What are the disadvantages and advantages of double timber reviews from users and manufacturing companies

Almost every year, manufacturers offer new technologies in the field of building materials. Each of them strives to create unique products that combine quality and value. A similar material is double timber, which is only similar in appearance to traditional timber.

In all other respects, double timber is different: it has different characteristics, reviews, and even production is carried out in a different way. By design, it consists of two planed boards, between which there is an insulating layer. Thanks to it, the thermal insulation qualities of the material are superior to laminated veneer lumber with the same cross-section. In contrast, no adhesive compounds are used in the manufacture of double timber.

Advantages and problem areas of the material

Manufacturers claim double timber as a high-quality and reliable material. But is this really so? You can deal with this issue only by studying the reviews of those who have already built a house from timber. On most construction forums, this topic is discussed by many people, so reviews are constantly updated and supplemented with new information.

After studying forums and simple construction portals, we were able to compile a list of advantages of double beam technology:

• You don’t have to waste time thinking about how best to insulate a house made of timber, because the double timber technology provides for preliminary insulation during production. Mineral wool or ecowool is used as insulation material;
• Only non-flammable materials are used in production. As a result, the risk of fire and flame spread is minimal;
• Financial resources can be saved on a fundamental basis, because a house made of double timber is light in weight. A strip foundation is perfect for construction;
• Construction time is minimal. Construction can be completely completed in 2 months. It is possible to immediately begin interior and exterior finishing;
• The low shrinkage percentage is the main advantage. You don’t have to wait six months or a year to move in;

However, the reviews are not only positive, there are also those that talk about problem areas. The disadvantages, judging by them, are the following:

• Novelty. Despite the fact that double beam technology has been known for a long time and is popular in European countries, in Russia it is relatively new. For this reason, it did not pass the stage of mass testing, and it is not entirely clear how such a house would behave in the conditions of our country. In addition, completely different methods of building a house from laminated veneer lumber and other types of double material are used in Russia, and the use has not been officially verified;
• Insulation. Having studied the reviews, we can conclude that in 10 out of 100 cases the thermal insulation begins to shrink, with all the ensuing consequences;
• Repair. If repair work is necessary, no one knows how to do it. Of course, you can contact specialized companies whose main area of ​​work is double beam technology. However, calling them every time will cost a lot of money;
• Price. As reviews say, you cannot compare the price of building a house using this technology with other buildings. On average, it turns out that building a house from double timber has the same cost as it would cost to build a similar cottage, but from solid wood with a cross-section of 150x150.

All of these shortcomings detract from the technology. And even if it is actually much better than profiled timber, no one knows about it yet.

But what about in reality?

Have you ever wondered why lumber is called board or timber? The names are specified in the assortment and depend on the thickness. Anything thinner than 50 mm is a board, anything thicker is timber. Manufacturers take advantage of this: they make wall materials 55 mm thick and call them timber, and the house, accordingly, is made of double timber. Almost no one sells thick timber: laying it in two rows is expensive, and finding customers for such house kits is not easy. Most will look for cheaper options without going into the characteristics of the materials. The result will be a house made of boards, albeit in two layers.

Design features of the technology

Considering the positive and negative reviews on websites and portals, it was possible to find out that the double beam technology has some features. They are directly related to its design. These include the fact that it is based on a system similar to a sandwich panel.

The side panels are made from wood, they both mirror each other. Between them there is thermal insulation. The thickness of these sidewalls is on average 70 mm, and this parameter may vary depending on the climatic conditions of the region.

A distinctive feature is the versatility of the material. Double beam technology can be used in the construction of buildings with different purposes. Reviews indicate that at the stage of building a house from double-type profiled timber, the required amount of wool and vapor barrier can be laid between the insulation and the wall.

Using this Finnish insulation, it is possible to erect buildings with a wall height of up to 10 m and a thickness of up to 340 mm. Of course, these indicators can be exceeded, but there is no point. The house will already be cool in summer and warm in winter - and this is also the undoubted advantage of construction.

Houses made of double timber, reviews from owners, bathhouses - pros and cons

Double timber is a sandwich of two boards with an insulating layer between them. The boards are fastened together using a special tongue-and-groove lock. All elements of double timber are manufactured in the factory. Well-dried, sanded boards that have been treated with antiseptics and fire-fighting mixtures are used. Double timber, according to owners' reviews, solves the problem of heat conservation.

Reviews

Maxim Ivanov, Samara

I calculated the cost of building a house made of brick, with its insulation from the outside and heating costs, and I shed tears. The costs are very high. My neighbor built a house from double timber and says the house is warm with low gas consumption. I also made an estimate of the costs, and realized that building a house from double timber is much more profitable.

Pavel Anisimov, Yaroslavl

We have been living in a log house for several years now. Excellent microclimate in the rooms. A minimum of money is spent on heating - 3.5 times cheaper than what neighbors living in a cottage made of foam blocks pay.

Valery Petrenko, Ramenskoye

Our house is already 5 years old. My wife insisted on building a house from logs. I considered many options. Houses made of logs are subject to long-term shrinkage. Glued laminated timber seemed like a very expensive building material to us. Then the parents said that they had heard a lot of positive reviews about houses made of double timber. I started searching for information and actually found a lot of benefits:

• A house made of double timber is practically not subject to shrinkage (maximum 1-2%).
• It does not require pouring a powerful base, as it is a fairly light material. A tiled, shallow strip or pile foundation is poured under such a house.

• Compared to logs, it has much higher energy efficiency.
• The boards are well processed, fastened into a tongue-and-groove lock, and fit perfectly to each other without gaps.
• Absolute environmental safety compared to laminated veneer lumber. No glue is used for its production.
• A Finnish house “breathes”, unlike frame buildings.
• Construction of a house takes from 2 to 4 months. There is no need to wait for the building to shrink. You can carry out finishing work almost immediately.
• Speed ​​of construction work.
• The insulation is mineral wool, flax, ecowool, polystyrene foam balls, foam glass. Does not require additional insulation.
• In the production of timber, only dry boards are used, which protects them from further deformation.
• When the heating is turned off, the house remains warm for 15 hours.

We are very pleased that we chose this option. The only negative is the walls, which require treatment against weathering and pests. But there are much more advantages.

Now that we’re raising some money, we’ll also order a bathhouse made of double timber.

Attention! Heating buildings or insulating the outside is much more expensive than building a house from timber.

Alexander Voitenko, Belgorod

I have been working as a builder for seven years. I have already built about a hundred of these houses. I want to say that this is not exactly a beam, but a board or block. The timber should be much thicker. But here there is such a system that the walls of the house, thanks to the layers of material, are very strong and rigid. The frame is the stiffening ribs of the timber.

• Pros - I find a big plus in the fact that timber walls do not require additional finishing. Very easy to install. For customers it costs 1.5-2 times less than a regular house.
• Disadvantages - Construction must be carried out only from dry material, and it is necessary to properly lay insulation inside it. If this is not done thoroughly, the thermal insulation properties will decrease. And if the material is not dried well, the house may shrink. My opinion: the main thing is to strictly follow all technological aspects during construction.

Insulation laying technology

Antonina Pavlova, Perm

We ordered a double timber dacha from a construction company. Because other options were quite expensive for us. I was shocked when, two months later, my husband told me that the dacha was ready. You can begin finishing work.

I want to say that our child often has a stuffy nose. I began to notice that when we arrive at the dacha, my son’s nasal congestion goes away within 15 minutes. The house exudes a real natural smell of wood. Maybe that's the issue.

When we come for the Christmas holidays in winter, the house takes a long time to heat up. Therefore, the husband goes first and turns on the heating. And in the evening my son and I are driving up. By the middle of the night the house becomes very warm. Neighbors who have a brick dacha said that when they arrived in winter, they could not warm it up for several days.

Anna Viktorovna Isaenko, Moscow

I was very worried before deciding to build a house from double timber. There seem to be a lot of good reviews. But the technology is new. How will the house behave? How will he react to the fact that the temperature inside the house and outside are different? How to do further scheduled repairs? Will the insulation shrink? Then I decided to take a risk. I chose the construction company very carefully. I read a lot of reviews. I asked the owners of such houses - neighbors and friends.

Then I chose a company with very good reviews. They built my house in five months. I've been living there for three years now. Good, warm, comfortable. I'm glad that I chose real specialists who built me ​​a quality home.

Sergey Bodrichenko, Vyborg

My wife is allergic, so when building a house I chose double timber. The timber does not contain phenolic compounds. Suitable for people prone to allergic reactions. We did not treat the walls; we left them in their natural form. It seemed to me that even I began to sleep better at night, and in the morning I woke up cheerful and rested.

The downside for me was that I couldn’t build such a house with my own hands. I wanted to involve friends in the construction, but I was advised to turn to specialists, since the entire technological process of building a house must be strictly followed. I decided not to save money and trust the professionals.

Valentina Pavlovna, Moscow

I was afraid that mice and other rodents would come into the house made of natural materials. I'm terrified of them. The production foreman explained to me that such houses are protected from rodents. The house is built on a foundation covered with a waterproofing layer. There are no gaps between the boards during construction. So it is no more attractive to small animals than a brick house.

Construction is carried out manually, without the use of machinery

• +I have been living in a house made of double timber for two years. No mice, warmth, and the pleasant smell of pine needles remains.
• -I was surprised when I saw that the house was being built by hand without the use of construction equipment. At first I thought that this would affect the quality. On the contrary, they did all the work conscientiously.

Mikhail Ostrovsky, Magnitogorsk

I have been working as a builder for ten years. I want to say that the use of double timber in construction differs in significant durability from frame houses. I recommend using ecowool as insulation. It consists of 80% natural ingredients. It is a breathable, environmentally friendly material. If installed correctly, its durability will be more than 50 years. In terms of service life, it is comparable to basalt wool and glass wool.

The downside is that other types of insulation for a double-timber home need to be replaced and updated over time. But the need to replace them may arise after more than twenty years. If you do not follow the installation technology, shrinkage of the insulation may occur.

Important! If there is a need to replace the insulation, you can blow ecowool through the load-bearing partitions in the attic.

Comparative characteristics of Ecowool

Vasily Danchenko, Ufa

I have been living in a log house for more than three years. There is a pleasant pine smell in the house. I was sure from the very beginning that the house would be of high quality, reliable, and warm.

Before starting construction, I studied all the design features:

• material - pine, inexpensive, safe, and even healthy;
• all boards are well dried;
• I didn't notice any shrinkage during my stay. There are no cracks or cracks;
• saving on heating twice;
• the partitions are quite thick at 50 mm, good sound insulation of the house;
• All construction work was completed very quickly

I ordered construction from a company with a good reputation.

The downside for me was the pay for construction workers. But since I don’t know anything about construction, I decided to pay, but that everything would be done as it should be. Very satisfied. If we calculate the heating costs in the old house, then my new house made of double timber will soon pay for itself.

Conclusion about double timber

The cost of a house made of double timber will be the same as that of an uninsulated house made of logs with a diameter of 150 x 150 mm. But a house made of logs will shrink for a long time and needs additional thermal insulation of the walls.

Technologies for building houses from double timber have been used in Europe for a long time. They came to Russia relatively recently. But they are developing rapidly and are popular among consumers.

Having considered many reviews from owners, we can conclude that these are reliable, warm houses. The thickness of the walls is 70 mm, and it can be increased to 300 mm or more. Construction technology is universal. Can be used for any types of buildings.

Ideal for the construction of saunas and baths. They will be much warmer than those built from logs, and their service life will be longer.

The goal of developing technology for building houses from double timber is to reduce construction costs and increase energy efficiency.

Production

Reviews on construction portals indicate that the double beam technology received all the positive characteristics during the manufacturing process. Production actually differs significantly from the production of simple profiled or laminated timber. It is carried out on special equipment - a cup-cutting line. It can be fully or partially automated.

Production is carried out in the following stages:

• Billet production;
• Drilling holes for attaching edged boards;
• Cup cutting;
• The grooving process required for casing;
• Cut the blanks;
• Removal of residues;
• Marking;
• Insulation with material;
• Package.

Using this production method and high-quality equipment, it is possible to obtain double timber, the moisture content of which does not exceed 14%. Each milling line is absolutely precise, so the assembly process is fast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DNY1bDAZnA&hd=1

Construction

As mentioned above, double beam technology is universal. It is great for building houses. Construction does not require pouring a complex foundation; assembly is carried out immediately on site; subsequent finishing will not bring any difficulties. The result is a strong and durable structure.

However, the double beam technology guarantees special advantages when building baths or saunas. If you look at the statistics, such baths will be much more durable than the same structures made of solid logs. It will be warm, no matter what the external conditions are.

Double beam technology has a special feature. If we assume that one of the sides of the bathhouse begins to turn blue or begins to gradually rot, then this defect will not be reflected in any way on the opposite side of the beams. This makes the double beam technology special and unlike any other.

Companies you can trust

Positive reviews on websites and forums point to the following companies for the production of double timber and construction from it. Each of these large firms has experience and experienced, qualified employees.

"VEEK"

"VEEK" is a construction company that specializes in the production of double timber and construction from it. The company carries out work of any complexity and provides for construction in any climate zone. The thickness of mineral wool and edged boards can be changed as much as the customer wishes.

Today, the company uses not only mineral wool and ecowool as insulation, but also other bulk materials. The main requirement for them is their natural origin, and therefore environmental safety for health. Also used for production is insulation, which has a lower thermal conductivity than wood.

The office is located at the following address: St. Petersburg, Vyborg highway, 212. If you have any questions, please contact us by phone.

"StroyDrom"

The construction company proposes to build buildings from double timber. This Finnish technology has been known in Russia for about 20 years, and during this period the company managed to study it in as much detail as possible. The company offers construction according to standard or individual projects. Every wish of the customer is taken into account and taken into account.

Assembly of such houses is easy. To do this, you need to follow the principle of the designer, so the connection using grooves and tenons makes the structure strong and stable. The process also uses special screw ties, the task of which is to achieve monolithic walls. Upon completion of all work, the customer will receive not only a beautiful, but also a high-quality home to live in.

is located at the address: Moscow, Sushchevsky Val str., 43, office 101. If you have any questions, you can contact us by phone.

"ArtEcoStroy"

A large construction company is engaged in the construction of buildings from double timber. She points out that such buildings reduce the costs associated with heating a house or bathhouse. This wooden house can be used immediately after completion of construction, as the shrinkage is 1.5%.

The production process does not use special equipment, a minimum number of workers is required and no special skills are required. Thanks to this, you can not only order construction, but also buy a house kit. You can also assemble it yourself or order assembly services.

Stroitelnaya is located at: Novosibirsk, st. Petukhova, 79. If you have any questions, please contact the contact number

What happens to such a house after a few years?

Firstly, even dried timber will still experience serious shrinkage over time. The situation is aggravated by differences in temperature and humidity of the outer and inner layers of wood: one shrinks faster, the other slower, such unevenness leads to the appearance of cracks.

The aesthetics of a tightly built wooden house disappears, problems appear with doors and windows, cable ducts fixed to the walls and other elements. But this is not the worst thing: it starts to blow from the cracks, because between you and the street there is only a layer of inexpensive insulation and an external board.

Drafts are unacceptable, especially for the bedroom. But the saddest thing begins to happen inside the walls, which will only be revealed with time. When building from double timber, it is not necessary to lay a vapor barrier layer. This means that the warm air trying to escape will carry moisture into the insulation. The crushed cellulose from which it is composed will become heavy and settle when wet.

After a few years, it’s worth looking at such a house through a thermal imager and seeing the localization of heat loss in the upper part of the walls - under the roof and often under the windows.

Prices

The cost of a house kit is significantly lower than ordering the construction of a house. Self-assembly will not be difficult, and you will be able to save at least 10% of the total cost of the set. Prices for work from different companies:

Double beam technology has not yet become widespread, but is already quite well known. People's reviews vary, so it is not so easy to choose between a simple profiled beam or a double beam.