexpensive house

You can build an inexpensive house with your own hands and achieve returns from every square meter of space if you adhere to a few simple rules during the planning process:

All interior space should be divided into residential and utility areas. In turn, the living space is divided into day and evening zones. Each of them includes rooms for adult family members, their children, as well as guest rooms. The day zone includes a vestibule, veranda, hallway, living room, dining room and toilet. Living space of the night zone - baths and toilets, bedrooms and dressing rooms.

You can build a house inexpensively by minimizing the number and area of ​​passages, halls and corridors.

A kitchen adjacent to the dining room or living room will allow optimize space of the economic zone.

Couples and single adults living in the home must have separate rooms. Moreover, if more than one generation of relatives lives in the house, then it is better to give each family a personal space with its own bathroom, and, if possible, make a separate entrance.

It is best to equip the house with two doors - one is the front door, and the other is for access to the utility area of ​​the yard.

When arranging the staircase, make sure that it is illuminated by natural light.

The design of an inexpensive house should include extension living space for the future, for growing family members.

When planning to install a fireplace, take care of the possibility of installing a chimney in the chosen location.

The correct orientation of the house along the horizon and the wind rose will reduce the cost of heating.

You can reduce the cost of construction by designing a simple gable roof instead of a multi-element sloping roof.

Optimize the length of utility networks and communications by placing the kitchen next to the bathroom and boiler room.

A built-in garage will cost less than a separate building and will provide you with invaluable convenience in bad weather and winter.

Instead of a basement, it is better to provide pantry, while placing part of the utility rooms in the attic.

Don't forget about sound and heat insulation. The house should be comfortable and energy efficient.

When arranging a heating system, choose the most technologically advanced solutions - they will help you save money and will not lose relevance for a long time.

Separate the front door vestibule, which will prevent cold air from entering the house from the street.

Installing balcony, use independent supports for it. By ridding the house of a foundation shared with the balcony, you will remove the additional conductor of cold.

The optimal combination of floor area and glazing is 1:8. Exceeding this value will increase the cost of heating the premises.

Plant vigorous trees on the sunny side. Their shade will reduce your cooling costs in the summer heat by 50%.

We recommend that you use only environmentally friendly products in the construction of your home. The health of all members of your family depends on this, so take the time to find out about the origin of building materials and the availability of quality certificates and other documents confirming the safety of their use.

What material to build a house from

The main criteria used when choosing materials for walls and roofs are strength and thermal insulation. According to SNiP 02/23/2003, before the start of construction, the cost of 1 sq. m. is calculated. m for walls of various structural and elemental designs. After this, heating costs are determined when using each structure and the period during which the construction will pay off is calculated.

In this way, you can find out which of the outer shells will be the most inexpensive and rational, in other words, from which it will be cheaper to build a reliable and durable house. Of course, information can be obtained from third-party sources, for example, from the World Wide Web, but this information will be rather approximate. The thing is that in different regions not only climatic conditions vary greatly, but also the price of building materials, as well as the type and cost of fuel used.

It may be necessary to consult with local designers about the results of similar calculations for previous projects to select the best building material for your area.

As a rule, money invested in energy-saving materials pays off most quickly in areas with expensive energy resources and harsh weather conditions. In this case, you can inexpensively build a house from foam blocks or bricks using the following wall shell design:

  • Internal brick masonry or wall from aerated concrete or gas silicate blocks with a density of more than 1200 kg/cu.m. m thickness from 180 to 250 mm. When using blocks made of cellular concrete with half the density, the thickness of the masonry must be increased to 250 -380 mm.
  • Layer thermal insulation 100 - 300 mm.
  • Plaster thickness from 3 to 7 mm.

Widespread in construction frame structures, the share of insulation in the internal structure of which ranks first. If we talk about payback, then we don’t have to think about more profitable construction. Currently, it is possible to build a frame house relatively inexpensively, 25 - 30% cheaper than the cost of block or brick buildings of the same size.

The frame wall design is a real multi-layer sandwich, which consists of the following elements:

  • Wooden racks frame, between which slabs of basalt or mineral wool with a thickness of 100 to 200 mm and a density of 45 kg/cubic meter are laid.
  • Internally covered with sheets OSB, plasterboards and other materials for interior decoration.
  • Exterior finishing with foam plastic, polystyrene foam or facade slabs thickness from 40 to 100 mm and density from 125 kg/cubic. m.
  • Thin-layer top cladding plaster.

The advantages of frame construction contribute to their widespread use in more temperate climates. In this case, external wall insulation may not be installed, since one layer of thermal insulation will be sufficient.

The wall design of an inexpensive house for the southern regions can be like this:

  • The wall material is gas silicate or aerated concrete with a density of 300 to 500 kg/cubic meter, hollow blocks made of porous ceramics. Masonry with a thickness of 380 to 510 mm, using glue or thermal insulation mortar.
  • Exterior finishing - putty up to 3 mm thick.

If in winter your climate can be called mild, then single-layer walls made of porous materials (aerated concrete, gas silicate, porous ceramics, large-porous expanded clay concrete, foam concrete) will help reduce the cost of construction. A masonry thickness of no more than 510 mm will be sufficient, and additional thermal insulation may not be installed.

As for houses made of natural wood, the term “quickly and inexpensively” is no longer applied to them, since at present wooden structures cannot withstand any competition with modern technologies.

In addition, when used year-round, they require the installation of additional thermal insulation, which negates their advantages in the form of environmental friendliness and breathability. Of course, this option should not be rejected for a country house or seasonal house, but for the main residence it is better to look for cheaper and more rational solutions.

As you can see, there are many ways to build a house with high quality and inexpensively. Maybe it’s still worth getting off the couch, rolling up your sleeves and taking the first step towards your dream?

How to build a house inexpensively. Video

Prefabricated houses are attractive because once the foundation is ready, the house itself can be erected very quickly. For example, building a frame house with your own hands, with the help of two people, is possible in a month without haste. And this is if inexperienced workers are involved in the construction, who only know how to hold a hammer in their hands. This is because the assembly occurs step by step: regular repetition of simple actions. It is only important to know how to correctly assemble each unit. Having instructions and understanding the principle of construction, anyone can assemble a frame house on their own.

Frame construction is no less attractive because it can be done at minimal cost. How much money will be required for construction depends on the size of the house and the materials used (type and grade of wood, finishing materials). But in any case, this is one of the cheapest methods. (

Timber frame houses are not the only ones. There are regions where wood is a luxury. They put it there. Despite the fact that metal is not cheap today, it still turns out to be relatively inexpensive.

One more thing. Many people are interested in whether it is possible to leave a frame house unfinished, and if so, at what stages. The answer is yes, and the first stage is known to everyone: the finished foundation is left to winter. The following wintering options are also possible:

  • foundation + frame + roof (without floor);
  • foundation + frame + roof + external cladding OSB + wind protection;
  • foundation + frame + roof + external cladding OSB + wind protection + mounted and insulated floor and ceiling + partitions.

It is dangerous to leave windows and doors unattended over the winter. In other options, delaying the completion of construction is even a good idea: the wood will dry out. In winter, as a rule, there is low humidity and drying is active. At the same time, identify all the jambs in the already assembled part.

After pouring the piles, a grillage is installed, and the reinforcement is laid and tied into it. Longitudinal rods are connected to bent reinforcement outlets from the piles. At this stage, holes are left in the tape for supplying communications and (insert sections of plastic pipes across the tape).

The strapping beam will subsequently be attached to the foundation strip. To install it, studs are fixed in the tape. They are installed in increments of 1-2 meters. From each corner, 30 cm are retreated in both directions. Here, studs are required, the rest depending on the dimensions of the house, but at least every 2 meters. Please note that it is the studs that connect the frame of the house to the foundation. That’s why it’s better to deliver more often. And one more thing: no matter how short the wall is, there must be at least two studs.

When everything is ready, the concrete is poured.

After pouring the concrete, so that it does not dry out, but gains strength, it is better to cover it with polyethylene (look at the photo). If the temperature after pouring the foundation remains within +20°C, construction can continue after about 3-5 days. During this time, under such conditions, concrete will gain more than 50% of its strength. You can work with it freely. When the temperature drops, the period increases significantly. So at +17°C you need to wait about 10 days.

Step 2: Bottom Rail and Floor

To prevent the wood of the frame from drawing moisture from the concrete, cut-off waterproofing of the foundation is necessary. The safest way to do this is with bitumen mastic. And it’s better - in two layers. You can also use roll waterproofing. Roofing felt is cheaper, but it breaks over time. Waterproofing or other similar modern material is more reliable.

You can coat the grillage once with mastic, and roll out waterproofing on top. Another option for cut-off waterproofing under a frame house is two layers of waterproofing coated with mastic: the closer the groundwater is, the more thorough the waterproofing should be.

The first layer is liquid waterproofing. While it is not dry, you can glue a layer of rolled waterproofing on it.

Then the beds are laid - boards measuring 150 * 50 mm. They must be dry, impregnated with bioprotective and fire-retardant compounds. The edge of the bed is aligned with the outer edge of the foundation. In the necessary places, holes are drilled for the studs (the diameter of the hole is 2-3 mm larger than the diameter of the stud). Then the second board is laid. It is placed so as to cover the joint of the first row. It turns out to be a castle.

The second board is laid so that the joints overlap

In general, you can lay one beam of 100-150 cm, but its price is much higher than two boards, which together give the same thickness, and properly fastened two boards have a greater load-bearing capacity, although their installation takes more time. To make them work as a single beam, they are knocked down with nails in 20 cm increments in a checkerboard pattern.

We install the harness and logs

The next stage is installation and installation of the logs. These are the same 150*50 mm boards placed on edge. They are attached with two oblique nails (9 cm) at the end to the trim board, two nails on the right and left to the bed. So each lag is on both sides.

The photo shows that the first joist is installed close to the second - this way the load is better transferred to the foundation. It is installed along the second edge of the bed. The installation step is 40-60 cm. It depends on the length of the span and the cross-section of the lumber used: the longer the length, the smaller the step.

If the logs are long and there is a cross beam, as in the photo above, to prevent the logs from “moving away,” jumpers are placed above the cross beam. Their length is equal to the step of installing the logs minus the double thickness of the board: if the step of the log is 55 cm, the thickness of the board is 5 cm, then the jumper will be 45 cm long.

Insulation and flooring

After the base for the flooring has been installed, it is time to insulate the floor. It can be done in different ways, with different materials. We will show you an economical option - with polystyrene foam boards with a density of 15 kg/m3 (more is possible, less is not possible). It is, of course, not environmentally friendly, but it is the only one that is not afraid of moisture and can be installed without a subfloor. The estimated thickness of the insulation is 150 mm, two layers are laid: one 10 cm, the second 5 cm. The seams of the second layer should not coincide with the seams of the first (they shift).

To begin with, a 50*50 mm cranial block is packed along the lower edge of the log. It will hold the foam.

The foam is cut with a regular hacksaw. The blade can be used on wood - it cuts faster, but you get a torn edge, or on metal - it goes slower, but the edge is smoother. The cut slabs are laid in two layers, the seams overlap. Then they seal the perimeter with sealant to ensure waterproofing.

Next, lay the subfloor from boards, level it and lay plywood on top (preferably FSF 5-6 mm). To prevent the rough flooring of boards from warping, lay the boards alternating the direction of the wave. If you look at the cross section of the board, the annual rings go in a semicircle. So, you need the arc to look up and down (see photo).

You can do without plank flooring. Then the thickness of the plywood should be at least 15 mm. Consider what is more profitable in your region and choose.

In any case, the sheets should be laid in a spaced pattern - the seams should not match (as in brickwork). Also, do not forget to leave a gap of 3-5 mm between the sheets of plywood to compensate for changes in size when humidity changes.

The plywood is attached with self-tapping screws 35 mm long (preferably white ones - less waste) around the perimeter in increments of 12 cm, inside in a checkerboard pattern in increments of 40 cm.

Step 3: Frame Walls

There are two ways: the wall frame is assembled (all or part, depending on the size) on the floor, then raised, positioned and secured. Sometimes with this method, OSB, gypsum fiber board, or plywood are attached directly to the floor on the outside of the frame: the rigidity is greater. This technology is called frame-panel or “platform”. Factories generally operate according to this principle: they build ready-made panels according to the design in the workshop, bring them to the site and only install them there. But frame-panel house construction is possible with your own hands.

The second method: everything is assembled gradually, locally. The beam of the bottom frame is nailed, the corner posts are set, then the intermediate posts, the top frame, etc. This is the technology called “frame house construction” or “balloon”.

Which one is more convenient? It depends on how many people work and whether it is possible, at least periodically, to attract help. Working on the floor is faster and more convenient than jumping up/down a stepladder countless times. But if the section is assembled large, then it will be difficult even for two people to lift it. The solution is either to call help or to break the wall frame into small segments.

Installation step and cross-section of racks

Corner posts should be 150*150 mm or 100*100 mm, depending on the load and the required width of the insulation. For a one-story frame house, 100 mm is enough, for a two-story frame house - at least 150 mm. The intermediate posts are the same in depth as the corner posts, and their thickness is at least 50 mm.

The installation step of the racks is selected taking into account the load, but in reality it is more often selected based on the width of the insulation. If you will be insulating with mineral wool in rolls or mats, first find out the actual width of the material. The gap between the posts should be 2-3 cm less than the width of the insulation. Then there will be almost no waste, no gaps and cracks through which heat will escape. The density of installation of insulation in frames is the main point, because only it will serve as protection from the cold. The slightest violation will lead to the fact that the house will be cold. Therefore, the selection of insulation and its installation must be treated with full attention.

Fastening the racks is possible in several ways: with wooden dowels, with a notch or on corners. The cut into the board of the bottom trim should be no more than 50% of its depth. The corners are attached on both sides. Fastening with dowels is an old technology, but difficult to implement: long dowels are planed, a hole is drilled obliquely through the stand and beam of the lower trim, a wooden tenon is driven into it, the excess of which is cut off. It works well if the wood used is dry. If not, drying out and loss of fastening rigidity is possible. Installation on reinforced corners is much easier.

According to Canadian technology, the beams to which windows and doors are attached are made double. There is more load here, therefore the support must be more powerful.

Reinforced counters near windows and doors are a must. This is the only way a frame house built with your own hands will be reliable

Bevels or braces

If the outer cladding is planned to be made of high-strength slab material - OSB, gypsum fiber board, gypsum fiber board, plywood - temporary slopes are installed from the inside of the room. They are needed to level and maintain geometry until the outer skin is attached. The strength of this material is sufficient to create the required structural rigidity.

If the cladding is planned to be made up of linings, etc. installation of permanent jibs is required. Moreover, the best option is not those that are placed on several racks, but four small pieces for each: two on top and two on the bottom (as in the photo below).

Please note that in the photo above the racks are prefabricated: two boards are nailed together along the entire length in a checkerboard pattern. Such racks have even greater load-bearing capacity than solid ones and cost less. This is a real way to reduce construction costs without losing quality. But construction time increases: you have to hammer in a lot of nails.

Corners of a frame house

The most questions arise when constructing corners. If you place a beam in a corner, then there seem to be no difficulties, except that the corner turns out to be cold. In regions with short and mild winters this is not a problem, but in central Russia it requires some kind of solution.

There are several ways to make the corner of a frame house warm. All of them are shown in the diagrams, so it’s clearer.

After assembling the frame, it is most often sheathed on the outside with OSB, plywood or other similar material.

Step 4: Covering

The floor beams rest on the beam of the upper frame. There are several mounting methods:

  • on supporting steel brackets;
  • on the corners;
  • with insert;

Notching - the depth of the cut should not exceed 50% of the thickness of the top frame timber. It is hammered in from above with two nails, which must go into the harness at least 10 cm. Corners are the usual method. You can use reinforced, but not necessarily perforated staples - the shape may vary

The dimensions of the beams and the pitch of their installation depend on what will be on top. If the second residential floor or, the cross-section is taken larger, the step is made smaller: so that the floor does not sag. If only the roof and attic on top are assumed to be non-residential, these are completely different calculations and dimensions.

If a second floor is being built, the ceiling is sheathed with the subfloor of the second floor. This will make it easier to work on creating the second floor of a frame house. Its assembly is no different from the construction of the first one. The only reason is that all the lumber has to be hauled to the second floor.

Step 5: Rafter system and roofing material

When developing a house project using frame technology, the most popular are or. Their device is no different. All the same principles and calculations. The only limitation concerns the weight of the roofing: it must be a light material, the load from which wooden beams and ceilings can withstand.

To fix the rafters in a given position before the sheathing was filled, temporary jibs were used

Another relatively inexpensive technology

Step 6: Insulation

A frame house can be insulated with any of the materials available on the market with the appropriate characteristics. All of them are imperfect, but all problems have standard solutions.

The most popular insulation for frame walls is basalt wool. It is available in the form of rolls or mats of different densities. It is more convenient to install mats in walls: they are denser and hold themselves well due to the pushing force. To do this, as mentioned above, their dimensions should be 2-3 cm larger than the distance between the frame posts. The mats, of course, are additionally fixed with special fasteners, but it is more convenient to work with than with a soft roll.

Mineral wool has high thermal insulation characteristics and good sound insulation. But there is also a serious drawback: it is afraid of getting wet and it must be protected on all sides not only from moisture (rain), but also from the penetration of steam. Therefore, from the side of the room it is covered with a layer of vapor barrier membrane, which prevents vapors from penetrating inside.

On the street side, the thermal insulation made of mineral wool is covered with another membrane, but of a different type with different characteristics: a hydro-wind-protective vapor-permeable membrane. It is not blown, does not allow moisture in liquid or gaseous states to pass through from the street, and vapors can escape from the insulation: vapor permeability is one-sided. After installing the insulation, only finishing work remains. Actually, that's it, construction is over.

Now you know how to build a frame house. The detail of some processes is far from complete, but you have a general assembly sequence. Perhaps another video from a professional carpenter who has been building frame houses for decades will help you (see below).

Video instructions for installing frame houses

These are three videos of excellent carpenter Larry Hohn. Each of them lasts more than an hour. The technology for building a frame house on a finished foundation is described in great detail.

According to these instructions, self-construction is possible without any questions: all stages of building a frame house and small details are commented on and explained, down to what nails, what length, how many pieces in what increments, should be hammered into each node. The main problems that may arise and methods for correcting them are demonstrated. If you decide to build a frame house with your own hands, take the time to watch the movie. Much will become clearer to you.

The first part is the lower trim and the floor.

The second part of the video is the design and assembly of frame walls.

The third part is building the roof of a frame house.

If you still doubt whether to build a frame house, it’s probably because you’ve heard that this is a bad technology, that it doesn’t work for us. There is such an opinion. But it is based on the fact that Canadian and American frame houses are built from dry wood, with moisture. no more than 20-22%. In our conditions, wood is brought from the sawmill with almost natural humidity, and this is up to 60%. That’s why the houses twist and turn, they become cold.

But if you are planning to build a house with your own hands, what will stop you from using dry wood? Kiln drying is expensive, the difference per cubic meter is very significant - almost twice. But by stacking the wood on the site in ventilated piles, it can be dried to the same 20-22% within a year. You decide for yourself whether or not to impregnate it with bioprotection before drying. Dry wood does not rot or be damaged by fungi, but it is advisable to impregnate it with bioprotection against insects.

An example of this opinion is in the video. With an explanation of why the technology is bad...