From what it is necessary to protect larch and how to do it?

Larch is a type of wood often used in residential and auxiliary construction, as well as in interior decoration. It is known as the most dense and resistant of tree species: larch is well tolerated by high moisture and any kind of temperature effects. A well-known example that proves the strength of this material: the pillars of the foundations of houses in Venice, which are always under water, are made of larch, and remain intact for more than a thousand years.

However, does this mean that when building a house, laying a terrace or finishing a bath, it is enough to simply lay larch without treating its surface with anything? Not at all. Modern protective compounds will help to avoid damage that threatens this material for various reasons and extend its service life.

The main adverse factors for larch

Larch is subjected to the greatest loads, which is used as an external finishing or construction material: terrace board, facade decoration etc. The main reason for its possible damage is the climatic factor. In our latitudes, the climate is characterized by sudden changes in temperature, which, together with high humidity, can cause damage.

Yes, in summer time at high humidity, the tree accumulates moisture This usually happens at night. When temperatures start to rise during the day, the moisture quickly evaporates from the wood. If it evaporates from different layers of wood at different speeds, this leads to warping of its surface and a violation of the geometry of the products.

IN winter time combination of moisture and cold also poses a danger. During the thaw, the wood accumulates moisture, but when the air temperature drops sharply, the moisture in the wood structure begins to freeze and, accordingly, expand. This can cause cracks in the wood, which will gradually increase.

Another unfavorable external factor for larch is ultraviolet radiation. The sun's rays lead to the fact that the color of the wood gradually changes, it "fades", becomes less attractive.

If larch is used as a finishing material for a bath or sauna, it may suffer from frequent changes in humidity levels at elevated temperatures and, consequently, warping and cracking.

Consideration should also be given to the risk of damage from mechanical loads, scratches from heels, animal claws, etc., especially if larch is used for flooring.

Therefore, protective materials for larch must provide resistance against the following factors:

Mechanical effects;

moisture penetration;

UV radiation.

Antiseptics for larch

Modern antiseptics provide protection against decay and biological effects on wood (the appearance of mold, fungus, beetles), and also increase its hydrophobic properties, preventing the penetration of moisture. There are several forms of antiseptics, however, oil-based formulations are optimal for larch. They are suitable for wood used both outdoors and indoors, as well as in saunas and baths. Oil compositions and impregnations create an elastic, durable film on the surface of the product and serve for several years.

Antiseptics are applied to the wood surface with a brush or roller, preferably in two layers. Dip application is also possible, which is suitable for large volumes of wood.

It should be noted that materials that are connected to each other using a tongue-and-groove lock (lining, imitation timber, block house) only need to process the front side and chamfers, provided there is a ventilation gap between the coating and the base. For materials such as decking, planken, etc., where there is a gap between the elements, processing on both sides is desirable.

UV Protection

To provide protection from the sun's rays, paints are used that can be transparent or opaque and change the color or tone of the wood. If you want to preserve the natural color of the wood, you can use modern oils that have ingredients that provide UV protection without changing the color of the wood. However, it should be noted that such compositions need to be updated quite often - once every 2-3 years.

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 spoil a little 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 treated with 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 is clear that there were no concrete rings then. 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, 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 durable tree, little susceptible to decay, for example, oak or ash boards, although this material is of high cost. 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 in a positive way affects service life. Acacia is a fairly hard material, so it can also be used in a garden bed.

Materials for high beds

Wood: planks of any available material treated with an environmentally 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.
The most convenient time for the construction of warm beds is the end of the garden season, when after harvesting and preparing plants for winter, a large amount of organic waste remains.

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 non-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 to have been said somewhere 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. In the open air, unprotected larch wood is colonized by wood-destroying fungi, which leave dust from it. If you saw on TV in mountainous landscape programs or read somewhere that you can make a beautiful path from "round" - larch cross cuts, then look at how such a path will look like the very next year after the device: Blackened and covered with vile slime paving elements - 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 regard. 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 she also has internal stress: when drying, it is twisted with a “screw”. Of course, all these problems can be solved, but for this you need to have professional knowledge and skills. And taking larch for country homemade products only spoils 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.

The durability of a log cabin depends on many components. The quality of timber, the work of carpenters, assemblers, roofers, finishers. Manufacturer of protective compositions for wood, application technology. Compliance with operating rules wooden house. The service life can be significantly increased regardless of the above circumstances - apply a tree species capable of shedding needles called Larch to the crown of the log house.

A crown of larch without treatment with an antiseptic composition does not rot for a long time, does not deteriorate from moisture. Similar properties are attributed to aspen log cabins.

True, a healthy business aspen (especially of a large diameter) is not easy to find. The tree, as a rule, is crooked, often on the vine with a rotten middle, looks unpresentable, the smell will not suit everyone. In larch, everything is much better with this. There are any diameters. The smell is pleasant, slightly sweet with a resinous tinge. At the board after the drying chamber it becomes like chocolate.

The operational characteristics of larch are much more durable than the common inexpensive coniferous species - pine and spruce. Over time, comparable to oak. From the "foliage", as the breed is called, you can build a whole house, it will last a long time. But, few people do that. It's not about the high cost. The house will have damp, poorly breathing, cool walls. There is no universal wood for construction. Siberian cedar is closest to the ideal. In our case, a fairly effective combination of conifers available in Kirov + larch from Siberia for a pledge works to isolate a pine or spruce log house from the foundation.

Among the various traditions for choosing timber for a log house, one can single out a really working scheme, proven by more than one generation: to cut the lower 1.5 or 2.5 rows (with half-logs) from this type of wood. The phenomenal moisture resistance of the larch core is not the only advantage of the tree. In terms of strength, larch can be compared with hard spruce knots (much stronger than pine knots). The larch is like that all over the trunk. Benefits for construction: the ability to carry increased loads without significant cracking and resistance to log crumpling.

In the photo above, a six-wall log cabin of a wealthy peasant Borisov, cut down in the second half of the 19th century and standing to this day. Including thanks to half-logs, mortgage crowns and ceilings from Siberian larch.

Ideally, they could be raised to window sills (they are also at risk). And also apply larch to the rafter runs and to the second crown from above. The foundation of the house underground has gone with time. Contact with moist soil had little effect on the well-being of the lower rims of the log house.

Parquet floors of the Ostankino Palace of Counts Sheremetevs and frames Winter Palace made of larch, still in excellent condition. For 1800 years, according to the records of historians, the Watchtowers in Bratsk stood. In 1242, the Pultus County in Poland was completely built from this wood, only in 1847 it succumbed to the influence of time. The larch piles of the Troyan bridge over the Danube allowed it to stand for 2 centuries. There are many buildings with the participation of Siberian larch, whose age exceeds several centuries. For example, the foundations of old houses in the city of canals and bridges in Amsterdam.

Larch can grow hundreds of years, while the maximum age of individual trees is truly impressive. During the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway, a 425-year-old larch was found. The fallen larch is in no hurry to turn into dust. In the northern taiga, one can still find long-fallen trees that stood in the distant 18th century, with a completely healthy core, covered with moss and spruce undergrowth growing on them.

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 strengthened 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 condition 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 the amazing properties of the "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 of industrial importance. In Russia, larch occupies the largest area of ​​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 is in many ways an 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 Rus' 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 such 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 very resistant to rotting species, 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 the tree has great importance when processing wood: a higher percentage of output of quality straight-layer sawn timber with minimal waste.

The list of useful qualities of larch will not be complete without mentioning healing properties her wood. It has long been noted 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 Aleksandrovich 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 amazingly beautiful texture pattern, and the color range has up to 12 gradations. This means that larch can be successfully used in interior decoration, including elite ones.

Moreover, in terms of abrasion resistance, larch is superior to oak, which makes it possible to make various flooring materials from it: floorboards, 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. Regarding our products, I would like to note that we process only Siberian pine and Siberian larch, and the range of materials we produce allows them to be used in finishing both 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 lumber intended for both interior and exterior decoration of the house and the 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.

This is a wide and narrow floorboard, two types of parquet riveting, a 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 trim. I would also like to draw attention to our products, focused on long-term operation in conditions negative impact external factors 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 was larch practically not used in the woodworking industry in Soviet times?

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, carried out 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. Nowadays, the forest is almost never rafted, because rafting causes serious damage to the ecosystem due to the large amount of "dump" Siberian rivers. For this reason, it is necessary to export larch from the Siberian taiga using road, water and rail 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 can be present in larch flooring 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, the knotty floor only emphasizes its naturalness, and the dark “eyes” that contrast with the general tone of the floor give the parquet an additional decorative effect. One more piece of advice. Where larch products are used outdoors, 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 make it possible to solve a wide range of tasks that arise during the construction and decoration of modern suburban housing.

Construction technologies 3(44)/2006