Does larch rot in the ground. How to process a larch decking board: our advice

Exploring the Sarmatian burial grounds of the Pazaryk culture (Altai, Bronze Age), our archaeologists constantly discover log cabins of burial chambers built of larch logs; sarcophagi of the representatives of the Sarmatian nobility, made from a single larch log, and even war chariots, the details of which were made from the same wood. At the same time, researchers are invariably struck by the excellent preservation of larch products.

They did not forget about larch in later times, especially in those situations when there was a need for building structures capable of long service life without loss of strength characteristics. In Venice in the Middle Ages and throughout the Renaissance, during the construction of residential and public buildings The soil was reinforced with larch piles. It is believed that at least 400 thousand such piles were used in this city. An interesting fact: a survey of the state of these structures, carried out in 1827, showed that the wood not only did not collapse, but, on the contrary, gained even greater strength, so much so that the piles were difficult to succumb to an ax or saw. It is also known that larch piles were used in the construction of St. Petersburg and Odessa. And here is another evidence of the incredible durability of this tree: larch trunks that fell in the taiga back in the 18th century still have absolutely healthy wood.

It is quite obvious that amazing properties"Russian oak" deserve to get to know this most interesting representative of the plant world.

Let's start with the fact that today in our country larch reasonably claims to dominate among all other species that have industrial value. In Russia, larch occupies the largest territories - 274 million hectares, which is about 40% of the total area of ​​​​our forests, where 33% of all commercial timber stocks are concentrated. Despite the fact that this tree is found in most regions of our vast Motherland, the wood of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) is most valued. This is a large coniferous summer-green tree from the pine family. The diameter of the trunk at the butt can reach up to 2.5 m, and the height can reach 50 m. There is no reliable information regarding the maximum age to which this forest giant can live. However, there is information that in the Bratsk region there are still living trees that are more than 10 centuries old! For comparison: pine lives about 400 years.

Larch in general in many ways amazing tree. In particular, botanists classify this species as extremely light-loving plants. For example, linden is 9 times more shade-tolerant than larch. The dependence of larch on sunlight is so great that at night the growth of the tree stops, unlike pine, which stubbornly stretches upward day and night. Based on this, one could assume that larch grows approximately twice as slowly as its pine relative. In fact, everything turns out quite the opposite. The larch trunk at the age of 10 reaches a height of 10 m, and its peer pine is only 2-5 m tall. This phenomenon is explained as follows: larch grows only on heavily calcined soils. It is calcium that contributes to such a rapid growth of the tree. In addition, larch seeds ripen in the first year of the tree's life.

These two features explain the rare ability to reproduce, characteristic of larch forests, which have never been translated in Russia and have been called “leaf trees” since ancient times.

Now it's time to move from popular information to a description of the practical properties of larch.

The first thing that usually draws attention to is the incredible durability of wood, even under extreme operating conditions for products made from it. The reason for this vitality is gum, which is present in large quantities in wood and protects it from decay. In accordance with the European standard EN 350-2:1994, larch belongs to the group of species that are very resistant to rotting, and bioresistance increases with the age of the tree, and the most bioresistant wood is in the butt of the trunk. The decay resistance of wood of any species is evaluated in relation to the biostability of linden, which is taken as a unit. The larch core has a biostability index of 9.1 - the highest among the species growing in Russia. Immediately after larch, oak follows by a wide margin - biostability 5.2.

Continuing to compare larch with oak, it should be noted that it is not much inferior to it in terms of hardness. The hardness of larch wood according to Brinell is 3.2 versus 3.9 for oak. By the way, in pine, this figure does not exceed 2. Despite the fact that larch is somewhat softer than oak, it nevertheless surpasses it in mechanical strength. In order to be convinced of this, it is enough to look at the end cut of a larch board or beam and consider the pattern of the transverse texture of the tree. Immediately striking is the surprisingly dense "packing" of growth rings. In many cases, the distance between the dark "winter" and light "summer" rings does not exceed 1 mm! Considering that the layers of wood that grow in winter are mainly resin, it is easy to understand why larch has the highest strength properties and does not rot for centuries either in water, or in the ground, or in the air.

Another interesting property of larch is its relatively low combustibility for a tree. According to research conducted by specialists from the Moscow State University of Forestry, the fire resistance of larch is two times higher than that of pine wood.

Other advantages of larch include high evenness of the trunk. Our ancestors have long noticed that the trees that form larch-leaf forests are characterized by exceptional straightness, and in the 18th century it was understood that a larch tree is an almost finished ship mast. In 1738, by decision of the State Admiralty Board, 60 versts from St. Petersburg, a ship's larch grove was laid out "to create forests related to navigation." Today, these straight-barreled giants form the famous Lindulovsky grove, each tree of which is on a special account and, like a person, has its own passport. The straightness of a tree is of great importance in the processing of wood: a higher percentage of the yield of quality straight-grain lumber with minimal waste.

The list of useful qualities of larch will not be complete without mentioning healing properties her wood. It has long been noticed that people living in houses built of larch suffer less from migraines, neuroses, hypertension and colds. Phytoncides released by wood have a beneficial effect on asthma, allergies, and diseases of the digestive system.

As you can see, larch is, in the full sense of the word, a unique creation of nature, and Alexey Alexandrovich Polozov, a representative of the REAL WOOD group of timber companies, will help us continue the conversation about this wonderful tree:

Indeed, nature itself gives us a universal building and finishing material ideal for the harsh climate of Russia. The tree does not rot, and like bog oak, it tends to acquire additional strength in water, so larch products can be used when decorating the facades of houses and open verandas, constructing fences, paving garden paths and, of course, as a structural material for building a house, especially since today timber and round logs are industrially made from larch. Another thing is also important. Larch wood has an amazing beautiful pattern textures, and the color range has up to 12 gradations. This means that larch can be successfully used in interior decoration, including elite ones.

Moreover, larch is superior to oak in terms of abrasion resistance, which makes it possible to make various materials for floor coverings: floor board, parquet, skirting boards. By the way, the idea of ​​producing parquet from larch is not new: such floors can be seen in the Ostankino Sheremetev Palace.

- What larch wood products are produced by the group of timber companies REAL WOOD?

To begin with, it should be said that the REAL WOOD group of timber companies has existed for 5 years, and 3 years ago we opened a representative office in Moscow. With regard to our products, I would like to note that we process only Siberian pine and Siberian larch, and the range of materials produced by us allows us to use them for finishing as low-rise country houses and city apartments.

If we talk about Siberian larch, then its wood has the greatest value. The highest operational qualities of this tree are largely associated with the extreme conditions of its growth in the sharply continental climate of Siberia. All wood is harvested by us on our own plots in the Irkutsk region and brought to the logging base owned by REAL WOOD, from where it is sent to the European part of Russia for processing. As for the range of our company, it is represented by sawn timber intended for both internal and exterior finish houses and arrangement of the adjacent landscape area. For those who are interested in organizing a comfortable and aesthetically meaningful interior environment in their home, we offer a whole range of floor coverings made of solid larch.

It's wide and narrow batten, two types of parquet riveting, massive parquet board, as well as a high plinth and a traditional "corner". For wall decoration both inside the house and outside, we produce lining, narrow and medium width; a universal board for walls and ceiling filing, as well as door frames. I would also like to draw attention to our products, oriented to long-term operation under the negative impact of external factors of natural and climatic origin. First of all, it is planken - cladding facade and fence boards, deck and terrace boards for laying the floor on open verandas and arranging steps for entrance groups.

- Why in Soviet time larch was practically not used in the woodworking industry?

I think this is due mainly to economic reasons. The fact is that the transportation and processing of larch is associated with certain difficulties, which at that time did not affect the purchase price of sawn timber from this wood. Then they reasoned like this: “needles” is “needles”, and is it larch or pine, what difference does it make? Therefore, due to the specific economic policy pursued in the Soviet era by the leadership of our country, and the special pricing system associated with it, it was more profitable to cut and process pine. Now the situation is different: there is a very high demand for larch on the market and it is valued higher than pine, so it has become profitable to harvest and process this wood. In addition, larch forests have a high reproductive capacity, which ensures a relatively rapid reproduction of industrial wood stocks.

- What makes up the cost of larch products today?

Let's start with transportation costs. Today, the forest is almost never rafted, because rafting causes serious damage to the ecosystem of Siberian rivers due to the large amount of "dump". For this reason, it is necessary to export larch from the Siberian taiga using automobile, water and railway transport. But larch is a heavy tree, so by car, railway or river transport, it is transported in smaller quantities than the same pine. Another feature of larch is the very high natural moisture content of wood, so during drying it loses more volume than, say, pine. In addition, the Siberian larch is "hot" in the climate middle lane which explains its increased susceptibility to cracking. Therefore, larch requires a special drying regime.

There are other "little things", such as, for example, the need to use saws with carbide teeth, the use of appropriate Supplies, preventing resin from accumulating between saw teeth, etc. All these and some other reasons determine the rather high cost of larch products in comparison with pine. At the same time, if we take into account the whole complex of unique consumer properties inherent in this tree, then the price / quality ratio of larch will be more than preferable. Actually, this circumstance determines today's colossal demand for larch in Europe.

What advice can you give to those who intend to use larch in the construction and decoration of their own home?

In our practice, there were such cases when people built their houses entirely from larch. Of course, it’s good when financial opportunities allow you to acquire such a “treasure”, but you can still take the path of a more rational investment, when only two lower crowns and sex logs are made of larch, and the rest of the log house is made of Siberian pine. Such a house will stand for centuries, of course, provided that it is properly designed and assembled. Given that larch is prone to cracking, a longitudinal picking groove must be made in a beam or round timber, which is necessary to relieve stress in the wood. Despite the fact that such a groove does not always save from the formation of cracks, its presence is a guarantee that the crack will not be through.

We usually give the following advice to buyers of larch parquet: after purchasing the parquet and delivering it to the site, it should be kept indoors for 2-3 days in the factory plastic packaging. Then the parquet must be freed from packaging and kept in this form for another two weeks, and only after that proceed with laying. In addition, when choosing a massive larch parquet, we recommend giving preference to a narrow plank - less likely to form gaps. The preparation of the base for larch parquet does not have any specifics, but in no case should water-containing adhesives be used when laying. In addition, the larch parquet plank must be fixed to the floor base with a screw. Since larch is a prickly tree, the screw is screwed into the drilled hole. Of course, all this somewhat reduces the productivity of parquet work, but it ensures long-term maintenance-free operation of the floor.

Since larch does not rot, I recommend floors from this tree for a Russian bath. At the same time, boards for the floor in the steam room should be chosen without knots and resin pockets: at high temperatures, resin will be released from them. In all other situations, knots may be present in flooring from larch without compromising its performance. Speaking of bitches. For some reason, most of our compatriots believe that a tree grows without branches, and its wood should not have knots. Therefore, many Russians are initially focused on the purchase of larch parquet, which lacks these, in their opinion, vices. But the problem is that when cutting even thick butt round timber, the yield of knotless lumber does not exceed 25%. Hence the conclusion: the already not cheap larch wood “acquires” an additional price only because there are no knots in it.

In Europe, the situation is completely different. There people do not understand why they need to pay extra money, and they are happy to buy larch parquet with knots, including for city apartments. Not only do Europeans save good money, in their opinion, a knotty floor only emphasizes its naturalness, and dark “eyes”, contrasting with the general tone of the floor, give the parquet an additional decorative effect. One more piece of advice. Where larch products are operated under open sky, it makes sense to take care of protecting the tree from ultraviolet radiation. Exposure to sunlight has no effect on technical specifications wood, but its visual qualities decrease over time: natural organic matter, staining wood, do not differ in light fastness and gradually fade. I cannot say that all the recommendations I have listed are related to the shortcomings of this tree.

These are not shortcomings, but rather features that are inherent in wood of any species, and they must be taken into account. Otherwise, larch is an excellent material, whose high technical and aesthetic properties allow solving a wide range of tasks that arise during the construction and decoration of modern suburban housing.

Construction technologies 3(44)/2006

In construction, larch is considered one of the most successful materials for building houses. It belongs to practical tree species, as it is durable, resistant to weather changes, and also attractive in appearance. The construction of larch houses allows you to get environmentally friendly housing. But do buildings made of this material really have a great advantage, are there any disadvantages in it, and what do people who have dealt with this tree say?

Advantages

First, it is worth considering what advantages larch houses have (photos of such buildings are in the article). The invariable properties of this wood include:

• durability;
• strength;
• environmental friendliness;
• resistance to temperature fluctuations;
• external attractiveness;
• fire resistance.

The larch house has good resistance to decay. This conifer is indeed the most durable of all. She won't dry out. Also, this wood does not need to be impregnated with chemicals.

There is a combustible substance in the structure of the material, but, despite this, larch has a natural resistance to combustion. So, in comparison with other wood, this one does not flare up like a match. However, since wood has to be dealt with, it needs to be treated with fire retardants.

An additional plus is the microclimate that is created indoors due to the antioxidants contained in wood. Such an atmosphere allows you to quickly relieve fatigue after an emotionally difficult day. In addition, this coniferous species acts prophylactically and prevents the development of asthma and hypertension.

Resins in wood

A special point is the presence of resins in larch. Their number is so great that it is impossible to compare with another tree. This suggests that a larch house will have good biological stability. The facts say that the log cabin of this needle is the most resistant to the effects of microorganisms and insects of all the others.

Another plus of resins is that they make the frame stronger. So, over the years, wood gains its strength, as resins polymerize. Larch becomes so hard that it is not afraid of rotting and other external influences.

Aesthetic side

Many people like its pleasant light honey shade. On the cut, a pronounced belonging to the sound breed is visible. This is noticeable in pink-amber and brown-red shades.

Also, larch has an unobtrusive, but rich aroma of needles. This influenced the fact that most owners decided not to carry out any decoration inside the rooms. So the larch house acquires a good microclimate, and the residents, returning after a hard day, immediately feel the healing aromatherapy.

disadvantages

It is worth noting that there are no building materials in which there are no cons at all. In addition, the advantages of larch to some extent became its disadvantages.

The process of wood processing is very difficult, because larch is rich in resins. Therefore, when working with it, saws quickly become dull, and more expensive tools are required to perform operations with this material.

The heavy structure is also reflected in the difficulties of its transportation. The main place where larch comes from is Siberia. The main means of crossing is the river. But often the weight of the tree pulls the load to the bottom. To deliver the material by land transport, you need to spend a lot of money. Therefore, softwood has a high cost. If fate is a difficult processing process, then a larch house, in principle, cannot be cheap.

Another disadvantage is the uneven drying of the tree. A competent approach is needed here: pack the ends in time with varnish, clay or oil paint. If this is not done, the material will begin to "lead".

Over the years, a larch house gains strength and strength, becoming like a stone. This is what complicates the repair, since it seems impossible to drive even a nail.

Lumber obtained from larch is capable of warping, which causes cracking, especially if the board is wide. This phenomenon can be significantly reduced with radial sawing.

Larch houses: owner reviews

Undoubtedly, someone sees only one pluses in the construction of this durable and fragrant wood. But before proceeding with the construction of such a dwelling, it is worth considering the opinions of those who live in such a house.

Some point out that in many regions of the country similar construction not suitable because of the material, because it is cold. Indeed, when compared with pine, the thermal conductivity of larch is about 30% higher. But this does not mean that the finished structure will be as cold. Much will depend on the construction technology. By the way, this factor is reflected in how long the house will stand.

To be or not to be

Is it worth building a larch house? The pros and cons allow you to objectively evaluate this wood and decide whether it is necessary to make the base of the building from this material. After evaluating all the elements that will be made of larch (lower rims, base, boxes for windows and doors, floors), many realize how expensive this event is and decide to make a home out of more suitable material. But if the customer decides that he is able to afford such a luxury, he will receive a strong and fragrant building for many years and pass it on to his grandchildren.

We decided not to be smart and not to "load" you with any scientific and pseudo-scientific information about the properties of larch, but simply looked at the materials of the sites found in Yandex on request. We think this is the most honest and understandable approach. Below you will find short and understandable abstracts from articles with links to the source. All external links in this article open in a new window.

We hope this information will help you understand why, when choosing the material for our products, we chose larch - a durable, beautiful and primordially Russian tree.

Well, let's go ... Spelling and more - from the authors:

Although, larch is 30 - 50% more expensive than lumber of other softwoods, but it has a number of advantages that compensate for the high cost. Larch has a harder wood, according to this indicator, it is slightly inferior to oak. In terms of resistance to decay, it generally has no equal. which allows it to be used without any chemical treatment. The combination of high density and resinousness, as well as the specific composition of the resin makes it practically inaccessible to damage by putrefactive fungi and insects, the wood does not turn blue.

The main characteristics of larch: its highest hardness and strength. It has low hygroscopicity and practically does not absorb moisture, due to which it is not subject to its destructive effects, like other types of wood. Its service life is very long and is calculated in tens and hundreds of years due to the fact that over time, larch "hardens" and becomes only stronger. This material is also quite fire resistant: larch fire resistance is twice as high as that of pine and spruce.

Of course, this material also has disadvantages. The main one: the complexity of processing. Due to the high density of larch wood, it is difficult to give the desired shape and this requires special equipment. Also, its cost is higher than that of other types of wood, but this is quite justified. excellent performance and durability.

However, building materials made from any wood must be treated with special chemicals. The Siberian larch is no exception. Weather changes, microorganisms and moisture are not terrible for her in terms of destruction, but they can slightly spoil the appearance. Most lumber requires sequential processing various types chemicals. For Siberian larch wood, a special oil is sufficient. This is important for interior decoration rooms or furniture and makes sense if larch building materials are used outside. But in the case of installing a terrace board - oil treatment is absolutely necessary ....

In Siberia, beds are made from the boards of this "eternal" tree - bedbugs do not start in them. Barrels are also made from larch veneer and kvass is stored in them, to which a light lemon smell of larch resin is transferred. The building qualities of larch wood are higher than those of pine, especially in "damp" conditions. The longer the larch is under water, the greater the strength of its wood. It is impossible to drive a nail into the log of this tree, which has been under water for many years, and the teeth of the saw break off when processing larch. Wood sawn into boards does not warp, does not crack, and for these excellent qualities it is valued in joinery and carpentry. In St. Petersburg, in the Winter Palace, all window frames and bindings are made of larch. The main advantage of larch wood is its extraordinary strength, which is not inferior in strength to oak and surpasses all other tree species. Resin-impregnated larch wood is not attacked by woodworms.

It must be remembered that due to the fact that the tree rots, your beds are by no means eternal. With good processing - 5-7 years, maybe 9. Then everything from the beginning. (If you immediately make beds from larch - it will last for 15-20 years for sure, with good processing - almost forever). Of the merits: really urazhay was awesome, beets with two of my fists, carrots 30 cm long ....

In the manufacture of structures for beds, it is better to use boards from coniferous trees.Cedar or larch would be the best material. Resin is able to protect against external influences.

Warm beds among gardeners are called differently: compost, high, raised, etc. Today we will talk about how to build warm beds.

For construction warm beds it is best to use a larch edged board. She is inexpensive. the length of the boards should be three meters. Someone will say that larch is more expensive than other conifers and will be right. But we choose a larch board not only because of the cost, but also because of the qualities of this material.

Larch has a harder wood. It does not rot under any circumstances. It doesn't even need to be processed. chemicals . It is very dense and resinous. Thanks to this, fungi and insects do not affect it. Larch does not change its color.

All tree species differ from each other in their qualities:
Title - Pros/Cons
Oak and ash - High resistance to mechanical stress; Weak tendency to decay processes / Very high cost
Pine - Low price; Availability / Short service life
Cedar and larch - Good moisture resistance due to the large amount of resins;
Affordable cost; Acceptable strength characteristics / For application in this area negative traits missing
Acacia - High hardness / Reasonably high price
Thus, it can be concluded that the most rational would be the purchase of boards made of cedar or larch wood for the construction of wooden beds.

The most important:
Raised beds are convenient.
It is best to make borders for them from larch.
It is convenient to grow vegetables, flowers or other plants on the site in raised beds or flower beds. This improves drainage, simplifies tillage, and separates beds from walkways.

The border of such beds can be made from different materials and different ways. It is possible to fill the curb with concrete, but this is laborious and expensive, and besides, such a curb cannot be moved to another place. You can install a special plastic border, but it is expensive and fragile. I make such beds from boards. At first I used ordinary coniferous boards (pine, spruce) and impregnated them with antiseptics, and then painted them. But, being in an aggressive humid environment, they rot very quickly even after such treatment. They last for a maximum of three years.

The material of the border of the beds or flower beds

Once, my friends and I were tearing down old buildings on the same site. There was cesspool, which had to be buried, after removing its walls at a height of up to a meter, so that they do not interfere with planting. This cesspool was made in the 19th century. It's clear then concrete rings did not have. Its walls were made in the form of a larch frame. They lay in the ground and feces for more than a hundred years, but remained in excellent condition.

Now I make beds and flower beds from larch boards. They do not need to be painted and impregnated. They don't rot at all.

Boards are a fairly convenient material, they do not warm up, fit snugly to the soil and allow you to eliminate gaps between the fence and the soil, which maintains a humid microclimate inside the garden bed, which has a beneficial effect on plants. Absolutely any kind of materials are suitable for boards - from slab to lining, from picket fence to timber. The whole question is only in the cost that you can afford: Of the tree species for the beds, it is best to use a durable tree that is little susceptible to decay, for example, oak or ash boards, although this material is expensive. Pine boards are cheap, but also short-lived. You can extend their life by covering them with a special protective coating that prevents moisture and decay. The ideal material is coniferous wood - cedar or larch. Cedar suggests an optimal ratio of price and quality, and larch resin itself protects against external influences, which has a positive effect on the service life. Acacia is a fairly hard material, so it can also be used in a garden bed.

Materials for high beds

Wood: boards from any available material treated with an eco-friendly anti-rot agent.
The best wood material is non-rotting varieties, such as larch. Larch boards 5 cm thick lie on the ground for decades without signs of damage but they are very expensive. The cheapest material is pine, it is also the most short-lived. The best option for boards made of oak or ash.

The dimensions of the boards are 5 × 20 cm, the length of the beds is any size.

You can also use concrete blocks or bricks. But you need to know that concrete gradually raises the pH level in the soil. This is easy to check and fix.

Gardeners call this type of beds differently: compost beds, high beds, raised beds, warm beds. We wrote about the advantages of this method of growing vegetables earlier, and now let's talk about the construction of such a bed.
The material that we use for warm beds is a larch edged board with a section of 30 x 100 mm and a length of 3 meters. Although, larch is 30 - 50% more expensive compared to sawn timber of other coniferous species, but it has a number of advantages that offset the high cost. Larch has a harder wood, according to this indicator it is slightly inferior to oak. In terms of resistance to decay, it has no equal at all, which allows it to be used without any chemical treatment. The combination of high density and resin content, as well as the specific composition of the resin makes it practically inaccessible to damage by putrefactive fungi and insects, the wood does not turn blue.
Most convenient time for the construction of warm beds, this is the end of the garden season, when after harvesting and preparing plants for winter, it remains a large number of organic waste.

It is possible to erect brick boxes for high beds, but it is expensive and not very useful for plants, because water will linger in them, and plant roots do not breathe well in such isolation.
Therefore, it is better to put together the sides for the beds from any improvised, but moisture and air permeable materials. You can even use empty wooden boxes, putting them one on one and knocking out some boards from one of them or completely removing the bottom.
The most economical option for arranging high beds is from slab or unedged boards. To do this, you need to take not edged pine boards, boxes for beds made of such wood will last at least 6-7 years, if you make them from larch, you will get almost eternal high beds. Such boards will last more than 10 years. In addition to the boards, you need wooden bars 5x5, corners and screws. Of course, you can knock down the boards with nails, but the fastening on the screws will be more reliable.

It is best to take for a box edged boards larch, with a section of 3 x 10 cm and a length of 3 m. Although the cost of such boards is 30 - 50% higher than pine, but larch wood is almost as hard as oak, and in terms of resistance to decay, it is generally out of competition, so that the boards can not be treated with an antiseptic. High-density and resinous, with a specific resin composition, larch is practically inaccessible to putrefactive fungi and insects.

An ideal option for wood material would be a log house made of larch. Fences for flower beds or garden beds made of larch boards will be very durable. Moreover, it is absolutely not necessary to impregnate and paint them, since they don't rot at all.

Among my acquaintances along with fashion on wooden structures for the garden, the "Legend of the Rotting Larch" spread. It seems that somewhere it was said that anything can be made from larch, even flooring on paths and playgrounds, not to mention gazebos and pergolas. Here, tell me: where is it written? And, most importantly, by whom? I will find the villain and wish him to kill himself on the wall not to disturb the public peace, about things that he does not understand.
Yesterday, on the occasion of a family celebration, over a glass of tea, I had to read to relatives a report on the dangers of alcoholism on the use of wood in landscape work.
With your permission, I will bring it here, since the malicious misconception about the miraculous properties of larch is horror, as is common. So Venice stands on piles of larch, and this city is many years old, more than a thousand. But these piles are under water, and air does not enter them. Under such conditions, larch wood almost does not rot, it becomes hard as a stone, since it is heavily impregnated with resin. On the outdoors unprotected larch wood is colonized by wood-destroying fungi, which leave dust from it. If you have seen on TV in unfortunate landscape programs or read somewhere what can be done beautiful path from the "round" - transverse saw cuts of larch, then see how such a path will look already on next year after the device: Paving elements blackened and covered with vile slime - what kind of design is this? In my opinion, Nikolay. Yes, and this "beauty" will soon fall apart. Not a single type of wood will be resistant to decay in our latitudes if it is in such close contact with the soil, so it’s better not to dream of “village” paths from saw cuts at all. Wooden decks, decks and walking paths can be made, but in such a way that their coating does not come into contact with the soil. And, of course, pickle, soak! Their service life is about 5-7 years, but, fortunately, repairs are inexpensive. Now about the superiority of larch over other types of wood, which is so often discussed by its sellers. Compare it, for example, with inexpensive pine. In terms of resistance to biodegradation (in air without impregnation), larch and pine are approximately equal, and sapwood (outer layers of wood) in larch is even weaker in this respect. To make some kind of landscape structures from wood, it must be impregnated with bioprotective compounds. A common problem for all types of wood: protective compounds are poorly absorbed during normal application. Professionals use special equipment on which the impregnation is carried out under pressure, and the ordinary summer resident can only take rocks that absorb all these solutions relatively well. This is certainly not larch, it resists impregnation very stubbornly. Take better pine. Larch wood, in addition, is very hard: sawing and planing it will be difficult. And it also has internal tension: when it dries out, it twists with a “screw”. Of course, all these problems can be solved, but for this you need to have professional knowledge and skills. And to take larch for country homemade products is only to spoil expensive material. Why sell larch, is it worth the money spent on it? Yes, it is worth it if these are professionally made products. If you know how to work with it, have a powerful tool, appropriate equipment and technologies, you can make very beautiful, abrasion-resistant parquet or steps (for the home) out of it. Or garden furniture. Larch products are very beautiful due to the play of colors: from golden to pink, they resist dents and scratches well. In a word, it is beautiful if you use it for its intended purpose. And for landscape structures, it is better to use pine boards and timber treated with bioprotective compounds.

Larch is a summer-green hearty coniferous wood species, the uniqueness of which lies in the fall of needles before winter. Despite this, most young plants can keep needles in winter time. Favorable germination conditions allow larch to grow up to 50 meters in height and reach one meter in diameter. Among all types of trees, larch is a long-liver, since one plant can reach 300-400 years of age.

Why larch?

Compared to a number of other types of wood, larch has a number of advantages. Basically, they are associated with beautiful operational properties and good aesthetics. Here are the properties of larch:

1. Comparing the hardness of the material on a special Brinell scale, larch lags behind oak by only one point (110 versus 111). Therefore, larch wood is almost identical to oak.
2. Treated wood weighs twice as much as pine.
3. In terms of strength and density, pine lags behind larch by 30%. This is due to the fact that larch has a special composition, which tends to grow stronger with each year of operation.
4. Larch log has one of the most high performance sound insulation and frost resistance.
5. The chemical composition of larch resin consists of special substances, which together constitute a natural protection against decay and the influence of woodworms.
6. In terms of resistance to fire, larch exceeds pine by two and a half times.
7. Logs of the house with natural heating from the sun begin to evaporate natural phytoncides. A high concentration of these substances has a positive effect on human health.
8. The durability of larch is confirmed by the example of Venice. The trunks were used as piles, which were driven under the water into the V-IX. According to ultrasound examinations, today the piles are in excellent condition, almost without losing their performance characteristics. Little of, salty water led to the fact that the wood was completely petrified. Ax blows left small scratches, not noticeable from a long distance.

The properties of wood described above make it possible to translate into reality any, even the most complex house designs. But here it is necessary to remember the quality of the material.

Despite the fact that larch has a lot of advantages, the main task of the buyer is to choose the most good stuff. By itself, larch strongly draws moisture into itself. The prepared material must be dried beforehand, and this must be done very carefully so that a certain supply of liquid remains in the structure. Poor-quality building material can be seen almost instantly - there will always be fractures, cracks, chips and other defects on the surface. Regardless of the price at which you are offered to buy a bar with a similar condition, it is better to refuse it altogether.

To increase the service life of a house made of larch timber, it is recommended to carry out additional processing of the material. For these purposes, special impregnations are intended. The application of impregnation is carried out in several layers, depending on which agent you have to deal with.

Antiseptic treatment will extend the operational life. Processed larch is able to withstand temperature extremes and the influence of precipitation.

The advantages of using larch in the construction of country houses:

• The ability to obtain a design of any complexity;
• The high hardness of wood minimizes the amount of work to create a powerful foundation;
• Decrease in the total cost of the house as a result of reduced construction time;
• Minimum thermal conductivity (the joints have an increased density, the timber layer is better adjacent to the edges of the house);
• The originality of the texture of wood and the high quality of the surface make it possible to completely abandon modern finishes interior. Ultimately, money is saved on creating the design of the room.

findings

larch - good construction material, the quality of which is getting better and better with time. But in order to maximize the potential, it is necessary to be able to distinguish good products from low-quality ones. Practice shows: having done right choice in favor of larch, the built house will always please with an elegant appearance, pleasant smell and undemanding care.

However, like any other wood building material, larch must be treated with special antiseptics. Otherwise, the service life will be noticeably lower.