DIY garden house. Do-it-yourself summer house - the main stages of construction and decoration (95 photos). Country houses made of foam blocks: building a house over the summer

How to build a garden house with your own hands, stages of construction, how to insulate a house, tips on building a foundation, walls and roof. Interior and exterior finishing.

A large number of people, if they don’t already have it, then at least in their minds want their own summer cottage and, of course, have a garden house built on it. To save on construction, many create small structures with their own hands, but if opportunities allow, it can be built to a more impressive size.

This article will help you create the garden house of your dreams, after reading it you will learn the design features of the garden house, what tools are used for this, how to lay a reliable foundation, the nuances of constructing the frame and the correct execution of the cladding. How to perform high-quality insulation, what a foam coat is and why you need a ventilated façade.

How to correctly create and take into account the design of a garden house, proper space planning, technology for constructing a garden house, the reliability of wall construction, the formation of high-quality floors and ceilings, how to install a roof, the nuances of creating a country house. How much does it cost to build a garden house?
Proper construction of the roof and attic, high-quality interior and exterior finishing of the structure, how to install ceiling joists.

What are economy class houses, revealing the issues of building a panel structure, what materials are best used for this.

Design features

Today, construction technologies offer the construction of garden houses not only from classic materials (logs, cinder blocks, bricks), but also to use plywood sheets, OSB, aerated concrete blocks, foam blocks, timber, etc. as the main building materials.

But it is plywood garden houses that have excellent soundproofing and thermal insulation characteristics, along with ease of work and inexpensive construction costs.

Another advantage of this construction is the opportunity to make a house out of plywood with your own hands. This allows you to significantly reduce the cost of hiring professional teams. But it must be borne in mind that garden houses made of timber and plywood have some disadvantages, for example, the vulnerability of the latter to aggressive actions of the external environment. Accordingly, additional measures must be taken to protect this building material, and this, in turn, increases costs.

Plywood is also an unsafe building material for home residents in terms of penetration by intruders. Therefore, when building a garden house from timber and plywood, external finishing work is required, for example, siding, which, in addition to decoration, also hides the main material used in construction from prying eyes.

Expert opinion

Filimonov Evgeniy

Professional builder. 20 years of experience

Ask a question to an expert

Country houses are built using frame technology, which is gaining increasing popularity in many

Countries of the world.

This is explained by its main advantages:

  • there is no need to rent special construction equipment;
  • no strong foundation required;
  • the country house has excellent energy saving characteristics;
  • the ability to quickly complete construction work;
  • Due to the lightness of the structure and the materials used during construction, the walls do not shrink.

But the wood that is used to build a house (boards for roof sheathing, bars for wall frames) must be dry, and plywood sheets must have a minimum of chips at the edges. In addition, all wood materials must be additionally treated with special compounds that can provide the required fire safety and also protect against moisture.

The construction of a frame plywood house can be divided into the following stages:

  • foundation construction;
  • construction of wall frames and plywood cladding;
  • roof installation;
  • insulation;
  • finishing works (internal and external).

Nowadays, most people want to live outdoors during the warmer months. Breathing clean air, temporarily getting rid of the atmosphere of a noisy, smoky metropolis and constant stress is the dream of many city dwellers. Some spend years collecting the required amount to build a permanent house in their country house. But in order to move to nature, you don’t have to wait until you have the required amount of money. A garden house can be a comfortable temporary home; it won’t take much time to build, it won’t cost much, and it will be very pleasant to live in it in the summer. It’s realistic to build a garden house with your own hands; you need to choose a suitable project, material, and decide on the price.

A budget version of a garden house can be built from timber or using Finnish frame-panel technology. These are buildings of the same type, only when building a log house it is sheathed with timber (profiled or simple), and a frame house is sheathed with chipboard, plywood or fiberboard.

Garden houses using Finnish technology are a good solution for a summer cottage. A lightweight structure does not require a massive foundation; the frame is quickly sheathed with finishing material.

It takes less time to build such a house than a timber house, because large sheets of plywood, which are used for sheathing, are attached to the frame much faster than beams. Such a house can be erected even in a week, and it will look presentable, especially if you use wooden clapboard for cladding.

A beautiful garden house made of plywood - decorative chimney trim, brightly painted walls, an openwork porch and a roof made of bitumen tiles. A house can look aesthetically pleasing even without wood paneling

Construction stages:

  • Installation of foundation supports.
  • Construction of the frame: work on the upper and lower cladding, erection of vertical supports and rafters. For the installation of doors and windows, contours are formed using additional beams.
  • To create a rough version of the floor, thick boards are used - 20 cm thick or more.
  • The outer cladding of the frame is made of plywood; self-tapping screws are used for fastening. For interior cladding, plasterboard, plywood, fiberboard or chipboard are used. Nights in spring and even summer can sometimes be quite cool, so it is advisable to insulate the house. To do this, a layer of mineral wool insulation can be laid between the layers of sheathing.
  • Installation of a clean floor - floorboard or linoleum.
  • Plywood covering of rafters. The plywood is then covered with a layer of drying oil and roofing felt.

For your house to be beautiful, it requires exterior cladding made of solid material. For example, siding or wooden lining. Windows in a country house can be installed either plastic or wooden, it’s a matter of taste. But plastic is easier to maintain, and such windows will last longer.

You can build a garden house with your own hands from timber. This is the most commonly used material for country houses. The timber looks aesthetically pleasing, and a building made from this material can last quite a long time. In construction, you can use simple and profiled timber. In the latter case, assembling the house resembles a construction set, because the connection of the elements occurs thanks to the tongue-and-groove system. Today, many companies offer country houses made of profiled timber; all the elements of such a house are already ready, they just need to be assembled.

Construction of a garden house from timber

First of all, as usual, we make the foundation. It can be either columnar or ribbon. A columnar foundation is suitable if the size of the house is small. You can also use concrete slabs for the foundation; they are laid on a well-compacted layer of sand, buried about 15 centimeters into the ground. After erecting the foundation, a waterproofing layer should be laid on it; roofing felt will do.

After the foundation is made, the frame is installed. The crown and logs (bottom frame made of timber) are laid on the foundation supports, then vertical supports made of the same material are installed.

The frame of a garden house made of timber can be erected in a short time, while the construction is quite strong and durable

If you like a garden house with a veranda, the lower joists are extended to its intended length, installed on additional supports. To create the floor, thick boards are used, as in the option described above.

After installing the floor, we assemble the walls from timber. Dowels are used to fasten the connections; after a layer of sealant, a new crown is laid out on the finished row. A sealant is required for each layer; you can use jute or tow.

Then we arrange the roof. Installation of braces and rafters from timber. The next stage is sheathing with timber and laying a layer of roofing material. After this - final work on the floor. The plank floor is covered with thermal insulation (mineral wool layer). Glassine can be used as a hydro- and vapor barrier. Thick linoleum or floorboards are suitable as flooring in a country house.

The house will look very attractive if the outside has beams or wooden clapboards. Now you can move on to installing windows and doors and think about how you want the interior of your country home to look.

Interior design of a garden building

The interior of a garden house made of timber is good in itself - the walls and floors covered with wood look excellent, so the design of the garden house inside can be made in the style of minimalism - the necessary furniture, a minimum of accessories, the general background is wooden paneling.

Interior of a garden house in a minimalist style. Walls, floor and ceiling - wooden paneling, minimal furniture and decor in the form of green plants and a couple of paintings

Wood goes well with natural stone, so you can make a tabletop from sandstone or lay out part of the wall. On the veranda, in combination with wood, forging elements will look harmonious.

The veranda of a garden house made of timber, where wood, forged lamps and natural stone are perfectly combined, which is used to line the wall, table and brazier

The rustic style is also suitable for the design of a garden house inside - use patchwork, checkered fabrics and curtains, pottery, rough wooden furniture, dried bouquets if you like the country style.

Material about country style in the country will also be useful:

If the inside of the house is lined with plywood or plasterboard, the home can be given an urban look by covering the walls with wallpaper or painting, and covering the floor with carpet.

Interior of a garden house in urban style, 2 in 1, bedroom and office

Examples of garden house layouts

The plan of a garden house should be simple - this is the construction of a small area, usually with one, maximum two living rooms, a kitchen, a small bathroom, an entrance hall/storage room and a veranda, if provided for in the layout.

The dream of metropolitan residents is a beautiful house outside the city, where you can escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. But not everyone’s dreams come true; it seems that a country house is complicated, expensive, and time-consuming. In fact, building a country house with your own hands is quite simple.

Choosing a location for a future country house

Choosing a location for a future country house is not the time for hasty decisions, because there is not that much space.

Thoughtful, competent planning will help you use every piece of land as efficiently as possible. Even though this is your land, you will have to fulfill a number of requirements, maintaining a minimum distance:

  • from the street - 5 m
  • from the passage - 3 m
  • from the neighboring plot - 3 m

We are not considering the option with a lowland - water will accumulate there. Optimally - the highest place on the site in its northern (northwestern) part.

Country house made of timber - a modern choice

For construction, timber from various types of wood is used: linden, larch, pine. Natural wood is the most environmentally friendly building material. Wooden houses create a unique atmosphere that has a beneficial effect on the physical health and emotional state of people. The life-giving aroma of the forest is incomparable. Houses made of timber do not need finishing: natural wood looks aesthetically pleasing and gives the room a special charm, very suitable for the country spirit.

The undeniable advantages of a house made of timber:

  • at any time of the year, even in severe frosts in winter, the room easily and quickly warms up to a comfortable temperature;
  • the total weight of timber houses is relatively small, so the construction of a powerful foundation is not required, which saves effort, time and money;
  • wood is able to absorb excess moisture, being a natural humidity regulator, thanks to this a special microclimate is established in wooden buildings;
  • quite durable: nature itself has provided for the ability of wood to withstand constant climatic changes - changing cycles of freezing and thawing, precipitation, wind, etc.

House made of stone

An inexpensive and reliable stone for a country house - foam concrete - a building material made in the form of blocks of cellular concrete. Composition: cement, sand, water and foaming agent. This is the most inexpensive way to build a country house made of stone. Foam concrete blocks are not distinguished by their aesthetic appearance, but their surface is easy to process and decorate.

Advantages of a foam concrete house:

  • creates a comfortable microclimate for life all year round;
  • refractory;
  • high level of sound insulation;
  • long service life;
  • budget;
  • the light weight of the material allows you to save on the construction of a massive foundation;
  • high level of thermal insulation: keeps cool in summer, warm in winter.

An alternative to a house made of foam concrete is a country house made of brick or natural stone. The most durable and reliable material, which is not afraid of almost any natural phenomena and other influences of a mechanical or chemical nature. The main disadvantage is the high cost of the material itself and construction work.

Building a brick or stone house will require a lot of time. Here you cannot do without a reliable monolithic foundation. Its construction is possible only with the use of special equipment. It will take more than a month to lay the foundation and dry the concrete. Only after this can construction continue.

There is also a significant disadvantage in the operation of a stone house. Its interior takes a long time to warm up, especially if it was left unheated for some time or was heated to a minimum. Therefore, a stone country house is not the best option for those who use it extremely rarely in winter.

Many people like to get a country house in just a few days. After all, to do this, you just need to choose the building project you like, and then sign the agreement. The “designer” of your house is delivered to your site by the contractor in a semi-assembled form. The final stages of assembly are carried out as quickly as possible.

They weigh quite a bit. This means that you can use a pile type of foundation. These types of houses are very attractive and not expensive.

The disadvantage of this structure is that you can use the country house only in the warm season. And no options for insulation or heating systems will help cope with frost and retain heat.

In addition, you will not feel very good in them in the sultry heat, since the house gets very hot in the sun and it is simply unbearable to be inside. In this case, you will definitely need to install a ventilation system or air conditioning. Yes, these types of houses are inexpensive, but their operation will cost a lot! Therefore, think carefully about what type of material you should choose to make your country house practical, reliable and beautiful!

Modern houses in high-tech style

Progress does not stand still, and with the development of technology, the requirements for homes are also growing. Country houses in the high-tech style have become very popular recently. The number of variations, types of installation and facade will not leave indifferent many who want to build their own home. Modern fashion trends are gradually making their way into construction.

Projects of country houses in the high-tech style are chosen only by those people who want to be imbued with the spirit of modernity and experience technological progress for themselves. These houses combine maximum functionality and living space well. Such buildings became most popular in Europe. The EU countries were the legislators of this architectural trend.

All details comply with the principles of minimalism. It’s not for nothing that high-tech is considered technical minimalism. There are no flashy or overly bright colors in such a structure. All forms are strict, restrained and sometimes smooth. The façade immediately catches the eye. Main materials: glass, plastic, wood, metal. In percentage terms, wood predominates.

Posted in Tagged

After purchasing a country plot for a summer residence, the question of how to build a country house with your own hands becomes urgent. Well, building it yourself is quite possible, unless, of course, you are planning a huge “palace” that requires the involvement of construction equipment and a team of professionals.

Usually compact buildings are chosen for a dacha, but, nevertheless, the house must have everything necessary for rest - rooms, kitchen, veranda. The latter will become a favorite place for an evening pastime all family. It is very important to make the country house cozy and comfortable, so you need to think through all the nuances of its arrangement.

The optimal material for a country house building is wood, and the principle of construction is a frame structure.

Of course, the first thing that will need to be done is to decide on the location and size of the building, draw up a project, and plan further work.

Proe ct of a small country house

The size of the future house largely depends on the area of ​​the dacha plot, the number of family members and the financial capabilities of the owners. If you plan correctly, draw up a successful project and choose inexpensive but high-quality material for construction, you can save space, money and work time.


In any case, the first steps are drawing up a project

Most often, a country house has a size of 5.0 × 6.0 or 4.0 × 6.0 m. Larger buildings are erected much less frequently, and mainly in cases where they are planned to be used year-round. But this will most likely not be a country house, but a full-fledged country house.

The layout of the house may have to be carried out on the basis of requirements that can be established by the board of the gardening association, therefore, when purchasing, you need to find out about such nuances in advance. The following distances are most often required:

  • The house must be installed at a distance of 3 meters from the border of the neighboring plot, and from the fence separating the plot from the general passage (street) - 5 meters.
  • In order to ensure fire safety, a stone house is placed at a distance of at least six meters from another stone building, and ten meters from a wooden one. If the house is wooden, then it should be installed at a distance of no closer than 15 meters from another wooden building.
  • To prevent the house from blocking neighboring buildings from sunlight, if it is placed on the eastern, southern or western side of the site, it is located at a distance from another residential building at least equal to its height.

Usually, to install a country house, the highest place in the area where Water will not collect when snow melts or from heavy rains. Increased humidity under the house will never benefit any building material, but it will always have a negative impact on the overall strength and durability of the structure.

Most often, the following construction technologies are chosen for the construction of country houses: frame-panel construction, log houses, walls made of blocks or bricks.

For summer cottages, designs of one-story houses with closed or open verandas or terraces are predominantly chosen. Often a building has an attic space used for storing garden tools and other things that seem unnecessary in everyday use, but which can always be useful in the country. However, it also happens that in some projects there are no attic floor beams at all, and then the roof slopes simultaneously serve as a ceiling.


If the family is large, and the area of ​​the plot is not as large as we would like, then you can plan a two-story house that takes up very little space at the base. In this case, the first floor can be used as a living room, terrace and kitchen, and on the second floor you can arrange cozy sleeping areas for the whole family.


Not at all necessary in a dacha building, build a full second floor, since its role can be perfectly fulfilled by an attic superstructure. By decorating it with natural materials, you can create a wonderful, healthy country atmosphere.

Country houses are mainly used in the warm season, starting with the arrival of spring and ending in autumn. Therefore, they do not require enhanced insulation of walls and roofs, but devices for heating the premises must still be provided - in case of cold nights or a drop in temperature during unstable weather. Typically, electrical appliances are used as heaters, for example, convectors or infrared film emitters, but sometimes owners even prefer to install fireplaces or cast iron heating and cooking stoves.

By the way, if you plan to build a real fireplace or brick stove, then they must be included in the project being compiled.

There are also ready-made versions of country houses, sold complete in disassembled form, which simply need to be delivered to the site and assembled. Any such set of parts must be accompanied by detailed instructions, which outline the procedure for carrying out the work, basic technological techniques and connection diagrams of individual elements and assemblies.


For the owner of the site, who has basic construction skills, it will not be difficult to assemble such a country house yourself. The main advantage of this option is that the kit often already includes everything necessary for the building’s electrical network, its ventilation system, and even for installing the water supply.

Video: a small, neat country house that lives up to its name

What type of house to choose?

Having decided on the approximate plan of the future house, you need to choose the material for its construction. This choice will determine not only the appearance of the building itself, but also the comfort of staying in it, as well as the costs of its construction.

  • The traditional material for a country house is wood, which will create a favorable microclimate in it, filling it with the smells of the forest. A wooden house can be built using a frame method, from timber or logs. The disadvantage of wooden buildings is considered to be the high fire hazard of the material.

However, wooden houses have always been built, and many of them have stood for centuries. Today, there are special fire-retardant impregnations on sale that significantly reduce the risk of fire in wooden buildings. And in general - the most important thing here is not the material, but the human factor - it is people’s neglect of basic fire safety requirements that in the overwhelming majority of cases becomes the cause of fire.

  • The construction of a brick structure will cost much more, but it can with good reason be called a full-fledged house, which can be used not only in the summer, but also, if necessary, in the winter, if you install a stove in it. Brick buildings are much less susceptible to fire and, with high-quality masonry, will last a very long time. Their disadvantages include a more complex and lengthy construction process, requiring special skills, and the high price of materials.

  • Very often, different materials are used when building a country house. For example, a house is built from wood, but on a foundation made of concrete, brick or blocks.

This option can be called optimal, since a foundation made of moisture-resistant materials will create optimal conditions for the construction of walls made of wood, thus becoming a reliable foundation for the house.

It is this last option that is worth considering, since it is the most popular of all types of country houses.

Stages of construction of a country house

Materials for building a country house

If you don’t want to bother with calculations, then it’s better to purchase a prefabricated ready-made model of a house that has a certain area, for which you only need to prepare a place.

In all other cases, you will need to purchase building materials. Their type, size, volume, total number - all depending on the size of the planned building, which is determined by the project.

Prices for various types of timber

Foundation material

For any type of foundation you will need the following materials:

— sand, crushed stone, cement;

- third-grade board and timber for formwork;

- brick or concrete blocks;

— waterproofing material (roofing felt);

— expanded clay of the middle fraction.

Wall and roof material

Since wood was chosen for the construction of the walls, other materials will be selected based on this:

— bars and boards of different sizes, depending on the design parameters;

- fastening elements - nails, self-tapping screws, bolts, studs;

- corners of different configurations, metal plates - for fastening nodes;

— vapor barrier film;

— insulation — mineral wool, ecowool or expanded clay;

— to cover the roof, it is better to choose a lightweight material — ondulin or corrugated sheeting.

Once the installation location for the future house has been determined and the materials have been purchased, you can proceed to laying out the foundation. True, first you will have to decide on its type.

Country house foundation

Even when erecting such a small and light building as a wooden country house, you cannot do without a foundation. In this case, one of two types is ideal for these purposes - a columnar and strip foundation. Which one to choose depends on the preferences of the builder.

  • A column foundation will be a less expensive option, as it will allow you to seriously save on building materials. In addition, such a foundation can be completed independently, without outside help, which will also save some money.

You can find out in detail how to build it correctly by following this link to the corresponding page of our portal.

  • To create a strip foundation, you will need not only a larger amount of materials, but also a fairly long period of time. This is not surprising - a trench will need to be dug along the entire perimeter of the future house, waterproof it, install a reinforcement structure, build formwork and fill the foundation pit with concrete. And after that, whether you like it or not, it will take another month until the filled tape completely hardens and gains brand strength.

However, strip foundations are still very popular among individual developers. This option is convenient because it allows you to make a basement under the house, however, to do this, the foundation walls will have to be raised above the soil surface by 700 ÷ 800 mm. is described in detail in the article, which can be found on our portal by following the link provided.

If a columnar foundation is selected, then it is recommended to remove the top layer of soil by 150 ÷ ​​200 mm from the site, which will be located under the house and around it by 500 ÷ 600 mm. Then pour a 30 ÷ 40 mm layer of sand into the resulting pit, which should be compacted. A layer is laid on top of the sand cushion mid-fraction crushed stone and is also compacted, and the remaining space must be filled with expanded clay of the middle fraction. All these procedures are done to ensure that small rodents cannot get close to the house. They cannot stand expanded clay (especially small clay), as it contains a large amount of dust and has a loose surface.


Fine expanded clay is an excellent rodent repellent

To protect the house from the penetration of large rodents or other uninvited guests from the animal world, it is advisable to cover the space under the house with a metal mesh with cells no larger than 10 mm.

Construction of a frame structure


For a country house, the best choice is a frame structure

A frame house can be placed on either a columnar or strip foundation. Construction always starts from the foundation, which must be reliable waterproofed two or three layers of laid roofing felt.

  • If the project includes a veranda, you must immediately separate its zone, over which a roof will be erected, but there will be no solid walls. To support the roof over the veranda, you can use the racks of the general wall frame. Another option - veranda will be attached to the house separately.
  • Without exception, all wooden workpieces must be treated with antiseptic compounds and fire retardants. These impregnations will increase the resistance of wood to fire, to decay, will prevent the appearance of insect nests or colonies of microflora representatives - mold or fungus.

  • After the workpieces have received proper preparation and have completely dried, during construction, a lower frame (crown) is first made, which will be laid on the foundation and will subsequently be used to install the floor.

In order for the floor to be reliable, it is necessary to use high-quality timber of the required cross-section for the frame. If funds allow, then it is better to choose wooden elements not according to the “lower limit” of dimensions, but by placing a certain margin in their cross-section.

The table shows the optimal dimensions of timber for a frame house:

  • The frame support beams are mounted on crown bars located along the perimeter of the foundation, at a distance of 600 ÷ 700 mm from each other. They are secured using corners or by inserting. If the elements are large in cross-section, they can additionally be fastened with metal brackets.

  • When the bottom frame with support beams is ready, the wall frames are made. They can be assembled separately, and then, when finished, lifted and secured to the framing bars.

Another option is to lift the frame directly into place. For example, if a house is being erected independently, without helpers, then it will be very difficult to lift the finished frame from the tent alone to the height of the frame, install it evenly and temporarily fix it until it is finally secured. This means that each of the bars will have to be placed separately.

  • The size of the bars for the wall frame posts must be at least 100x100 mm, but it can also be mounted from boards with a cross-section of at least 50x150 mm.

The bars are secured to the lower frame using powerful corners that can hold them in a vertical position. It is best to use self-tapping screws rather than nails for fastening - the difference in price is not so significant, but the quality and reliability of the assembly is incomparably higher.

  • When installing vertical racks, you need to immediately mark the location of the openings for windows and doors. It is best to leave the area where they are to be installed free in the frame, and install the part of the wall with the window opening separately.

Then, when the upper strapping block is installed and secured to all other vertical posts, the area with the window opening is secured to the space left for it.

  • All four walls are assembled in the same way. At the corners, the side posts are fastened together with corners, or instead of two separate ones, one common corner post is mounted. It is recommended to support it with diagonal struts on both sides - they will add rigidity to the entire wall structure.

  • The doorway is installed in the frame immediately. It is reinforced with an additional rack, since a door suspended on hinges has a certain weight, which must be calmly supported by both the reinforced opening and the entire wall frame.
  • If you plan to cover the frame from the outside with clapboard, then this is the next step. The sheathing will give the structure additional rigidity, which will allow the installation of the attic floor to continue and

Installation of the floor can be carried out immediately after the outer wall cladding, but only if the roof will be covered on the same day. It is highly undesirable for your freshly laid flooring to get wet if it rains unexpectedly at night. Therefore, it is better to first resolve the issue with the roof, and then calmly deal with all other construction activities inside the house.

Roof construction and roof laying

Types of rafter systems

A few words need to be said about the types of rafter systems, since, moving on to the construction of the roof, it is necessary to have a general idea about this, to know which design is best to choose.

There are two types of rafter systems - hanging and layered.

Hanging system

The hanging rafter system is distinguished by the fact that it is installed only on external load-bearing walls and has no other supports. It is perfect for erecting over a small country house building. In order to lighten the load on the wooden walls and on the foundation, hanging rafters are fastened with ties.


The hanging structure itself consists of a transverse beam, which also performs an overlapping function, and can simultaneously serve as a frame for lining the ceiling, as well as rafter legs that form the roof slopes.

Layered system

A layered system is installed if the house, in addition to external walls, has internal permanent partitions that will become additional support points. This scheme can also be used when constructing the roof of a country house, if it has a large area and its rooms are separated by walls built on the foundation.


When installing this system, the load on the load-bearing side walls becomes weaker, so it will be possible to use fewer retaining elements. It is perfect for attic structures that will be used as living quarters.

Floor beams


An important structural element is the floor beams

The beams are laid exactly above the vertical posts of the wall frame. In order for them to fit tightly on the upper strapping belt, grooves are cut out at their edges. The size of the grooves can be calculated based on the formula shown in the figure.


The beams are secured to the frame structure of the walls using nails or self-tapping screws, and in addition they are sometimes fixed on both sides with metal corners.

Having completed the installation of the ceiling beams, you can proceed to building the roof truss system. For safety reasons, temporary plank flooring is laid on the floor beams to ensure comfortable movement along the attic plane during installation of the rafters.

Installation of the rafter system


The roof truss system can be mounted using different sequences of fastening its elements:

  • First option. It is necessary to fasten the outer pairs of rafter legs on the ground, then lift them onto the harness and install them ready-made on the gable walls of the house. And then connect them with a ridge beam, and mount the remaining pairs of rafters on it.
  • Second option. To begin, install the middle posts along the gables, then fasten them with a ridge beam or board, onto which the rafters are then attached.
  • Third option. In this case, pairs of rafter legs in their upper part are attached to each other with a ridge plate, and their lower side is fixed to the wall frame, which in this embodiment will act as a mauerlat.

The cross-section of beams or logs used for rafter legs must be strictly maintained - depending on the rafter length between two support points, and depending on the step between adjacent pairs of rafters

Maximum permissible rafter leg length (in mm)Rafter spacing (in mm)
1100 1400 1750 2100
Section of the rafter leg (in mm)
bars with cross-sectionlogs Øbars with cross-sectionlogs Øbars with cross-sectionlogs Øbars with cross-sectionlogs Ø
up to 300080×100100 80×100130 90×100150 90×160160
up to 360080×130130 80×160160 80×180180 90×180180
up to 430080×160160 80×180180 90×180180 100×200200
up to 500080×180180 80×200200 100×200200 - -
up to 580080×200200 100×200200 - - - -
up to 6500100×200200 120×220240 - - - -

It should be noted that the attachment point for the rafters in its lower part will depend on the angle at which they are fastened to the ridge and how long they are.

If the rafter is long enough and protrudes beyond the load-bearing walls, then a notch is cut out on it, with which it will be installed on the strapping beam (). An example of such a notch is shown in the picture:


If the rafter ends at the edge of the load-bearing wall, then its lower edge is cut at a right angle to the Mauerlat, and the leg itself can be fixed to it using a special fastening plate, a sliding support, an angle, a bracket, nails or long screws.


If the house is very small, then after securing the rafters to the frame, tying them with ridge beams or boards, you most likely will not have to install additional supporting elements.

Detailed information about the exact details can be obtained from a special publication on our portal by following the recommended link:

For installation of additional reinforcing elements of the rafter system, the material can be selected in accordance with the recommendations indicated in the table:

Prices for various types of fasteners for rafters

Rafter fasteners

Roofing system

After the rafters and additional elements form the roof slopes, you can proceed to the installation of the subsystem for the roof deck.

  • The first thing that needs to be done on the outside of the roof, after installing the rafters, is to lay a vapor barrier film, securing it first with staples and then with counter-lattice strips on the rafters.

The film is laid perpendicular to the rafters, starting from the lower eaves of the roof. The overlap between two adjacent strips must be at least 200 mm.


  • The main batten is mounted perpendicular to the counter-lattice, onto which the roofing material will be attached. The installation step of the guides depends on the type and size of the sheets of roofing material.

If a soft roof is chosen to cover the roof, then instead of sheathing slats, the slopes are covered completely - with plywood, and then with waterproofing sheets of roofing felt, which are overlapped by 150 ÷ ​​200 mm and glued together with bitumen mastic. Another option is to use soft bitumen decorative tiles, which are laid using a similar technology.

  • The following roofing materials are most often used for wooden houses (depending on the steepness of the roof slope).
  • The selected roofing material is laid and secured onto the prepared base. The work starts from the cornice, and if the first row is laid from right to left, then all other rows are installed according to the same pattern.

Some types of roofing materials have a strictly specified installation pattern in direction, which cannot be changed. This must be indicated in the instructions supplied with them.

Also, for any type of sheet roofing material, the amount of overlap in the direction of the slope (usually 150 ÷ ​​200 mm) and the number of waves (relief protrusions) in the horizontal direction along the roof are determined.

  • Almost all roofing materials are secured to the sheathing using special nails or self-tapping screws with waterproofing gaskets.

  • It is very important to correctly select and secure the ridge elements of the roof, otherwise it will leak at the first rain. Typically, the ridge element is selected from the same material as the covering of the roof slopes.
  • Next, the eaves of the roof are finished - this can be done with wooden or plastic lining. Sometimes special plastic elements - soffits - are used for these purposes.

  • Then elements of the roof drainage system are installed on the wind board - funnels, gutters on brackets, pipes, etc.

  • Next, the gable sides of the rafter system are sheathed. Most often, wooden or plastic lining or even planed boards are used for this.

For the lining, a special profile is fixed around the perimeter of the pediment triangle, into which the prepared panels, cut at the desired angle, will be installed. Installation is usually done symmetrically - from the middle post to one side and then the other - then the cladding will be smooth and neat.


By the way, install the lining, Besides, you can do it horizontally, in a herringbone pattern, or come up with a more complex pattern.

Detailed information about the technology can be found in the article posted on our website by clicking on link.

Now, having finished the external finishing of the roof and being confident that rain will no longer get inside the country house, you can move on to installing windows and doors, insulation, flooring and wall cladding.

Installation of windows and doors

  • Window frames are mounted in the frame openings left for them and leveled. For preliminary fixation when placing the frame, spacers made of wooden blocks or slats are installed between it and the opening bars.

Then, after checking the correct installation, the frames are attached to the wall frame with metal strips. The remaining gaps between the frame and frame bars are filled with polyurethane foam. After it dries, the excess is cut off, and platbands are installed around the windows on the outside of the wall, which will close the unsightly appearance of the gaps and give neatness to the overall appearance of the house.

  • It is best to install the door together with the door frame, if it has sufficient rigidity. This will make it much easier to align the entire structure with the level in the wall doorway.
It is best to install the door as a block - together with the frame and leaf

When exposing the door frame, if necessary, to achieve a clear vertical position, place wedges (inserts) made of wooden slats. The door frame is secured to the frame in the same way as window frames, using metal strips, and the gap is filled with polyurethane foam.

Having installed all the windows and doors, you can proceed to installing the floor.

Installation and insulation of floors


To begin with, the temporary flooring from the boards (if there was one) is removed from the lower frame, and then you need to install the subfloor.

  • To do this, cranial bars are nailed or screwed onto the frame supporting beams. They are necessary for laying transverse subfloor boards on them.

  • Next, boards cut to exact size or plywood 8 ÷ 10 mm thick are laid on the skull blocks - this flooring will serve as a subfloor.
  • The subfloor laid on top is closed hydro- paro insulating film, which should cover both the load-bearing beams and the entire floor plane. Individual sheets of material are laid overlapping (by 150 ÷ ​​200 mm) and taped at the joints with waterproof tape.

  • Next, insulation material is laid or poured onto the vapor barrier film. If you don’t want to have neighbors who like to live under the floor, then it is better to use expanded clay of medium or fine fraction, or ecowool, to insulate the floor - these toothy pests simply do not live in such materials.

  • Another layer of film membrane is laid on top of the insulation, which is nailed to the supporting beams with staples. The installation principle is exactly the same as on a subfloor.

The floor is finished!
  • The entire structure is then covered with thick plywood or wooden floorboards.
Prices for thermal insulation materials

Thermal insulation materials

Measures for additional thermal insulation

When the floor is completely ready, the walls of the house are insulated and sheathed from the inside. If the building will be used only in the warm season, then the insulation will still not hurt - it will work as an insulator of the premises from heating in extreme heat. Therefore, it is recommended to lay a thermal insulation layer not only in the walls, but also in the ceiling, and if it is missing, place insulation along the internal slopes of the roof.


  • First, a vapor barrier material is attached to all walls and ceiling beams. Then the ceiling is covered with clapboard, plywood or plasterboard.
  • After covering the ceiling, the walls are insulated. Insulation mats are laid between the frame posts. It is necessary to ensure that the mats fit as tightly as possible against the bars of the wall frame, so that there are no gaps left.

That is why mineral wool is most often used as insulation - after being tightly laid between the racks, it will straighten out, completely filling the entire space. The material is usually selected so that the thickness of the mats and the thickness of the frame posts are the same.

  • After this, all walls are again covered with vapor barrier film.

  • The next step is covering the walls with wooden paneling, plywood or. The latter, during subsequent decorative finishing of the walls, can be painted with water-based paint or covered with wallpaper.

  • Next, the attic floor is insulated, where the insulation is placed between the floor beams.

If the ceiling is sheathed on the side of the house with plasterboard or clapboard, then we must not forget that you cannot step on it, since the sheathing will not support the weight of a person. You must move carefully along the floor beams.


  • If the attic is planned to be used for storing various garden supplies, then a flooring made of boards or plywood with a thickness of at least 10 mm should be secured on top of the insulation on the floor beams.
  • The finishing touches of the interior decoration will be the installation of platbands on windows and doors, ceiling and floor skirting boards and closing the corners with fittings.

Extensions to the house

The last stages of arranging a country house are installation work on the veranda and porch.

If a place is left in advance for the veranda on the frame lying on the foundation, then a board is laid on this space to cover the floor (material for open areas is used), a fence is installed and a canopy is mounted.


If the foundation is raised high enough above the ground, then a porch is also attached to it.

Building a country house with your own hands is a completely doable task, but it will be quite difficult to do without helpers. Therefore, it is best to seek help from a knowledgeable craftsman who has experience in such work, will always give useful advice and show how to correctly install certain components in the structure of the house. You can “mobilize” your relatives and friends - it is possible that a knowledgeable person will be among them.

Video: building a country house using frame technology

In this article we will look at how to build a frame garden house with your own hands on a country plot. It will significantly increase the functionality of your dacha at relatively low financial costs. You only need to perform a few installation steps.

Construction works

Before starting construction work, you should draw up a project for the future house:

Step 1: project

A distinctive feature of a garden frame house is its small size, which is usually 4 by 4 or 6 by 6 meters. You can easily distribute such a small area for household needs yourself.

The following should be noted on the drawing:

  • Exact dimensions of load-bearing walls and internal partitions.
  • Hallway, kitchen, living room and bedroom. This is the minimum set of rooms that will allow you to use the building as a full-fledged home.
  • The location of stationary heavy furniture, as it may require reinforcement underneath.

Advice: if you plan to use the building all year round, then you should immediately include the location of the stove in the design.
This will create a microclimate suitable for living even in winter.

  • All windows and doors.

Step 2: foundation

When constructing any house, three foundation options are considered:

Taking into account the fact that our project does not have a ground floor or second floor, and the opportunity to save money is always welcome, we opted for a columnar foundation.

Instructions for performing the necessary work:

  1. We apply markings for the location of nine or more, depending on the layout, piles.
  2. We dig holes in the ground one and a half meters deep and twenty centimeters in cross section.

Tip: You can use a drill to create suitable holes in the ground. This way you will complete the task faster and more accurately.

  1. We insert the asbestos pipe so that its edges rise at least 15 cm above the freezing level of the soil.
  2. We fill the bottom with a twenty-centimeter layer of sand cushion.
  3. We lay roofing material inside the pipe walls to create waterproofing.
  4. We install the fittings.
  5. Fill with concrete mortar, the composition of which is shown in the following table:
Ingredient Ratio
Cement 1
Sand 3
Crushed stone 5
Water 4,5

After the cement has set, you can begin further work.

Step 3: frame

  1. We take a beam with a section of 150 by 100 mm and lay out the lower frame from it along the perimeter of the future building, as well as in the middle at the intersection of rooms.

  1. We drill holes in the timber and concrete, after which we fix the strapping with self-tapping screws and dowels.
  2. We nail the wooden elements together using the “half-wood” type of connection..
  3. Next we install the vertical beams.

  1. From above we connect all the racks together, thus forming the upper frame.
  2. We sheathe the resulting “skeleton” with timber 100 by 100 mm.

Step 4: roofing

A gable roof is best suited for your project, it has an aesthetic appearance and provides excellent protection from precipitation. To create rafters we use beams with a section of 100 by 50 mm. From above we cover the structure with 150 by 25 mm boards and roofing felt sheets.

Step 5: interior decoration

A do-it-yourself frame garden house will not be completed without interior work:

  1. Floor:

  1. We cover the ceiling and walls with clapboard. At the same time, you can also make additional insulation if you plan to come to the dacha in winter.

The final stage is the installation of the necessary communications and... After this, you can safely invite guests to celebrate the completion of construction work.

Conclusion

The presence of a garden house on a country plot allows you to use it for temporary or even permanent residence, full-fledged reception of guests, and storage of household supplies. It will also serve as a base room for builders in the event of a large cottage being built.

And the most important thing is that you can build it on your own without the involvement of specialists, the main thing is to be patient, pay attention and follow the recommendations above. The video in this article will provide you with additional information. Good luck with the installation work!