What is a carriage in construction
Carriage is one of the types of lumber that is used to build houses. In this article we will talk about what a gun carriage is, how it differs from a bar or a log, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of houses made of this material.
What is a carriage
Initially, a log was called a gun carriage, from which a “croaker” was cut off from two parallel sides - the bark and part of the trunk. The result was a material that was much more convenient to work with than an ordinary log, because the same width of the gun carriages made it possible to make even walls out of them. Gradually, not only trimmed logs, but also some types of profiled timber, assembled into a “Norwegian castle”, a special type of connection, in which a hole of complex shape is cut out in the upper and lower timber, began to be called a gun carriage. The Norwegian castle is a further development of log cabin laying, but adapted to new materials, so all the best solutions are used in it, such as joining in oblo and okhryad, in addition, fixation with the help of such a lock increases as it shrinks.
The connection in the oblo (from the Old Slavonic “obly”, that is, round) involves cutting or cutting a bowl in the upper log, the size and shape of which correspond to the lower log. Thus, each upper crown keeps the crown below it from spreading. The okhryap connection provides for the creation of identical, but rotated by 90 ° locks in the upper and lower beams. The width of the castle is equal to half the diameter of the log, and the depth is equal to a quarter of the diameter.
Pros and cons of houses from a gun carriage
In most cases, the carriage is made from a log of natural or high humidity, so the material itself is cheaper than any type of timber, with the exception of a double one. Read about what a double beam is in the article (Houses from a double beam - features of construction technology). Due to the fact that the carriage has a high humidity, after the start of shrinkage, the saw cut begins to cover cracks, which are a hallmark of houses made of logs or timber of natural moisture. If, under the name of a carriage, you are offered a profiled beam with a connection to a Norwegian castle, then the cracks on it will look very ugly and even alien, so it is difficult to call such a beam a carriage. However, many companies call the profiled timber of various moisture content collected in the Norwegian castle a gun carriage, so we will stick to this so as not to cause confusion.
Compared to a log, a carriage, like all types of timber, is less resistant to rot and mold, because a layer of sapwood is cut from its ends, which is highly resistant to these damaging factors. Therefore, the carriage requires more serious protective and aseptic processing than a cleaned or unbarked log. But the main advantage of the carriage is the Norwegian castle, which has one unique quality. The stronger the wood dries out, the denser the lock connection.
Because of this, carriage houses, such as in the photo, are very popular, despite the fact that the Norwegian castle is very difficult to make and requires great skill. A house assembled into a Norwegian castle is much stronger than any other wooden structure that has to be reinforced with dowels. Therefore, the number of pins that are used to make a house from a gun carriage is always less than it goes to a log house from a log or sawn timber.
The price of building a house from a gun carriage (photo projects)
The cost of building any wooden house consists of the cost:
- lumber preparation;
- cutting locks;
- delivery and storage;
- installation.
Preparation of lumber for a real gun carriage is inexpensive, because it is enough to cut the log on both sides to ensure the same thickness and remove the bark. A carriage in the form of a bar is a little more expensive. These materials do not need to be dried well, because the Norwegian lock compensates for the effect of shrinkage. A decorative carriage in the form of a profiled beam will cost much more, because it will have to be dried to a moisture content of 12–14%, otherwise the cracks will spoil the appearance of the house (see photo). Therefore, the cost of preparing materials depends on which carriage you are interested in.
Cutting locks, if carried out on the spot, is very expensive, because the Norwegian lock, in terms of complexity of execution, surpasses any other connections, including such as “paw” and “dovetail”. If the house kit is prepared at the enterprise, then in the conditions of a woodworking shop there is no difference in the complexity of the castle. Modern equipment can easily cut a lock of any shape, complexity and size. Therefore, the cost of cutting locks directly depends on where this operation will be performed.
The cost of carriage delivery does not differ from the price of the same operation for any other type of timber, but storage is cheaper, because the carriage is not afraid of dampness, unlike profiled or glued timber. Therefore, the delivery and storage of the gun carriage is comparable in terms of costs to a log or sawn timber of natural moisture.
The cost of installation directly depends on where the locks will be cut. If the assembly is carried out using a ready-made house kit, then highly qualified workers are not required for this, which means that the operation will cost much less. If the house is assembled from sawn timber or logs, which are processed on site, then the services of a specialist who can independently mark and cut the Norwegian castle are very expensive due to the high complexity of the work.
Carriage, beam or log?
A carriage house has no serious advantages or disadvantages compared to houses made of logs or sawn logs of natural moisture. In appearance, it is inferior to a house made of double, profiled or glued beams, although someone, on the contrary, likes “antique” cracks. Therefore, a house from a carriage is chosen by those who are not embarrassed by its shortcomings and are satisfied with the low price when using a house kit. If you have to make a gun carriage or cut locks on the spot, then the house from a gun carriage loses its main advantage - a low price.