A country house with an attic, and even made of timber, will decorate any site and will become an ideal home for both a couple and a large family. Such a building looks very beautiful, not being ignored against the background of classic brick buildings.
Features of the
A house from a bar with an attic extension has both advantages and disadvantages.
pros
To begin with, it is worth noting the arguments in favor of choosing houses from natural timber. The most important of these is appearance. They look beautiful even when built by a non-professional builder. In addition, the wooden base is perfectly combined with the natural background - shrubs, trees and flowers.
Wood is an environmentally friendly material that has good noise and heat insulation properties. If you use natural wood to build or decorate a house, then it will be warm and cozy at any time of the year. Wood is a material that is naturally durable. So you can be sure that the building will stand for a long time, and its appearance will remain as attractive as immediately after the construction of the house.
And, of course, one cannot fail to note the fact that profiled timber is one of the most affordable materials. This means that almost everyone can afford to build a house from it. A house with an attic is also an economically viable solution. After all, much less material will be spent on its construction than on the construction of a full-fledged second floor. In fact, such a house does not cost much more than an ordinary one-story building.
Minuses
The timber also has significant disadvantages. The main one is that it is less durable than simple logs. The fact is that the structure of the annual rings in the timber is broken. But its strength can be increased using various antiseptics and special impregnations. Also, to increase the strength, the timber is sometimes tinted.
Also, despite the fact that the timber has a decent thermal insulation, it is significantly lower than that of a log.
Another disadvantage is that the timber dries out over time. Because of this, the smooth and even wall is significantly deformed. But this can also be avoided. Professionals use the longitudinal sawing technique for this purpose, thanks to which the load on the wall is less, and it does not sag.
The problem with pests and decay is also solved. But if the timber is not impregnated with special antiseptics, then there will be serious problems with the frame of the house. The same is with the fire resistance, which the timber, of course, does not initially differ. But after proper processing, the wood becomes not so susceptible to the effects of fire.
Types of materials
Today there are several main types of timber. Each has its own pros and cons.
Unprofiled
One of the most common types is non-profiled timber. There are no grooves on it, which can be called a minus.
The fact is that this feature complicates the styling process. And after finishing, cracks remain on the wall. Therefore, we have to deal separately with this problem as well.
Because of this property, houses made of non-profiled timber, despite its cheapness, end up being quite expensive. The cost is influenced by additional finishing and professional services. The caulking of the cracks, however, is carried out a year after construction, so there is an opportunity to save up some money before moving on to the next stage of construction.
By the way, in terms of appearance, a non-profiled timber is also not the best option. It does not look very attractive, which means that you will have to additionally decorate the house both outside and inside.
When choosing a non-profiled timber, professionals recommend paying special attention to how long ago it was cut down. The fact is that the wood must be very well dried, so a “fresh”, wet bar is not suitable.
Profiled
Unlike the previous version, the profiled timber is very good and easy to process. Professionals advise buying it, even if it comes out a little more expensive. As a result, the construction can cost more budget than from a non-profiled analogue.
Moreover, the material is much easier to fit due to the fact that it has special grooves. There are practically no visible seams left. But if necessary, they can be sealed with a high-quality porous sealant. A properly chosen seal is good because it does not make the house too stuffy. The building is well ventilated and no additional ventilation is needed.
As in the case of non-profiled timber, you need to buy well-dried material.
If you make the right choice, then over time the walls of the house will not "shrink" and the structure will not change its appearance. So finishing can be done immediately after the construction of the building and not have to wait for additional months, or even years.
Glued
This type of bar is the most expensive. It costs more than brick, so houses are rarely built from it. More often glued laminated timber is used as a finishing material.
Such a high cost is due to the peculiarities of creating a bar. For its manufacture, boards of different thicknesses are used, which are glued and pressed. Glued laminated timber turns out to be very hard and, accordingly, durable. It is resistant to moisture and does not dry out over time.
When creating the frame of the house, the wall is flat, practically without joints and seams. Therefore, it turns out to save on the seal. And the laying speed is much faster than in the case of profiled and non-profiled timber. True, there is a significant disadvantage in this - the fact is that in such a project it is necessary to carry out ventilation separately, since due to the tight fit of the timber, the wall does not allow air to pass through.
Many people think that glued laminated timber is not environmentally friendly. But this is not the case. Indeed, in its manufacture, high-quality PVA glue is used, which, unlike wood glue, does not harm health.
In general, to create a log cottage, you can choose any of the proposed materials. This allows you to make wooden houses of varying degrees of complexity and at different prices. Such country projects with a terrace and an attic are not only durable, but also beautiful, both inside and out.
Projects
Today there are many projects of houses from a bar. You can choose any option, focusing primarily on the size of the yard where the building will be erected.
If the territory of the yard is small, then a small building will have to be erected. Here you can choose a building with dimensions 6x7, 6x4, 6x6. Such houses are small, but at the same time they have sufficient area to accommodate all the necessary rooms. If you add a terrace to such a building, for example, you get a 6x9 building.
If space allows, and a large family will live in the house, then you should not save on materials, it is better to build a building with dimensions of 8x8 or 9x9. Extra square meters will make the rooms larger and more spacious.
However, it is not only the size of the building that should be taken into account. Nowadays, attention is paid to the appearance of buildings, since no one wants to live in a house that is not pleasing to the eye. A modern architectural building should be thought out as much as possible, both inside and outside. Here are some of the most popular project ideas.
7x8
7 by 8 meters is a medium-sized building. It is convenient to live in such a country house as a small family. The construction is compact and inexpensive. True, the final cost in the end always depends on the configuration of the construction site invented by the owners.
To save money, you can give up unnecessary decor and make a choice in favor of the simplest design. In such a house there is enough space for a spacious living room with a kitchen on the ground floor. The attic floor can be set aside for a bedroom, or divided into several smaller rooms.
If you wish, you can expand the space a little, giving preference to a 7x9 project. Even in appearance, such a building will not resemble a summer cottage or a "hunting lodge".
8x9
A little more convenient and spacious is a house measuring 8 by 9. It can be erected from a bar 200 by 100 millimeters thick. Its length can reach up to ten meters. Using just such a material, you can reduce the time for building a house. At the same time, the structure turns out to be quite rigid and durable.
The most common design for an 8 by 9 house consists of a ground floor, complemented by a covered terrace. It is connected to the attic balcony floor. It is convenient, in addition, on the first floor, so there is less load.
On the ground floor, in addition to the terrace, there are household rooms - a kitchen, a common living room and a bathroom. A common option is to connect the living room and kitchen on the ground floor. In this case, the second floor is reserved for bedrooms. One of them additionally has a balcony.
6x10
In a 6 by 10 house, the layout may be a little more original. The building is rectangular and slightly elongated. Additionally, it becomes possible to equip a hall where a staircase leading to the second floor will be installed. This will make the main rooms more spacious.
It is better to design a house with professionals so that the structure is reliable and durable.
Beautiful examples
There are many interesting ideas related to both the layout of the interior and their design. For example, an attic made of laminated veneer lumber, complemented by a bright green roof. There are all "natural" colors - light and dark wood, bright green roof, natural stone. Despite its compact size, there is a place for all the necessary rooms under the colored roof. And it will be pleasant to spend time on the balcony or terrace on summer evenings.
In addition to this project, there are many others that can be realized with the help of laminated veneer lumber. Another interesting project is shown in the following video.