Frame houses – how to avoid errors during assembly?

by moneta22 | Posted on 9 December 20223 February 2023

Frame houses – how to avoid errors during assembly? Frame houses are not expensive, and their assembly is quick. This type of house can be built even in a few weeks. However, skeletal technology requires precision and good quality materials. We cannot remain half-measures or, even more so, save on professionals. Each mistake can have big consequences for the comfort of living in a frame house. What to look for? What are the most common mistakes? Below are some important elements that we should pay attention to during construction.

Frame houses – leakage

The biggest bane of the assembly of Canadian houses is sealing and connecting the insulation of the wall with the foundations. If this area is not properly assembled, it can lead to the formation of a thermal bridge, which will make the warm air escape to the outside and, consequently, it will increase our heating bills. At the same time, thermal insulation in these places should be properly protected against moisture, especially if our house does not have high foundations and there is a possibility of washing them or our house is located on clay terrain.

A typical method of insulation against moisture is the use of expanded polystyrene. Styrofoam insulating the foundations should be set at an angle of 45 degrees and the lower edge of the wall insulation should be set in the same way. A good connection of these parts will provide sufficient protection against heat escaping from the building. In addition, we should take care of the installation of water vapor. Otherwise, it will settle on the wood and eventually cause the materials to rot.

Frame houses – wind insulation

The walls of a frame house consist of several layers, the correct installation of which ensures full protection against cold and moisture. The most common mistakes in the case of inexperienced contractors are, above all, placing individual layers in the wrong order or omitting one of the layers. Most often, the windproof foil is omitted. Equally often, the wind-insulating foil is confused with a vapor-permeable foil. Both foils are significantly different from each other, although their tasks are similar.
The wind-insulating foil should be placed between the rigid board sheathing and the thermal insulation. It is absolutely necessary to use a wind-insulating foil if the thermal insulation is made of mineral wool, because if moisture gets inside, it will lose its properties (the wind-insulating foil protects more against moisture entering the building than against wind). On the other hand, the vapor-permeable foil is designed to, on the one hand, drain water vapor and, on the other hand, prevent moisture from inside the house from getting inside the wall. Confusing the foil can have unpleasant consequences for the protection of the walls of the building.

Frame houses – installation of insulation

The construction law includes standards for building insulation. Thanks to this, we can count on lower heating bills, but on the other hand, the insulation layer must be more complex and very well assembled. Frame houses, due to the specific building material, which is wood, must be supplemented with additional layers of insulation, which will make the house behave similarly to a brick house.

The key thermal insulation system in a frame house is mineral wool panels. They are a very good solution, but to be effective, they must be precisely mounted.
Precise assembly means that there can be no gaps between the individual layers of insulation and the plasterboards. In addition, mineral wool boards should not be installed before windows and doors have been installed. Otherwise, there is a risk of leaving free space between the joints, which will result in a thermal bridge.

It is also worth remembering about the correct setting of the dowel discs (they cannot be too deep) and about installing polystyrene or mineral wool caps on them. If this is not done correctly, thermal bridges will form in these places.
Frame house – installation of windows and doors
Even the best installed insulation will not protect the building in a satisfactory way if the door and window frames are not well sealed. Any gaps will result in the formation of thermal bridges. In order to prevent such problems, the structure should be sealed with polyurethane foam and windproof foil (from the outside) and vapor barrier foil (from the inside).

Frame house – roof

A well-protected roof is essential for any type of home. The roof must not have defects that would allow rainwater to penetrate inside, which may cause dampness and rotting of other structural elements. The system of water drainage gutters should also be properly secured. The design of the house must take into account the slope of the roof towards the gutters, so as not to cause water retention.