Country house made of plywood. Country house (simple and inexpensive): what type and design to choose, construction, nuances. Exterior decoration of the house
Communication with the natural environment, the presence of a country house or country house has become an absolute necessity for any modern city dweller. People today are tired of the bustle, noise, offices, huge stores, in a word, of urbanization. They dream of getting out, at least for a weekend, closer to nature, admiring the colorful flowering vegetation, and listening to songbirds. The best warrant for this is your own dacha. If the budget for realizing your dream is modest, it doesn’t matter; today building a country house with your own hands is not at all a problem. Arranging terraces, various flower beds, alpine slides, verandas and other dacha attributes near your home will bring you closer to the surrounding landscape, returning you to nature, a natural and organic environment for humans.
The procedure and stages of construction of a country house
- Building a country house with your own hands, even if very small, at first glance it may seem like a very simple matter, not requiring close attention and lengthy preparation. But if you want to create a small, but durable and cozy family nest, you should take the matter seriously.
Before starting all purchases and construction work, you need to decide at a family council what the purpose of your house is: do you want to garden, or just arrange a recreation area and come for the weekend, will you be at the dacha in the cold season, and will you you receive guests.
Country house project 10×8
Country house projects and photos of which are presented in the article will differ from a country house only in that they first of all provide for a single connection with a vegetable garden, garden or flower garden, even if the latter is completely small.
Construction Basics
- First of all, it is worth thinking carefully about the entire layout of the available space; very often, every piece of land counts with summer residents, so it should be used wisely and efficiently.
- It is very important that the minimum permissible distances to your neighbors on the site and to the roadway are observed. The distance to the neighbor's plot is three meters, and the distance to the street is five meters.
- Places where there are depressions are not suitable for building a house, since water will accumulate there after rains. The ideal option is the highest available location on the northern or northwestern side of the plot allocated to you.
- Next, you should decide in general terms what you are going to build the house from. Possible options are listed below, but you need to take into account ground conditions, weather conditions, budget, transportation costs and labor availability.
On a note! After the construction site has been determined, the desired design of the country house for which it is being developed is selected, or a ready-made beautiful project is selected.
Choosing a turnkey country house project (photo)
The first thing you need to think about after discussing the issues listed above is the project. Very often, future gardeners who want to quickly build a country house on their plot go to private construction companies, where managers often offer them expensive “luxury” projects. However, in order to build a small garden house with your own hands, you can limit yourself to much less.
An inexpensive and quite decent garden (or country) house can be built according to a typical standard project. Individuality and uniqueness can be given to it with the help of exterior decoration and plants surrounding it.
Nowadays, it is easy to find a ready-made turnkey country house project on the Internet. But when going through such proposals, you should also take into account some very significant aspects, for example:
- full estimated cost of the house box;
- duration and quality of construction;
- labor intensity of excavation work;
- range of services for foundation construction.
On a note! Even small garden houses should have utility rooms for storing garden tools, take such things into account as well.
Foundation options for a country house
Concrete base (foundation) - serves as a kind of support for any house. It must withstand the loads created by the house, both during construction and after it is put into operation.
Important! A good foundation must be strong, frost-resistant, and waterproof, since the structure is affected by groundwater and active elements.
The foundation of a garden house is designed to ensure the complete stability of the structure under construction, as well as the reliability of its future operation. The most correct in a particular case (country house) will be the types of foundations listed below.
- Strip foundation type - this is a structure made of a monolithic concrete strip, which is formed along the entire perimeter of the future house. This design is very often used in the construction of two-story houses; it is stable and wear-resistant, and is also suitable for brick houses. It should be taken into account that such a foundation will not be cheap, and it will not be done so quickly.
- Columnar foundation- more economical, it consists of pillars that are recessed and installed in all corners of the future building, at the joints of all walls, as well as inside, in place of the planned partitions. It is good for small one-story houses that will weigh a little, for example, frame or panel houses.
- Pile type foundation– consists of groups of piles that are sunk directly into the ground and joined together by reinforced concrete. If your dacha is located in a place prone to waterlogging, then you will have to make just such a foundation. By the way, it is piles that are used in the construction of the foundations of small cottages, brick buildings, large frame-type houses and classic wooden log houses.
- Monolithic slab foundation– is a monolithic slab, which is made of reinforced concrete; it also serves as the floor in the house; insulation, boards, and other coverings are placed on it. Such a foundation is worth choosing if your site is located on stable soil; it can be the basis for both a one-story house and a two-story one.
Budget country house is a thing of the future
Modern traditional summer cottages are so diverse, sometimes interesting in their design, that it is not easy to make a worthy choice of the ideal option for your family. However, try to put aside your emotions and soberly weigh the pros and cons.
Modular house
The most affordable, simplest, and fastest methods for building a small house are assembling the structure from a ready-made panel kit. This group also includes houses made of structural externally insulated panels.
This also includes various module options, as well as small country houses made from container blocks. Their obvious advantage is the ease of installation work, because you actually only need to properly prepare the base (foundation) and then install the finished structure on it.
Among the obvious disadvantages of this “construction” method, one can clearly highlight both high prices for modules and a small number of possible variations. However, the purchase of a so-called construction kit makes it possible for even beginners without prior experience in this field to build a country house with their own hands.
In addition, in such a house, as a rule, the manufacturers have already installed all the communications necessary for life. Due to this, it is possible to avoid traditional mistakes, which are often made due to inexperience.
Country houses-huts
The small house in the form of a hut, which vaguely resembles a real “chalet,” has obvious shortcomings. It fits perfectly into the natural environment and looks very elegant and organic.
A hut house usually retains all its advantages when it is made no more than 6x9 meters in size, after which it automatically becomes somewhat difficult to construct. In addition, the construction of a large hut will require a lot of building materials.
In a small house in the form of a hut, one sleeping place will have to be arranged in the attic. You will need to climb there using an ordinary vertical ladder, but this is quite possible for the younger generation.
In the American states and in the forested part of Canada, such single-occupancy houses are ubiquitous. Not only hunters, fishermen and beekeepers find shelter in them, but also seasonal tenants who want to live in the natural environment during the warm season.
For a small family of two or three people, a 3x3 meter hut house could well become a summer cottage for seasonal living. It will be possible to come to the house in spring, summer, late autumn, since heating costs will be low, and it heats up much faster.
On a note! If you are going to come to your dacha all year round, but don’t want to spend a lot of money on construction, then such a hut house will be the best choice.
Real bungalow
In the traditional sense, a bungalow is a one-room summer house without heating. As a rule, it is equipped with a large open space, which is structurally connected to the house.
For a traditional dacha, to which a family living in a relatively warm climate plans to visit only on weekends, such a bungalow-type house is optimal because it is spacious, well ventilated, and not too hot from the sun.
There are not many materials needed for the construction of such a house; it is made of wood. The bungalow house is very durable; it can be built on a not very deep foundation, on soils that are not very stable, including in areas prone to waterlogging.
Moreover, in damp areas, houses that are built in the form of bungalows are very durable, due to the fact that all the upper ends of the boards are usually covered with roof overhangs traditional for such a building.
Frame country house
Frame houses are becoming more and more popular, although wood is a traditional building material for our region. The environmental friendliness of such a structure is obvious, and the house, if built correctly, retains heat perfectly.
A frame-type country house should be built in the traditional style of wooden house-building, approximately the same way our ancestors did. It is desirable that it be one-story, or, in extreme cases, have an attic. Living in such a house will be cozy and comfortable all year round, and its construction will not scare you with its scale and costs.
Which country house is better: one-story or two-story?
A one-story garden house is a certain philosophy, worldview. Such a dwelling is much more comfortable, because it does not have a door leading to the second floor. Of course, for young people, rushing to the top is not a problem, however, in older years this option will definitely be less convenient.
A one-story house is also safe for children. Many summer residents who have chosen housing on two floors leave reviews that after a few years running up the stairs becomes very boring, and the statistics of injuries to people on the steps of stairs speaks for itself.
Perhaps you have decided to build a house from aerated concrete at your dacha, and are going to do it yourself. This is a great idea if you have some construction experience.
The same applies to a brick country house. Masonry is not an easy process and requires experience. But the obvious advantage of such a dacha is that it will serve its owners for many years and will be inherited by the children.
Most residents of megacities have been dreaming for many years about a small beautiful house, entwined with climbing roses in a picturesque area, where they can always hide from the sweltering heat and take a break from the hustle and bustle. Make your dream come true, because a do-it-yourself country house is quite possible!
Our company builds inexpensive turnkey garden houses in Moscow and the Moscow region. Over many years of activity, we have collected many successful forms of houses from economy class to exclusive solutions at a reasonable price. In the site’s catalog you can find both small options for purely utilitarian purposes, and full-fledged country houses for long-term comfortable living in the summer months.
Do you want to build a garden house according to your own design? We will take care of all the hassle - we will develop a unique design project, professionally implement it “in wood”, carefully deliver the kit to the site and assemble it as quickly as possible. A garden house made of timber will certainly become a decoration of your dacha and a favorite place to relax.
Here are just some of our advantages that will help you make the right choice:
- The prices for our garden houses made of timber are perhaps the most favorable in Moscow and the Moscow region. This was achieved through a consistent reduction in production costs. In this case, high-quality materials and components are used.
- Environmentally friendly materials - dry profiled mini-timber and hardwood boards. They are processed using our own technology, without the addition of adhesive components and other harmful chemicals.
- Minimum construction time. From the sketch of the project to the turnkey delivery of the garden house it will take no more than 7-10 days. If you choose a ready-made solution, the delivery time will be significantly reduced.
- High quality. Our team is professional builders with impressive experience in the industry. What is important is that the entire construction process will be controlled by our management.
- Modern design and comfort. Our country houses combine pleasant, cozy shapes inspired by rustic motifs, while at the same time they look quite modern. A thoughtful layout will make your stay at the dacha as comfortable as possible.
Order the construction of a wooden house from us - it’s inexpensive, quick and hassle-free. We will help you arrange your suburban area so that you get only unforgettable impressions from your summer holiday.
Even a small country house should have at least a kitchen and a recreation room. If you plan to spend the whole summer outside the city, in addition to often receiving guests, it makes sense to build a full-fledged building with all the amenities. We invite you to look at photos of country house projects.
Basic requirements of SNiP
The requirements for a building located on a garden plot are less stringent than for a residential building. However, if during the construction process you create discomfort for your neighbors, you may be forced to demolish the finished building.
Therefore, before choosing a project, you should familiarize yourself with the basic requirements of SNiP:
- even on a small plot, the building can only be located at a distance of 3 m from the neighbor’s fence
- the minimum distance from public territory (road) is also 3 m, and if there is a passage 5 m
- if there are other buildings on your site, in order to reduce the risk of their fire, the distance between block or stone buildings is left at least 6 m, between a stone and a wooden building 10 m, if both buildings are wooden - 15 m; when using wood only as a ceiling - 8 m
- if there is a nearby power line, the distance from it is from 10 m; from the high-voltage line it is even greater, up to 40 m
- a certain distance (up to 4 m) must be retreated from tree trunks; 2 m is sufficient from low-growing trees.
Don't forget about building density. With standard dacha plot sizes of 6-10 acres, you have the right to occupy no more than 30% of the area with buildings.
The territory must have a mesh or lattice fence 1.5 m high. Solid fences are allowed only if this is agreed upon by the meeting of gardening members or both neighbors agree to this.
Do I need any permission?
According to Art. 51 clause 1 part 17 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, if the building is not intended for permanent residence, no special construction permit is required. But to obtain ownership rights to an already built garden house, as well as to other outbuildings, you will need to issue a cadastral passport and register with the Registration Chamber (according to a simplified scheme).
If it is planned to erect a residential building on a garden plot with the right to register in it, then it will be necessary to obtain a special permit signed by the executive authorities and a construction passport. As well as permission from the fire inspectorate. In the future, registration of ownership of the building will also be required.
Even a small building should last long enough
To make your country house as comfortable as possible, you should listen to the opinions of experts:
- No matter how much you would like to build something unusual on your site, with little construction experience it is better to settle on a universal project that has already been tested over the years
- when planning, you should immediately determine the size of the rooms and their location; this will allow you to immediately determine the supply of communications (sewage and water supply), which are laid at the stage of building the foundation
- In order to save your own money, the design of even a temporary building must be thought out so that in the future it can be used as a bathhouse, barn or summer kitchen
- be sure to take into account the possibility of further adding additional premises to the building: verandas, terraces, bathhouses and other buildings
- even in a small house it is worth providing not only a relaxation room, but also a kitchen area
- in the absence of other buildings, a separate place should be allocated for placing garden tools
- the building must be durable enough to last at least 25-30 years
How much will construction cost?
Regardless of the size of the future garden house, before starting construction you will need to calculate the cost of its construction. To do this you need to think about:
- Main settings: length, width and height of the building
- type of foundation and its height
- the type of materials used to construct the walls and their thickness
- roof type
- materials used for flooring
- dimensions of each room
- heating methods (if planned)
- types of finishing materials
- communication methods: electricity, sewerage, etc.
There are enough programs on the Internet that can calculate the approximate cost of construction of any type of building. Most of them have a free trial period. You can also use online calculators for calculations. Please note that the cost of materials may differ from those in your region of residence.
Since prices during the construction of a country house may increase if construction is planned for a long time, It is better to include a reserve of at least 10-20% of the total cost in the estimate. When calculating the cost, do not forget that such “little things” as roofing bolts, screws, primer, and plaster will also require considerable expenses.
It is better to purchase materials in one place - bulk purchases will be much cheaper.
Choosing a location on the site
Choosing the optimal location on the site
First you need to draw up a scale plan of the estate and mark the cardinal directions on it. We immediately mark on it existing buildings and large plants that are not subject to demolition. We shade all restricted areas on the plan (distances from the fence, power lines, etc.).
You should also not locate the building near compost pits and toilets - with the slightest breeze, unpleasant odors will enter the house. We mark favorable zones in dotted lines. Try to plan the site in such a way that even after construction there will be space for outbuildings (if they are needed), recreation areas, for example, a swimming pool, gazebos, playgrounds, etc.
In addition to the distances from neighboring buildings and roads established by SNiP, you should also focus on other factors:
- It is better to locate a country house closer to access roads and sources of communications: loading and unloading crops and household items will not be a big problem in this case, and connecting to power supply and other communications will be cheaper
- wind direction: to prevent the building from drying out quickly, you should not place windows and doors on the side of the prevailing winds
- When the windows face south or east, the room will quickly overheat in the summer; it is better if the sun hits them in the afternoon
- so that groundwater does not destroy the foundation of the building, the house is located on the most elevated place; on wetlands, if there is no alternative, you will need to consider a reliable drainage system and waterproofing the foundation
- Pay attention to the appearance from the window, because comfort always comes from such little things.
Take your time choosing a project. Start development at least six months before the start of construction so that you have the opportunity to think it through thoroughly and make calculations without rushing.
We are drawing up a project
Of course, the design of a country house can be ordered from a specialized organization, but the prices for such services are considerable. When building a small house, it is much easier to use ready-made diagrams, which are abundant on the Internet, and supplement them with your own calculations.
Building plan
You will need several drawings. The first one indicates the location of all rooms, entrances and window openings, as well as the thickness of walls and partitions. The second figure shows the layout of the foundation and the roofing scheme.
Small building project
It is impractical to build too large a structure on 3-6 acres of land– it will take up most of the site. A grandiose structure is not required even if you spend little time at the dacha. In some cases, a small building without a foundation and assembled from boards or even plywood is sufficient. However, such a house will not last long.
Inexpensive panel or foam block buildings on a pile foundation will cost a minimal amount and will even go to your grandchildren. A small country house can have a standard size of 3x3 or 4x4 m, and it will even be possible to provide a separate small walk-through kitchen-dining room. The second room will have one or two sleeping places.
A small house may have only one room with space for kitchen cabinets, a dining table and a sleeping area. But even for a small country house, it makes sense to attach a winter glazed veranda or terrace along the long side of the building, 2 m long. The veranda is built on a common foundation or the foundation for it is poured separately.
Such a house can be made with a summer or winter attic. A medium-sized building will occupy a minimum of free space on the land plot, while the living area will increase. If there is an attic, bedrooms are located in it, and on the ground floor there is a kitchen and a bathroom.
It is better to complement such a building with a veranda or terrace, where you can comfortably settle down to relax in the evening. For better heat retention, a vestibule can be provided in front of the entrance. A small summer shower will fit perfectly on the veranda.
If lightweight timber is used to build walls, and there are no problems with the soil (it is not too wet or loose, and groundwater does not rise too high), it is sufficient to erect a strip foundation. The foundation for the stove is prepared simultaneously with the foundation of the house. For a veranda, a columnar base will be sufficient.
For a log house made of 150x150 timber, a strip of foundation 25 cm wide is prepared. The terrace is installed separately on pillars with a cross-section of 25 cm, buried in the ground at a distance of 60 cm. When building in marshy areas or erecting brick walls, you will need a full-fledged deeply buried foundation.
To save money, the foundation for the veranda can be made as a separate lightweight foundation (column or pile). It can be added after construction is completed. But the option with a separate foundation is suitable only if there is soil that is not prone to movement, otherwise the foundation will move.
Large house project
If the family is large and the country house is planned to be used as a residential one, including in winter, it makes sense to build a permanent building from rounded logs, timber or even brick according to ready-made designs measuring 5.3x8.4 m, 7x8.4 m, 10x8 m and more. You can also order the development of your own non-standard project.
Such houses require a full strip foundation. It is laid below the freezing point of the soil, so that when seasonal temperatures change, movement and deformation of the structure does not occur.
A large country house can be two-story or consist of one floor and an insulated attic. It will have enough space not only for residents, but also for guests. On the ground floor there is a kitchen, bathroom and living room, and on the second floor there are bedrooms, children's rooms, an office and other rooms if necessary.
To avoid unnecessary problems with the supply of water, gas and sewerage, it is not worth moving the bathroom and cooking room to the second floor. It is also customary to arrange the living room on the ground floor, near the kitchen and away from the bedrooms.
If the building is planned to be used all year round, it is better to build not an attic, but a full second floor. Otherwise, almost the same amount of money will be spent on its insulation, wind and vapor barrier as on the construction of the second floor. It is also necessary to take into account heating costs - in the winter cold, solid walls will store heat much better than even well-insulated thin attic walls.
House with an attic
A country house with an attic will cost less than the construction of a full-fledged two-story building only if it will be used only in the summer. But even when arranging it you will need insulation. Otherwise, on sunny days it will be too hot. The heat insulation layer is made slightly thinner than for winter use.
If only the first floor is heated, only the walls of the building and the ceiling are insulated, leaving the attic cold. The door/lid intended for access to the upper floor is made as tight as possible and additionally insulated.
When constructing a conventional gable roof, the living space in the attic will not be enough. To increase the free space, the roof is made broken. However, its construction is more complex, and more materials will be required.
Another way to expand the space in the attic is to raise the walls just above the first floor. Such houses are called “one-and-a-half story houses.” By raising the walls, the area of the premises will increase slightly.
Project of a house with a glazed veranda
The veranda can be attached to only one side of the house or run along two or even three walls. On heaving soils, it is better to build the foundation for it simultaneously with the foundation of the house. After all, when making a separate shallow foundation, you will gain only 1-2 m.
Most often, the veranda is completely glazed or the lower half of the wall is covered, and double-glazed windows or single frames are inserted along the top. You will receive a full-fledged room in which you can equip a dining room, living room or kitchen. In the warm season, the windows can be opened wide.
The veranda can also serve as a continuation of the living room. It can also be equipped with a small sports corner, a children's playroom or even an office.
House with terrace
On the covered terrace you can not only sit down for tea on a warm summer evening. On hot or rainy days, you can use it to do some current chores without littering the house. Often it is built upon completion of the main construction on a separate columnar foundation.
The garage is built as an extension to the house or is located on the ground floor. The walls and foundation can be made of brick or concrete blocks. If the soil is wet or loose, the house is installed on a reinforced concrete pad.
Two-storey house
If the family is large enough, and the size of the plot does not allow building a large country house, it makes sense to build a two-story building. In this case, you will be able to squeeze the maximum benefit out of even a small piece of land. The size of such a structure can be any from 4x4 m to 10x10 m or more.
The construction of a second floor will not cost much more. The load on the foundation increases by only 60%. Costs for flooring and roofing do not increase at all. Only the cost of materials for walls and floor coverings will be added. Thus, a square meter of area will cost less than in the case of a one-story building.
Experts do not advise overloading houses made of timber with an additional floor. It has enough advantages, but its strength has limits.
Country house combined with a bathhouse or sauna
If the land plot does not allow you to allocate a separate place for the construction of a bathhouse, it is quite possible to attach it to a country house. Such a project is also economically beneficial - after all, much more building materials will be needed for a separate building. There will be no need for separate communications - light and water supply.
Very often, a bathhouse or sauna is added to a house after construction is completed. The foundation for it is selected depending on the type of soil and the total weight of the building. To protect against moisture, the walls are carefully waterproofed.
Even if the bathhouse is being built simultaneously with a residential building, the foundation for it is made separate so that due to the difference in humidity, cracks do not appear and it does not move away from the general structure. The foundation must be built separately from the foundation of the house.
Indeed, due to high humidity, cracks may appear in it, and the base of the bathhouse will begin to move away from the foundation of the entire structure. Sewer and water supply pipes are laid in it. A separate drainage pit is prepared at a distance of at least 3-5 m from the foundation.
To prevent moisture from entering the room, the entrances to the bathhouse or sauna and the house are made separate. Between them you can build a covered corridor-transition, veranda, gazebo, or at least a canopy - in this case, when moving from the bathhouse to the house in winter, the likelihood of catching a cold is reduced. Since baths and saunas are a source of high humidity, you should carefully consider the ventilation system and waterproofing of the room.
In addition to ventilation holes, it is advisable to provide a window or small window for ventilation. The most acceptable option is to connect the steam room to a wall with a stove located in the house. In this case, the bathhouse or sauna will dry out much faster.
House with bay window
A bay window is a small part of a room protruding beyond the facade. Such structures will look ridiculous against the background of a building of a regular shape. A bay window will look harmonious only if there is a complex architecture, an unusual shape of windows, a roof or an entrance lobby.
It can be built into only one of the floors or pass through two floors at once. The bay window can have any shape: from semicircular to trapezoidal or pentagonal. With its help, it is possible to expand the area of the building - in such extensions there are dining areas, winter gardens or work rooms.
In the absence of experience in construction, it is hardly possible to create such a structure, and the project will need to be ordered from specialists. However, such a house looks very unusual.
It is possible to attach a bay window after the construction of the country house. In this case, cantilever slabs are used as the foundation, which are built into the load-bearing wall. Such a foundation is buried to the same level as the foundation of the entire house. To lay out shaped protrusions, brick or profiled timber with a special locking system is most often used.
The protruding elements of the bay window lead to a weakening of the rigidity of the entire structure, so the frame of the house must be strengthened.
How much will it cost to purchase a finished building?
If you have no experience in construction, it makes sense to purchase a ready-made turnkey building. Depending on the allocated amount, you can buy either a simple panel structure or a full-fledged structure made of timber or logs. Since the cost of materials in each region may vary, it is better to find out the prices for such houses on the relevant websites.
- For example, a small house made of 3x3 m timber with clapboard cladding will cost 60 thousand rubles.
- An average-sized building of 5x3 m will cost about 10 thousand rubles.
- A full-fledged log house with a veranda can be purchased for 270 thousand rubles.
Materials used for construction
The choice of foundation type depends on the type of soil and the total weight of the structure:
- columnar or pile foundations made from concrete blocks, bricks, reinforced concrete, rubble stone in increments of 1-2.5 m; to combine them into one structure that serves as the support of the house, a grillage made of wood or metal is used; the most economical option, more suitable for light timber or frame buildings, log houses; in country construction, screw piles are mainly used; driven, driven and drilled piles are used less frequently;
- strip foundation: a more durable support made of reinforced concrete, brick or rubble, such a tape runs along the entire perimeter of the house and internal partitions; is divided into two types: shallowly buried in the ground at 40-70 cm and deeply buried (used for heaving soils) 1.5-1.8 m below the freezing level; strip bases can be used for any type of house from cast, block to brick;
- slab base in the form of a monolithic reinforced slab located on a sand and gravel bed; when the soil heaves, such a foundation is capable of lowering and rising without any deformation; such a base simultaneously serves as a subfloor; Suitable for all types of buildings, including large ones.
A columnar foundation on loose soils or with close groundwater passage is unacceptable. In these cases, strip foundations are used.
Most types of foundations are built on a 20-30 cm sand and gravel cushion, which protects the foundation from groundwater and capillary moisture. It is especially important in the presence of heaving (peaty and clayey) soil, which, when frozen, changes its volume and rises to the top. In the absence of a sand and gravel substrate, this can lead to warping of the foundation and cracking of the walls.
This cushion also helps to perfectly level the base before pouring the foundation. With its help, the pressure of the building on the ground is distributed more evenly. If it is absent and the structure settles unevenly, it may simply warp. Such a pillow is not made only on sandy soils or very wetlands.
When laying the foundation, sewerage and water supply pipes are immediately laid. Their depth is 0.5 m below the freezing point of the soil. If this is not possible, the pipes are additionally insulated. To ensure gravity flow of liquid, they are laid at a slight inclination of 4-7°.
Wall materials
The choice of materials for the walls of a country house depends on many factors: personal preferences, region of construction, duration of residence (all year round or only in the summer), project requirements and, of course, the allocated amount:
- frame or panel buildings: their main advantages are low cost and ease of construction; The disadvantages include high flammability, low wind resistance and poor thermal insulation - a few years after the shrinkage of mineral wool or polystyrene foam laid between the frame posts, it will be difficult to heat the house; service life 30-40 years;
- slag-cast: inexpensive buildings, for arranging the walls, formwork is prepared into which a mixture of cement and coal slag is poured; this method was even used in the construction of residential buildings several decades ago; the main disadvantage of this material is its low moisture resistance: inside such rooms, due to dampness, fungus quickly grows; service life up to 50-70 years;
- lightweight houses made of gas or foam blocks: these inexpensive materials are 8 times larger than ordinary bricks, so the construction of the building will be quick, in addition, the blocks are easy to saw or drill; due to their high porosity they have high heat and sound insulation; the service life of aerated concrete is up to 50-80 years, foam blocks are slightly lower;
- sandwich panel houses: unlike frame and panel panels, the strength element in them is not racks and crossbars, but the panel itself, filled with polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam or mineral wool. Such structures do not require assembly - fragments of the future building are delivered ready-made, all that remains is to assemble them; although such products are more expensive than panel and frame products, the disadvantages are the same - high flammability and short service life; although manufacturers claim that such a house can last up to a hundred years, in practice, within a couple of decades after the insulation shrinks, it will be problematic to live in the house permanently;
- houses made of timber or log cabins: durable eco-friendly building; excellent heat retention; service life 100 years or more; garden houses made of timber can be purchased ready-made, “turnkey”;
- brick or stone buildings: their construction will cost much more, but they will last 100-150 years or more.
Roof
For an inexpensive country house, it would be optimal to use a roof made of metal tiles or corrugated sheets. Such a roof is quite durable and not afraid of bad weather and can last up to 40 years. Rolled metal coated with a colored protective film looks quite aesthetically pleasing. Metal tiles are more convenient when arranging roofs of complex shapes.
The disadvantages of these two materials include a high noise level during rain or wind - the impact of every drop will be heard in the room. That is why it is worth considering soundproofing the ceiling.
Inexpensive polystyrene foam is a good heat insulator, but there is no point in using it as a sound insulator - it conducts sounds quite well. In addition, this material is flammable.
When using roofing felt as a roof, it is better to choose a material with an additional protective coating in the form of abrasive chips - it will last longer. However, the service life of inexpensive bitumen-based materials is short and is only 12-15 years. For euroroofing felt based on fiberglass, it lasts a little longer - 20-30 years.
The most optimal material for the roof of a building used not only in summer, but also in winter, is slate. At a relatively low cost, it has excellent characteristics - it is not afraid of temperature changes, is chemically resistant, and its actual service life is up to 30-40 years. However, slate weighs a lot and increases the load on the foundation, so this fact must be taken into account when laying the foundation.
Arrangement of partitions
There is a rule in construction: partitions should not exceed the weight of load-bearing walls. The simplest inexpensive structures are frame, panel or plank. It is better not to use drywall in an unheated building - it quickly absorbs moisture and will warp over time.
In such a house it is better to use ordinary partitions made of boards, then covered with shingles and plastered with lime. Any types of partitions are installed only on the subfloor. After installing the frame, which is attached to the frames to the floor and ceiling, heat insulators are laid inside, with the help of which heat is more evenly distributed indoors.
When constructing walls from timber or logs, the arrangement of partitions begins only after the wood has settled. The timber will settle for at least 6 months, but it will take at least a year for the logs to dry out. Glued laminated timber almost does not shrink, so the installation of partitions can begin immediately after construction is completed.
Facade finishing
Facade plaster
Cinder block houses or cinder-cast structures can simply be plastered and then painted with façade paint. Frame houses are covered with wood, finished with siding, block house (log panels) or thermal panels. It is also possible to plaster them.
If you have available funds, you can clad your country house with a ventilated facade with porcelain tiles or bricks. However, the cost of these materials cannot be called democratic.
Insulation
If a heated building is not insulated sufficiently, this will lead not only to increased costs for coal or gas, but also to the appearance of condensation in the premises due to high temperature differences. Protecting the building from temperature changes and excess moisture by installing insulation will significantly extend its service life.
It is better to insulate a building only from the facade side, so that the dew point (the temperature at which water vapor turns into water) does not move inside the building. You will need to insulate both the foundation, the ceiling above the basement (between the joists or under the screed), the attic floor, and the walls themselves.
As a heat insulator, you can use inexpensive polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam, mineral wool, sawdust or expanded clay. The last two are used as foundation insulation and attic backfill. Extruded polystyrene foam, resistant to rotting, can be used both for thermal insulation of walls and insulation of the foundation of a house.
To insulate the walls, a frame is prepared, between which waterproofing and a layer of insulation are laid. It is recommended to install a film on top of the heat insulator to serve as a wind barrier. Next, the frame is covered with any finishing material.
Having bought your plot outside the city and decided to build a summer house on it, you will be faced with many questions related to the choice of layout, selection of suitable materials and construction. However, you have one advantage - it is much easier to build a small summer house with your own hands than a solid mansion with a complex layout. Thanks to our tips and step-by-step guides, you can build your own house by choosing a suitable photo of the future structure on the Internet. Such a house will become any vacation spot for the whole family and will not require significant financial investments from you in its construction.
Features and differences of the flight house
As a rule, a summer house is a compact one-story building or a building with an attic floor. However, even a small country house should have all the conditions for a comfortable pastime - a kitchen, rooms, a veranda, preferably a water supply with sewerage. As for the bathroom and shower, when building a country house, which is designed for living in the warm season, you can get by with a separate toilet and a summer shower on the site.
Unlike a full-fledged country house, inexpensive and lightweight building materials are usually used to build a summer house, which can be installed with your own hands without the use of construction equipment. Another advantage of using such materials is the ability to build a shallow, light foundation. This way you can save on both materials and the volume of excavation work.
Tip: for the construction of summer houses, the optimal material is wood. Installation is best done using frame technology.
Country house project
On the Internet you can find many photos of country houses, from which it becomes clear that this building can have completely different dimensions, design and layout. The choice of one option or another depends on the size of the dacha plot, the number of people who will live in the house, and financial capabilities.
If you look at the layout diagrams of summer houses, you will notice that their sizes usually do not exceed 5x6 m or 6x4 m. Larger houses are built for the purpose of year-round living.
When designing and building a country house with your own hands, you should think about its correct placement on the site. When choosing a site for a house, you should observe the following regulatory gaps:
- The building should be located at a distance of at least 3 meters from the border of the neighbors’ territory. From the border of the site, which runs along the street or driveway, the house should be located at a distance of at least 5 meters.
- It is also worth observing fire breaks from residential buildings in neighboring areas. These gaps depend on the materials from which both structures are made. So, between two stone houses there should be a gap of 6 m, between a stone and a wooden house - 10 m, between two wooden houses the distance should be at least 15 m.
- Distances from outbuildings on your site to the house being built are not standardized.
Most often, a one-story building with a veranda or terrace is chosen for a summer house, where it is very pleasant to relax on quiet summer evenings. The veranda or terrace can be open or closed. An attic space is built under the roof of a one-story house, which can be used to store country utensils, garden tools, etc.
If the area of the plot does not allow for a larger structure, and in a small one-story house it is not possible to carve out enough space for all family members, then the best option would be a summer house with an attic floor. In the photos on the Internet you can see how beautiful and proportionate such houses look. At the same time, on the ground floor you can arrange a kitchen and living room, and the attic floor can be allocated for bedrooms for all family members.
Some owners of country houses dream of making a fireplace in it. This product will not only create a cozy family atmosphere on a quiet evening, but also heat the room on cool nights, which sometimes happen even in summer.
Advice: if you decide to make a fireplace with your own hands, keep in mind that you need to lay a good foundation for it. You can build a fireplace out of refractory bricks, but doing it yourself is very difficult. But installing a metal factory fireplace is quite possible.
Selection of materials
At the stage of choosing a layout, it is worth choosing in advance the materials from which construction will be carried out. To build a summer house, you can use the following products:
- The traditional material for building a country house is wood. It is distinguished by its environmental friendliness, ease of processing and installation, and affordable price. In addition, walls made of wood create a favorable microclimate in the room, regulating humidity and saturating the air with healing phytoncides. A wooden house can be built from timber, logs or sheet materials using frame technology. The only drawback of such buildings is their increased fire hazard.
Important: in order to protect a wooden building from fire, rot and damage by insects, the materials must be treated with special impregnations (antiseptics and fire retardants).
- A country house built of brick will cost much more, but it will be stronger and more durable. However, if such a house is heated or a stove is built in it, then the building can be used even in winter. The process of building a brick house is longer and requires you to have the appropriate skills, although if you wish, such a structure is also easy to build yourself.
- Foam blocks and gas blocks can be a cheaper alternative to brick. In addition to its reasonable price, this material has a low specific weight, which makes it easier to transport and install. A house made of aerated blocks is quite warm, but requires external cladding to protect the walls from moisture, since the material is quite hygroscopic. Provided a heating system is installed, you can also live in such a house in winter.
We should also talk about materials for arranging the foundation. Their choice depends on the design of the walls, the type of foundation, geological and climatic conditions in the region of construction. If we are building a house from piece stone materials (brick, foam blocks or gas blocks), then it is better to choose brick, concrete or reinforced concrete for arranging the foundation. So:
- Under a brick house you will have to make a buried monolithic strip foundation made of reinforced concrete. This is the most expensive option for arranging the foundation. The depth of the foundation base should be below the freezing point of the soil.
- For walls made of lightweight materials (aerated concrete, foam blocks and wood), you can install a shallow strip foundation made of monolithic reinforced concrete, a columnar base made of concrete, stone, factory blocks, steel pipes or processed logs.
- On heaving soils and when building on a slope, it is advisable to make the foundation on screw piles. They are made from steel pipes with a helical blade at the end. Pipes can be screwed into the ground manually. The depth of placement is below the freezing point.
As for the materials for arranging the roof, they are no different from those used in the construction of a traditional residential building. Wooden beams are used for the rafter system, the sheathing is made of boards or OSB (in the case of laying soft roofing material). The roof covering can be made of corrugated sheets, metal tiles, rolled flexible tiles, slate, etc.
Construction technology
Since the most inexpensive country house will be a frame building on a columnar foundation, we will describe step by step how to build such a house with your own hands.
- After preparing the site and marking, we dig holes for the pillars. It is worth noting that the pillars are made under all external and internal load-bearing walls with equal spacing (1-1.5 m). The dimensions of the pillar depend on the material from which it will be made. Brick pillars for a frame house can be 380x380 mm in size.
- After digging holes to a level below the freezing point of the soil, a sand cushion is placed at the bottom. A layer of sand 10 cm high is moistened with water and thoroughly compacted.
- Then pillars of the required height are laid out of brick using cement mortar. The outer surface of the posts is plastered.
- The upper horizontal surface of the pillars is waterproofed with two layers of roofing material.
- Next, the strapping beams (beams 150x15 mm) are laid on the pillars. In the corners they are fastened together and fixed to the posts using anchors or steel brackets.
- We attach logs to the frame beams at equal intervals (70 cm).
- Next we install the wall frame. It can be assembled on the ground and lifted onto a beam or erected directly on the harness. The second option is more suitable for doing it yourself. For the frame it is worth taking bars with a cross section of 50x150 mm. In the corners of the house, double bars are installed to increase rigidity.
- We install vertical frame posts at the location of window and door openings, as well as along the entire plane of the walls with equal spacing.
- After this, the upper strapping beam is mounted. Horizontal frame beams are fixed above the window and door openings. In the corners of the house, to increase the rigidity of the frame, oblique struts are installed on both sides.
- Now the frame of the house is sheathed with sheet material (OSB, chipboard, moisture-resistant plywood) or clapboard. In the space between the two layers of sheathing (inside the frame) it is worth laying thermal insulation material (mineral wool, basalt insulation, extruded polystyrene foam).
- Let's move on to the construction of the floor. We attach subfloor boards to the joists on the bottom side. On top of them, going around the logs, we lay a waterproofing membrane. Then we put insulation into the gap between the joists. After this comes a layer of vapor barrier and finished floor boards.
- We install floor beams above the vertical posts of the wall frame. For a tight fit, grooves are cut out on their edges. The beams are additionally fixed to the frame with steel corners.
- Now we are installing the rafter system. We fasten the outer pairs of rafter legs on the ground and mount them on the walls as gables. We connect these pairs of rafters using a ridge beam. After this, you can mount the remaining pairs of rafter legs and install them at equal intervals, connecting them to the frame beams and floors.
- Next, a vapor barrier film is spread over the rafters. It is fixed with brackets and counter-lattice slats on the rafters.
- Next, the sheathing is done and the roofing material is laid.
City dwellers usually try to get away from the dusty city and city worries to their country houses. If your choice is to live in a dacha only in the summer, then there is no need to build a house using expensive materials and equipment.
Before starting construction, you need to consider all the options for country houses, so as not to later regret the time and money spent.
Material selection
On the construction market there are proposals for the construction of country houses from solid logs, from profiled and laminated veneer lumber. They require a strip, pile or column foundation.
The choice in favor of one or the other is made based on the load on the foundation and the characteristics of the soil. Ultimately, houses made of logs and beams turn out to be not a cheap and labor-intensive option for building a country house.
Most summer residents dream of a cheap summer house with minimal losses for the budget and in a short time. A house made of wood will meet these requirements, since this material is natural and, accordingly, environmentally friendly.
For a small summer cottage, the best option would be a frame-panel house, which is cheaper among frame structures. Even non-professionals in construction can build such a structure.
The most favorable location for the house will be the north-eastern part of the site. Thanks to this position, the house will be maximally protected from the cold wind and will receive a sufficient amount of sunlight. It is better to place windows on the south and south-west sides.
Construction stages
If you are wondering how to make a summer house, we recommend paying attention to the following features. Small buildings with dimensions of no more than 36 square meters without a basement are built using a columnar foundation.
Its obvious advantage is ease of installation and relatively low cost. The disadvantage of a columnar foundation is that it can only be used on stable soils. Only then will such a foundation be stable and durable and become a reliable support for the structure. Otherwise, the entire structure may be distorted.
In addition, the support-column foundation has low load-bearing capacity, and therefore is recommended only for one-story buildings. Among the significant disadvantages is the impossibility of arranging a basement.
Door and window openings should be provided for in advance by constructing a sheathing of timber, since panel materials may not support their weight. When fastening pre-prepared panels with nails (during the construction of walls), we recommend using connecting plates. Sheets are nailed to the frame as the first layer, followed by insulation and the second layer is sewn up.
In order for a summer house for a summer house to be resistant to moisture, it is necessary to include waterproofing of the floors and roof into the project, and sheathe the façade of the building. Covering with plastic panels and siding, for example, with imitation wood, brick, or natural stone, will significantly decorate the appearance of the house.
The only drawback of such a structure is that it needs insulation if you plan to live there in the winter. The advantages are the simplicity and speed of construction, literally within a week, and the variety of architectural solutions.
Veranda
When planning to create a place where the family can relax in nature, a veranda is included in the house design. Those who prefer to make preparations for the winter need an attic and a basement. It is worth considering in advance a storage room for storing garden tools.
Having decided to build a summer house with a veranda, place it along the facade of the building so that the front door of the house is protected from bad weather and the rays of the sun. The size of the veranda is usually selected based on the personal preferences of the owners.
The structure is supported by foundation columns located under the corner posts of the frame. A concrete foundation for the posts is placed in pre-dug trenches.
Ready-made country houses
Most country houses are small summer houses, a photo selection of which you can see above. They are economical and require minimal effort and time to build. They are delivered to the site ready-made and assembled in just a few days, and the next day the house is ready for occupancy.
The house does not need a capital foundation, since wood is a lighter material compared to concrete or brick. Wooden houses are recognized as environmentally friendly. In addition, they perfectly retain heat, maintain optimal humidity and create a favorable microclimate in the room.
Photos of summer houses with your own hands
