How to lay floors in a log house with your own hands. Features of the technological process and choice of materials + Photo

The floor in a log house is as important a structural element of a house as, for example, the walls. We bring to your attention an analysis of the most popular variations in laying floors in wooden houses, their features, and material characteristics. You will also learn how to make log floors with your own hands. We will tell you about the commonly used types of floor heating in log houses, their pros and cons.

Brief characteristics of a wooden floor for a log house

Wooden floors can be divided into 2 types: single-layer and double-layer.

The best way to lay a single-layer floor in a log house is to use joists.

The installation of a single-layer floor, in turn, is divided into methods using logs or without their participation. The choice will depend on the thickness of the board you will use. And in this case, the step between the beams is important. When building a house whose floors are built on joists, the boards are laid directly on the beams. And the interbeam step in this case should not exceed 0.6 m.

The two-layer version of the floor in a log house implies the presence of a subfloor in its design. It is carried out simultaneously with the fastening of beams on rough boards. A layer of thermal insulation is laid on top of the rough boards. You can use any sheet heat-insulating material or expanded clay as it. Professionals recommend not to exceed the thickness of this layer; the maximum possible option is 80 mm.

Wooden floor insulation scheme.

It is necessary to insulate the floors of a log house regardless of what it is made of. Both wooden and concrete options require this procedure. Various types of modern insulation materials can be used as thermal insulation. These include: mineral wool, polyurethane material.

And some builders also use methods that are considered outdated today. This is the use of shavings or sawdust as a heat-insulating material; there are even options with dry leaves.

Which wood species to choose?

To build a wooden frame for a house or bathhouse, the following types of coniferous trees are most often used:

Pine is the most durable and unpretentious material that is very easy to work with. The tree is practically not subject to deformation when drying out.
Larch - quite often you can find a log house made from timber of this tree, since it retains its properties just like pine and is a strong and durable material. However, larch is difficult to process and does not rot, which is a fairly significant factor when choosing.
Cedar has softer wood compared to previous options and is similar in properties to pine. Cedar is best used for finishing the interior of a house, as it has a very beautiful texture and a pleasant smell.
Aspen has a beautiful white wood tone and is easy to use. It is durable and moisture-resistant, but has a serious drawback - it emits an unpleasant odor at high temperatures.

Log floors on floor beams

When building a wooden house, the most logical and optimal option for the floor is its construction along the floor beams. This is the most common option and professionals don’t see the point in looking for a replacement. This method will help raise the floor to the desired height and allow you to leave room for a basement, as well as eliminate possible contact between the floor and groundwater.

The construction of the floor along the floor beams raises the flooring to the required height, completely eliminating its contact with groundwater.

Depending on the specifics of the construction of the house, the beams are placed either in the frame of the house behind the ground floor, made of brick (concrete), or at the level of the 3rd or 4th crown, counting from the ground, in the case of using only wooden building materials.

The placement of beams, or rather their end parts, can be in the bulk of the log house or through. The through arrangement is more reliable, since the resulting condensate will be able to escape through the end of the beam. Please note that the ends of the beams must be treated with an antiseptic composition, which will protect them from exposure to moisture and various types of bacterial infections.

If the beams in the structure of your house are more than 3 m long, then they need additional support. These can be beams placed on the end, or brick columns, or wooden ridges. Just like the ends of the beams, all wooden parts in contact with the soil must be treated with an antiseptic composition without fail.

It is recommended to use timber with flat end sides as floor beams.

If you choose pillars made of brick as support, then you need to build them on a fairly solid foundation. It would be better if it were concrete slabs. You can fill these with your own hands or purchase ready-made factory-made ones. Under the base of these slabs it is necessary to lay roofing material, which will serve as a waterproofing layer.

Experts recommend using building materials that have flat end sides as floor beams: beams, half-beams, and so on. Its cross-section must fully correspond to the cross-section of the material from which the permanent walls are made.

Self-installation

Next, it’s worth describing the process in detail - how to install logs in a log house. This is important information for beginners. So, let's start with the floors; the actual installation of the ceilings is no different from this:

Having chosen the option, you need to start inserting from the second crown of the log house, already laid and secured with dowels.
The insertion of lags is carried out using the dovetail method. That is, the gash represents a carved void in the crown, and the log is a figure. By inserting one into the other, fastening is performed. The crown should not be cut down before it comes out. It is enough if the “tail” is equal to half of the log or timber.
The elements need to be secured using reliable material - one notch will not be enough. The longitudinal logs are always placed first, then the transverse ones. The pitch of one from the other is calculated from the material - the log can be laid at a distance of 1300 mm, and the boards will require no more than 700 mm.
After installation, the question of how to embed logs into a log house is no longer of interest; you need to give the house time to shrink and look at the behavior of the newborn elements. It is quite possible that after some time there will be a need to correct them.

Causes and possible solutions to lag-related problems:

Falling out of cutting or cutting areas due to inappropriate size. This may indicate a low qualification of the hewer.
Deflection indicates poor drying of the material. This is especially noticeable when installing log joists. Protruding - the same thing.
Also, ceilings may generally fall out of the grooves if the deformation of the log house is severe. Therefore, to avoid this, there is no need to mount the ceiling elements immediately and make them exactly to length. It's better to cut it off later.
When it comes to fasteners, it is important to remember that they must fit snugly into the wood and even be recessed into it.
If, after a period of time, damage is noticed on the material, then ignoring it risks the whole house. It is better to replace such a lag or try to fix it by chipping. But if there is no effect, you need to buy a new one.

That's all. The process that requires attention is outlined. However, if you still have questions, don’t hesitate to ask them to experienced ones.

Selecting the material for load-bearing structures, which are logs, requires great care. The stability of the structure as a whole depends on this. One should not neglect the method of cutting and chopping - they were not invented in vain, and have been tested for centuries.

Until the house has been shrinked and dried, you should not do any work in the log house, and even more so there can be no talk about the rafter system. It is better to devote this forced downtime to supplying communications and choosing interior decoration. After all, with the finishing touches coming soon, these benefits of civilization will be needed more than ever. Good luck!

Methods and rules for installing floor and ceiling joists in a log house

A strong construction of crowns in a wooden frame alone will not be enough without strengthening them with logs. In addition, without them it will be impossible to lay either the floor or the ceiling. What they are, how they are installed, and construction features will be described below.

Design, nuances, features

Once the base is ready and meets all the requirements for reliability and strength, you can proceed directly to installing the floor in the log house. Professionals advise making a horizontal level formed with the help of floor beams immediately after placing them in the walls of the log house. The floor covering, located along the beams, is performed either in 1 layer or with a rough floor. A two-layer version of the floor in a log house will be much warmer than a single-layer one.

Finished floor plan.

To ensure high-quality floors, it is best to use boards that are completely dry and rest in a sparse stack. This procedure takes at least 6 months. This method will help you prevent the process of warping of the floorboards.

If there is such a need and it is necessary to lay raw building materials (boards), then they cannot be nailed to the surface of the beams immediately.

First, they are simply pressed against the beams using boards secured in several places (3-4).
The boards are laid in the direction from the edge to the center. Please note that you need to leave a gap of about 5 cm in the center and drive the wedges into it. As the boards dry, you will need to tap the wedges several times. Typically, this procedure lasts approximately 3 months.
And only after this time can the floorboards be finally fixed. And also, regarding the thickness of the subfloor boards, this value should be no less than 40 mm.

A tongue and groove board is the optimal choice of material for a finished floor.

The finished floor is laid in a direction perpendicular to the subfloor. For these purposes, a tongue and groove board is usually used. It is important that it is dry. Kitchen floors need an additional layer of insulation between the subfloor and the finished floor. Roofing material is well suited for these purposes.

Using a tongue and groove board to construct a finished floor is the best option. Its appearance is aesthetically pleasing, and high-quality painting will help to significantly extend its service life.

Please note that this building material, recommended for installing a finished floor, is also suitable as a base for other floor coverings. If desired, you can lay laminate, linoleum, and carpet on it. The choice is practically unlimited.

What are ceilings and floors?

They come in several types:

Solid log.
Prefabricated.
Timber.

Let's take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of all. What do you need to know about each of them before starting construction?

Solid log

If the owner understands the importance of solid logs in house construction, then it is no secret that he will choose just such floors for his own home. They are supplied along with the material according to the contract. What are they good for? Firstly, there is no doubt about their stability - the array has always been famous for this quality. Secondly, when turning a log into ceiling joists in a log house or flooring, material suppliers know exactly how much sapwood needs to be removed without damaging the log.

Further, it is an important fact that the internal appearance of a wooden house must match the external one. That is, if the log house is a log, the logs should be the same - it’s very beautiful.

Now about the cons:

Weight. This is due to the fact that shrinkage of the house can deform the entire structure. And then the weight of the log will be a threatening factor for the ceilings. This is especially true for multi-storey construction.
Price. If, when buying a turnkey house, the cost of lumber is not specified separately in the contract, then you need to ask a company representative about this. It may turn out that they will charge for them separately, but a solid log, whether it be the floor joists of a log house or the ceiling ones, is not cheap.
It will not be easy to install such structures. After all, you will need more than one thing.

Timber logs

Unfortunately, this option has more disadvantages:

High cracking potential. It is best to use timber for the floor. Or take a section for the ceiling no smaller than the one from which the crowns were erected.
The beam is springy. Having danced on housewarming day, the owner risks first jumping on the trampoline and then falling into the basement due to a broken ceiling. It’s scary to think what awaits such lags on the ceiling.

When the house shrinks, there is a possibility that they may be pulled out of the grooves. And even inserting a log into a frame and then securing it is little hope for stability. Of course, nothing bad will happen before the construction of the rafter system.

But shrinkage is a phenomenon that happens all the time. Therefore, when the lags “play” is an open question.

Prefabricated structures

They consist of three boards with a cross-section of 50*150 mm, fastened together with pieces of the same lumber and anchor bolts, and laid on edge. Today this design is considered the most reliable.

When inserted, they are held firmly in place.

They are processed before installation, which is easier than climbing the ceiling to get to a log or timber.

They will not spoil the appearance, because in this case it is customary to sew up the ceiling.

Well, the disadvantages of such logs are the same as for wood in general. That is, susceptibility to rotting, shrinkage, etc.

Self-installation

Having chosen the option, you need to start inserting from the second crown of the log house, already laid and secured with dowels.
The insertion of lags is carried out using the dovetail method. That is, the gash represents a carved void in the crown, and the log is a figure. By inserting one into the other, fastening is performed. The crown should not be cut down before it comes out. It is enough if the “tail” is equal to half of the log or timber.
The elements need to be secured using reliable material - one notch will not be enough. The longitudinal logs are always placed first, then the transverse ones. The pitch of one from the other is calculated from the material - the log can be laid at a distance of 1300 mm, and the boards will require no more than 700 mm.
After installation, the question of how to embed logs into a log house is no longer of interest; you need to give the house time to shrink and look at the behavior of the newborn elements. It is quite possible that after some time there will be a need to correct them.

Causes and possible solutions to lag-related problems:

Falling out of cutting or cutting areas due to inappropriate size. This may indicate a low qualification of the hewer.
Deflection indicates poor drying of the material. This is especially noticeable when installing log joists. Protruding - the same thing.
Also, ceilings may generally fall out of the grooves if the deformation of the log house is severe. Therefore, to avoid this, there is no need to mount the ceiling elements immediately and make them exactly to length. It's better to cut it off later.
When it comes to fasteners, it is important to remember that they must fit snugly into the wood and even be recessed into it.
If, after a period of time, damage is noticed on the material, then ignoring it risks the whole house. It is better to replace such a lag or try to fix it by chipping. But if there is no effect, you need to buy a new one.

That's all. The process that requires attention is outlined. However, if you still have questions, don’t hesitate to ask them to experienced ones.

Based on materials from the site: https://1drevo.ru

Are you the happy owner of a log house, but don’t know what flooring to use? Then this article is for you - here we will look at implementation options and installation steps.

Let's start, perhaps, with the classics for this type of construction.

Why install a subfloor?

The main requirements for the quality of a log floor are: strength, reliability and good ventilation. It is for their implementation that subfloors are installed. In addition to the properties listed above, they perform a number of significant functions:

Subfloor installation diagram.

play the role of a stiffening frame;
serve as a base for placing thermal insulation and waterproofing;
provide the opportunity to provide high-quality ventilation, since with their help an air layer is formed, which, in turn, maintains heat in the room, prevents rotting processes and possible distortions of the structure.

In order to make rough floors, you will need unedged boards with a width of 15-50 cm. All of them must be carefully treated with an antiseptic composition.

Construction of a rough insulated floor in a log house

First you need to think about ventilation. This is a mandatory condition, since only in this case will you avoid possible exposure to moisture and rotting processes. The simplest way to install it involves drilling holes in the corner joints of the house (log house). The size of such holes corresponds to a value of 50 mm. Subsequently, they must be disguised using decorative elements (grids).

At the next stage, you need to take care of waterproofing the foundation. This can be either a blind area, or the use of roofing material, or the use of coating-type waterproofing materials.

Next, the lower crowns and joists are treated with a high-quality antiseptic composition in order to prevent the occurrence of a fungal infection and its subsequent destruction.

Installation of the floor in a log house can be done in several ways. This:

a method that uses beam shoulders (their appearance resembles an inverted “T”);
a method that involves the use of cranial beams (note that they must be pre-attached to the beams);
a method that involves preliminary preparation of grooves in beams (the appearance of which resembles “H”).

Timber logs

Unfortunately, this option has more disadvantages:

High cracking potential. It is best to use timber for the floor. Or take a section for the ceiling no smaller than the one from which the crowns were erected.
The beam is springy. Having danced on housewarming day, the owner risks first jumping on the trampoline and then falling into the basement due to a broken ceiling. It’s scary to think what awaits such lags on the ceiling.
When the house shrinks, there is a possibility that they may be pulled out of the grooves. And even inserting a log into a frame and then securing it is little hope for stability. Of course, nothing bad will happen before the construction of the rafter system.

But shrinkage is a phenomenon that happens all the time. Therefore, when the lags “play” is an open question.

Concrete floor option in a log house

As for the installation of a concrete floor in a log house, it has a number of undeniable advantages, which include:

long service life;
reliability and guarantees of strength;
the possibility of covering a concrete floor with any type of floor covering (tiles, linoleum, laminate, and so on).

If you're looking to tile your floor, check out the new tile collection.

Concrete floors in a log house can be installed using 2 methods. The first of them is placing concrete on the joists, the second is laying it on the ground.

Basically, it doesn't matter which option you choose. The main thing is to follow the sequence of your actions and adhere to the rules of the technological process. Good luck!

What are ceilings and floors?

The fact that the house is made of wood implies that all parts of the construction are made of this material. Thus, logs are wooden floors that serve to enhance the stability of the log structure and as a base for the floor and ceiling. Logs in a log house are important elements in the construction of a residential building.
They come in several types: Let's take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of all. What do you need to know about each of them before starting construction? Pros:

Now about the cons:

Weight. This is due to the fact that shrinkage of the house can deform the entire structure. And then the weight of the log will be a threatening factor for the ceilings. This is especially true for multi-storey construction.
Price. If, when buying a turnkey house, the cost of lumber is not specified separately in the contract, then you need to ask a company representative about this. It may turn out that they will charge for them separately, but a solid log, whether it be the floor joists of a log house or the ceiling ones, is not cheap.
It will not be easy to install such structures. After all, you will need more than one thing.