Hello dear friends!
Last month my family and I were in Novgorod and got on an excursion to the Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Wooden Architecture. It is located in the open air and occupies a fairly large area. In the museum we were amazed by the old wooden buildings that were created 5 - 7 centuries ago.
There are peasant huts, temples and chapels. The buildings are more than one hundred years old, but they look quite dignified. Probably, they were restored, some elements were changed. However, with the naked eye you can see the old elements that have survived since the construction of the structures.
I will share with you a couple of photos taken in Vitoslavlitsy:
Looking at these ancient structures, I was sincerely surprised how they could survive to this day. Were trees more durable in the old days? Or some other climate? Maybe the trees used to be treated in a special way, that they have already stood for 500 years and will probably stand as much more.
For modern houses made of wooden log cabins, the warranty is no more than 20 years. This figure is indicated in the contract drawn up by the customer and the contractor. In addition, the tree must be looked after in a special way. If you follow the recommendations specified in the contract, the house will stand for several years longer.
The wood should be chemically treated every five years to avoid rot and mildew. Also, every 3 years you need to use drugs that destroy bugs and other pests.
How did you cope without chemistry before? How were the houses built without bugs or fungi? It turns out that even today it is possible to build durable structures. Only companies that produce chemical products do not want to go bankrupt, and therefore recommend that homeowners carry out processing every few years. What secrets did our ancestors know?
Trick 1
- 1. Firstly, logs for construction were not previously cut. People knew that rot would soon appear on the sawn end. But the chipped ends of the logs do not face this problem.
The bottom line is that the saw rips apart the wood fibers, exposing them. As a result, moisture accumulates in the fibers, they dry slowly, even if they are provided with good ventilation.
If you process the logs with a plane, an ax or a knife, then the fibers will be compacted, compressed, and there are no passages for water in them. Buildings used to be cut down only with axes.
Trick 2
- 2. Secondly, the wood was burned. Moreover, they did it in such a way that it was not noticeable that the logs were treated with fire.
With the help of an open fire, the wood was burned until a charred crust appeared, and then it was removed by grinding. Thanks to this, bugs never got in the logs.
If, after firing, the logs are covered with linseed oil, then they will last at least 200 years, or even more.
Trick 3
- 3. Thirdly, to increase the duration of the house, its crowns should be made of quality wood. Earlier, deadwood Kelo or twisted logs were used for the construction of the first three crowns.
Such round timber has high strength, does not deteriorate when exposed to precipitation and direct sunlight.
I am very glad that you have read the article to the end! I would be grateful for your like 👍 andsubscribe to my channel.