Houses from the gun carriage

It is not difficult to guess that the technology of the Norwegian carriage came to us from distant, cold Norway, whose inhabitants know a lot about ways to insulate their homes. This is one of the main reasons why the technology has taken root so quickly and successfully in the frosty Russian climate, especially in the northern regions. What is a Norwegian carriage?

Carriage is a log dried in a certain way and processed using a special technology. In other words, a carriage is not a log in itself, but a tree processed by hand in a certain style of felling. This style was formed in ancient Scandinavia, when the Vikings built their settlements along the shores of the cold seas. No strong north winds could blow through these walls and destroy their strong dwellings. But this became possible not only thanks to the carriage, but also to the nature of the assembly - the Norwegian "castle".

The Norwegian castle or "cunning castle" is a unique carriage connection system, thanks to which a powerful blank wall without a single gap is obtained. The technology eliminates the occurrence of drafts, freezing of corners and other "classic" troubles associated with the construction of housing made of wood. Moreover, the shrinkage of such a house plays only in favor of the strength and durability of the structure - the stronger the shrinkage, the more reliable the “lock”, which means the whole building is warmer! That is why wooden houses from a gun carriage are chosen by those who want to settle in a picturesque, environmentally friendly and warm home for many years to come.

It is worth talking a little more about the method of processing the gun carriage. It appeared not by chance, but in order to save money. Even the ancient Scandinavians knew that the larger the log, the stronger and warmer the house. But a thick log costs accordingly, so a method was invented to reduce the cost of a log house from large logs. A pine log was chopped off at both ends, the resulting slab was used to equip the roof and floor. Thus, the entire array was used without a trace in the work. Rafters and internal partitions were also erected from a gun carriage. There were no attics in the old carriage houses, and today many people prefer to follow this tradition. The roof was made flat, meadow grasses grew on it and goats grazed. Grass and turf effectively protected the house and kept warm in winter. Plus, what to say, this spectacle looks very picturesque!

Carriage production

Projects of masonry houses can be completely different, but often customers prefer the classic version with a flat horizontal roof. For construction, a forest from 28 to 50 cm in diameter is used. The price of a log house depends on the project and the diameter of the logs.

The carriage is made in this way: first, the side parts of the log are cut off, then the bark is removed from the remaining semicircular sides. Further processing is carried out manually: a groove is selected on the semicircular part and a corner bowl is made. Previously, this was done with axes, today the work is facilitated by a chainsaw.

At first glance, a carriage house can be confused with a log house, but it looks more harmonious and powerful due to the high crown, made in the size of the original log.

Due to the fact that thick logs are the raw material for the gun carriage, much fewer crowns are required to build walls than when building a log or timber house. This is a significant advantage, since fewer crowns minimize the risk of cold bridges, increasing the durability and heat savings of the house.

During the construction of a Norwegian house from a gun carriage, special attention is paid to corner joints. Since these are the weakest parts of a wooden house, they freeze through and blow through most of all. There are many ways to connect logs at corners, but in this case, the aforementioned "Norwegian lock" is used, the advantages of which we will discuss below.

Methods for attaching the gun carriage

The method of connecting the gun carriage is already determined during planning, since it determines the nature of the building structure and requires different approaches. For the construction of houses from a gun carriage, two types of connections are used: the “Norwegian castle” and the “Canadian cup”. These are two completely different types of wood processing. The efficiency and economy of these compounds have surpassed even the traditional Russian logging technology.

norwegian castle

When connecting the “Norwegian castle”, the logs are joined into a “bowl” - a recess that firmly holds each log in its place. The ends of the logs protrude beyond the perimeter of the log house, which automatically creates protection from the wind and makes the corners warmer. Most developers are inclined to believe that this is the best way of connecting logs invented by man.

A spike is made in the log bowl and an opening under it in order to nullify the penetration of air and the formation of drafts. When a freshly built house shrinks, the internal fasteners and spikes are squeezed to the limit, which is why such a “lock” is also called self-jamming. The logs are pressed against each other so strongly that the need to caulk the walls is completely eliminated.

Another serious point when using the “Norwegian lock” is that the forest of natural moisture, from which the gun carriage is usually made, does not deform from internal pressure during shrinkage.

You can make any roof, even from heavy metal tiles, or lay turf and graze goats, as the ancient Scandinavians did - a powerful rafter system can withstand any weight! Norwegian rafters are built from chopped gables in all rooms on the second floor. The pediments are connected to each other by a system of logs, known in professional circles as "sled" and "horse".

Any dwelling made from wood of natural moisture will shrink, for this reason it is necessary to wait from several months to a year before heating the house and starting interior decoration. Otherwise, cracks will appear in the logs, they will bend, and all the work will go down the drain. You can move into the houses from the gun carriage immediately after the completion of construction. The rapid pace of construction and quick commissioning is another significant advantage of this technology.

Canadian cup

Another way of processing round logs is called "Canadian cup" or "Canadian felling". A special technology allows you to preserve the natural properties and natural structure. Hand-cutting does not harm the hard outer layer of the wood, making the carriage more immune to environmental influences.

The main difference between the "Canadian felling" and the "Norwegian castle" is that there are notches near the cuts. The cup itself has a trapezoidal shape. Due to this and the presence of notches during the shrinkage of the house, the corners are wedged as tightly as possible, keeping warm and neat cutting.

"Canadian cup" gives a very precise fit of the logs, which eliminates the formation of gaps between the crowns. Thus, the wall of the log house seems to be a solid mass, while the insulation does not go outside and does not absorb moisture along the edges. With this connection, re-caulking is also not required.

This video shows how a round log is processed using the “Canadian felling” technology:

Advantages of carriage houses

From the foregoing, it becomes clear that the houses from the gun carriage (photo) were created for those who want to thoroughly settle down on the site and build a house that would serve as a reliable and warm shelter for several generations.

Today, the trend towards an eco-friendly lifestyle, craving for nature, peace and tranquility is manifested in such a phenomenon as downshifting - people leave cramped city apartments and move to the suburbs and villages. But it’s not enough just to get away from the dusty highway and factory emissions, you need to provide yourself with the most cozy and comfortable life. That is why carriage houses are gaining more and more popularity every year. Their advantages are obvious, and the quality justifies and pays for all costs.

Among the main advantages of carriage houses are the following:

• absolute environmental friendliness - houses are completely made of wood, and even synthetic materials are not used to connect logs;
• excellent thermal insulation - strong connections without the slightest "gaps";
• natural ventilation - even tightly connected logs “breathe”, passing the necessary amount of fresh air through a natural wood “filter”;
• high speed of construction - it takes from 3 to 8 weeks to build a house, depending on the project;
• you can move in immediately after construction - you do not need to wait a whole year for the logs to shrink and dry;
• durability - a Norwegian gun carriage house will last for decades.