Term «exterior» in architecture, it means the appearance of a building. When designing it, professionals build on the natural environment, technogenic environment, as well as their own passions and creative ambitions. Today we will consider the now most popular option – decorating a house with a tree. It is this decoration of your home, both inside and outside, that has a number of undeniable advantages..
Wooden exterior: let’s talk about the merits
Thinking about tastes and personal preferences is endless. But hardly anyone would argue with the fact that a wooden house in itself causes a feeling of warmth and home comfort. Plus, it also has a number of advantages:
- natural attractiveness of a wooden frame;
- good thermal conductivity and soundproofing;
- unique texture of wood items;
- wood is convenient and practical when processing;
- looks beautiful in combination with stone, glass and even plastic products.
Modern processing methods reliably protect wood from corrosion and decay, thanks to which we obtain a practical, durable and completely safe material, endowed with excellent aesthetic data.
Wooden exterior: design elements
Sheathing
Perhaps the main element of the exterior design of wooden houses is cladding, which is used as a board (under a bar), lining, plank, siding and block house. All these materials are specially processed wood, which is most often made in the form of long planks..
Fence
A fence plays an important role in the design of the exterior of wooden houses. This is the first element that is the main indicator of the style and image of the exterior of the house. Unusual shapes of the upper part of the hedge, original arrangement of wooden boards, picturesquely painted gates will once again emphasize the individuality and impeccable taste of the owners.
garden furniture
When arranging the exterior of a country house, special attention should be paid to garden furniture. Wooden arbors, a pair of swings facing each other will additionally decorate the overall look. Areas for a picnic with a barbecue are very relevant here, and the wooden tables with benches placed next to it will become a favorite resting place for the whole family and best friends.
Flower beds are an unmatched decoration of the exterior. Previously, they were fenced with a picket fence, but today many original ideas of professionals make flower fences much more interesting and beautiful: these are wooden trellises with climbing roses, and picturesque flower beds in the form of carts, barrels, and even curly arches.
Wooden shutters, platbands, a spacious veranda or a neat porch will add an impeccable flavor to the house..
Exterior style art of wooden houses
Today, long-standing stereotypes and associations cannot be subdued. Expression «wooden building» subconsciously draws a representation of nature, a village and an old-fashioned porch, and «log house» immediately inspires thoughts of a fabulous hut on the edge. However, standard thinking is not the best option when you need a creative approach to developing a country house project. Modern technologies, individual style and imagination allow you to introduce absolutely any, even the most atypical ideas of your own home.
Wooden buildings look harmoniously surrounded by picturesque forests and mountains, babbling streams and shimmering reservoirs.
Of course, such landscapes impose corresponding requirements on the exterior design. But even this is not an obstacle to designing a wooden exterior in your favorite style..
Country
Country style is, perhaps, the most natural and simple design option for a country house built of rounded logs or timber. There are many varieties of rustic style and each in its own way reflects the national charm and flavor of a particular country.
In this case, projects of wooden houses often imply the features of an American village, the so-called ranch, and can resemble pretty English houses surrounded by a wicker fence or flowering gardens.
The Russian variation of country music offers a distinctive flavor. Luxurious merchant mansions, the classic Russian hut or the modern design of a wooden country house equally express national traditions, customs and folklore.
Decorating a house in a similar style, designers often erect pediments as a decoration on the second floor, and decorate wooden windows with external sashes..
An alternative solution would be plastic structures decorated with wood imitation planks. A roof made of slate, shingles or reeds will look very organic against the general background.
Finnish style
Finnish wood exteriors offer an optimal balance of quality and value. For the construction of houses in this case, profiled glued beams are most often used. Its unique characteristics are conducive to year-round use and construction without deformation of wood.
As a rule, Finnish houses are erected in a short time, since the production of timber is carried out by the factory in-line method, and the corresponding profile assumes the accuracy of the parts, excluding their adjustment already at the construction site. That is why this type of building is very popular. At the same time, the virtuoso organization of the Finnish house will emphasize its individuality and originality. In the traditional version, such buildings have a sloping gable roof and one floor, but this does not at all limit the desires and fantasies of consumers. Architects can always design a second floor, an attic, an additional room or a sauna.
Swiss style
An alpine house set against the backdrop of picturesque mountain ranges is another popular type of wooden structure. This chalet has a more rational layout. Most often, we can observe a luxurious spacious terrace and several lovely balconies, skillfully complementing the external appearance of Swiss-style houses.
The roof is made of bulky logs, gentle, going beyond the boundaries of the structure, and with minimal surface treatment. Such a dwelling is a real refuge from any bad weather, and the deliberate exterior gives the impression of a reliable protector. Therefore, the rough texture with knots looks very organic here..
If the austere exterior seems too aggressive, profiled timber will be an alternative option. Such a Swiss house will become more tidy, but already less characteristic of this style..
style «modern»
Graceful houses in style «modern» – this is the true art of design. The luxurious composition of individual elements against the background of exquisite and at the same time simple architecture, like a magnet, attracts the eyes of passers-by and pleases the household. And all kinds of descents, ascents, turns give the exterior individuality and special charm.
Creative lanterns and railings blend harmoniously with the overall exterior. And it is worth noting that the many-sided, enchanting Art Nouveau will perfectly fit into the landscape, thanks to its graceful floral ornaments.
Forged items, picturesque paintings on the windows and doors make the house completely different from other cottages. Windows can be completely different – square and round, large and small, and even placed along the entire log wall.
The subtleties of facing the facades of wooden houses
Today, facade decoration is so diverse that even the most fastidious buyer can choose the option they like best for themselves: from all kinds of materials to various methods of painting. Consider the most optimal and popular cladding methods.
Frame plaster
The use of plaster is a fairly reliable way of finishing the facade. It gives the house a unique decorative look, and admixtures of quartz, pigments and rock crumbs often imitate natural expensive materials..
- sand-cement plaster is perfect for areas with high fluctuations in humidity and temperatures;
- acrylic varieties perfectly tolerate moisture, but unlike sand-cement ones, they do not withstand temperature differences well, therefore, they often cover polystyrene foam;
- silicone resin-based plaster is significantly superior in quality to other types. In addition to good resistance to humidity and temperature extremes, it also perfectly resists ultraviolet rays.
Facade paints
An increasingly popular method of decorating wooden houses is facade painting. And it is not surprising, because it is more reliable protection of wood from bad weather and pests. Today, a wide variety of paints and varnishes offers a wide choice to customers: this is alkyd enamel, and water emulsion, and oil paint and all kinds of materials from polyurethane.
It should be noted that only paints that form a continuous, visually invisible film will provide reliable protection of wood from moisture. Facade acrylic paints stand, thanks to organic solvents and acrylic resins. The strength of the coating is also affected by the color of the paint. For example, darker tones do not tolerate the sun well: they heat up faster, contributing to the rapid drying of wood.
Facades with spatial volumetric structure
Such facades are mounted on special frames with additional posts. Such a design is perfectly ventilated, because there is free space between the insulation and the outside of the wall..
A variety of ventilated facades is a fairly cheap type of finishing – siding (cladding). Made of wood, cement, metal or vinyl, siding is used to meet the specific requirements of the room.
Stone for the facade of the house
Stone facade decoration is not cheap pleasure, especially when it comes to natural materials. But prestige, beauty, durability and strength fully justify this choice. Alternatively, artificial stone can be used..
Its affordable price and many advantages will delight many people in the street. So, for example, the color palette is much more interesting and varied than that of natural stone. It is highly durable, frost-resistant and light enough, and therefore will hold tight and securely. A wide selection of shapes, textures allows you to show here the creative potential of an architect and designer.
Brickwork
The most versatile and popular option for artificial stone is brick. This material assumes all the possibilities of cladding.
A variety of shapes, sizes, shades allows you to create a lot of unique combinations. An interesting option can be facing with a rounded brick, which gives the corners softer graceful shapes..
Facade boards and panels
Facade cladding with panels and planks has an excellent multi-layer structure with good thermal insulation and a luxurious decorative look. Materials of such a finish should be a quality complement to each other in order to avoid possible delamination or deformation. It is also very important that moisture escape from the walls..
Thermal panels for facade decoration are now popular. This material is an excellent heat insulator. It is light enough, does not require powerful floors and a bulky foundation. Consists of polyurethane and clinker tiles with imitation of wood, stone or brick. Installation of thermal panels is carried out at any time of the year on any coating, be it concrete or wood.
Lining
Today, lining is not very popular compared to new, more practical materials. This is due to the fact that this kind of cladding is short-lived, but it is quite expensive. However, if the tree is treated with a special impregnation that prevents the appearance of fungi, mold and protects from moisture, then the lining will last much longer.
The modern design of wooden exteriors, taking into account the subtle features and nuances of the material, can be the most diverse and original, because the imagination, talent, professionalism of builders and architects will delight even the most demanding and fastidious customers.