Tag Archives: Log house joints

Is Birch Tree Good for Log House Construction?

Birch wood can be used in log house construction, but it may not be considered the most ideal material compared to other types of wood typically used for this purpose.

Here are some factors we want you to consider if you want to use birch:

  1. Durability: While birch wood is durable, it is not as naturally rot-resistant or insect-resistant as some other wood species commonly used in log house construction, such as cedar or cypress. Log houses are exposed to the elements, and using more rot-resistant woods can help ensure the long-term durability of the structure.
  2. Shrinkage and Settling: Log houses are built using whole logs that are stacked horizontally and interlocked at the corners. Birch logs have a higher moisture content compared to some other wood species, which means they may undergo more shrinkage and settling as they dry. This can result in larger gaps between the logs, which may require additional maintenance or sealing measures to ensure energy efficiency and structural stability.
  3. Availability and Cost: Birch wood may not be as widely available or as cost-effective as some other wood species used in log house construction. Local availability and market prices can vary significantly depending on your location. It’s worth considering other wood species that are commonly used for log houses and are more readily accessible in your region.

If you are specifically interested in building a log house, it is generally recommended to use wood species that are known for their durability, natural resistance to decay and insects, and minimal shrinkage.

Best trees for log buildings: cedar, cypress, pine, and spruce are some commonly used woods for log house construction due to their favorable properties.

Consulting with a local architect or us as a builder experienced in log house construction can provide you with more specific guidance based on the availability of wood species in your area and the specific requirements of your project.

Is birch tree good for construction?

Yes, birch trees can be used for construction purposes. Birch wood is known for its strength, durability, and attractive appearance, making it a suitable choice for various construction applications.

Our reasons why birch wood is considered good for construction:

  1. Strength and Durability: Birchwood is relatively strong and has good structural integrity, making it suitable for load-bearing applications. It can withstand moderate to heavy loads and resist warping or bending.
  2. Hardness: Birch wood is harder than some other commonly used woods, which makes it more resistant to wear and damage. This characteristic makes it suitable for flooring, cabinetry, and furniture where durability is important.
  3. Attractive Appearance: Birch wood has a pale, light-colored appearance with a smooth texture and often features a distinctive grain pattern. It can add a touch of elegance to interior applications such as paneling, trim work, and furniture.
  4. Easy to Work With: Birchwood is generally easy to work with using standard woodworking tools and techniques. It can be cut, shaped, and sanded easily, making it convenient for construction projects.
  5. Availability: Birch trees are found in various regions around the world, including North America, Europe, and parts of Asia. As a result, birch wood is often readily available in the form of lumber and can be sourced locally in many areas.

Is birch tree good for health and considered eco-friendly?

Birch trees have some health benefits and are generally considered to be eco-friendly. Here’s some information on their health benefits and environmental aspects:

Health Benefits:

  1. Traditional Medicine: Various parts of the birch tree, such as the bark, leaves, and sap, have been used in traditional medicine for their potential health benefits. Birch bark has been historically used for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antiseptic properties. Birch sap is known for its detoxifying and diuretic effects, and it has been used as a traditional beverage.
  2. Herbal Remedies: Birch leaves are sometimes brewed into herbal teas and used as a natural remedy for certain ailments. The tea is believed to have diuretic, detoxifying, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Please note that while birch trees have been used in traditional medicine, it’s always advisable to consult with healthcare professionals before using any natural remedies or herbal preparations.

Environmental Considerations:

  1. Sustainability: Birch trees are considered to be relatively fast-growing, which means they can be harvested sustainably. When managed responsibly, birch forests can provide a renewable source of timber and other birch-derived products.
  2. Carbon Sequestration: Like other trees, birch trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it as carbon within their biomass. This makes them valuable in combating climate change as they contribute to carbon sequestration and help reduce greenhouse gas concentrations.
  3. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Support: Birch trees provide habitat and food sources for various wildlife species. They contribute to biodiversity by supporting a range of organisms, including birds, insects, and fungi.
  4. Land Stabilization: Birch trees help stabilize soil and prevent erosion, particularly in areas prone to landslides or soil degradation. Their extensive root systems help hold the soil together and reduce the risk of soil erosion.

What can birch tree be used for?

Birch trees have a variety of uses and can be utilized in different industries. Here are some common applications for birch trees:

  1. Timber: Birch wood is used in the production of lumber for various construction purposes. It can be used for framing, flooring, cabinetry, furniture, paneling, and trim work. Birch wood’s strength, durability, and attractive appearance make it suitable for these applications.
  2. Plywood and Veneer: Birchwood is commonly used in the manufacture of plywood and veneer. Its fine grain and light color make it desirable for decorative finishes, furniture making, and interior design.
  3. Firewood: Birch wood burns well and provides good heat output. It is often used as firewood for heating and cooking purposes.
  4. Pulp and Paper: Birch trees are a source of high-quality pulp for the paper industry. The wood fibers from birch trees are used in the production of various paper products, including writing paper, cardboard, and specialty papers.
  5. Craftsmanship: Birch bark, known for its unique texture and appearance, has been used for centuries in traditional craftsmanship. It can be utilized in the creation of baskets, containers, decorative items, and even in the construction of canoes.
  6. Medicinal and Herbal Purposes: Various parts of the birch tree, including the bark, leaves, and sap, have been used in traditional medicine for their potential health benefits. Birch sap is sometimes harvested and consumed as a refreshing beverage or used in the production of birch syrup.
  7. Landscaping and Ornamental Planting: Birch trees are valued for their aesthetic appeal and are commonly planted in parks, gardens, and landscapes. Their attractive white bark, graceful form, and vibrant foliage make them a popular choice for ornamental purposes.
  8. Food and Beverages: Birch sap can be tapped and used as a refreshing drink, similar to maple syrup production. Additionally, the young leaves of some birch species can be used in salads or brewed into herbal teas.

That’s about all we can tell you about our experience and look at this versatile birch material. Thank you for visiting, and get in touch with us!

How We Improved Log Houses We Make

Our log house

1. Wind – heat protection.
Traditional outlook and difficult construction of log corner joints successfully have been elaborated besides there is possible to make new radical protection against wind. Now most unprotected place inside the corner joints could be tightly compressed until the log bottom groove by mortise and tenon extension for main wind plug. It will be made in the depth 10 mm and main plug as well as notch of it has rounded corners to enlarge and strengthen cross section of corner joints. Experience of handmade products detects this area in corner joints as most serious leakage of heat but unfortunately problem will never be handled over extreme complexity of this internal mortise and tenon system. Due to our progressive technologies we have double modernized joints up to new standards of heat resistance.

2. Accuracy and wetness.
Our industrially made corner joints and log beam profiles have total accuracy + 0,2mm which correspond to quality standards of furniture. Considering fact about dimensions of logs such level of accuracy seems more than enough for house details. Production includes gentle drying of logs to reach final wetness 18 – 14% in the depth 50 mm and 12% in the outside layers. Wetness 18% ensures relative constant sizes of logs in the open air conditions, but 14% evenly balances shrinkage indoor and swelling outdoor during the initial stage of logs compaction.

3. Idealized corner joint.
Outlook of corners joints but mostly ideal quality inside the connections substantially defeat same type of handmade joints by every of possible parameters. Only our technologies within highest level of accuracy can realize into practice all superb qualities attributed to construction of this intelligent joint by theory.

– Characteristic and basic element of joint is four cone-shaped surfaces and they meet now in the one exact point of construction to achieve ideal intersection of corner joints. Most important benefit is principally correct structure of joints to guarantee unproblematic compaction of house. But outlook has got precise and more elegant view as never before.

– Corner joints have contact lines just between these cone-shaped surfaces. Now they are pulled on equally and with ideal effort +1mm. During assemble of logs corner joints presses together by creating unique miniature groove at the same time. Moreover milling is done by especially made cutter-tool with toothcomb surface to catch joints more tightly and lengthen wind labyrinths as inside of such updated connections are extremely relief.

– Width of extended wind plug is suited perfectly to notch of it as using exactly the same size + 0,2mm. Unification of widths again thoroughly benefits quality of our product. Logs can not be placed or move aside from correct outset position and effort +1mm disperses equally. It is also capital guarantee against screwing of logs into joints, besides newly extended wind plugs provide twice a longer contact surface with notch to protect double.

– Because of some walls have big lengths it is common to connect logs inside the corner joints. Unfortunately heavy pressure from weight can move logs aside and let them screw after. We have invented revolutionary system to connect logs by using original complete set of wedged cramp irons. System is hidden into logs and fully secure against move out from corner joints, connections even have inner tension in opposite or desirable direction.

– Before processing of logs all difficulties in constructions are solved and details of project programmed so that corner joints have only restricted heights 100 – 190 mm for half part. Faults in proportions can conflict to house compaction by extreme angles of ‘saddle’ and do seriously entangle outlook. All types of our corner joints are approved by proportions and similarly using the same effort and accuracy, basic cross points, contact lines and surfaces, reserves for movements and inside relief to ensure regular compaction all over.

– We have anticipated results from initial stage or intense compaction therefore top of profile into corner joints is intentionally lifted up to have chink 3mm at first. Logs are shrinking more while heating inside but tied ‘saddle’ cones of corner joints will freely closing down and profiles reaching zero to lock so useful chink finally. Next reserve for long term or slow compaction is left as especially made 3mm slopes to the top of profiles.

– Foundation-type corner joint is greatly improved by two additional lugs that close huge emptiness inside and so they solve basic structural defect of this type. Besides toothcomb surface of lug is connecting tightly both logs to not let them screw as well as winding through. Also excellent realization is created for half-type corner joint which is stopped in the middle of walls. So called ‘swallowtail’ in the end of joint has got more advanced construction and delicate exactness to keep logs not going out from connections.

4. Assembling of houses.
Customer shall provide assembling with crane and also cover lodging, feeding and transport expenses of workers mission. Because quality of our product leaves no doubts we assure you to choose domestic carpenters instead. Due to new technologies time for assemble house frame has double reduced and so expenses are seriously cut down. There is not necessary to regulate logs position, press or squeeze problematic and tight places, drill extra plugs, cut off overhangs from heat insulating materials, fix staples to join logs and much more. As product assembles so easily and details fit unbelievable exactly client could do job by himself even.

5. Heat insulation.
Our profiled log beams are elaborated to place insulation between logs with twice a smaller width as common to other builders. Thanks to mortise and tenon extension for wind plugs it became possible to put just a small insulating strip under wind plug or do nothing at all. Expenses for insulation materials as well as job to fix materials are reducing very much again. Profile have flat 40mm surface onto the top we would recommend to use for modern self gluing materials to secure air-tight qualities of walls and fasten assembling operation too.

ABOUT OUR COMPANY
If you are interested in our products, please feel free to contact us!
Scandinavian Wooden Houses Ltd.
Bruņinieku 47 K-3 35, Rīga
E-mail: info@woodhouse.lv
Phone (WhatsApp, Viber): +37129277343

Log Joints of Our Wood Houses

Log house joints

1. Style of corner joints
Construction of joint has been improved through centuries and reached perfection to solve problems of house heat resistance and compaction process, shrinkage and natural screwing of logs, too. Universally recognized building standards entirely accept only this superior log corner joint, Log Builder’s Association approves and values it as most complicated one. Due to our technologies we are producing idealized joints up to traditional outlook for 100%, at the same time joints are industrially improved by internal wind and heat protection.

2. Various heights of logs
Technology is based to apply log beam profiles with any height in range from 262 till 352 mm. Each log is unique detail of house tied with logs from other walls by suitable connections so that half part of joint never exceed 190 mm or undersize 100 mm. Rows of logs are intentionally composed and occasionally mixed from various heights of details but always restricted by proportion rules of connections. Such a style of log mix is common in handmade houses and for a first time thoroughly erases industrial view of our product.

3. Shape of logs
Two sided log beams have width 200 mm, according to historical traditions sides of logs are naturally shaped by clean-cut edges. Logs have universal and particularly 12 mm deep seated profile useful to mould rainwater slope for house outside ends without teardown of line between logs. Well conformed shapes of groove and profile from logs bottom and upper are made considering facts about house compaction. Houses are built solely from large logs what’s extremely important for proportional harmony of log height and width or H/W>1,3.

4. Roof support logs
Perfect way to present original and lovely shapes of roundness, natural curves and features of timber is through roof logs always placed lonely. Logs have various average diameters in both ends of it and even different size from other logs beside. They are extremely attractive element of houses, actually single serious reason to leave an impression in favor of handmade products. Highest value of aesthetic qualities and respect to historical traditions are weighty arguments for us to make handmade roof logs and corner joints to fix them.

5. Logs with full profile
To keep standards of constructions every production of terraces and decorative arches, crossbeams for ceiling and simple roof constructions, walls started from different heights as well as special outside and inside logs have to be made only by logs with full profile or without bottom groove. We have advanced our technology for full profiled logs useful for every subtype of corner joints like standard shaped logs and also for entire list of possible log heights combination. Of course, both types of log profiles are interconnect able.

ABOUT OUR COMPANY
If you are interested in our products, please feel free to contact us!
Scandinavian Wooden Houses Ltd.
Bruņinieku 47 K-3 35, Rīga
E-mail: info@woodhouse.lv
Phone: +37129277343