The interior decoration of a house made of timber is a continuation of construction work on the assembly of the structure, which must be completed by this stage. This is a very responsible process, because it is the mission of giving the living room comfort and coziness in accordance with the given design. In our article you will find useful information on this topic and find out where to start the upcoming repair.
Front of work inside a timber house
Finishing the floor, walls and ceiling in a log house from glued or profiled timber is done by yourself in several stages:
- laying of communication lines (electric cable, pipeline, heating system, sewerage, air conditioning);
- wood impregnation with antiseptic agents to protect against fire, insects, mold and fungi;
- installation of heat and waterproofing material;
- preparation of walls, floor and ceiling for applying finishing;
- installation of interior doors;
- fair facing of a floor, walls and a ceiling.
Without certain skills and necessary knowledge on repairing premises, it is better to turn to professionals for help, especially when it comes to communications. If you are confident in your abilities and do not want to overpay, you can safely do the work yourself. It is advisable to decide on the design before starting and think over every detail of the interior. Such a measure will help you have an idea of the future result and calculate the necessary amount of material intended for these purposes.
Interior Features
Finishing a timber house is carried out with the same materials as in houses made of brick or any other building material, but, despite this, there are a number of features that need to be considered in the process of decorating walls and other objects:
- the inevitability of the primary shrinkage of houses from profiled timber, which is more significant than in other buildings. In this case, you may need at least two, and
- a maximum of six years of waiting before you can begin to finish;
- secondary shrinkage, not exceeding 1% of the floor height, so it is practically not noticeable.
In the first case, the blame for the shrinkage of the beam and the reduction of its volume, in the process of which the gaps between the logs are narrowed due to the constantly acting load. When the shrinkage of the house from the profiled beam is completed, you can detect a decrease in the height of the floor by 2 - 3 cm (in houses made of glued timber, this figure can be 1-2 cm, check with the manufacturer). Such deformation negatively affects the finish, as a result of which the plaster is covered with cracks, and the tile falls off the walls. To avoid a long wait, it is better to build a box of a wooden house from glued beams, and then the shrinkage will last no more than 12 months. Secondary shrinkage is provoked by temperature differences and wood moisture, but it does not affect decorative cladding materials.
The choice of materials for the interior decoration of the log house
The choice of stylistic direction and decor depends on the personal preferences of the owners of the house or on the design development of specialists who approve the project from the owners of the home, but we will familiarize you with the step-by-step finishing process and the most popular materials used for these purposes.
Floor device
Before laying the flooring, you need to raise the level of the subfloor with a heat and waterproofing layer, which is covered with boards. This simple and uncomplicated design perfectly retains heat and absorbs third-party noise. As the final finish for the floor, most often choose:
- Planed sheet piling. This is an environmentally friendly board that is not afraid of moisture, and its structure allows the floor to "breathe". It is durable, long-lasting and easy to care for. On sale there is a wide selection of its colors and textures. Over time, the tongue and groove board can be puttied and ground, which allows you to update the appearance of the flooring. Such material is not suitable for those who plan to install underfloor heating, since here all the heat will be spent on heating the tongue.
- Laminate or parquet board. In this case, there are no obstacles for the installation of "warm floor". When choosing a coating with high thermal conductivity, look for the corresponding markings on its packaging. Experts advise to lay a wooden floor from the inside of a wooden house.
After laying the finishing material, skirting boards are installed, which will hide the technological opening with a heater between the wall and the floor. Before nailing the baseboard, the peeping insulation must be cut off, if any. To exclude the appearance of the sound bridge, the baseboard must be fixed either to the floor or to the wall. Otherwise, you may encounter extraneous noise, especially if the “floating floor” technology has not been implemented.
Wall decoration
Once again, we remind you that all wooden elements in a house made of timber, both outside and inside, must be treated with an antiseptic, and this rule applies primarily to walls. Now let's move on to the selection of materials that can serve:
- Processed woodfrom which the construction was erected. Indeed, if the wall surface has no defects, it can be left in its original form. The main thing that is required of you is to ensure that the timber is impregnated with a tinting agent to obtain the desired shade.
- Paint. In addition to the decorative effect, staining protects the wood structure from harmful microorganisms. We advise you to purchase paints and varnishes with a low content of harmful components (their list is freely available on the Internet).
- Plaster. It can be applied on the surface after 12 months after completion of construction. Here, particular attention is paid to the waterproofing of wooden material.
- Lining or block house. They are installed if for some reason the owners are not satisfied with the condition of the walls, because these materials, in fact, are an imitation of boards and logs, and if you have an excellent surface of profiled or glued timber, there is no point in resorting to their help. The lining can be mounted after the shrinkage of the box, having previously provided the frame for fixing the boards. Read more about lining trim.
- Wood wall panels. They are made without glue from natural raw materials, have excellent thermal insulation properties, are easy to assemble and cope with sound absorption. On top of the panel can be pasted with vinyl or textile wallpaper;
- LGK. Putty is applied to drywall, and then wallpaper is glued or water-based paint is applied. Moisture resistant material is installed in damp rooms. Environmentally friendly sheets are fixed on a frame made of wooden planks or a metal profile. Thanks to this design, the beam does not come in contact with drywall, which eliminates the appearance of cracks on it. In the resulting gap, you can hide the wires and pipes, as well as lay insulation, which is why the interior decoration of the house from the timber will only win. Read more about decorating a wooden house with drywall.
Ceiling decoration
Nowadays, decorating the ceiling with beams made of wood, polyurethane or polystyrene is very popular, especially if the home is decorated in the styles of Provence, country and loft. Here there are natural beam ceilings, and not their imitation, which can be successfully used at the time when the house is being finished from a timber with its own hands. If these stylistic options are not suitable for you, and you want to hide the support of the floor, and the house did not give final shrinkage, it is better to give preference to a stretch or drywall design that does not interfere with the shrink process and does not deform during this period.
We draw your attention to the fact that during the period of shrinkage, the force in the ceiling beams is redistributed, so the plaster can be applied with your own hands only after its completion, otherwise the finish will fall off.
We have provided you with the most popular finishes and familiarized yourself with suitable materials, so now you know exactly how to decorate the interior of a house from glued or profiled timber.