Seasons: when is the best time to build a house from glued laminated timber?

The construction of country houses from glued beams is carried out all year round, regardless of the seasonal period. Since such houses practically do not shrink, they can be build at almost any time of the year that is convenient for you. At the same time, summer is considered the least favorable – due to higher prices, excitement in the construction market and high air temperatures, at which, for example, it may be problematic to paint the facades of a building.

In most cases, a glued beam house is built in about 1 year. Construction companies try to adhere to technological recommendations in terms of performing certain works in a certain season of the year.

It is very important that the shrinkage of the finished house made of glued laminated timber does not exceed 4%. At the same time, compensators and sliding fasteners used during construction, that is, elements of shrinkage technology, allow you to immediately start installing windows and finishing work.

For buildings made of logs or profiled timber, after the construction of the main structure, a pause will be required before finishing (at least a year), so the distribution of stages is shifted. Saving time is an indisputable advantage of building houses from glued beams.

Stages of construction

As a rule, the construction of a house from glued laminated timber is divided into the following stages:

• project development;
• site preparation;
• choice of materials;
• building a foundation;
• laying the first crown and floor;
• erection of supports and walls;
• internal finishing works;
• external finishing works.

There is an unspoken schedule by which teams determine the best time to build a house from glued laminated timber:

• the foundation is mounted in the fall;
• in winter, walls, ceilings, rafters and a roof are erected;
• in the spring they control the shrinkage of a house made of glued laminated timber;
• finishing work is carried out in the summer.

Autumn

This is a great time to lay the foundation and start building a house or cottage from glued laminated timber. The difference in night and day temperature peaks in September-October is still insignificant. Closer to winter, you can begin the construction of the building itself.

The main thing is to choose a time when there is no precipitation, so that you do not have to additionally protect the pits and trenches from filling with water. Filling is best done before the onset of stable frosts. If the foundation is poured at low temperatures, special “heating” additives for the concrete mixture and heating guns will be needed. It will cost additional funds, but given the big discounts in the winter season, the autumn-winter option for building a foundation will still cost less.

Winter

Forest harvested in winter contains a minimum amount of moisture, which guarantees the quality of wood and increases the life cycle of building materials. The January freezing of wood eliminates warping and crackling of the log house. Glued laminated timber of winter production has the best quality and allows you to assemble the house kit in the shortest possible time. Natural shrinkage is also ensured by the snow load characteristic of this period.

Considering that microorganisms (bacteria, fungus, mold), as well as harmful insects, cause great harm to wood, winter construction is preferable, since at this time such “living creatures” are not able to actively multiply and spoil the state of fresh lumber.

Spring

In the spring, you can observe the shrinkage process. This season, the cost of building materials increases. Much of this is due to rising inflation. You will be able to notice that you saved at least 3-4% on building materials by ordering their delivery in advance.

It is worth noting that the shrinkage of a house made of glued laminated timber is affected by the quality and density of interventional insulation. It is more reliable to use jute insulation, the density of which does not change with time. This means that the structure will not have additional shrinkage.

When purchasing a turnkey house, there is a chance that a cheap sealant will be included in the project. Buy a log house made of glued laminated timber for shrinkage, assemble it yourself, ensuring that the links fit tightly to each other. The durability of the building, a minimum of finishing compensate for all costs.

Summer

In the summer, when the geometry of the house is finally formed, you can start finishing. May and June are the best time to complete the construction of a glulam house. Outdoor work will take a minimum of time: primer, paint, antiseptics and varnishes dry extremely quickly on sunny days.

Natural finishing materials are best suited for finishing your wooden house, in addition, they do not emit harmful substances during operation and when heated. Plastic, PVC and other synthesized panels are not the best material for finishing a house made of glued laminated timber.

As an external and internal cladding, we recommend using:

• block house;
• high quality lining;
• decorative wood panels;
• cork cloth (only inside);
• flexible stone – for partial decoration inside and outside the building.

There are other environmentally friendly materials that are in harmony with the natural wooden texture of the surface of the bars.

Various options for the distribution of work by season

Based on the recommendations of the owners of houses from glued laminated timber, you can follow three basic building strategies. The first option is the most common. The second and third are less common, but also "have a place to be":

1. Foundation in autumn, walls in winter, finishing in spring. An option when the owner orders construction in the summer or autumn and by the next summer he has already moved into the finished house;
2. Foundation in late spring or early summer, walls and decoration in autumn. If you work in an accelerated mode, then before the onset of frost, you can finish the exterior;
3. Foundation in winter (early spring), walls and finishes in summer and autumn. The construction is proceeding without haste, in the fall the owner is guaranteed to receive a finished house, even taking into account downtime in the rains.