One-story Finnish houses made of timber with a veranda. Tips for selection and construction

Finland is famous for its practical approach to building houses. This country has a very harsh climate, and special requirements are imposed on cottages for permanent residence.

Over the years, Finnish construction technology has spread and become popular in European countries.

How does Finnish construction technology differ from American one?

There are two large schools of frame construction: American and Finnish. In the first case, it is assumed that all construction work is carried out on the customer’s premises. That is, the frame is created from standard elements, and cutting to the required size occurs in the field.

With Finnish construction technology, all elements of the house are manufactured in a factory, and only the final assembly of the frame is carried out at the client’s site. Therefore, Finnish frame houses are airtight, durable and able to maintain a comfortable temperature even during severe frosts.

What is remarkable about Finnish cottages?

Here are the main advantages that distinguish Finnish construction technology:

• Facade cladding.

Wood materials are used for exterior decoration. Such as polymer-coated chipboard or moisture-resistant plasterboard. This is not siding or other chemical materials. Only wood-based coatings are used, as they are more environmentally friendly.

• Thermal insulation.

Insulation is the strongest point of Scandinavian houses. In some cases, the thickness of the frame wall is 20-25 centimeters. Moreover, natural materials (or materials containing natural components) are used for insulation.

• Special roof design.

Finnish cottages are distinguished by a truss-truss roof structure. This gives the buildings a recognizable style and allows for efficient use of the space under the roof.

• Installed crossbars.

The crossbar is a vertical lintel used to relieve the load from window and door openings. In many projects this jumper is installed at an additional cost. In the case of Scandinavian houses, it is installed by default and allows you to do without double framing of the frame.

Many people associate the phrase “Finnish house” with a warm, cozy structure made of wood. If we talk about frame houses using Finnish technology, then this is really true. The features of this technology, its advantages and disadvantages will be discussed in detail in this article.

Peculiarities

All frame houses are united by the fact that they basically have a frame on which slabs or larger elements are hung. Thanks to this feature, the load-bearing elements of the “framework” are the columns of the frame, and not the walls. This allows you to reduce their thickness, which means increasing the internal usable area of ​​the object.

A frame house can be built using different technologies; the most famous are Canadian and Finnish. From the names it is clear that they originated in America and Finland.

Finnish houses are built from large-sized panels. Such a product is a “pie” made of outer and inner layers - with a vapor barrier film and a layer of insulation laid between them. Sometimes the outer layer is covered with finishing material, and the inner layer has a rough finish. Such panels or slabs are assembled in a factory, after which they are delivered to the construction site and combined into a single whole (according to the principle of a designer).

The basis of the shield is natural wood, which ensures its good (even without insulation) thermal insulation characteristics and high vapor permeability. Thanks to production technology (steam treatment), impregnation with antiseptics and antipyrines the panels are bioresistant and have good fire resistance properties(corresponds to natural wood impregnated with fire retardants).

Mineral wool is usually used as insulation, so we can talk about fairly high environmental safety, which Scandinavian (Finnish) houses are distinguished by.

There is an opinion that such structures are not warm enough. However, this is not true, since the climate in Finland is close to the conditions of the Russian climate, therefore houses using Finnish technology are considered adapted to domestic weather conditions.

In addition, it is one-story and two-story Finnish houses that have maximum thermal efficiency - compared to other frame technologies.

Houses of this type are lighter (compared to conventional buildings made of block, brick or wood), so installing a lightweight foundation is sufficient for them. This (as well as a number of other factors) can significantly reduce the cost of a Finnish house. When compared with a brick building or a house made of blocks, it can be noted that this option will cost 15-20% less.

At the same time, in terms of its operational characteristics, the “framework” is not inferior to most “classical” buildings. However, remember that its service life is only 50-75 years. Then, of course, you can use the house, but you will have to do major repairs.

High speed of installation and the ability to carry out work (except for concrete installation) year-round are also obvious advantages of the technology.

Projects

“Frameworks” according to Finnish technology are always houses to a significant degree of completion, consisting of factory-produced panels and structural elements.

There are several types of such modular houses:

• Block-modular. They are assembled from ready-made panels manufactured in factories. The installation process is reminiscent of assembling toy houses from cubes. In Russia, this method is used infrequently, which is due to the large weight of the modules (additional transportation costs and increased labor intensity of installation) and the uniformity of the construction itself and interior decoration.

• Wall houses with a high degree of readiness are frames for mounting wall panels. Such a frame has an internal and external side, a layer of insulation is laid inside, and a vapor barrier is provided. Usually the front side is sheathed with facade material, the inside can sometimes have a rough finish.

The panels are either blank or have window and door openings. The modules are tightened around the frame and fixed. Then, elements of the floors, roof frame, and so on are assembled from pre-cut materials (the same ones that are used to create the module). The width of the modules is usually 60-80 cm, the length corresponds to the height of the floor, the thickness depends on the thickness of the layers that make up the modular “pie”. The most famous manufacturer of such wall kits on the domestic market is Finndomo.

• Pre-cut wall panels(pre-cut material). The installation technology is close to Canadian technology (using SIP panels). First, a project is created, and then modular elements are manufactured specifically for it. However, in factories they are not combined into a monolithic “pie”, but are cut to the required sizes, numbered and delivered disassembled to the construction site.

Fastening of external and internal panels, laying of vapor-permeable materials and insulation, facade cladding are carried out directly on the site - by a team of builders or by the owner of the house (if we are talking about DIY installation).

This technology involves the use of much larger panels (when compared with the use of SIP panels). Among the reputable developers working using this technology is a group of companies called Kastelli.

House design using Finnish technology is carried out to order, or standard drawings are used. The first method will allow you to create an object that best meets the user's expectations, but it will cost more.

Even when choosing a standard project, you can be sure that the desired design will be found - today there are many proposals from developers. The most popular designs for permanent residence (year-round residence) are one-story houses with an attic and a pitched or gable roof. They can be equipped with a sauna, garage, outdoor terrace or carport.

The construction of a two-story analogue is also popular, but you will have to make a stronger foundation. In combination with the increased amount of materials, this leads to an increase in the cost of the project.

The advantage of a one-story design with an attic is that it will “fit” even into a small area. Thanks to the attic and proper organization of the internal space, it is possible to obtain almost the same area as when constructing a 2-story house without an attic.

When ordering a project, you should remember that due to the large size of the modules, it will be impossible to rebuild the house or change its layout (unlike, for example, objects created using Canadian technology).

Device

The foundation of a “framework”, built using classical Finnish technology, can be made using one of these technologies:

• Insulated Swedish stove. It is planned to create a bowl of high-strength foam plastic into which a thin concrete slab is poured. For greater reliability, the latter is equipped with reinforcement ribs made of reinforcement.

As a result of such actions, it is possible to insulate the foundation already at the stage of its creation. In addition, you can immediately install all communications into the slab (for example, those necessary for organizing a heated floor).

An important point: this type of installation is not suitable for sloped areas. In addition, when using this technology, you will have to put up with a low (no more than 30 cm) base.

• Shallow strip foundation. The classic strip foundation for domestic construction does not need to be buried. The essence of the method comes down to pouring the base, which is then sprinkled with soil (for which the technology is sometimes called “floors on the ground”), insulated and reinforced with screed. Lastly, you can install the communications system. As a rule, insulation and reinforcement of the floor are not carried out immediately, but after work on the walls and roof, that is, in an almost finished house.

A special feature of the roofing system is that it maintains a ventilation gap. Roof is a multi-layer “pie” - regardless of whether it is cold or with an attic organized inside . It includes insulation mounted on the frame, a waterproofing layer and a counter-latten on which the roofing covering is laid. Various options are possible (tiles and seam roofing are widespread) - except for ondulin.

The wooden frame should be assembled only from well-dried wood. There are no strict regulations regarding the materials used. Typically, laminated veneer lumber or LVL (laminated veneer lumber) is used.

The wall assembly falls on the connection points of the side and facade walls, floor and walls, and the jib. It is these areas that need additional strengthening with stiffeners.

If we compare it with American technology, where OSB boards are usually used for cladding, it can be noted that the Finnish technique involves the use of other materials that have better vapor barrier properties.

The most common types of cladding are:

• soft wood fiber boards (MFB), which have high thermal insulation properties (in terms of heat loss they correspond to mineral wool), providing sound insulation and wind protection;
• façade plasterboard (not very popular in Russia);
• covering only the corners of the building with board materials of high rigidity (for example, plywood).

Finishing the facade of a frame house using Finnish technology in 90% of cases involves the use of wood. The rest (about 8%) are plastered surfaces. Siding panels, which are very popular in America, are used extremely rarely by Finns.

Wooden facades are almost always painted with covering (opaque) paint. It is characterized by durability (it is necessary to renew the paint layer on traditional Finnish “frameworks” only once every 10-15 years) - thanks to a special production technology.

The pile of the facade board is specially raised. It looks “shaggy”, which contributes to better absorption of paint and a thicker layer.

Since opaque compounds are used for painting, the boards are not hidden to the facade. This simplifies the sheathing process and allows for more durable fixation of the boards.

Construction technology

Houses using Finnish technology are assembled according to the principle of a designer, so if you have even a little knowledge in the field of construction, it is quite possible to assemble a house with your own hands. However, it should be borne in mind that the slabs are quite heavy, so you cannot do without assistants, and in some cases the services of a crane operator will be required.

The step-by-step instructions in general look like this:

• foundation organization;
• laying timber and installing the bottom trim;
• erection of the frame, fixation of panels;
• arrangement of the rafter system;
• roof insulation;
• laying roofing;
• creating the top trim;
• façade insulation (if necessary), internal thermal insulation;
• external wall cladding.

However, these instructions may be subject to significant changes (depending on the type of panels used). If, for example, house structures of a high degree of readiness are taken, then usually they do not need additional insulation and exterior finishing.

Installation using the pre-cut principle will be completely different, since each layer of the wall “pie” is laid manually - directly on the construction site. A mineral wool layer can be installed in the wall gap or ecowool can be filled in. This also causes differences in the assembly process.

Prefabricated houses (like any others) are built only after design documentation has been drawn up and approved by specialized authorities.

The preparation of the project should be preceded by geological surveys - observation of the soil and its analysis in different seasons. Based on the results of the analysis, the appropriate type of foundation is selected.

When laying the timber and installing the frame, wooden logs are used. They must be pre-treated with antiseptics and fire retardants. A feature of a frame house using Finnish technology is the laying of frame beams in grooves, as well as its additional fixation with nails or screws. Wall structures also have grooves; after lifting, they are connected to the grooves of the frame, which ensures the reliability and tightness of the house.

You can often see negative reviews on the Internet about the thermal efficiency and sound insulation of Finnish houses. A situation where the thermal efficiency and sound insulation ability of panels leaves much to be desired is quite possible. It all depends on the type and thickness of the frame, the correct installation of insulation and vapor barrier films. The operational characteristics of the house largely depend on the professionalism and integrity of the developer. You should not trust the creation of a project and its implementation to little-known companies.

To obtain a favorable indoor microclimate, it is necessary to think through and organize a ventilation system. By the way, the Finns do not use expensive membranes for vapor barriers, making do with a standard film 200 microns thick.

Wooden houses built using Finnish technology are particularly strong, reliable and durable. It will be convenient and comfortable to live in such a house not only seasonally, but also on a permanent basis, and the walls in such a house, thanks to environmentally friendly material, will ensure natural air circulation, filling the house with a truly wonderful aroma of nature.

Distinctive features and features of a Finnish house

Despite the stereotypical opinion that Finnish house designs are only the same type and ordinary houses, in fact they are very original and beautiful buildings that combine coziness, comfort, and versatility.

Finnish houses are usually built one-story, but if the customer wishes, an individual project of a two-story cottage or with an attic can be developed. In any case, the Finnish house project is a functional version of a residential building.

If we take as an example the project of a two-story or with an attic Finnish house, you will get a very convenient and comfortable house for living, divided into zones according to functionality. On the ground floor: a vestibule, a porch, a hall, an entrance hall, a living room - a recreation room, a bathroom, a kitchen, possibly an office, a guest room, utility rooms and a staircase along which you will need to go to the upper floor. On the second floor there is a corridor, a bedroom, a children's room, a bathroom and a dressing room.

Order the creation of a Finnish house project from DK-Dom

The design workshop "DK-Dom" creates individual designs of Finnish houses made of wood. A team of professional architects creates designs for unique Finnish houses from scratch and in accordance with the client’s wishes. The developed project will include all sections, namely a preliminary design, architectural solutions, heating, ventilation and air conditioning of the entire premises, a boiler room, water supply, sewerage, and full electrification of the structure.

The catalog of the Design Workshop “DK-Dom” presents ready-made projects of Finnish houses with photos and layouts for your viewing, among which you will definitely be able to find what you would like to realize in your dream home, you can be sure that changes can be made to the finished project taking into account your needs and wishes.

For example, you can add or remove partitions, customize facade solutions, increase or decrease window openings, change the dimensions of the building itself, or adjust the height of the floors of the future house. We can also offer you to draw up an estimate for the construction of the facility and are ready to advise the contractor throughout the entire construction period.

A Finnish house will become a place where you will want to return constantly and will simply live comfortably. Today, it is Finnish houses that are able to combine modern technologies and traditional culture, and not have any compromises in terms of the aesthetic component both in the interior and exterior.

One of the first questions that arises when you think about building a house is what will it be like? After all, you want the house to be not only beautiful, but also cozy and comfortable to live in.

Most likely, you will first try to draw your “ideal layout” yourself. But I’m more than sure that you will very quickly encounter a number of difficulties - how to “shove in what can’t be squeezed in”, how to arrange windows, doors... to make everything so that it is comfortable and beautiful and nothing superfluous.

It is no coincidence that people study to become architects and designers. Everything is not as simple as it seems. Therefore, in my opinion, the best way is to search for a “donor”, ​​a ready-made house project that best suits your desires and requirements.

You will type in Yandex or Google something like “ready-made projects” or “standard projects” and will consider many domestic projects. Perhaps you will find something, or perhaps you will be disappointed.

Why are Scandinavian projects better than Russian ones?

In short, Scandinavian houses are much more thoughtful, rational and comfortable to live in than the vast majority of domestic ones.

Russian projects are very specific. We do not have much experience in designing private houses. Village houses were always built “with your own mind,” without “conveniences” and other bourgeois excesses, and professional designers and architects were taught to build large buildings and apartment buildings.

Hence the specificity of domestic projects - the emphasis is on a catchy appearance, despite the fact that the internal layouts are often not thought out and are made according to an “apartment” model, which does not take into account the specifics of a country house and living in it.

The space is not used efficiently, there are no extremely useful (and often necessary) utility rooms, etc. But there are many useless halls and corridors. Which waste the space you will pay for during construction.

But behind spectacular facades this is often not noticeable. Understanding comes later, when the house is built, the money is spent, and you understand what should have been done differently.

Once I came across a project for a house of 250 square meters, of which, upon closer examination, about 100 square meters were halls and corridors. That is, in fact, wasted space. But if you take a more rational approach to the use of space, then instead of a house on 250 m2, it would be quite possible to build a house on 180 - with the same set and area of ​​premises that carry some useful function. But in order to make the planning rational, you need to really strain your brain. It is much easier to increase the area and insert a couple of corridors. After all, it is not the designer who will pay for these square meters during construction.

Therefore, in my opinion, it would be more correct to turn to foreign experience. And first of all to the experience of northern Europe and Scandinavia.

Why them?

Because in these countries they know how to count money, they love comfort, but at the same time they do not like to spend too much. The layouts of Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish houses are extremely well thought out. And the climate and related features of the houses are closer to ours than, say, Spanish or Polish houses

All space is used very rationally. Appearance, layout - everything is balanced.

Can I make my own changes to the Scandinavian project?

It is possible, but very carefully. I repeat, most Scandinavian projects have already been thought out to the smallest detail. Therefore, an attempt to independently “redevelop” or change one thing to another may lead to you ending up with a completely different house. And it’s not a fact that it will be as comfortable and beautiful as in the original picture.

Therefore, ideally, you need to look for a project that suits you with minimal changes. Or be very aware of what you are doing and how it will look in reality.

Let me give you a small example. Below is a photo of the “donor” and its implementation with some façade changes.

It would seem like nothing at all. The windows without glazing, the façade board cladding was replaced with siding, the wide white decorative elements were removed, and the porch was slightly reduced in size. It seems like a small thing. But in the end it turned out to be a different house. Not bad - but just different. Not the same as in the picture.

Where can I find a project for a Finnish or Scandinavian house?

There are only two options

Option one - find it in Scandinavia

In Finland and Scandinavia, standard construction is very common, which is carried out by both small firms and large concerns. Such companies usually have catalogs of manufactured houses.

Actually, your task is to study the websites of these companies, see what they offer and choose a Scandinavian or Finnish house project for subsequent implementation. Although, to be honest, this cannot be called a project. Rather, it is the appearance and layout from which you can build. Since buying a ready-made project with all the documentation abroad is quite problematic. But having sketches in hand - the layout and appearance of the house, you can already make a “replica” of this house.

Not all sites have a Russian or English version. Moreover, this version may be “shortened”, so for completeness of information, it is better to look at the original site.

To make it easier to navigate websites, you can use Google's automatic translator (translate.google.com) - just enter the website address in the translation field.

Or use the tips given below in the text.

Option two - search on the Finnish House

We have been working towards this for a long time and have finally made our catalog of Scandinavian and Finnish house designs. Faced with the need to search for a suitable project on several dozen foreign sites, which were also constantly changing, we gradually began to drag projects from Scandinavian sites to ours. And now there are more than 2,500 Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish houses on the Finnish House, with a convenient search according to the main criteria. By the way, when viewing a project in our catalog, pay attention to the “description” tab, there is useful information and a link to the original project.

• projects of Finnish houses with a sauna - and what is a Finnish house without a sauna?
• projects of Finnish houses with a garage - after creating the catalog, I was surprised to find that the Finns have quite a lot of such projects
• projects of Finnish houses up to 100 m2 - small houses have their own charm, except for one thing, they turn out to be expensive to build
• projects of Finnish houses made of laminated veneer lumber - by the way, such a house can always be made in a frame version 😉

If you haven’t found your option, try searching in the catalog itself using the search form in the sidebar.

If you like to work with primary sources, below you will find links to Finnish and Scandinavian sites that served as a source of projects for our catalog.

Finnish house projects

Everything related to houses has a root in Finnish talo- which is noticeable even from the names of the companies. For example, Omatalo is one of the largest concerns in Finland and Scandinavia.

Accordingly, on websites, look for sections related to talo in one way or another - usually the directory is hidden under the word talot (houses), talomallistomme, talopaketit, etc. as well as mallistot (collections). Hints: kerros - number of floors, Huoneistoala - living area, Kerrosala - total area.

And it doesn’t matter whether the company builds houses from laminated veneer lumber or frame houses; any project can be adapted to frame technology.

Hints - husen (house) planritningar (layout), Vära hus (choose a house)

Norwegian house projects

• High-quality timber for the frame.
• Wood for reinforcements.
• Slab for floors and partitions.
• Insulation.
• Steam and wind protection.

Projects of frame Finnish one-story houses are developed taking into account the climate, soil and other features of the location. The durability of the structure and its safety for habitation depend on whether the calculations are correct.

Variety of designs for one-story Finnish houses

One-story Finnish houses, the designs of which construction companies offer, both standard and individual, are created with various architectural additions. Popular elements include:

• Attics.
• Verandas.
• Terraces.
• Balconies.

• Second light.
• Pitched roofs and more.

This is not the only thing that attracts Finnish houses, one-story projects, the wooden frame of which is strong and durable. The buildings are environmentally friendly. Natural materials are used for their construction. To prevent wood from deteriorating over time, it is treated with impregnations that protect against the appearance of fungus and mold.

Finnish one-story frame houses, projects and photos of which can be seen on our website and relevant resources, look stylish and respectable. You can bring any design and architectural idea to life.

Advantages of one-story frame houses using Finnish technology

One-story frame houses using Finnish technology are popular due to many advantages, among which are:

• Availability. The cost of structures is lower than analogues made of brick and concrete.
• Pre-fabricated. If the necessary resources are available, the house will be ready within a few months after the start of construction.
• Comfort. Modern materials make it possible to create a pleasant microclimate that persists in extreme cold and heat.
• Energy efficiency. Buildings made in accordance with the technology have high thermal insulation qualities, reducing the cost of heating and cooling rooms.
• Versatility. Changes can be made to standard projects by adjusting the layout, room sizes, etc.
• Durability. The service life of the structures exceeds fifty years.

There is no need to build a complex foundation, which means there is no shrinkage. Interior and exterior finishing can be done immediately after the frame is erected.

Development of projects for one-story houses in the Finnish style

One-story houses in the Finnish style - building projects surprise with the variety of shapes and possibilities. Customers are attracted not only by the exterior, but also by the rich variability of the internal appearance of buildings. The peculiarities of the construction of ceilings and partitions make it possible to introduce hidden communications in all rooms. If necessary, utility rooms can be provided:

• Storerooms.
• Dressing rooms.
• Boiler rooms, etc.

Despite the fact that wooden one-story Finnish houses are created without thick walls, the indoor microclimate is always comfortable. Natural ventilation ensures good air circulation, preventing the occurrence of dampness and unpleasant odors.

You can learn more about Finnish frame technology from the managers of the construction company ArtStroy. Specialists will help you choose a suitable house project, based on the characteristics of the site and other nuances. Call us, we offer good terms of cooperation!