How to build a house with an attic from profiled timber yourself

Building with timber is a way to create an environmentally friendly and reliable home that, with regular maintenance, will last up to 150 years. One popular option for private home building is house made of profiled timber With an attic. Using the attic as a fully-fledged space allows you to expand the overall living space without using up any square footage.

Why is it profitable to build from profiled timber?

Wood is an affordable and lightweight material. Woodworking technologies allow logs to be processed to the correct geometric shape, making them easy to assemble. Profiled timber is a timber that is hewn on four sides and has special grooves cut into it for tongue-and-groove joining. The choice to build with profiled timber is characterized by:

• Environmental friendliness. Wood "breathes," creating a favorable indoor microclimate, keeping the room cool in summer and warm in winter, and emitting no harmful toxic substances;
• Ease of assembly. Thanks to the locking mechanism, assembling corrugated timber is no more difficult than a child's construction set;
• Optimal moisture content. After profiling, the timber is dried in drying chambers, which reduces its weight and prevents deformation during shrinkage;
• Speed ​​of construction. Assembling a frame from profiled material takes just 1-2 weeks and only requires two people;
• Availability. Profiled timber production is carried out in all regions of the country. Most companies offer delivery of lumber to any location;
• Affordable price. Building a house with an attic using profiled timber is cheaper than building with other materials (brick, cinder block, logs). This is due to the absence of costs for a strong foundation, insulation, and interior and exterior finishing.
• Light weight. Once profiled and dried, the frame made of this material doesn't require a substantial foundation. For a house with an attic, screw piles, a block foundation, or a strip foundation are sufficient.

Building with profiled timber is quick and easy. Standard lengths range from 3 to 6 meters. You can easily assemble a house of any complexity.

How to build a house with an attic from profiled timber

Construction should begin during the warmer months, after the snow has melted and the groundwater level has dropped. The key is to complete the foundation before the cold weather sets in. All stages require careful preparation and adherence to the following sequence:

1. Project preparation. Before construction, it's necessary to create a detailed house plan, including its location on the site. Compliance with sanitary and fire safety regulations is required when choosing the site for construction. The plan should include information on the dimensions of load-bearing walls, floors, and the positions of windows and doors. During the design stage, decide on the type of corner joints the building will have—end-to-end or offset. You can choose one of the standard options or create a custom sketch using a computer program or by specialists. If construction is planned on populated areas, project preparation and approval by the relevant authorities is mandatory.
2. Material procurement. Purchase everything needed for the main construction work—foundation components, profiled timber for the frame, subfloor boards, ceiling and rafter system, and roofing. You'll also need to consider purchasing tools and fasteners. Calculate the quantity of building materials based on the completed plan.
3. Site clearing. The area to be built must be cleared of trees and bushes, roots and stumps removed, buildings removed, and, if necessary, the site leveled using heavy equipment. Mark the foundation site using rope and stakes.
4. Foundation construction. Depending on the design, carry out excavation work to lay the foundation. For a house built from profiled timber with an attic, it's sufficient to install steel screw piers, install blocks, or pour a strip foundation. For a concrete foundation, use rebar and backfill with crushed stone or broken brick. This will give the strip foundation additional strength.
5. Assembling the log house. If you installed pile-screw foundationBefore erecting the frame, a grillage must be laid and secured on the surface of the supports. Lay the first two rows of walls on a layer of waterproofing. The bottom beams should be of a larger cross-section than the other elements. They bear the maximum load, so they require additional treatment with antiseptics to prolong their service life. Assemble the rows, securing them with dowels. Place a special insulation material, jute, between the rows. This environmentally friendly material will ensure a tight fit between the beams. The gables of the house are also constructed from timber to retain heat in the attic.
6. Laying the subfloor. Lay the joists while you're still assembling the frame. These joists can be logs, beams, or thick boards, placed in special cutouts in the bottom rows at intervals of no more than 1 meter.
7. Construction of an attic. It is recommended to build a wall attic also from profiled timber. This will eliminate additional costs for heating and room insulationDepending on the complexity of the project, the attic can have a variety of geometric shapes. It's important to construct robust basic elements—the floor between floors, walls, and ceiling. A broken gable roof is most often used for private homes. In this case, the attic space is also built from profiled timber, with a smaller living area than the ground floor. Four timber walls should be erected, tapering toward the ceiling. Pay special attention to the wall joints, as these are the most exposed to airflow. The ceiling should be made of thick boards, covered with a vapor barrier and insulation.
8. Cutting door and window openings. In the ground floor frame, attic, and interfloor space, cutouts should be made for future entryways and frames.
9. Roof installation. The roofing material is laid on the rafter system erected above the attic. A waterproofing material must be laid over the sheathing. Insulation can be installed if necessary. Roofing materials include slate, ondulin, corrugated sheets, and tiles.

After completing the above stages, you need to give the house time to settle. After a year, you can begin finishing work, installing utilities, and installing windows and doors.

Building a house with an attic using profiled timber is a worthy choice for a summer residence or a small family. You'll become the owner of a reliable, affordable, and environmentally friendly home that will last for over 50 years.