Modular and glued laminated beams

The differences and similarities of houses with modular and glued laminated beams. Which one is the better choice?

Although it is still quite common to build brick houses other construction methods are also slowly gaining popularity: houses from modular and laminated beams. They are durable,sustainable and high in quality just as the classic brick houses, what is more, they are built in a considerably shorter period of time! Many face difficulties when deciding which one is better: with modular or glued laminated timber beams? Here is a quick comparison of these two types, and hopefully it will help You to decide.

What is a modular house?

The carcass of a modular house is constructedfrom wood and metal, the parts are assembled from separate frames with upper and lower thermal insulating coating. The walls of modular houses are assembled from separate panels, some of which are adapted for windows and doors. The number of panels and their type depends on the house project. Electric installation, as well as the heating system and water pipes are installed in the inner corners of these modules. For the interior of these houses it is typical to use wooden claddings for outer and inner decorations, and for floors - wooden boards.

What is a glued laminated beam house?

The manufacturing of glued laminated beamhouses differ from milled log houses by their preparation. The logs are cut along the beams and well dried in the drying sheds. Then beams are sorted, planed, applied with special waterproof glue and then heavily compressed with each other with hydraulic presses.Then these prepared beams are glued together, afterwards they are used for house construction. Glued laminated beam houses do not need any additional outer or inner decorating, because You can admire the look of natural wood and it creates a very cozy interior - this is what makes these houses so exceptional.

Modular house vs. glued laminated beam house. Similarities and differences.

Fast construction:

The construction of glued laminated beam houses takes a particularly short period of time- only about 2 weeks. This type of houses can also be built during all seasons, and after the construction one can immediately start equipping, since these houses do not need any additional inferior decoration. Modular houses can be built in 2-3 months. With the help of heavy construction machinery they can be constructed at any time of the year, however, You should keep in mind, that the construction site must be dry, because the machinery might just get stuck. The module itself is built indoors and only later is constructed outside.

Environmental protection:

Glued laminated beam home construction protects the environment while there is a minimal amount of waste and the main construction material is a renewable natural resource – wood. During the construction of modular houses a minimal amount of waste is produced.

Thermal insulation:

For centuries wooden houses are being built in cold climate areas. Timber is a much better thermal insulator than any other conventional building material. Wall s from glued laminated beams are injected on top of each other perfectly, in order to achieve that no spaces are left for frost to penetrate. In addition, with the use of high quality modern woodworking machines timber processing is carried out very precisely so there are no gaps between the beams. Walls of modular houses, also the roof and other details – are made from a metal frame filled with thermal insulation material and other structurally necessary layers. Such walls have a considerably small density of thermal insulation material, but it makes the house warm and impervious to background noise.

Safety:

It is true that wood is very flammable, no one can deny it, however modern technology was able to process glued laminated beam houses with maximum safety, and now their security is as good as, or even better than many other construction methods. Wood burns very slowly (for example, a beam that is 180 mm thick burns for approximately 4.5 hours).What is more, only the surface of wood burns and the cross section remains intact, thus these constructions retain much longer than many other conventional building materials. materiales de construcción. Nowadays the materials of thermal insulation used for modular houses construction are fire resistant.

Variety of projects:

Both laminated beam and modular houses can be quite diverse according to customer needs. However, glued laminated beam houses are more often chosen by those who prefer traditional and classical looks, enjoy being close to nature and admiring wooden interior.