How to connect a beam or log: various joining methods. Connecting a beam or log at an angle and lengthwise How to file the corners of a house made of profiled timber

Key stage of construction wooden log house— connection of timber and logs into a common spatial structure.

Without knowing what docking methods need to be used, you shouldn’t even take on this work.

We will look at the main types existing connections, and also evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each of them. This will help the novice craftsman feel more confident when assembling crowns wooden building.

Obviously, joining timber during construction is necessary in two cases:

  • For securely tying the corners of the house
  • For building up logs or beams

These operations can be performed in dozens different ways, invented by Russian architects over hundreds of years. If we begin to consider all existing connection nodes at once, we will quickly get confused in the complex terminology and nuances of cutting. Therefore, for your information, we will tell you in detail only about the most common types of docking.

Types of corner joints

In modern wood construction Two types of corner joints are used:

  • With the rest. The remainder is the end of a log or beam that protrudes outward from the corner of the frame. The advantage of this type of corner connection is best protection seams from blowing;
  • Without a trace. The crowns of the log house do not protrude beyond the corners of the house.

Corner joints of logs are performed in almost the same way as joining beams. In this case, the landing nest in the lower log is most often made not flat, but semicircular, resembling a cup. Therefore, this docking method is called cuttings "into the bowl".

The rectangular shape of the timber does not require a complex cup-shaped joint.

Joining the beams at the corners of the house is done in two ways:

  • Single-sided (wood floor)
  • Double-sided (in red)

One-sided timber joint is easy to perform, since here it is enough to make only one vertical groove.

Half a tree this type connections are called because the depth of the cut or notch is ½ of the height of the beam or log.

Listing the main ways to connect timber in the corners of a house, you need to say a few words about the two-sided method felling "to the point". It is more complicated than one-sided joining of crowns, since vertical cuts have to be made not only on the top, but also on bottom side bars

After this, the wood between the cuts is cut out, leaving smooth horizontal landing areas. By laying the beams on top of each other, we get a strong joint with two flat seams.

Reliable joining of logs can also be done using the “snap” method.. However, most often specialists use a “bowl” connection, which is optimally suited for round shape logs

The double-sided “bowl” connection and the semicircular “bowl” require highly qualified carpenters. Here you need to work accurately and carefully. Any mistake with the depth of cut or cutting out a groove can lead to a violation of the geometry and a decrease in the strength of the joint.

To protect the corner from blowing, wooden house building professionals use joining the timber “in the fat tail”. In essence, this is a modified double-sided “bucket” connection, in which a longitudinal protrusion is cut out on the seating surface. It not only covers the joint from blowing, but also increases the strength of the contact area.

Considering the types of connections between logs and beams, we note the very popular chopping method "in the paw". It is quite simple to implement and at the same time allows you to obtain a fairly strong and airtight joint.

Butt connection

For beginners, the easiest option is to connect profiled timber using the butt method. The ends of the beams are cut evenly and fixed at the corners using steel brackets or plates with spikes.

However, this method The joining of timber cannot be called very durable and airtight. Therefore, it is better to use it for non-residential outbuildings.

To strengthen corners assembled end-to-end, dowels are often used - vertical rods made of hard wood (oak, birch, hornbeam).

The optimal joining option is the “warm corner” method, also called a tenon joint. At the end of the beam, an internal protrusion-spike is cut out, which protects the seam from blowing and increases the strength of the corner.

A common corner connection method is the dovetail.. It differs from the root tenon in its trapezoidal shape, which makes the contact area of ​​the beams denser and more rigid.

Longitudinal connection of timber and logs

In addition to reliable tying of the corners of a wooden building, it is very important to ensure high-quality longitudinal joining of the beams or logs that make up the crowns. For timber, extensions are most often used using a direct or overlay lock. To further strengthen the overhead joint, vertical dowels or dowels are used.

In addition, it is convenient to make the longitudinal connection of the crowns “half a tree”, cutting off part of the end of the beams being connected. To increase the rigidity of the joint in the contact area, you need to install two dowel pins.

Connection with root tenon It is also quite acceptable for longitudinal extension of beams.

Good resistance to longitudinal tensile forces arising during drying wooden crowns, a combined half-tree joint with a dovetail on the upper protrusion.

If such cutting seems too complicated to you, then make a longitudinal connection of the crowns with an ordinary dovetail, which reliably fixes the timber being built up and the log.

T-shaped types of connections between timber and logs

This type of joining is used in places where internal timber and log partitions adjoin external wall. Here one of three options can be implemented:

1. Key groove on the main tenon

2. Straight groove on the main tenon

3. The already familiar “dovetail”

Useful video

There are several different ways to connect profiled timber. One of the most complex and at the same time reliable is the “warm corner” corner connection of profiled timber. Despite the difficulties associated with it, experts characterize the “warm corner” as an effective and heat-intensive connection, and that is why it is most common in the construction of wooden houses.

The following technologies are known to create corner connections:

  1. "In the paw."
  2. « Warm corner».
  3. "Butt."
  4. “Into the Cup” and others.

The “warm corner” corner connection has several varieties, namely:

  • Connection with main tenon.
  • Keyed connection.
  • "Dovetail".

In the article we will talk about the warm corner connection, as the most optimal technology in our opinion. The trick of such a connection is hidden in the fact that a vertical tenon is cut out in one of the joining beams, and a groove is made in the other to the size of the tenon. During the assembly process they interlock with each other. Thanks to this, a lock with a hidden spike is formed at the junction.

The connection is made in the following order:

First, markings for trimming are applied to the beam using a square, and the beam is cut. Using a tape measure, the required length is measured and a horizontal line is drawn on the upper side of the beam, from which verticals are drawn on the sides. Next, using a square or a pre-made stencil, the position of the tenon is drawn.


Now you can cut it out.


The groove is marked and cut in the same way. In the very simple version the tenon and groove are rectangular in shape. It is important that the connection is tight and there should be no gaps in it. And the insulation inserted into the groove will make the structure more airtight.


After completing the assembly of the crown, the beams are secured with a dowel. When laying the next crowns, the operations are performed in a similar order, but it is important that in each subsequent crown the tenon and groove alternate in a checkerboard pattern. This will make the frame more durable.


The “warm corner” corner connection of profiled timber has a number of advantages that make it so popular:

  1. This design does not require additional fastening, which significantly simplifies the technology and makes it more economical.
  2. The ideal shape of the source material allows the assembly to be monolithic and reliable.
  3. There are no gaps in the design through which cold can enter the house.
  4. The ends of the beams do not protrude outward, which facilitates subsequent finishing of the house.

Of course, making such corner connections is associated with certain difficulties, since it can only be done manually. But its use in construction can significantly improve the quality of the finished log house.

Corner joints of timber are little different from laying corners of a log lady. But not everyone encounters such work every day, and hiring construction team not during assembly bigger house or not everyone wants a bath. So the question arises, how to correctly fold corner joints from timber without the use of special fastening corners and with them? We will answer it in this article.

Connecting corners to build a house made of timber is divided into:

  1. Angle with remainder.
  2. Angle without remainder

Each of the options is divided into different options according to the method of forming the angle.

Laying in the corner with the rest

The corner connections of the house with the remainder are also called “in oblo”. The design of the unit is key, it can be assembled in several types:

  1. One-sided.
  2. Two-way.
  3. Quadrilateral.

One-sided corner connection

The design of the unit consists of a notch, which is made transversely in each beam. The width of the groove corresponds to the width of the beam. The groove is located at the top. This connection option is used for all types of timber, but is more common with profiled timber. It is easier to connect profiled timber in a one-sided way due to the specifics of its design.

Two-way corner connection

The design consists of two cuts from the top and bottom of the beam. The depth of the cut is equal to 1/4 of the thickness of the building material used in the house. It is convenient to make such a connection for profiled, glued and edged materials. But it is better to cut it from specialists, as accuracy is needed.

Four-way corner connection

To increase the strength of the house, a four-way connection is used. In such a unit, cuts are made on four sides. Laying the links of such a cut is as convenient as a Lego set, since the crowns stack transversely on top of each other.

All four options are suitable for both simple and profiled timber.

Corner laying without residue

To get even corners of the house, that is, without any remaining links (“in the paw”), use the following types:

  1. Butt
  2. With a root thorn.
  3. Using dowels.

Butt angle

This connection is one of the simplest and makes it possible to work with timber without damaging it. For such a connection, construction fasteners are used. ABOUT .

When laying, the ends of the beams are folded together and secured using metal spiked plates with nails, staples or corners. Special metal mounting angles, which are convenient for fastening T-shaped corners. The use of metal corners makes work easier and reduces installation time at home. But this method is risky, since apart from fastening the links together, nothing holds them together. Therefore, it is important when laying that the ends of the beams are smooth and geometrically correct, without chips or bends. Only in this way can the tightness of the corner be achieved.

Working with corners significantly reduces time, but they must be selected according to the size of the beam section. It is not recommended to fasten profiled or glued beams with corners, as they will be visible and you will have to finish the walls.

But even accuracy does not guarantee and will not protect the timber from lateral loads and airflow. Therefore, this corner of the house needs to be additionally insulated.

For the construction of a bathhouse or larger cottage This method is not recommended. In the first case there is high heat loss, in the second it takes a long time to add additional insulation.

Angle using dowels

The key is formed from durable types of wood. In the assembly it takes the place of the liner in the sawn grooves. The grooves are made in advance. The key holds the two beams and prevents them from moving relative to each other.

The key may have different shape: longitudinal, transverse and oblique. The type of its fastening in the node depends on the design. Making an oblique fastening yourself is difficult, but quality characteristics this method ranks first.

Angle "to the root tenon"

The “root tenon” fastening is used more often than others. A knot is formed from a groove and a rectangular profile, which are cut out at the ends of the beam. There can be from 1 to 5 grooves and tenons. But what more complex design“into the root thorn”, the less durable it is. Before cutting, you need to carefully calculate all cuts.

When laying in a groove, additional insulation made of jute or flax fiber is used. This type of fastening is also called a “warm corner”. Since the complexity of the design makes the structure windproof and in the case of profiled timber there is no need for additional insulation.

To give the structure for the construction of a house made of laminated veneer lumber greater strength, wooden dowels are driven into the end. It is convenient in such cases to use a round section. You shouldn’t work with metal ones; when they dry out they will become visible. It is also advisable to use mounting angles here. They will strengthen the structure.

When working with corners made of timber, dowels, fat tails, and undercuts are used. When laying, a small gap is formed in the groove, which will provide free movement timber during shrinkage. If this gap is not provided, then in the future, when shrinking, the walls may warp.

Of course, the formation of gaps will increase the working time, but it will protect the timber house from undesirable consequences.

Features of laying profiled timber

When choosing a corner connection for building a house from profiled timber, the choice always stops at the “warm corner” view. This type includes knots: “with a main tenon”, “dovetail” and with the help of dowels. We have already talked about the first and last. But let's look at the dovetail.

Dovetail connection

A special inclined groove and tenon with exact dimensions are cut out at the ends. As a result, the connection is strong and heat loss is minimal. But the castle doesn’t spoil appearance facade walls and rooms.

The main stages of installation “in a warm corner”:

Before cutting, you need to apply markings. For convenience, there are special metal corners- stencils.

After marking, a tenon and groove are cut out using a saw. Then the elements are combined into a “warm corner”. Jute or other insulation is laid inside.

The “warm corner” is strengthened with metal or wooden dowels. You can use mounting angles from the inside; they will add rigidity to the structure. When installing such a connection, it is important to alternate the tongue and groove in each row, otherwise the wall will not look aesthetically pleasing and the corner will not be strong.

The popularity of laying “in a warm corner” is explained by the advantages of the design:

  • Since the profiled material has precise shapes, the angle is windproof and reliable.
  • Since the fastening occurs due to the lock, then additional use no corners or nails needed. And this reduces costs.
  • The shrinkage field of the profiled timber will not change the angle and the material will not crack.
  • There is no protruding material that complicates the exterior finishing.
  • Tightness. Due to the design, the corner is sealed.

Of course, there are two main advantages when laying it out in a warm corner: you can cut out the groove and profile only by hand, and the price of such a fastening. For example in major cities the average cost for drinking and laying it “in a warm corner” is from 1200 rubles. But you can save money by ordering sawing from the manufacturer or purchasing a ready-made kit.

All photos from the article

For the most part, the beams in the corners are connected in the same way as logs, but there are some peculiarities. And most likely construction wooden house for a private developer this is not a daily task, so hiring a professional team is not always justified. Therefore, today there is an ideal opportunity to learn how to independently cope with such a seemingly very difficult matter. Below we will tell you how to correctly and reliably make corner joints of timber.

For some, you only need skills in using a chainsaw, for others, it is enough to have experience with an ax and a jigsaw. In any case, in the end you will get a reliable and windproof corner in a wooden house.

Main types of log corners

As already mentioned, they resemble log joints.

And in the same way they are usually divided into angles:

  • with remainder;
  • without a trace.

Each method also has several of its own pairing options. They depend on the method of forming the angle. Let's look at this in more detail below.

Advice: do not use corners to connect profiled or glued building materials, they will be visible and because of this you will have to finish the walls.

Whatever the geometric accuracy of the elements, it will be difficult to protect the timber from the wind blowing through the joints and lateral stability. In any case, such corners will have to be additionally insulated.

Advice: do not use this method for houses large area, significant costs will be required for its insulation.

  1. Dowels - they are made from. They are installed in sawn grooves, which will need to be made in advance, and they are used as an insert. Thanks to this design, the two beams are held together and do not move relative to each other.

The shape of the keys can be:

  • longitudinal;
  • transverse;
  • oblique.

The type of its fixation in the node depends on this. The oblique method is considered the best, but doing it with your own hands without certain skills is problematic;

  1. "Into the root thorn"- the most common fastening. It is formed at the ends of the beams, where a groove is made on one, and a rectangular profile on the other. There can be in the range of 1-5. It is necessary to take into account that the more complex the structure, the less strength it will have. Therefore, before making cuts, everything must be carefully calculated.
    During the installation process, insulation made from flax or jute fiber is used. Therefore, such fasteners received another name - “warm corner”. Due to the complexity of this pairing of elements and when using this method for profiled timber, the corner is not insulated.

In cottages made of laminated veneer lumber, to increase the reliability of the connection point, wooden dowels (round rods) are used, which are driven into the end. Metal ones are usually not used, since when they dry out they become visible. In this situation, we recommend using mounting angles, which will help strengthen the structure.

  1. To lay corners from timber use:
    • cut – common name connections when using a tongue and groove;
    • dowels - rods made of wood or metal;
    • fat tails - a longitudinal protrusion at the place where the log is planted;
  1. Be sure to leave some gap in the groove during assembly, then the beam will be able to move freely during the shrinkage period, otherwise the wall may be deformed. And let it increase the time general work, ultimately the log house will not suffer from its consequences.

Installation of profiled timber in a corner

If we analyze the methods of corner connections, which are most often used in the construction of cottages from profiled timber, the winner is the option called “in a warm corner”.

It also includes conjugations:

  • "root thorn";
  • dowels;
  • "swallow tail".

Dovetail method

A special inclined groove and tenon should be cut out at the end, while Special attention given exact dimensions. Thanks to this, the connection will be strong and with low heat loss. The resulting lock will not damage the external or internal walls in any way.

Instructions for making a connection “in a warm corner”:

  1. Make a marking of what is best to use the stencil for;
  2. Use a saw to cut out a groove on one side and a tenon on the other;
  3. Connect the elements together;
  4. Lay insulation between them;
  5. Secure the connection with wooden dowels, or metal dowels. To increase rigidity, you can install mounting angles inside.

Tip: when installing, alternate rows with grooves and tenons, then the wall will have an aesthetic appearance, and the corner itself will be as strong as possible.

Positive design qualities:

  • reliability and airtightness due to the precise dimensions of the profiled material;
  • no nails are used, a wooden lock is sufficient, which reduces construction time and overall costs;
  • upon completion of the shrinkage processes, the angle will not be maintained;
  • there are no protruding elements on the outside, which makes it easier to carry out exterior finishing;
  • guaranteed tightness.

Beam connections in corners and straight walls of a house require strength and tightness. For tightness timber house The humidity of the building material has a huge impact. If you build a house from timber with natural moisture, during drying and shrinkage the log house will experience significant internal stresses, which can lead to its deformation.

By using lumber that has been dried to 20%, you can kill several problems in the bud at once - cracks, cracks, heavy settlement, etc. Ideally, use profiled or laminated timber from chamber-drying lamellas for the log house. The shrinkage of such a log house will be minimal.

The second method to avoid blowing corners is to make these corners with special, complex joint shapes.

Corners must be strong. The frame is subject to forces from possible ground movements, from its own weight and the weight of the roof, roofing and snow, as well as pressure from the force of the wind. The corners must withstand all loads, and in addition, withstand deformation from vibrations linear dimensions due to rain, snow and changes in heat and humidity conditions.

Corner connection with remainder

Very important advantages of this type of cutting:

  • Blowing from the street is minimal, even with strong wind and in the cold;
  • High reliability. Even if not fixed with dowels, the beams, connected in the corners by one of the types of felling with the remainder, do not move even with moderate movements of the foundation soil under the influence of heaving or seismicity. Lower crowns holds the weight of the top and tight connection of the corners.

Main types of cutting with residue

Method of cutting with a one-sided locking groove

This method is equally good for both square and profiled timber. One side of the beam is cut to form a groove perpendicular to the axis of the beam. The thickness of the groove is equal to half the thickness of the timber, the width and length of the groove are the same. The lock is obtained when this groove accommodates ½ of a beam located perpendicular to it. Such a crown is tightly fixed in relation to the underlying crown in one direction. Additional fixation with dowels gives the corner sufficient strength.

Cutting with double-sided locking groove

This type of cutting is a little more complicated - you will have to select grooves from both the top edge of the beam and the bottom. The grooves in this case have the same width as with the one-sided groove method and a depth equal to ¼ of the thickness. Double-sided grooving takes twice as long and requires greater accuracy, but gives undeniable advantage– rigid fixation of each pair of bars not in one, but in two directions. That is, spatial rigidity is already evident. Now, with any temperature and humidity fluctuations, shifting the beams and crowns relative to each other is practically impossible.

Cutting with a four-sided locking groove

The cutting is very complex, the grooves can be either symmetrical or asymmetrical, and choosing such a complex groove manually is extremely labor-intensive. Typically, such complex grooves with ideal geometry are made on equipment that produces house kits. Then, at a construction site, these kits are assembled from numbered beams, like Lego constructors.

Complex and expensive processing, but no practical improvement in the tightness of the corner is observed, although in theory such a corner should become absolutely ideal.

Main types of cutting without residue

The angle without any residue saves on lumber. The beam is entirely in the plane of the wall, the ends do not protrude outward. But there is no overall savings, since these corners require additional insulation and caulking. In terms of strength, reliability and protection from blowing, these types of cuttings are also inferior to corners cut with the remainder. Competition can only come from a warm corner, also known as a root thorn.

Cutting without residue allows you to make the façade of the house more geometrically strict, making it easier to complete exterior finishing. The issue of aesthetics is controversial, and more related to style.

Corners from both square and profiled timber are cut without leaving a trace.

Butt cutting without residue

The simplest and quick way for the construction of outbuildings. No additional processing is required, simply lay the bars of the required lengths in a checkerboard pattern. To ensure that the beams in the crowns and the crowns themselves do not move relative to each other, with this method of felling it is necessary to use fasteners - galvanized steel overlay plates, steel brackets or wooden dowels.

Labor costs in this case are minimal; carpentry experience may be completely absent. If you make a log house in this way from dried timber, you can get an acceptable result. From raw lumber, as carpenters say, no matter how hard you try, the corner will move after drying. The corner is deformed, and humidity fluctuations will contribute to linear fluctuations, resulting in blown gaps.

Butt cutting with dowels

The key may be different shapes. For a straight key, you will need to select straight grooves along the ends and side surfaces of adjacent beams. Under the dovetail key, you need to choose a rather complex groove, with widening from the middle. The key also has complex shape.

The connection with a straight key will prevent the crown beams from moving in the horizontal plane, but not in the vertical. Vertically, the crowns will be held only by their own weight and the weight of the overlying structures. Key in shape swallowtail will securely fix the angle and prevent the bars from moving in both directions. This method of cutting without residue gives an almost windproof corner.

Half-tree felling

Also an easy cut. At the ends of the beams, cuts are made to ½ thickness, resulting in a tenon that is the same in length and width. Without fixation with dowels, this connection will not be reliable. After the log house shrinks and settles, the corner will most likely be blown out and will require additional insulation. The second caulking of log houses after curing and settling is always done.

As with butt cutting, you can modify this method by securing the corners with dowels. In this case, the bars will not move.

You can also improve the method of cutting half a tree if you join the ends into a paw. The paw has a more complex shape - the cuts are made inclined, wedge-shaped, exactly to size. The result is an increase in the strength of the log house, the beams are fixed relative to each other in the crowns, and the weight of the overlying crowns prevents the displacement of the underlying ones. The corner looks aesthetically pleasing from the inside and outside, the façade of the house is geometric and smooth.

Connection to a warm corner (to a root tenon)

It is considered the warmest, windproof connection and at the same time guarantees the fixation of the crowns. The method is not the most difficult:

The ends are cut off, leaving tenons, the length and width of which should be exactly 1/3 of the section of the beam. A simpler tenon has the shape of a rectangle, while a more complex tenon has a one-sided widening. The grooves of the joined beams are selected according to the size of these tenons, but without an exact fit, since the grooves need to be caulked with moss, flax or jute fiber, hemp or felt. Bars with spikes are placed on top of bars with grooves. Fastening the crowns with dowels this method felling is a must.

Fastening beams with dowels

  • The classic wood for dowels is birch, free of defects, knots and cross-layers, and with a parallel arrangement of fibers relative to the longitudinal axis.
  • The optimal length of the dowels is 0.8 of the sum of the heights of the two connected crowns. Sometimes not two, but three beams are connected with one dowel. The diameters of the dowels are from 25 to 35 mm.
  • Dowels are installed at intervals of up to 1.5 m, and always on both sides of each corner. Along horizontal rows, the dowels are shifted in a checkerboard pattern.

Connections of beams along the length

Long straight sections of walls can exceed the length of the lumber. The joining of timber along the length is done in one plane. The requirements for connections are the same as for corners - strength and tightness.

The easiest way to join a beam along its length is to join with rectangular dowels. The crowns will be securely fixed in the transverse direction; such a joint will not be blown through. The key is cut slightly smaller than the groove to leave gaps for the caulking. The grooves under the key are sealed with moss, jute and flax fiber and other materials.

More difficult and more efficient way joining beams with a root tenon. Direct splicing is technologically a little simpler than corner splicing, but also requires precision. There should be a few mm gaps between the groove and the tenon to be filled with caulk.

The most complex, costly in terms of material and labor, and at the same time the best in terms of results, type of straight splicing is joining with an oblique lock. The dimensions must be accurate, the fit close to ideal. The lock configuration is not simple. As a result, two beams have two completely overlapped sections in connection, which gives the joint strength, and the clever shape of the oblique lock makes it impossible for a gap to appear even with significant shrinkage.