In houses made of timber, partitions are made of the same material so as not to disturb the design. They are installed according to the plan during the assembly of the house or later, if redevelopment is desired. Interior partitions made of timber can be made anywhere in the house, since they do not bear the main load. They may not be provided when installing the foundation, which makes the layout convenient. We will talk below about how they are assembled and what types of partitions are in a house made of timber.
Features of the material
The beams can be made from either valuable wood or synthetic materials such as MDF. They are often made from pine needles.
At the same time, it is important to distinguish timber from logs. Timber is lumber having a square or rectangular cross-section . A log is a piece of wood with the knots removed.
From a practical point of view, timber is easy to use. Correct geometric shapes and smooth surface make working with the material much easier. The log does not have such characteristics.
To make it easier to work with a log, it is usually passed through a special machine to ultimately obtain cylindrical shapes. These materials also differ in thermal conductivity, shrinkage and durability of structures made from them.
In addition, it is worth noting that timber material has the following advantages :
Retains heat well.- High level of noise protection.
- Does not require additional insulation.
- Aesthetics - does not require finishing.
- Easy to assemble and install.
- Adaptability to significant loads: you can hang cabinets or shelves on the surface.
- They do not carry loads for load-bearing walls.
- There is no need to plan such structures in the original building plan.
Types of timber
It should be said right away that the collective name “timber” means several types of building materials that differ from each other in technical characteristics, construction technologies and cost.
Types of timber
The only thing that unites them is their scope: first of all, the construction of load-bearing walls of buildings.
Solid wood beam
The most common type is regular solid wood timber.
It is made by simply edging logs on a sawmill. In cross-section it is a square or rectangle without protrusions and grooves.
Most often, timber with a cross section of 15 x 15, 15 x 18 or 18 x 18 cm is used for the construction of load-bearing walls. Among the advantages of this building material are its availability and low cost.
Glued laminated timber
Glued laminated timber consists of glued boards.
Glued laminated timber is a relatively new material that appeared on the construction market at the end of the twentieth century. Structurally, it consists of individual lamella boards glued together with compounds based on synthetic resins.
Most often, laminated veneer lumber is made in a profiled version, which makes it more technologically advanced to use. Before gluing, the lamellas are thoroughly dried, which reduces the likelihood of deformation of the finished timber during operation.
Profiled timber
A distinctive feature of such timber is the presence of grooves and tenons located on its two opposite longitudinal sides.
They are arranged in such a way that when two beams are laid one on top of the other, the grooves of one beam fit into the grooves of the other.
Thus, laying walls from timber is more like assembling a children's construction set.
Profiled timber is a type of either laminated veneer lumber or solid timber. In the first case, the grooves are obtained by gluing the lamellas with some offset relative to each other. In the case of solid wood, the tongue and groove system is obtained using a milling cutter.
Types of interior walls
Partitions are of the following types :
- wooden;
- solid;
- frame-panel.
Depending on the service life, they are distinguished:
- Stationary structures are options for apartments and houses that have doorways, arches or built-in shelves and racks. The advantage of such structures is their ability to reduce noise and retain heat.
- Transformers are structures that “can” take on different forms. They can be folded, extended or in any other way adapted depending on the characteristics of the space. They are easy to move.
The choice of one type of partition or another depends on the goals and expectations of homeowners.
What problems do they solve?
In what cases should one resort to constructing partitions from timber? Here are typical tasks that beams cope with effectively:
Housing zoning .
For example, when you need to arrange a sleeping area comfortably in the studio. Often there is a need to install partitions between the kitchen and living room in the same studios. They also make it easy to create work areas or create a private area for children.- Design element .
Partitions help you endlessly experiment with space. In general, the approach itself - visual differentiation already carries many elements of novelty. Thanks to this solution, you can rationally use the free space in your home. The natural beauty of natural materials will add visual impact. A variety of textures, shades and design designs will help you decorate your space in an original and harmonious way. - Practical functions . Using partitions, you can eliminate imperfections and defects in load-bearing walls. There are rooms with incorrect geometry or incorrect volumes. Partitions for this case are an excellent solution. In addition, various storage systems and supports can be successfully integrated into partition structures.
Requirements for them
Partitions in housing, unlike load-bearing and self-supporting walls, are not subject to special loads.
However, there are a number of the following requirements for them :
- Light weight - the lighter the better. Massive partitions increase the load on the foundation.
- Compactness, implying the thinness of the partition bars. It is important that the partition does not take up much space and area.
- If you plan to hang hangers or other items on the partition, it must be strong enough to support the weight of these items.
- If possible, partitions should provide sound insulation.
- If there is a high level of humidity in the room, then the partition beams must be treated with a special protective impregnation so as not to be negatively affected by moisture.
- It is important to pay attention to fire resistance. This parameter is also achieved by additional processing of the beams.
- There are special safety rules for running electrical wires over or along a partition. They must be strictly followed.
Suitable wood
The best timber is made from hard wood. Experts often recommend using profiled timber or frame-panel partitions.
The options for beam sections are as follows:
- For racks – 5x5 or 5x7 cm.
- For transverse elements – 5x5 cm.
- For ceiling and floor beams – 5x5 cm.
If there is no goal to save money, then the entire structure can be assembled from elements of the same section - 5x5 cm.
Price for timber partition
The main advantage of partitions for building a house from laminated veneer lumber or other lumber is their final price. If you do all the work yourself, it will cost the owner a few thousand. If we compare this type with frame structures, which are considered to be the most economical, taking into account insulation and finishing, it will become clear that this option is cheaper. So the price for a frame partition starts from 100 rubles/m2, but this is without external finishing. A timber partition made of simple planed material costs from 150 rubles/m2, and finishing is less expensive.
We talked in detail about all types of partitions based on timber. Which design is easier to make with your own hands is up to the reader to decide.
Step-by-step instructions for DIY construction
Installation is carried out by two popular methods:
- The first option involves installing a ready-made structure to the floor and ceiling. Dowels and nails are used for this.
- The second option involves erecting the structure on site. This stage requires precise measurements. First, the bars that form the basis of the frame are installed, then the remaining parts are installed. If you plan to install decorative elements, they are hung last.
In both cases, installation is completed with additional work on insulation, protection and insulation of the structure.
Frame assembly consists of the following steps:
cutting the timber to the size of the required sections;- drawing markings on enclosing walls;
- dismantling floor coverings in places where lower profiles are attached;
- drilling through holes in the lower and side elements of the frame;
- securing wooden elements with dowels;
- the holes are placed on the concrete or brickwork of the wall to the depth of the dowels;
- installation of doorway posts. The racks are connected using mounting angles;
- installation of transverse connecting elements. They are attached with corners;
- frame openings must be filled with mineral wool or any other soundproofing material. The material is fixed to the tree using a stapler;
- doors are hung last;
- elimination of distortions and leaks;
- frame cladding.
The following materials are used for cladding:
- fiberboard and chipboard sheets;
- drywall;
- plywood.
The covering material must be pre-cut. When cutting, it is necessary to take into account that the vertical and horizontal joints of each element must fit into the body of the beam. They are attached to the structure using self-tapping screws.
Considering the fact that a timber partition serves two rooms, two different types of cladding are produced for each side. The option of wallpapering is very often used. The style and texture of the wallpaper is selected based on the general style of the room. If you want to bring something new to an old design, then the partition can be used as an accent wall.
How to make it in a wooden house?
If the base of the house is wooden, then the partition is made of the same material.
When choosing partitions for a private home, you should take into account the weight and strength of the walls of the house. There is a very important rule in this matter: the density of the material of the partition wall should not exceed the density of the material of the load-bearing walls .
In this case, the partition for a wooden house can only be made of wood. Brick, aerated concrete and other heavy materials are excluded, as they create an excessive load on the support system.
An important rule for wooden houses concerns the installation time of partitions. Partitions should not be installed immediately after building a house, but after a certain time. It is necessary that the walls of the house shrink.
If you do not comply with these requirements, then you need to be prepared for the following problems:
- walls can quickly sag and dry out;
- partitions also shrink;
- house floors supported by load-bearing walls can lead to loss of geometry of interior fences.
But panel and frame houses are far from such problems. You can install partitions in them at any stage.
Roofing device
If we are talking about the roof, then there are many building materials for its installation, and relatively inexpensive ones. There is a certain temptation to choose based on cost. However, this approach is wrong. Not saving, but reducing the weight of the structure - this is the rule that every novice builder should remember. After all, most often houses made of timber are built on a pile foundation, which is simply not able to withstand too heavy loads. An experienced builder always strives to lighten the structure as much as possible without losing reliability and strength.
By the way, the house project is developed taking into account all technical characteristics and in strict accordance with current building regulations. That is why it is under no circumstances acceptable to use timber for rafters at your own discretion. It is necessary to purchase and install only the material specified in the project, and the choice of building materials should be made at the design stage.
Fig. 7. The rafter system is most often assembled from beams of different widths and heights - this way you can increase their reliability and resistance to vertical loads
The geometry of the cross section of the beam is also of great importance. This parameter affects the strength of the beam, its resistance to certain types of loads in different parts of the beam. To increase the reliability of the roof and make it more stable, the rafter system is made of beams of different widths and heights. Sometimes builders can simplify the task and simply use large square beams for rafters.
Important assembly points
When laying timber, it is recommended to follow the following practical rules :
- masonry is done from bottom to top;
- after the first block it is necessary to lay a layer of moisture-proof material. This is necessary to protect the timber from possible moisture entering the structure during wet cleaning or water leaks;
- as an option for resistance to moisture, it is optimal to use beams made of aspen or larch;
- if there is a need for additional sound insulation, then it is optimal to use jute fiber;
- the structure is connected using wooden or iron dowels;
- optimal parameters of the dowels: distance from the corners - 15 cm, distance between each other - 1.5 meters, arrangement - checkerboard.
Rules for forming openings
It is most convenient to create door and window openings on a completely finished wall with insulation and waterproofing. Procedure :
- Using a laser level, mark the future opening, taking into account the size of the door/window + framing that will strengthen the structure.
- Using a regular saw, cut through the top layer, remove all excess down to the timber (insulation, frame).
- Use an electric saw to cut the required opening. To strengthen the inside of the building, they make a frame - decorating the doorway with timber around the perimeter.
Openings in contact with the street require additional insulation. To do this, before installing the frame, a groove is cut inside it around the perimeter, insulation is laid, and only after that the reinforcing material is laid.
Pros and cons of the solution
The advantages of timber partitions are as follows:
environmental friendliness of the material;- variability - the beams can be made of any type of wood;
- ease of operation - you can make it yourself;
- there is plenty of room to create design solutions;
- do not create a load on the foundation of the building;
- budget material - beams can be bought at any hardware store at an affordable price;
- ease of reconstruction if damaged.
There are also some objective disadvantages :
- the need to protect from moisture and high temperatures;
- do not provide a high level of sound insulation.
Wooden beams remain the most popular material for creating partitions in rooms.
