Modern Wooden Houses has been successfully building frame houses for over 10 years, utilizing the best ideas and know-how of Canadian, German, French, Czech, and other frame technologies. Analyzing statistics for the past seven years, we see a steadily growing interest in frame technology.
In 2014, the share of frame houses sold by SDD was 40%. This share included frame-panel houses, dome houses, half-timbered houses, Canadian houses, and houses with panoramic glazing and Huf-Haus-style elements.
The diagram shows that the share of frame houses built by our company temporarily decreased in 2015. This is due to increased competition in the economy segment of frame construction and a shift in our clients' focus toward timber cottages.
Today, frame houses are the most popular technology, with modular construction attracting significant interest due to its more affordable price. However, many still understand that a classic frame house is more environmentally friendly, offering almost the same ventilation as a wooden house, and is much more comfortable. Not all frame houses are considered budget-friendly, especially when it comes to permanent construction. The superior qualities of glued and bent-laminated structural timber, the ability to build domed and arched houses, the ability to incorporate permanent fireplaces, the flexibility to easily modify, any combination of finishing materials, and built-in glass structures—all of this distinguishes a permanent frame house from temporary, mobile, or budget housing, the upgrading of which will eventually become impractical.
Guest wooden cabin project 36
Frame house Project 50
Frame house Project 64
Frame house Project 66-2
Frame house Project 67
Frame house Project 73
Frame house Project 88-А
Frame house Project 103-2
Frame house Project 120
Frame house Project 140
Frame house Project 148
Frame house Project 150
Project of a Garden house 165
Frame house Project 176
Frame house Project 198
Frame house Project 215
Frame house Project 223
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Frame Houses - Different Approaches and Technologies
Today, there are three different ways to build a frame house based on the assembly method.
- Assembly using panels manufactured in the factory (panel-frame technology)
- Assembly of modules manufactured in the factory (modular technology)
- Construction and cladding of a wooden frame on site (frame-panel technology).
Depending on the approach, the wooden structure and the contents of the "sandwich" vary.
The Canadian Approach - 2 Frame House Technologies with Different Budgets
Often, when discussing Canadian sandwich panel construction technology, many people immediately think of a prefabricated structure made of SIP panels, which consist of foam laminated between OSB boards. However, SIP panels are not the only, and far from the best, construction "sandwich" among the wide variety of options offered by Canadian frame house construction.
Advantages of frame-panel technology
Classic frame technology is considered the best option for several reasons. A "sandwich" made of basalt or mineral wool insulation allows for air exchange; it's not a thermos. Although its heat retention is even higher than that of a wooden wall, it's still vapor-permeable, unlike various SIP panels, no matter what anyone says!
What does a Canadian "sandwich" look like?
The sandwich panel diagram shows that Canadian colleagues use a wall beam thickness of 2x6 inches or 38x140 mm, while inside the room the sandwich is covered with a 0.5 inch or 12.7 mm plasterboard sheet.
Our company's engineers noted another advantage of mineral wool sandwich panels: superior sound insulation. While it's certainly not perfect, in real-world conditions, we've found that mineral wool sandwich panels provide better noise insulation than SIP panels or wooden walls.
Also, the engineers at Modern Wooden Houses adjusted the insulation thickness (up to 200 mm), its density, and the sandwich structure (more on this later in the article) to match the material available on the domestic market and the energy efficiency and heat loss standards in our climate zone.
These adjustments made it possible to implement a project in which the frame house has the following distinctive advantages:
- Ecology and safety for the health of owners;
- Necessary level of natural ventilation and air exchange;
- Short construction terms;
- Conducting work at any time of the year;
- High performance indicators;
- Flow production and availability of components.
So, for the future tenant, the most important factors are the building's durability, structural reliability, heat retention, affordable construction costs, and, of course, the quality of materials and workmanship.
Achieving these important qualities requires a well-thought-out approach and successful collaboration between design, production, and construction.
The Scandinavian approach: a frame house using German technology and the advantages of their "sandwich"
The tradition of German timber-frame houses has much in common with the Scandinavian technology known as "Barnhaus." Although this technology is classified as a modular house, it features a classic sandwich construction with basalt insulation. In Germany, more than anywhere else, they understand the importance of a healthy indoor climate, so they've taken care of air exchange.
As is well known, basalt insulation can lose its heat-saving properties if it becomes wet from condensation. To prevent this, in addition to the ventilated cavities within the wall sandwich, a vapor barrier is installed between the insulation layers in this design. This not only prevents condensation during air exchange within the wall sandwich but also allows the use of basalt mats of varying densities.
To maximize the energy efficiency of attic-less buildings with large interior volumes, some structural components and insulation schemes differ from the traditional design.
All panels and modules are industrially manufactured from certified materials using modern production technologies recognized in European and Scandinavian countries with cold and temperate climates. Learn more about this technology. here
Czech traditions in timber frame house construction
Two frame house construction technologies are also popular in the Czech Republic:
- Assembly using panels manufactured in a factory (panel-frame technology)
- Classic frame technology (construction and cladding of a wooden frame on-site).
Assembling a prefabricated panel-frame house is typically done when the developer or client is satisfied with the functionality of standard designs. However, this is especially beneficial for both clients and the manufacturer when such houses are produced and built in series, as the cost per square meter is minimal.
Custom frame house designs are more conveniently built using classic frame technology. This allows each project to be customized to the needs of a specific client and their wishes taken into account in detail.
Czech projects also have their own traditions and characteristics.
They often use pile foundations. This is justified not only for its economic feasibility but also to avoid numerous wet processes and speed up the construction of the house.
Traditionally, much attention is paid to the various types of sandwich panels used in exterior and interior walls, as well as floors and ceilings. To create an ideal indoor climate, prevent heat loss and mold growth, and improve sound insulation, many life hacks are used (such as alternating mats of different densities, etc.), and the use of different types of exterior and interior finishes has not only aesthetic but also functional significance!
How much does it cost to build a frame house?
Let's give a specific example:for example, we deliberately take a simple house of classical layout with an area of about 200 m2. In the "our objects" section, you can view a photo report on the construction of object 91 - this is our version.
The project of the house 206-1 from the section was taken as a basis projects of wooden houses and modified according to the wishes of the client. The result was an individual Frame house Project 239. When calculating the cost of a house with a total area of 239m2, the following configuration option was taken into account:
Calculation of the cost of a frame house "object 91" price validity 2025 |
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List of works included in the final cost of the standard package:Walls
Roofing - Asphalt shingles
Finishing of ceilings, floors, sanding and painting of the facade
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| Frame house Project 223 | |
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| cost m2 = 448 USD/m2 | Contract Price = 99904 USD |
* The quoted price does not include foundation work, drainage and plumbing
Secrets of the «Modern Wooden Houses» company's frame house construction
In order to ensure the reliability of the structure and the financial affordability of the construction using the frame and panel technology, the engineers of our company calculate the optimal alternation of the beams of the load-bearing and enclosing functions. We use load-bearing beams with a cross-section of 200x200mm and intermediate beams with a cross-section of 200x50mm. Door and window openings are mounted in this system of beams and beams. This is how the base is formed for fastening the windproof enclosing chipboards (OSB). Mineral wool is used for insulation inside the walls.
Secret No. 2 - frame houses of the «Modern Wooden Houses» company - "breathe" ... How is this possible?
To ensure vapor permeability and air exchange with the external environment without heat loss inside the walls, we use a super-diffusion membrane and a vapor barrier. The membrane does not allow moisture to penetrate from the outside, but lets air through gradually, and the vapor barrier regulates the passage of internal evaporation, preventing the formation of condensate. Thus, as far as possible, the microclimate inside the room remains its own, and humidity does not penetrate outside, although the necessary air exchange takes place.
This favorably distinguishes our houses from those that use polyethylene or SIP, because waterproofing creates an undesirable tightness for the house. As a result, the formation of condensate is possible, since the moisture that accumulates in the middle of the room has nowhere to go.
In our homes, the probability of such an affect is reduced to zero.
The structure of the walls of a frame house
In truth, frame houses are considered the most effective heat-saving technology of house construction known today. The basis is a powerful load-bearing timber frame, which can be made of both solid and glued timber.
Scheme of a sandwich panel of the company "Modern Wooden Houses"
The sandwich panel of our company has a 200mm layer of insulation (corresponds to 2000mm brick in terms of thermal conductivity), membrane and vapor barrier layers, internal and external wind protection layers made of OSB plates, an air "cushion" and a finishing layer. This is quite enough for a comfortable stay all year round
In order to avoid unwanted supports in the middle of the room, the SDB company often uses glued long span beams. Houses of other manufacturers may be deprived of such an opportunity. In order to protect the wood from mold, rotting, beetles and fire, it is treated with an antiseptic and antiperine.
If you want to give a frame house the style of a wooden cottage made of glued beams - this opportunity is now available in our company.
During the calculation, we assume the installation of corner crossbars from profiled glued timber. After the work is finished, visually you get a 100% stylized Finnish cottage, not like one made of glued beams, but with all the advantages of a frame house.
Maybe you will be interested in the project with the arched roof behind which our office was built. The use of trusses made of bent-glued beams allows the construction of arched and dome-shaped frame houses, and the roof structure in such cottages is ventilated.
Construction of a frame house in the shape of a dome will be useful for those who want to divide the interior space regardless of load-bearing walls. The structure of the dome is self-supporting and does not require support beams and load-bearing walls.
Decoration of the walls of a frame house
If you want to leave the house completely wooden, then there is a wonderful, spectacular finish with shingles, an imitation of a profiled beam, a classic block house from 160 to 200 mm, as well as clapboard. Before that, we recommend wooden cladding with a thickness of at least 35 mm - to avoid deformation under adverse weather conditions - sun, heat, moisture, frost).
Sometimes materials such as composite, facing brick, decorative plaster (for bark beetle), clinker brick, as well as all kinds of facades made of fiber cement boards are used for exterior decoration.
| Wall decoration with a wooden block house | Finishing the walls with imitation of timber |
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| Wall decoration with facing bricks | Decoration of walls with siding |
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| Finishing the walls with plaster | Finishing the walls with clinker tiles |
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We note that the interior and exterior decoration of walls in frame houses is quite diverse and each client prefers according to his taste. Working with us, you can be sure that your house will:
- Environmental
- Unusual;
- Stable (no shrinkage);
- Built at any time of the year;
- Energy efficient;
- Light, without massive expensive foundations;
- Available at cost.
If you have any remaining questions, you can contact us through the online assistant (button on the bottom right)