Fachwerk style: simplicity and originality

To realize the dream of perfect housing, you need to take care not only of its internal content, but also of the appearance. In what style a building should be designed, many factors determine: surrounding objects, landscape, technical and financial capabilities. But the main criterion should be the choice and desires of the one who will live in this house.

In recent years, the fachwerk trend has become popular for styling houses.

For the first time, this style of construction proved itself in the 15th century in Germany. The main feature of this trend is the panel construction of buildings. This style of construction was used throughout Europe. Buildings for various purposes were built on a frame of wood panels. It is noteworthy that wooden elements carry both an important frame function and decorative. The concept of "wooden frame house" for more than 6 centuries.

Frame methods of construction are also used in elite construction. The large glass area of ​​such a house gives a feeling of unity with nature. In addition, this style does not limit the imagination of the designer.

In the modern manifestation of fachwerk appeared in the 70s of the 20th century. In a situation where the tendency of the time was the restructuring of old forms into something new and not always successful, the fachwerk received a fresh and interesting continuation of its development. The founders of the updated style were Valtor Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Architects changed the wooden frames to other of the more durable materials, while maintaining a solid glass facade.

Later, these bulky frames were replaced again. This time it was a more environmentally friendly and lightweight glued beam. This is how modern fachwerk proved itself. It can be noted that little remains of the old style. Huge glass surfaces replaced the blank walls with small double-glazed windows. Considerable importance is also given to thermal insulation. The main thing that remains common is the wooden beams as the frame of the house.

The excellent thermal properties of wood made it one of the best materials for building houses. Properly selected dry wood will fulfill all the tasks assigned to it. But if the details from the timber are not sufficiently dried, then the list of problems may appear:

1. extrusion of the frame;
2. doors that do not close completely;
3. cracks on the surfaces;
4. roof deformation;
5. swollen decoration materials and many other unpleasant manifestations.

The main thing in such construction should be compliance with the main criteria:

1. optimal structural rigidity;
2. compliance with the requirements of geometry;
3. durability of materials.

To dry a beam or a log, the best way is to use chamber drying. Otherwise, it is impossible to dry thick wooden elements. If the drying was carried out incorrectly, then the wood is deformed, cracked, and also it shrinks. Such defective material is not suitable for the construction of structures, as it will entail defects in already finished structures.

An important step during construction is the shrinkage of buildings. Massive wood takes some time. Without this, you can’t start finishing. This stage can be skipped if you build structures from glued beams. Such material is characterized by all the advantages of massive wood and does not show its shortcomings. In the process of shrinkage, such material is practically unchanged. This provides unlimited architectural possibilities.

Any style has its advantages and negative qualities. Their balance means that such a style is suitable in one case or another.

Fachwerk is also endowed with a number of features. Having studied them, the owner of the future structure should decide for himself whether he will put up with the disadvantages of the structure and whether it has enough advantages.

Among the advantages of such houses can be identified:

1. a good microclimate inside, due to the environmental friendliness of the tree and its ability to pass air and absorb unpleasant odors;
2. constant humidity;
3. antiseptic properties of indoor air due to the fumes of natural resins and essential oils from wood;
4. presentable appearance of the building;
5. ease of assembly and decoration.

Among the minuses, the main ones can be called:

1. poor thermal insulation;
2. every 25 years the construction requires replacement;
3. expensive construction of the building.

Despite the popularity of the half-timbered style, the price of such houses remains high and is at the level of 1200-1600 euros per square meter. In order to get a good construction result, it is necessary that the building was built by professionals from high quality materials. The many nuances of assembly make independent construction almost impossible.

However, you can choose a low-cost version of the fachwerk style imitation. With this technology of construction, beams made of artificial or natural wood are attached to pre-plastered walls. This option has a decorative character and most of the properties, advantages and disadvantages of a full-fledged structure do not apply to it.

The glass version is closest to the historic original structure. The space between the frame beams is filled with a dense glass sheet, which has an amazing margin of safety. Such a structure is not only beautiful and stylish, but also has excellent practical properties.

The main connoisseurs of the fachwerk style are those who seek to be closer to nature and surround themselves with natural objects and species.