Home Roses Making a casing box with your own hands. How to make a pigtail in a house made of timber and not make a mistake with the choice. Installation of classic P-casing

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Making a casing box with your own hands. How to make a pigtail in a house made of timber and not make a mistake with the choice. Installation of classic P-casing

The casing is essentially a protective element in the design of a window or door opening, which ensures the safety of the geometry of the windows/doors. Casing or pigtail in wooden house- a kind of buffer between the heavy “living” wall and fragile glass. The correct casing will last as many years as the house itself.

The need to line openings is determined by nature itself. wooden house. Let us explain in more detail - the vast majority of log houses/timber houses are built from wood with natural moisture content (that is, no one specially dries the logs before construction). This wood begins to gradually dry out, while decreasing in size. Accordingly, the walls “sit down” in height.

The process of house shrinkage lasts for years. But even after 3-5 years, no one will undertake to guarantee that the openings will not leak in the future. Therefore, since ancient times, windows and doors in wooden houses were installed with casing boxes - they were then called decks.

Painting by Vasily Maximov " Internal view hut”, 1869 - a door framed from a log.

Modern casing is a technological thing, perfectly suited for installing plastic and aluminum windows, heavy balcony blocks, metal entrance doors. Let's take a closer look at what types of casing are now popular, methods of its manufacture, and installation scheme in openings.

Types of casing

The classic casing block looks like the letter “P” from the end. Now this form of casing also remains the most popular. In timber houses with thin walls, casing with the letter “T” has become popular. Separately, it is worth highlighting the casing in the embedded (cranial) block. These are 3 main types of casing boxes.

For each of these types, different profile geometries have also been developed - with or without a quarter cut, with a slant, or antique. According to processing methods and purpose, they also distinguish between rough and finishing casing, Euro casing, power casing, arched casing, carriage casing, semi-antique casing, and plywood casing. There are even combined options when outer layer The products are made from valuable wood species.

Let us consider in detail each type of casing.

Casing with the letter "P"

The casing box shape has been proven for centuries. Sturdy, reliable. It is most often installed in log houses and houses made of rounded logs. Typically, a quarter is selected from the outside of the casing for installation of a window or door frame.

Requires the formation of a tenon in the wall.

Casing with the letter "T"

T-casing appeared on the market relatively recently, when profiled timber with cut bowls entered the market. At the ends of the openings of such house kits, a groove was already selected from the factory.

T-type is used mainly in timber houses with a wall thickness of 100-150 mm, and log houses made of rounded logs of small diameter. Requires cutting a groove in the wall. In a high-quality T-pipe, the spike is glued into the body, which greatly increases the rigidity of the product. It’s even better when the tenon and the main one are one.

Casing in a mortgage (cranial) block

Defective T-type casing box. The embedding block is usually used at the stage of cutting or assembling a log house so that the openings do not warp. After construction is completed, a wide board is attached to this beam with self-tapping screws, to which the frame (window, door) is attached.

If you use regular lumber from the market (not kiln-dried), then there is a high probability of being remade in the future. Reasons: the block is pinched and bent when the frame shrinks, which causes it to jam in the groove and stops the shrinkage. When the board dries, it warps the frame. The block is pressed against the board only at the points where it is fastened with self-tapping screws - it bends relative to them, and the casing begins to blow through.

From the practice of our company, per year our teams remodel up to 80 other people’s properties, where windows and doors were installed in embedded bars. The photo shows a real case.

Rough casing (for finishing)

An inexpensive option for frames for log houses and log houses where further finishing is planned. All parts of the casing can be made from solid wood or using the adhesive method; polishing of the products is not performed. Profile shape T or P, quarter not selectable. Plastic windows are placed on an installation profile, the window sill is plastic, and the slopes are usually also made of PVC. Inside and outside the opening is finished with platbands.

The window is installed on a plane (without making a groove).

Finishing from solid wood

Must be made only from high-quality and dry wood. Most often from ordinary pine after forced drying, Karelian pine, cedar, larch, KELO cracker. U-type profile shape, with or without choice of quarter. Looks great in hand-cut log houses, houses made of thick logs, gun carriages.

Euro casing (finishing glue)

A popular option for finishing casing (which does not require finishing of slopes). It is made using the glue-type method from dry bars - glued into a sheet (with knots) or into a micro-tenon (without knots). The profile of the euro casing can be P and T type, straight or with an extension into the opening, with or without a quarter.

Antique gun carriage casing

Casing box made from KELO carriage - for high-status houses and baths, hunting lodges. It does not require the installation of platbands - the seam between the casing and the wall is caulked and closed with decorative rope. The visible part of the casing is skillfully aged (firing, brushing). P-type casing profile, options with or without quarter opening, with expansion of openings into the house.

Antique casing (with platbands)

Classic European casing is fired and aged using the brushing method (during processing, the soft fibers of the top layer are removed, the surface becomes rough, but polished). T- and P-type profiles, quarter cuts, and opening expansion are possible. Wooden trims are made in the same style.

Combined casing

The base of the product is made of solid pine, and the top layer is made of a composite adhesive board, which can be made of pine, oak, beech, and valuable wood species. Combined casing successfully combines a reasonable price and aesthetic appearance. The profile of such casing can be P or T type.

Plywood casing

The technology for manufacturing a plywood casing is the same as for LVL timber. The plywood sheets are glued together securely. The tenon in the T-profile can be additionally fixed with self-tapping screws.

The plywood casing can be used as a rough casing (for finishing).

How the casing is installed

IN general view, the process technology is as follows:

an opening is cut in the wall
a tenon is formed on the sides of the opening or a groove is selected
the opening is insulated with jute tape
a wind block is laid at the bottom of the opening and a window sill is mounted
risers are installed
the top is mounted
the free space above the top is sealed with soft insulation

Differences in the installation of door and window casing

The door casing may be missing the lower part - the threshold. In this case, the bottom of the risers is bolted to the lower crown/beam.

The lower part is always present in the window casing. But its appearance may differ. The following options are possible:

in the rough casing the lower part is not visible. The window sill is usually plastic, matching the color of the frame.
in the finishing/Euro casing, the lower part acts as a window sill. In this case, the casing can move inside the room and to the sides of the opening, forming so-called ears.

The video shows the entire process of installing a door casing in a timber house (T-type, with the formation of a tenon in the wall):

The technology for installing casing in a timber or log house is the same.

Manufacturing of casing

High-quality casing must be made of dry wood (forced drying in drying chambers, output humidity 8-10%). Boards and timber from the construction market are not suitable for these purposes, precisely because of the high humidity.

Pine wood is most often used, as it is the most common and inexpensive. Spruce is also used. Exclusive options are also possible - cedar, larch, Karelian pine, KELO crackers.

The basis for the solid casing is a carriage with a thickness of 50 mm or more. For P-casing, a carriage of 90 mm is used. The width of the casing board is equal to the thickness of the wall.

The adhesive casing can be with or without knots. In the first case, the prepared bars are glued together on their sides - this method is called sheet gluing. Knot-free casing is assembled from short bars, which are glued together at their ends - into a microspike (looks like a comb).

How to calculate the size of the casing/opening

Let's say that you want to install a plastic window measuring 1 meter in width and 1.2 meters in height in a log house with a wall thickness of 150 mm. At the same time, only technical openings have been cut in your house. Let's do the math.

First, you need to decide on the type and thickness of the casing. For the selected conditions, casing with a T-shaped profile, glued “in-situ”, 55 mm thick, is ideal. The window sill will be plastic, which means bottom part The casing can be taken with a smaller thickness - 45 mm.

If the frame is installed without a quarter (on a plane), then the width of the cut opening should be 15 cm greater than the width of the frame (1.5 cm for foam, 0.5 for jute, 55 for the riser). The final width of the opening is 115 cm.

With a quarter, the width of the opening will be +12 cm, the total - 112 cm.

What happens if you leave the openings WITHOUT casing?

Answers to the most frequently asked questions

The first thing to do when glazing a wooden house is to choose the desired window sizes. If you have a house project, these dimensions are taken from the “Specifications for filling window and door openings,” but no one can stop you from changing these dimensions in the direction you desire.

At this stage, we recommend that you pay attention to. Due to standardization, these designs are approximately 20% cheaper than. At large quantities windows, you can significantly save on glazing a wooden house without losing any quality.

The lower edge of the opening is usually located so that the height of the window sill from the finished floor is 900-1100 mm.
There should be at least one log or timber left from the top edge of the opening to the floor beams.
There should be a minimum of 150-200 mm from the left and right edges of the opening to the corners of the room, the recommended distance is 500 mm.

For example, let's calculate the required size of the opening for a window width 800 mm and height 1000 mm.

Please note that OSB windows, if it is necessary to install a window sill, are equipped with a support profile 30 mm high, which is not included in the height of the window. Thus, the total height of the OSB window with the stand profile in our example will be 1030 mm. The groove for the window sill is made by milling the bottom beam of the window frame and its height does not need to be taken into account the height of the euro window will remain equal 1000 mm.

First, we need to determine the size of the shrinkage gap between the upper edge of the frame and the wall. If the house was built less than five years ago, the size of the shrinkage gap will be:

For a log house: 120 mm.
For a house made of solid timber: 80 mm.
For a house made of laminated veneer lumber: 50 mm.

If windows are installed in a house that is more than five years old, then the size of the shrinkage gap can be taken equal to 50 mm. We also determine the sizes of other gaps:

The installation gaps between the window and the frame, both in height and width, are assumed to be 15 mm per side.
The installation gaps between the frame and the wall below, on the left and on the right are also taken to be 15 mm per side.
Let us take the shrinkage gap between the frame and the wall above to be 50 mm.

Opening width for our example it will be 800 (window) + 30 (window-window-window installation gaps) + 60 (window-window) + 30 (window-window installation gaps) = 920 mm.

Opening height for OSB window with stand profile will be 1030 (window + stand) + 30 (window-frame installation gaps) + 60 (framework) + 15 (window-frame installation gap-wall below) + 50 (window-frame-wall shrinkage gap at the top) = 1185 mm.

Opening height for an OSB window without a support profile or for a Eurowindow will be 1000 (window) + 30 (window-window installation gaps) + 60 (window frame) + 15 (installation gap frame-wall below) + 50 (shrinkage gap frame-wall top) = 1155 mm.

The dimensions of the gaps are highlighted in red, and the gaps in blue.

With this installation option, the seams between the window and the frame on the left, right and top are closed with fillets, and the seams between the frame and the wall are closed with platbands, usually 120 mm wide. The platband under the window sill can be of a different width at your request, for example, 70 or 90 mm. In this case, the ebb is attached to the stand profile and its edge on top covers the window, which prevents water from flowing under the ebb.

In this option, the lower seam between the window and the jamb is also closed with a fillet. The platband at the bottom is usually set to the same width as the rest 120 mm. The disadvantage of this method is that the ebb is attached to the window, which does not prevent water from getting into the joint between it and the window. To prevent leakage, we recommend using colorless silicone sealant in this area. You should also pay attention to ensure that the ebb does not block the drainage holes in the bottom beam of the OSB window frame.

Installation is carried out similarly to that shown in Drawing 1, except that the groove for the window sill is made by milling in the lower beam of the window. In the same beam on the street side there is also a groove for the ebb, so in the case of Eurowindows there will be no flow of water under the ebb.

Installation is carried out similarly to that shown in Drawing 2, except that the groove under the window sill will not be milled; do not forget to indicate this when ordering euro-windows.

DIY pigtail - types of casing and drawings

Hi Hi! I read in the news that a museum of ancient architecture is planned to open in our city.

The administration has allocated very little money for this, so they are calling on private investors and those simply wishing to help in furnishing wooden houses.

I decided to answer the call and offer my window installation services. In such designs, it is important not to forget to install the pigtail.

You can see everything about what a do-it-yourself pigtail is, types and drawings, in this post. Read on.

A window frame is a protective structure around window and door openings in a wooden house.

To understand why window frames are needed, let's understand a little about the processes that begin in the timber or log house immediately after construction.

Do-it-yourself pigtail types and drawings

Since a wooden house is built from living wood (recently felled), it has high humidity. And the log house built from it gradually begins to dry. The logs give off moisture and shrink a little in size.

Scientifically, this process is called shrinkage. When shrinking, the height of the house decreases to 10 cm. This lasts for several years.

But even then, when the weather changes, the tree can play (swell in the rain, then shrink when dry).

It turns out that the sizes of door and window openings in a wooden house are constantly changing, their geometry also “plays”. A properly installed frame will keep the windows safe and sound and allow the house to shrink normally.

A frame in a wooden house is a mandatory element when installing windows and doors. Reasons for installing a pigtail:

Save windows and doors
Allowing the house to shrink, which means keeping warm

The drawings help you understand the benefits of the joint. Firstly, thanks to the figured shape of the casing profile, it performs a windproof function, and secondly, it helps to keep the walls level (The so-called power frame, with a thickness of 90 mm or more, is recommended as a frame for doorways).

The pigtail in the embedded block is also called T-shaped due to characteristic shape profile. Another popular form is the U-shaped one, when the role of the embedding bar is played by a tenon cut into the wall. According to the intended purpose, manufacturers distinguish the following types- roughing, finishing, power and euro casing.

Rough jamb is usually used in cases where it is proposed to finish openings. For example, installing plastic slopes and window sills. Finishing and Euro casing are used in cases where future finishing is not expected.

What do you need to know before starting work?

If you plan to make a pigtail yourself, you will need a wooden beam of suitable thickness and width, soft tape insulation, and a little knowledge. To make a pigtail, it is better to take dry wood.

Tools include a chainsaw, a level, a stapler, and preferably a router for cutting quarters. It would be wise to first watch the videos with instructions and thoroughly understand how to install the pigtail yourself:

The material for making the pigtail can be easily found at construction markets and supermarkets. In the simplest case, a 40 mm thick edged board will suit you. If you connect it with a 50x50 mm block, you get a classic pigtail.

Note!

Plastic windows are also installed with a frame.

To properly make a casing (window), you must first make a smooth opening, then cut out a tenon or groove, and insulate it. Then form a profile from the timber (board) and cut the casing into the required parts. And finally, secure the window sill, risers and top.

Installing plastic windows in a wooden house also has its own characteristics. You cannot place them like in a stone house - on the metal plates included in the kit. Of course, you can do this, but in the end you will completely ruin the appearance of the windows.

Having mastered the correct technology for making window frames, you can not only save money, but also get warm, wind-free windows and doors that will open easily in any weather. I won’t even talk about the pleasure received from a job well done.

Helpful advice!

Plan the sizes and types of openings in the walls of your home in advance. This will help you decide what kind of joint you need. If you still have doubts, find those who manufacture the casing and seek advice from specialists.

It should also be said that the pigtail is only relevant for wooden houses made of timber or logs (chopped).

In general, where wall shrinkage occurs. If you have frame house or in general, stone, then you don’t need any pigtail.

Installation of this design is required when installing window frames and door panels.

Since wooden buildings, unlike brick ones, shrink significantly over time.

The use of these boxes will help protect windows and doors from severe damage that will occur due to the impact of the weight of the house on them.

But high-quality execution the obligations assigned to them directly depend on correct execution their installation, as well as the choice of method for its implementation.

source: http://srubidomov.ru

Types of manufacturing and installation

Let's look at the types and drawings of pigtails that can be used in a wooden house to do it yourself. There are two main types of manufacturing and installation of this protective box:

1. Design with parts in the shape of the letter “P”.

This design has four main elements: upper and lower elements, in which grooves are either cut along the edges or corners are cut off, as well as sidewalls, in which long grooves are cut along the plane.

Such a box is fixed on protruding spikes, which are cut on the sides of the opening. This installation method is considered classic, and is quite capable of coping with the responsibilities assigned to it.

2. Design with parts in the shape of the letter “T”.

This design also has only four main elements: upper and lower with methods of attachment to the sidewalls similar to the previous version.

And also the sidewalls themselves, which are equipped with spikes running along their plane. Such a box is fixed in cut grooves that are made on the sides of the opening.

This installation method began to be used not so long ago; it is somewhat more complicated in terms of implementation, but is more reliable and copes better with distributing the load from shrinkage of the walls.

The types and drawings of the pigtails considered for doing it yourself showed that fasteners are not used in the construction of this structure.

Fastening occurs only through the use of a tongue-and-groove system. All discrepancies between joints, cracks and gaps are filled with soft insulation.

When frozen, it becomes too rigid; in addition, it firmly adheres to surfaces, which is why the assembled box is fixed too rigidly to the opening and loses its functional properties.

Build process

After reviewing the types and drawings of the pigtail for assembling it yourself, you can move on to studying the process of assembling it. Let's look in detail at classic version its arrangement:

We cut an opening in the wall 25 cm larger in width and height than the dimensions of the future window.
Please note that when cutting the sides, you must first cut 5 cm less from each side (this is the allowance for cutting the future tenon).
Excess wood is cut off from the sides of the allowance, leaving only the middle part of the sidewall 5-7 cm wide.
We take four beams with dimensions of approximately 10x25cm. Their length should correspond to the dimensions of the future frame with an increase in their width. The wider part will be across the wall.
We cut out support pads at the edges of two elements (top and bottom) (cut off half the thickness of the board).
We make the same cuts at the edges of two more elements, grooves are cut along their back side, the width of which is equal to the width of the previously made tenons on the sides of the opening.
Along the outer edge of each part, a cut of material is made 2 cm thick and extends 6 cm onto the plane. This area is called a “quarter” and is intended for installing a frame on it.
The lower part of the opening is lined with linen batting and one of the parts without grooves is placed on top of it.
Next, the sides of the opening with spikes are lined with the same material and the side supports are installed on this layer.
The sides need to be supported so that they are well fixed, since laying the top element is a little difficult. The part is inserted into place and gradually hammered with its edges into the support pads on the sidewalls.
Between the top piece and top part the opening remains a very noticeable gap (about 5 cm). It is carefully filled with linen wool or other insulation. The unflattering sight of the crack being clogged with platbands closes.
The package is installed in a square, which formed quarters of all four parts. Fastening is carried out with self-tapping screws, but be sure to ensure that they do not fit into the adjacent groove.

Finishing a doorway is not much different from the same work, but carried out on a window opening. It is more difficult to make this casing option, only because of the significantly increased size of the opening itself and the details.

It is advisable to thoroughly treat the surfaces with antiseptic agents after completing all work.

source: http://papamaster.su

Installation of casing in a wooden house

A special wooden box, referred to both by the people and among specialists as a “jamb” or a “casing”, consisting of a sidewall, a top, and also a window sill board or threshold.

DIY pigtail - drawing

It is installed in openings of wooden buildings intended for doors and windows in order to keep both windows and doors intact during the inevitable shrinkage of wooden structures.

This is a feature of architectural technology, in which a house, bathhouse, or other residential or commercial building is protected from the possibility of logs moving in a horizontal position, and the shrinkage of the window “frame” itself will not affect the stability and shape of the window.

Pit and casing

Failure to trim window openings during the construction process can result in disruption of the normal functioning of the windows. Because it protects window frames and the glass in them from the effects of log shrinkage and guarantees the normal functioning of the windows and the integrity of the frames.

Pigtail in a wooden house: several features

The width of the casing components can be up to 26 cm. However, it can be larger, but in this case, this may lead to the appearance of cracks along the entire length of the structure. Typically, window frames are made from wood with a moisture content of 10 to 12 percent.

If the moisture content of the wood is less, internal cracks are possible. Extreme care is required when making door frames (casing), especially metal ones.

Casing of wooden and plastic windows

There are two varieties of them. Simple, which is notable for the presence of pre-cut grooves in the opening logs - for the ideal fit of one side of the casing.

This type is used exclusively when installing simple wooden windows. Because the plastic profile In a similar way it is no longer possible to fix it; there is another type of casing for plastic windows.

Its essence is this: a ridge is cut out at the ends of the logs, and then a carriage with a groove is put on it. When shrinking, the ridge will fit into the groove of the carriage without any problems, and the window itself will not be damaged in any way.

Window openings

For each of the openings of a timber house it is made separately. Just like in a structure made of logs, installation is done without screws, nails, or other foreign elements. But for maximum sealing of the room, it is necessary to lay insulation between the log and the frame.

Over the centuries, Rus' has developed casing manufacturing technology that guarantees both high sound and heat insulation properties of doors and windows, as well as long service openings. When it is made correctly, it will last up to a hundred years.

Note!

Even when the log house has shrunk after two years of inactivity, even then it is impossible to do without casing. Because, while guaranteeing the preservation of the original shape of the opening, it makes the wall itself significantly more stable.

But, in addition to this, it can be given the function of external decoration of a building as an important element of it. Currently, a whole casing manufacturing industry has been established, so choosing the shape and color of the casing that matches the exterior of the building will not be difficult.

Casing: prices, cost

Manufacturing costs can vary greatly: prices and costs depend on many factors; in every wooden building, the part is not just necessary, but simply irreplaceable!

What determine the prices and cost of casing?

It depends on the quality of the wood, the type of casing, the shape of the casing, the presence of decorative elements, the size of the opening, and also on where the part will be installed - in timber, logs or a log house.

And, of course, the final price of the order is affected by quantitative indicators: how many pieces or how many meters.

The window frame is made of dry material with a humidity of 8-12%. It consists of a top, risers, an adhesive window sill or a window sill board in cases of installing a plastic window sill.

Several types of work:

Array: All parts are made by processing solid wood while maintaining the correct wood texture.

Adhesive: The details of such casing are made from glued boards. It is glued into a microspike on all four sides. Knots and resin pockets in in this case are completely cut out.

Combined is the most common type of casing. The top and risers are made of solid pine. And the window sill is made of glued boards. All of it has a clean appearance and after installation needs to be treated with paint and varnish.

It can be made either with a sample for a window - this option is used in cases where the house will not have external and interior finishing, the walls of timber or rounded logs remain intact.

And without sampling - this option is used in cases where the house is planned for interior and exterior decoration in the future. This version of the frame can be finished or rough (if it is completely closed during future finishing).

The pigtail can be like standard form– rectangle and non-standard shapes. Trapezes, polygons, balcony blocks.

Helpful advice!

Non-standard forms have their disadvantages, but there are ways to avoid them. Such information is discussed with the surveyor at the site.

source: http://svoya-izba.ru

More about the process

After window openings are cut in a wooden house, the structure of the log house no longer has the same rigidity as if the log house were solid. First, let's answer the question, what is a window frame, or, as it is also called, casing (wooden frame).

The fact is that a wooden house after construction is subject to shrinkage for a long time, much longer than brick or panel buildings. This may well lead to deformation of windows or doors.

After window openings are cut in a wooden house, the structure of the log house no longer has the same rigidity as if the log house were solid. This is especially true for the window opening itself. During the shrinkage process, the logs can move significantly horizontally, which will also lead to deformation of the windows.

All these unpleasant moments are prevented by the frame (casing, wooden frame), which looks like a wooden box. From all of the above it is clear that installing a socket in a wooden house is a dire necessity. This is true not only for a log house, but also for a timber house.

Plus, the pigtail also serves decorative element for windows and doors. A window in a wooden house without a frame looks rather poor, especially noticeable from the outside.

The process of installing the pigtail is quite simple. Having the necessary tools and materials at hand, you can install the pigtail yourself.

It is assumed that the window opening has already been cut. Now you need to use a chainsaw to select a spike (ridge) on the sides of the opening. This is done so that the pigtail does not move perpendicular to the axis of the walls.

Then the pigtail is made according to the obtained dimensions. Accordingly, in its side racks you need to select grooves for the ridge.

All elements of the pigtail are attached using dowels. Installation of the frame starts from the bottom beam. A layer of linen or jute is first laid under it.

Then vertical bars are installed, into the grooves of which flax or jute is also placed. And lastly, the upper beam of the frame is installed. The shrinkage gap, which must be left above the jamb, is covered with linen fabric.

There are no houses without windows and doors, but their installation in a wooden building differs significantly from installation in brick house. A feature of wooden buildings is shrinkage as a result of the seasonal decrease and increase in the amount of moisture in the wood, which causes the crowns to shift in height.

Window and door openings are most vulnerable to such processes. The windows in them can warp with the appearance of cracks in the glass, and sometimes even collapse. To ensure their safety and proper functioning, specially designed wooden boxes, called frames or casings, are installed in the openings. Let's look at how to make a pigtail in a log house with your own hands.

The main problems caused by shrinkage of a log house

Alternating changes in wood moisture content, coupled with shrinkage processes, lead to bending, twisting and drying out of the wood. This leads to the following negative phenomena in walls and especially openings in which the integrity of the walls is compromised:

curvature of the surface of piers and walls;
the formation of cracks and gaps between the beams;
drafts, dampness and significant heat losses;
windows and doors cannot be opened without significant effort;
distortions or breakages of window frames and door panels;
unsightly appearance of the entire building.

A wooden box installed in the openings will strengthen the walls and will be a good protection for door and window blocks from destructive processes, so the question of whether it is necessary to make a frame in a log house is rhetorical. It's simply necessary. Doors and windows installed without frames are subject to extreme loads, leading to structural failure or the need for constant adjustment.

Composition of structural elements

Traditional casing consists of the following elements:

two side risers;
threshold or window sill board;
top

All elements consist of timber or edged boards up to 25 cm wide.

Basic casing functions

A window frame in a timber house strengthens walls, piers and openings.
Ensures the impossibility of horizontal displacement of the beams.
When vertically settling walls, it creates independence of door and window structures from load-bearing walls. Grooves in the sidewalls allow vertical sliding of the structure.
Protection of openings from pressure from above, creating the gap necessary to compensate for shrinkage.
Protects against the formation of cracks and drafts.
Creating an optimal indoor climate while saving on heating costs.
Harmonious design of door and window openings.

Materials used for manufacturing

The pigtail is made from high-quality dried wood with a moisture content of about 12%. Drier ones may have visually invisible small cracks, which during operation will lead to partial or complete destruction of the structure. Conifers are mainly used tree species, but it is preferable to choose hard wood that is not prone to cracking and without falling knots.

The width of the structure is selected depending on the existing width of the walls. Beams 150 or 200 by 100 mm and edged boards can be used. A combination is often used various materials, for example, for the tops and risers there is timber, and the window sill is made of glued boards.

The wood is treated with antiseptics, fire retardants and covered with varnishes or paints.

Types of pigtails in a timber house

The design can be executed in 2 main versions:

Draft, if additional finishing is provided. A good example- subsequent installation of ventilated facades that will completely hide the part. Typically, the perimeter of the opening at the top and sides is made of unplaned materials, and the visible part, the threshold or window sill, is made of laminated veneer lumber or furniture panels.
Finish, made of planed and sanded material with further coating with a paint and varnish composition. Typically, expensive and high-quality processed types of wood are used for production.

Based on manufacturing methods, the following types are distinguished:

In the embedded block. For installation, a groove is made along the inner sides of the opening in which a square section beam is placed. The beam is not secured, but simply driven into the groove, which allows it to move along the groove. Finishing boards are attached to the block with self-tapping screws. The casing is fastened in the lower part, filling the voids with soft heat insulators. The method is the cheapest and easiest to implement, but the most unreliable and requires additional finishing. Failure to properly seal will almost always require refurbishment or repair.
Spike monolith. The product is a T-shaped rectangular block. The tenon is inserted into special grooves made in timber vertical walls. The vertical part of the casing block is at the same time window slope. Fastening is done at the bottom and top using special fasteners, and the free space on the sides is foamed. The block can be cut together with the pigtail from one common blank or attached with glue. The design has good strength and functional characteristics. This is often the way to do it yourself in a timber house for plastic windows. Therefore, we will describe this method in more detail below.
Casing “in the deck”. When constructing an opening in the vertical bars, a tenon is cut out, onto which a block shaped like the letter “P” is placed. From above, the structure is bursting with a top and secured with self-tapping screws. Installation is carried out using sealing materials. The design is ideal for entrance doors, safes and windows large sizes made of wood or plastic, providing high resistance to multidirectional mechanical loads. This is an expensive and difficult option to implement on your own.

Installation of casing in a timber house

Glued window frames have earned great popularity among professional builders and amateurs. This is a finished product, manufactured in a factory for a specific climatic region. The design is made with a perfectly smooth surface, without the usual knots and notches. Treatment with fire-fighting and antiseptic compounds using modern technologies, determines its durability. The factory immediately produces high-quality and beautiful finishing. The order is carried out according to the dimensions you provide and installation of the structure is quick, easy and simple.

In timber houses, they are mainly installed plastic windows with numerous advantages. It’s easy to make a pigtail for them yourself.

Let's look at how to properly make window frames in a log house yourself.

The order of work when installing “in a tenon”:

marking the opening of the required dimensions;
after leveling the planes with a chainsaw, draw lines in the middle of the ends vertical lines and with 3 cm gaps from them along a line on each side;
grooves are cut out on the sides according to the markings;
the surface is sanded and treated with an antiseptic;
a T-shaped beam of the required dimensions is made using a miter saw or circular saw;
insertion of the upper jumper leaving a 5 cm gap for the insulation and the possibility of free movement during vertical shrinkage;
installing a door threshold or window sill;
pasting the sidewalls with special “breathable” tapes;
Caulk all joints.

The installation of the door casing is carried out according to the same principle as the window frame in a log house, but the parts are made in slightly larger sizes.

You don’t just put a plastic or wooden window in a window opening in a wooden house. You must first make a so-called casing in this opening, a window frame.

The casing is made in such a way as to form some semblance of a window box, which is not attached to the walls rigidly, but has the ability to move up and down when the wooden house shrinks. If you install a window without such a “floating” frame, there is a danger that the house will shrink and deform the window frame. Or, on the contrary, the window will not allow the logs of the house to shrink, and large gaps will form between them.

How to make a casing yourself?

For professionals, making a casing is not difficult. They take a chainsaw, cut out the required grooves, knock together the boards in the required way and that’s it - the casing is ready.

But is it possible to make this very same joint yourself, without special skills and even without a chainsaw? We tried and did it. See below for a short photo report on the progress of construction:

I’ll immediately show you the end result, eight windows like this in a house made of timber:

For each window, magpie boards 40 mm thick were used, as well as wooden blocks 50 by 50 mm (or 50 by 40). And such simple tools:
- a circular saw,

Drill with Forster drill,

Hammer and chisel.

So we started the first window:

At first we decided to do this - cut out cuts to fit the width of the block with a circular saw, then drill them out with a Forster drill and select them with a chisel. The cuts were made in height from below and from above, not completely - simply because you can’t do it with a circular saw otherwise. But this is enough for a bar.

But then this method was improved. We began to make not two, but several cuts with a circular saw, and at an angle, so that a lot of wood was removed at once.

Then we refine it with a drill and a little chisel and get a beautiful groove, which we immediately treat with senegia (or other bioprotection):

We insert the block into the groove. If it doesn’t work out perfectly and the block “dangles” a little, we insert it with jute insulation:

We leave a gap at the top of about 5-7 cm for shrinkage of the house, so that, if necessary, the casing block or frame can move in its groove along with the window.

Next, we take the boards and fasten them to the bars with screws. First, we stapled jute tape to the casing boards for insulation. Perhaps now, instead of jute, I would make a synthetic sealing tape, these are sold white made of foamed polypropylene. Jute, as it turned out, gets wet well in the rain and allows water to pass inside the room. Which is not very good.

Please note that the screws should not pierce through the bars and cut into the walls of the house themselves. In this case, the entire effect of such a casing will disappear.

It would be possible to limit ourselves to three boards, i.e. make the casing in the letter “P”. We made a box of 4 boards, connecting them with metal corners, four corners on the outside and four on the inside of the rooms. It seemed that a box-shaped casing would be more reliable. But this reduced the height of the window, which now seems not very good.

So, here is the result, a board was nailed on top to close the gap of 5 (approximately) centimeters left. The gap is needed for the same reason - to ensure that the house can shrink.

The next summer, when the windows were already in place, it turned out that during heavy rain, water penetrates into the rooms through this gap from above, despite the boards nailed to the casing. Therefore, they were sealed on top with window sealant.

So, the casing was done in the summer. According to our estimates, such do-it-yourself casings allowed us to save about 40 thousand rubles - since boxes for windows along with installation this summer cost approximately 4500-6000 rubles.

And in the fall, plastic windows were installed on the casing. Almost a year has passed and no problems have been identified. Yes, you can see the stairs in the photo, but we built ourselves without it - everything was done exclusively from inside the rooms. But on the second floor, while working, they secured themselves so as not to fall - they tied themselves with a car cable, which they secured at the end to the beams inside the house.

You can see that we made grooves for the casing. It could have been done differently - instead of cutting grooves for the bars, you could make tenons on the window openings.
And nail the bars to the boards. This is most likely less labor intensive, because... you won’t need to cut anything with a drill or chisel. The result will be a design as shown in the diagram: