Today, such solutions are not only surprisingly unique, comfortable, but, no less important, they are very economical options for future owners of frame housing, as well as their family members. That is why such options are in great demand and popularity today in the builders’ market. Distinctive features of frame technologies can be called the high speed of construction of even large buildings and good, high and guaranteed reliable energy efficiency of buildings.
Today, there are many options for the execution of frame and panel cottages, but the Finnish and Canadian technology of frame houses are especially popular. The Canadian house differs from the Finnish one in many nuances, which we will talk about in more detail in this article below, but in general, the construction technologies of such house options are very similar. Both options imply the application of building materials on a timber frame, and are also considered quick-mount solutions, which is undoubtedly an advantage of such buildings. In any case, you will get a stylish, warm and modern cottage that will serve you and your family members for 50-100 years.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF FINNISH TECHNOLOGY
We learned about Finnish frame houses in our country a long time ago, in the middle of the 20th century. Prior to this, frame construction was practically not used in Ukraine at all, as it was considered something incomprehensible and extremely expensive for potential owners of such housing. Finnish houses very quickly found their niche and spread among those who wanted to build their own housing, since even then their construction took much less time than building a house made of bricks or, for example, timber. A distinctive feature of Finnish technology, which distinguishes it from the construction of houses according to Canadian technology, is the step-by-step separate assembly of wall panels.
According to the technology, the walls together with the frame are assembled strictly in a horizontal position and in no other way. This can be explained by the fact that in this position, the shield is covered with a moisture-proof film, and an external wind-proof panel is also mounted, and only the field of this wall is installed in its rightful place, where it was planned to be during the construction of the building. At the last stage of housing construction, insulation is installed from the inside of the frame, after which the wall is finally sewn up with a panel.
A Finnish house differs from a Canadian one also by the fact that the insulation in Finnish technology can only be made of mineral wool and its various varieties. Such an insulating layer has a fairly high life expectancy, which allows you to operate the house for at least 30-50 years. Finnish houses have quite a few advantages over other frame structures. Among them, you can highlight such as:
- Ease of construction. Wall panels and other materials are manufactured in the factory, so all the builders have to do is simply assemble the finished components in the required order. In general, only 2 people can handle the construction of the house. You won’t have to use heavy equipment either, because the walls are very light;
- Ease of maintenance. Revamping the layout or making other changes in the Finnish house is very simple, and such work will not require surprisingly difficult efforts. The insulation or the outer layers of the walls are easily changed, and for this it will not be necessary to demolish the floor of the house at all;
- Environmental friendliness. All frame houses are more environmentally friendly than analogs using concrete and other not entirely harmless substances. And Finnish houses are generally built only from wood and mineral insulation, which makes them very safe for the health of the owner of such a frame house and all members of his family;
- High thermal insulation properties. Wood is a very warm material that warms up well, and insulation inside each wall will prevent your home’s heat from escaping. According to the original concept, Finnish houses had to have a second floor, a gable roof and an open terrace. But the technology did not stand at home all this time, but developed and improved.
Therefore, it is now possible to find a project of any shape and level without any problems.
FRAME BUILDINGS FROM CANADIAN TECHNOLOGY
Canadian houses appeared on our territory much later than Finnish ones. Only at the beginning of the zeros, our developers began to actively use technology, although it was born long before that. Canadian technology differs from Finnish primarily in the materials used in construction. Warm houses originally from Canada are built from structurally insulated plates (SIP panels). SIP panels themselves are a material consisting of three layers: two OSB plates and polystyrene insulation between them. The main feature of Canadian houses is that they practically do not need a frame. All the load is distributed between SIP panels. Many may decide that the house will not last long without a good frame. But in the case of SIP panels, this is not the case. Modern structural plates can easily withstand the weight of several tens of tons under vertical loads and 2-3 tons under horizontal loads. The so-called sandwich panels are glued under enormous pressure and with the use of polyurethane glue, which gives them the ability to withstand incredible loads. The advantages of Canadian houses can also be called:
- Excellent thermal insulation. Styrofoam, although not the strongest material, is one of the most heat-retaining. It keeps the house warm in winter and cool in summer well, and it does not need to be strong, because it is protected by OSP plates;
- Saving space. The width of SIP panels is only 120-170 mm, which allows not only to save space on the site, but also to make the house more illuminated by natural light;
- Excellent noise insulation properties. Not even the sound of a passing train will wake you up in the middle of the night;
- Economy. A Canadian house saves not only money on heating, but also the construction budget. The lightness of the structure allows you to build a cottage without a strong foundation.
The walls of Canadian technology houses are almost perfectly smooth, so they can easily be finished with any material to give the project an individual look. What type of building is better to choose? It all depends on your personal needs. Canadian houses are built very quickly (2-3 weeks depending on the project), so you should give preference to them if time is of the essence for you. Finnish houses, in turn, are built for several months, but are more ecological. Much also depends on the climatic conditions of the region. In other respects, there is no particularly big difference in most parameters, so you can choose the project to which your soul lies more.
