Introduction
The preliminary decision to use a log house for the construction of your country house is fully justified. Log cabins are available, they are quickly assembled, with proper assembly they hold heat well and can be lived in all year round. However, not all log cabins are the same, and in order to choose a truly high-quality log house, you need to understand the basic concepts of manufacturing, felling and the production of log cabins, as well as understand what types of log cabins exist.
Choosing the right log house for yourself, that is, choosing a log house that will not only please the eye, but also serve for many years.
How to choose a log house for yourself at the place of felling
When choosing a log house, it is important to know where the log house is being cut. For example, if a company offers log cabins in Moscow and the Moscow Region, this most likely does not mean that the log cabin is being cut in this area. Please note that log cabins cut above the 55th parallel, in the so-called "northern" forests, are considered correct.
Types of log cabins
By definition, a log house is a prefabricated wooden structure made and assembled from long pieces of wood. The elements from which the frame is assembled can be logs with a diameter of 160-280-400 mm or a wooden beam with sections of 150 × 150 mm and more. Depending on the elements used to assemble the log house, we distinguish three types of log house:
- Log cabin from logs of manual felling;
- Log cabin from a bar;
- Log house made of industrially rounded logs.
Log cabin
A log house made from hand-cut logs is made from solid trunks of coniferous (spruce, pine, cedar) or deciduous (alder) species. The logs of this type of log house are distinguished by a small difference in the diameter of the log along its length (log run-off), which is why they distinguish the butt (wide bottom) and the top of the hand-cut log. A log cabin is cut and assembled with alternating butts and peaks. This type of felling requires manual straightening, and sometimes additional felling of locks and grooves of supplied logs.
You can live in a log cabin in 1-2 years after assembly, and this is at best. For a year, a log house is settled from logs, and only after a year can the first caulking (sealing of gaps) of the log house and its finishing be carried out.
Log cabin
A beam for a log house is a puff, glued or solid wooden product with a textured section close to a rectangle in section. The cross section of the beam is such that when assembling a log house from a beam, the adjacent crowns of the log house are fixed not only with locks, but also with a profile along the length of the log. Such log cabins are delivered as a designer, completely ready for assembly, with the exception of holes for dowels: wedges fastening the beams in adjacent log crowns.
You can live in a log cabin made of glued laminated timber immediately after assembly. You can live in a log cabin made of a solid bar of natural moisture for the next season, after it dries naturally.
Log house from logs
The rounded log is made from wood, all the same, coniferous or hardwood, with processing along the entire length of the log on an industrial machine. Thanks to the processing, the log along the entire length becomes a single diameter. Log cabins made of rounded logs are distinguished by their elegant appearance and somewhat simplified assembly. Such log cabins are delivered ready-made, completely ready for assembly, with the exception of holes for dowels: wedges fastening logs in adjacent crowns.
Finishing in a log house made of rounded logs can be carried out a year later, after its shrinkage by 1/25 of the height. You can live after finishing.
What are winter log cabins
In advertisements, the concept is often found, a log house for winter felling. This is a professional concept regarding the season for harvesting timber for a log house. For example, you need a chopped bath in Moscow and the Moscow region. You need to order a log cabin of a bath at the end of summer, so that it is cut down in the winter, and collected in the spring. You need to understand that no one cuts log cabins in the Moscow region. Wood is harvested closer to the north of the country. It is believed that the best wood for a log house should be harvested in winter, from the end of autumn (the first frosts) to the beginning of spring (the first thaws). It is in winter that the fermentation of juices in the wood subsides and the life of bacteria freezes. Winter forest wood, dry, with a minimum amount of moisture. It is worth noting that peeling (barking) of logs (removing the bark) should be carried out immediately on the plot, before they are delivered to the felling site.
These simple tips will help you choose a log house for yourself and it will serve you for many years.
In this article, we will help you make a choice of material for a log house (log or cylindering), wood (pine, spruce or aspen), cutting method (in a bowl or in a paw). We sell log cabins with free delivery and unloading * - see the price list, and we also treat the rounding with protective impregnation. We recommend installing rounded log cabins as the best option - even and beautiful.
We make wooden log cabins from ordinary sanded logs, from planed logs, from round logs and from timber.
Log- This is an ordinary felled and skinned log. Pros - the top layer of wood is preserved, the most durable, which protects the core. The log house has a traditional look both inside and outside. Such a log house can be cut down both in a bowl and in a paw.
planed log- an ordinary log processed by a manual planer. Pros - it has a beautiful appearance, it is lighter inside the bath. Cons - less protected from the weather, protective treatment is required. The cost of such a log house is higher, because. manual work is used. Such a log house can be cut down both in a bowl and in a paw.
Do you need a five-wall?
The five-wall is the fifth wall inside the building. In the bath, it serves to separate the washing and steam compartments. In the house - to strengthen a long wall, separate the residential and non-residential parts of the house or divide the house into apartments. For log cabins, less than 3×5, it does not make sense, because the size of such a log house is already small, the fifth wall will reduce the internal dimensions to critical ones. If desired, the wall in such a log house can be made of a thick board (block), bars or boards with a heater between them.
Discussion of the article
A large abundance of offers and ads makes the buyer think about how to buy a high-quality log house or bathhouse. What nuances do you need to know so that later you do not regret that you contacted an irresponsible supplier and purchased a low-quality product?
Tip 1. Buy a log house only from the "winter" forest
Indeed, according to its characteristics, the forest that was harvested in the winter is better than any other. In winter, the tree is in "hibernation" - there is no sap flow in it, it can dry out to the full depth. Such a tree does not turn blue, so log cabins are always white and do not deform.
A tree harvested in the summer-autumn period has a number of disadvantages:
Darkens quickly;
Wood cracks fairly quickly;
Subject to fungus and mold.
However, it is quite difficult to distinguish a winter forest from wood harvested in the spring-autumn period and only a specialist can do it. Especially when the logs are already dried and the log house is assembled. It is also very difficult to distinguish the type of wood, for example, dry pine from dry spruce.
But how can a non-professional distinguish high-quality wood from low-quality wood? It is necessary to remember one thing: each manufacturer will sell the wood harvested in winter in the same winter. It is not profitable for him to harvest wood "for the future" and store it somewhere. Therefore, the felling of the forest occurs when applications from buyers are received. If you order timber in summer or autumn, then there is a high probability that the timber was not harvested in winter.
By the way, pine from spruce can also be distinguished, even in a ready-made log house. Pine wood is more resinous and resistant to moisture. However, from the wood that is used to obtain the resin, it is also not recommended. Such a structure is not durable.
Tip 2. Buy only high quality wood
The quality of wood, according to experts, is largely influenced by the place where the tree grew. For the production of houses, it is better to use small-layer wood - a strong, resinous forest that usually grows on high ground and loves dry soil. If the tree for the log house grew in wetlands, then the logs will quickly rot. 
Tip 3. Buy well-finished material
If it is difficult for an ordinary buyer to determine the harvest time, then everyone can choose a well-crafted log house. To do this, you need to pay attention to the surface of the logs. What is it like: smooth or "hairy", purely processed or with errors?
Advice 4. What material for a log house to choose?
As you know, the concept of "house made of wood" is quite broad. It can be either from glued beams, from logs or frame-panel boards. The choice of material is a matter of taste and financial capabilities of everyone. However, there is one rule: the larger the layer is removed from the log, the softer the wood will be. The top layer is the hardest. Careful processing will keep all the best natural qualities of wood intact, and the house will live longer. 
If preference is given to an ordinary log house, you should pay attention to the size of the logs. If you were offered a cheap house, then the diameter of its logs will be no more than 15–20 cm. Please note that the best choice for log cabins is a log from 25 to 40 cm in diameter. This increases the thermal insulation characteristics of the house, and gives the building a more attractive appearance.
Tip 5. Pay attention to the appearance of the log house
Not the last role in the choice is played by the appearance of the log house. It should not have cracks, smudges, blue and traces of bark beetles. If at least one of these signs is present, such an offer should be rejected. 
Another thing to pay attention to when evaluating the appearance is the impregnation of the material with an antiseptic. If the construction was not carried out with high quality, then, as a rule, there is no impregnation. And this means that the tree will soon begin to rot and will last no more than 30 years.
Tip 6. Pay attention to the corners of the log house
Usually a log house is cut "in a bowl" or "in a paw". When cutting corners "in the paw" they do not go beyond the wall itself. With this method, material is saved, but attention should be paid to the coincidence of the cuts made at the ends of the crowns. If they do not match, the house will be easily blown through, and heat will quickly leave the room.
Cutting a house “into a bowl” is considered more efficient, with it the ends of the logs go beyond the planes of the walls. With such a felling, the internal area of \u200b\u200bthe room decreases slightly and the consumption of logs slightly increases, but such corners protect the house well from blowing.
Tip 7. Buy an assembled log house
Quite often, an unscrupulous supplier, in order to hide defects in felling, offers a disassembled log house. But any log has a rather important drawback: since the wood fibers are arranged randomly, the log can bend and warp when it dries out. So if a log house has been disassembled for a long time, no one will guarantee that it can be reassembled.
But there is another danger: a log house, which has been assembled for a very long time and has already managed to shrink, will be very difficult to disassemble into separate logs. Some individual locks may be damaged.
Tip 8. Do not save when buying
When buying, one thing should be firmly remembered - a log house that is too cheap cannot be of high quality. If you found a “good log house”, but at a fairly low price, much lower than the average on the market, then this clearly indicates its poor quality.
Very often, builders, in order to save money, use low-quality materials or do not follow the required rules when laying logs. The operating time of such a house will be short. At the same time, too high a price is also not always an indicator of a quality product.
Tip 9. Buy quality lumber
If the selected log house can still stand in the rain and get wet, then the lumber used in construction cannot wait in the rain when the foundation is poured. Boards, beams and other lumber should be used as quickly as possible. Otherwise, they will warp or crack. 
If lumber is offered along with a log house, then you should not be too lazy and inspect them carefully. Often they are made from raw wood of natural moisture, which in the future can cause a lot of trouble. It is better to order lumber from suppliers who specialize in the production of quality materials.
Tip 10. Choose a conscientious supplier
There are quite a lot of nuances and "pitfalls" in the manufacture. Therefore, you don’t have to be shy at all when ordering or buying a log house or bathhouse, be picky about choosing a supplier. To do this, it is worth visiting the production site, comparing the cost of products with different manufacturers, asking for recommendations and reviews from other buyers using the services of this company.
Headings:Tags: ,Many people cannot imagine a full-fledged country house without a cozy bath. If you haven’t got it yet, you should learn how to choose a log cabin for a bath so as not to lose a lot of money and time.
The frame can consist of timber processed in any of the ways or from beams connected in horizontal rows. It is generally accepted that only a log with a natural shape can be considered the right log cabin for a bath. In any case, doors, windows, ceilings, floors and stairs cannot be attributed to the log cabin of a wooden bath.
What is a log cabin?
A log cabin is a construction of crowns of logs stacked one on top of the other and fixed at the corners into grooves. Each log is adjusted to each other to get an even structure. Baths made of wood are very popular, many people love the unique aroma of wood when heated. Tannins are useful for the body.
The walls of a log bath warm up faster, they “breathe” and absorb moisture well. The joints of chopped log crowns can be insulated with jute tape, linen tow, felt or moss.
wooden log house
It is necessary to install a shallow strip foundation. There is also an option for screw piles. To protect the log from getting wet, foundation ventilation is required. To do this, the vents are placed on all sides, and in the cold season they are closed. Do not skimp on roof overhangs. The higher the structure, the longer the overhangs are needed.
The distance between the building and other buildings is specified in the regulations. Compliance with the rules is checked by government agencies. There are distance standards that apply only to baths, regardless of their materials. The log cabin of a log bath must be treated with a flame retardant and an antiseptic. Every time after using the bath, it must be ventilated.
Dimensions, diameters and cutting features
For even masonry, it is better to use not a cone-shaped, but a cylindrical shape of logs. There are three types of stem processing:
- cylindering,
- Planing,
- Scraping.
The most even log is obtained by rounding. This method is also the most economical. It is important that during processing the wood is dried according to certain rules.
With a planed version, you need to follow the rule when laying logs: for each linear meter, a diameter change of 1 centimeter is allowed (tapering). In the variant of scraping, all the flaws remain. There is no elimination of the curvature of the trunk. It is worth preferring only the first two processing options when choosing logs for a bath.
The design is directly affected by the uniformity of the logs. Linear dimensions in all cases depend on the overall design and climatic conditions. Thin logs are suitable for a summer bath, but not for an all-season bath.
If the building is planned to be used all year round, you should choose log diameters in the range of 22-28 centimeters. In cold climates, log diameters up to 36 centimeters are recommended.
There are many ways to cut logs. Most popular:
- Bowl,
- Paw,
- Norwegian and Canadian cabins,
- With a fat tail groove,
- In the gun carriage
- Comb in the groove.
Popular cutting methods and their features
The choice of wood species
Answering the question: how to choose a log cabin for a bath, it should be noted that the log cabin is made of coniferous or hardwood.
conifers
Baths are made from logs of 1 and 2 grades, these can be:
- fir,
- spruce,
- Pine logs.
Their average thickness is from 14 to 24 centimeters, and the length is from 3 to 6.5 meters. It is important to know that log cabins are not made from cedar, since this type of wood releases harmful substances when heated.
Using pine and spruce, often the lower crowns are made from harder larch. It also goes under the rafters and the floor.
Spruce perfectly removes excess moisture, and pine passes air better. There is no difference in durability. A log house made of larch will cost more because it requires a lot of effort during processing. At the same time, the walls will be heavier and a little colder. The level of fire resistance of larch is higher than that of pine and spruce. The core of the larch trunk is moisture resistant and durable.
hardwood
Logs of 2 grades are suitable for a log house made of hardwood. Their thickness can vary from 12 to 24 centimeters, and the length from 4 to 6.5 meters. The design can be complicated by internal partitions. The bath can be made from trunks of birch, linden, maple, poplar, aspen, beech, hornbeam.
On logs for the floor and the mortgage crown, you can take oak. Often, aspen is taken for a log house, it is resistant to moisture, resistant to pests and fires, and has a low cost. After polishing, the aspen looks great, the steam in the aspen bath is softer and more pleasant. But a bath made of such wood does not pass moisture well, the room must be regularly ventilated.
Linden is similar to aspen in terms of softness and its many irregularities. But it should be noted the tendency of linden to rot. You can make the top crowns or only the shelves fake. They won't get very hot. Birch is harder than linden and aspen, it is less prone to decay. Birch warms up better than linden.
How to choose logs for a log house correctly?
It is worth knowing that in winter the trees “sleep” and there is no sap flow in them. Wood from winter trees is durable and dry. In the summer, the trees are filled with sap, so the logs often crack when they dry out. Each crack opens the way for rot, moisture and insects.
Log sellers are well aware of these nuances. When people buy a log cabin in the summer, the sellers try to prove that it is from "winter" trees. More often than not, this is not the case. Forest storage is too expensive. If we are really talking about a “winter” forest, then logs can be stored in the open air, which destroys all the advantages of such wood. The conclusion is simple: you can pick up good logs, but you need to do this in winter. The best time to buy a log house: from the end of October to March.
The quality of the log house is also affected by the place where the trees grow. A strong and dense product is obtained from trees grown on high ground and in sandy soil. If the trees grew in wetlands or lowlands, then the wood will be of lower quality. It is loose and "watery".
Often log cabins are sold in sets. This includes windows, ceilings, doors and other structures. On the one hand, this is convenient, because everything is combined with each other. But on the other hand, the kits may be too overpriced.
It is worth noting that it is better to purchase a log house directly from the manufacturer. It is always better to avoid intermediaries. Unfortunately, there are too many of them on the market. Using the services of intermediaries, you overpay a lot. The cost of the log house includes the seller's salary, advertising costs, etc.
It is more profitable to buy a log house without additional goods. Often low-quality lumber is sold complete with a log house, and from another wood. When ordering a log house, you should ask the seller what is included in the basic kit.
Log house insulation
Usually log cabins are insulated with moss. This method was used several centuries ago. Materials such as tow and jute are also popular. They do not deform over time and are realized in the form of convenient tapes. They are easy to assemble during assembly. Tape insulation is laid between a log or timber. All this is then fixed with a stapler. If this procedure is done even when assembling the bath, then it will not need to be caulked further.
log house caulk (log house insulation)
Wood has a low thermal conductivity. Heated air is stored in the bath for a long time even in winter. Often the building is not insulated at all, but simply heated for a long time. It is more expensive in terms of operation, but bath experts say that this is the only way to create the famous atmosphere of a Russian bath.
If you use pine logs that have not been pre-treated, then often resin can appear when heated, which often causes burns. This should be taken into account when interior cladding.
When choosing logs for a bath, pay attention to such nuances:
- There should be no black or blue spots on the cut,
- The core should not occupy ¾ of the diameter of the log. It should have an even color
- There should not be a lot of resin pockets and branches on the blanks,
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Instruction
First of all, you should decide what you need a log house for and what size will it be? A house or a bath of standard sizes will cost less, their production and delivery will take place in a shorter time. If you want a custom home, get ready to pay for the project and be patient. For baths, rocks that are less prone to decay, such as aspen and larch, are most suitable, but they are very expensive and not very common. The most common and affordable materials in the production of log cabins are spruce and pine. Spruce has a beautiful white wood, darkens little, but is highly susceptible to deformation and cracks when dried. Pine has a dense yellowish wood with a beautiful texture, but is prone to blue. According to its characteristics, it is considered preferable to spruce.
The wood that was harvested in winter is of the highest quality: but it should also be used in winter or spring. If you are buying a house in the fall, carefully inspect the logs, they must be dry, free of rot, cracks, fungus or tree beetle. But deadwood is not suitable for construction either, it contains too little resin, which makes the house vulnerable to precipitation and shortens the life of the material.
It is very important to choose the way of cutting the corner. The most common types are "bowl" and "paw". Experts most often advise the "bowl", here the corner is more powerful and warmer. It is less susceptible to precipitation and is considered more stable, but further cladding will be difficult. In the “paw” the angle is weaker and colder, such cutting is more laborious, requires great skill and must, before the final assembly, undergo drying for several months, therefore it often costs more than the “bowl”.
For our climatic zone, the thickness of the logs should be from 18 to 40 cm. The first row (crown) is made of thicker logs. On the underside of each log, a groove is knocked out that holds the crowns together; tow and dry moss are placed in the groove for insulation. to give the walls stability, at home the crowns are reinforced with plug-in spikes (12-15 cm high), placing them in a checkerboard pattern along the height of the log house at 1.5-2 m in length. Pay attention to the quality of the assembly of the log house, there should be no gaps and slots in the grooves between the logs, along the log, if any, the house will be cold.
A rounded log has a number of advantages, thanks to machine processing, all logs have the same diameter, a finished groove and an exact junction of logs in the corners, because of this, the assembly of such a house is similar to a children's designer and does not require special skill. During production, logs are treated against fungi, moisture and fire. But this technology is still quite new and has not had time to prove itself, many experts believe that cleaning a log from the required amount of bark makes it vulnerable, and chemical impregnation is harmful to human health.