Sustainability is currently on everyone's lips. It is therefore not surprising that the topic has already reached the construction industry as well. Who wants to build ecologically and as resource-saving as possible, should thereby set on a timber house. Timber construction has an excellent environmental performance while allowing you to choose from a variety of different building styles. More common representative is the timber frame construction.
What characterizes the wooden construction?
Strictly speaking, the term "timber house" simply means that the supporting structure must be made of wood. The interstices and wall fillings can basically be made of any building materials, such as brick and stone. If the wall is then also plastered and painted, it is hardly recognizable from the outside that a wooden support structure has been installed.
Clearly in the trend, however, are houses in which wood serves not only as a pure building material, but also as a design element. For those who like the classic look, the wood can be mounted in single slats on a framework. Such houses exude a Nordic charm. If the exterior wall is then painted in a color – usually crimson – the house has a Scandinavian appearance. If you like it more rustic, you can also use wood in its round original form. This construction method is widespread in North America and Canada. Often used in single-story bungalows and wooden cabins.
Advantages of wooden construction
Wooden construction brings with it a host of advantages that usually quickly convince ecologically minded builders in particular:
Natural building material: wood is one of the most natural building materials and can be perfectly combined with other natural building materials. For example, you can fill the walls with cork or clay as an insulating layer.
Short construction time: wooden construction is usually a dry construction method. This means that there is hardly any construction moisture, which forces you to accept long waiting times. You can further speed up the process if you opt for a prefabricated house made of wood. In this case, the individual parts are pre-produced in the factory: The actual house construction can then take place on site within a few days.
Excellent ecological balance: Wood generally binds more CO2 than is later released when it is processed into a house. This means that timber construction is a CO2-neutral construction method. In addition, wood can mostly still bind CO2 even in its built form, which further improves the ecological balance sheet.
High energy efficiency: wood can regulate the temperature naturally. This means that you will have to heat less in the winter, which in turn will reduce your energy costs. In summer, meanwhile, wood keeps the heat out, so you can enjoy pleasant temperatures every year.
Naturally good indoor climate: In addition to temperature, wood also regulates the humidity in your home. This creates a naturally good indoor climate. You do not have to help with additional air dehumidifiers or humidifiers.
Wood is a natural air filter: The air contains numerous pollutants such as fine dust and exhaust gases. Wood can filter these environmental toxins in a natural way. Especially asthmatics and allergy sufferers will quickly notice a difference.
Thin walls provide more usable space: walls made of wood are much thinner than walls made of stone. This ensures that you have more living and usable space available. Experts believe that a wooden house offers about 10 percent more living space than a solid house of the same size.
Disadvantages of wooden construction
As versatile as the advantages of the timber construction method may be, builders must also accept some disadvantages with timber houses.
Wood is not airtight if poorly finished: if you choose a house made of wood, you must pay special attention to high quality and impeccable workmanship when choosing a manufacturer. Poorly processed wood is not completely airtight, which can lead to moisture and mold growth.
Wood is susceptible to weather: unlike a solid house, a wooden house can suffer more from wind and weather. While this does not mean that your home is any less safe, you will have to deal with a higher level of maintenance. For example, wood turns gray over time: if you want to avoid the natural discoloration, you will need to paint your house about every 2 to 3 years. This results in further costs on a regular basis.
Poor sound insulation: Although the thin wooden walls provide more living space, this is automatically accompanied by reduced sound insulation. A timber house is so altogether more brightly than a massif house.
What does a wooden house cost?
Wooden houses are generally less expensive than solid houses. Especially if you rely on a prefabricated house, which is often constructed as a timber frame, you can save quite a bit of money. Single-storey, small wooden bungalows or wooden huts can be built from 50.000 Euro purchase. Such houses are particularly popular as vacation homes.
There are hardly any limits to the prices. If you want to buy a family house, which offers you a lot of living space and high-quality equipment and is already handed over ready for occupancy, the wooden house you can well and gladly more than 300.000 euros cost. The final price depends largely on factors such as size, equipment and finishing level.
Wooden construction: What are the different types of wooden houses?
If you decide to build a wooden house, there are many different construction methods available to you. Sometimes the wood is used only in the frame construction, sometimes it is used in the form of whole, debarked logs. These two extremes are also known as lightweight construction and solid construction.
Timber panel construction / timber frame construction
In timber panel or timber frame construction, a basic framework is first built of wood, which is then fitted with individual wooden panels. This step usually takes place in production halls or joiner's workshops, which is why wooden panel construction is often used for prefabricated houses. The individual wall and ceiling elements can already be provided with an insulation layer as well as all supply lines for water, electricity and gas. Doors and windows can also be pre-installed. The outer wall of such wooden houses can be either natural or plastered and painted. In the end, it's up to you to decide how clearly you want the wooden character of your home to come out.
Another expansion stage in timber frame construction is the room cell construction method. Here the frames are built not only two-dimensional, but three-dimensional. In this way, entire cells or rooms can be prefabricated. The room cell construction offers itself among other things, if you plan an addition or an extension for your existing timber house.
Timber frame construction / timber frame construction
The most famous representative of the timber frame construction – also called timber frame construction – is the half-timbered house. Cross beams are used here, which extend either over individual floors or over the entire facade right up to the roof. You can fill the spaces in between with a material of your choice. For a classic look, you can go for stone or clay. If you want it more modern, you can also provide the gaps with glass and thus achieve a trendy mixed look.
Block construction
Block construction is a solid construction method. Here, individual logs are debarked and attached as a whole to a frame structure. Finished log cabins have a traditional, rustic charm that is reminiscent of the wooden houses of North America and Canada.
Conclusion: ecological building with wood
Wood as a natural building material is virtually predestined for house construction. The material offers numerous positive properties – from its good ecological balance to the natural regulation of the room climate. A particular advantage is that you do not necessarily have to opt for a wooden look if you are considering a wooden house. For example, you can also opt for a wooden support structure, as in timber frame construction, and plaster the exterior walls in the regular way. This allows you to build a wooden house, which is not directly recognizable as such, but still brings many of the advantages of the classic wooden construction method.