House of sleepers - how to remove the smell?

Often today you can find a house of sleepers. Know how to remove the smell, which is quite noticeable in such a building, not everyone knows. In this article, we will discuss this issue and some others concerning housing from sleepers.

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House from sleepers

Nowadays, when apartments in high-rise buildings are expensive, and land is even more expensive, people are always trying to save on construction materials. The erection of your own house is no exception. For example, families that live near railroad lines often build houses from railway sleepers.

Both new and used sleepers are used for this purpose. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks about the question: is harmful or not such a variant of housing construction, because the material is quite cheap, and the shape of the beams greatly simplifies the process of erecting the house.

Important! One of the most important questions that should be puzzled even before building such a home is how to get rid of the smell of sleepers in the house? With this approach, you greatly simplify your life and can quickly equip your family nest cozy and comfortable.

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Advantages and disadvantages of a house made of sleepers

In any case, it is necessary to know all the advantages and disadvantages of such a dwelling in order not to regret the work done, the money spent and time.

High level of heat capacity

In winter frosts, this construction very quickly heats up and retains heat for a long time. In the summer heat inside the house is always cool and comfortable.

Durability

Sleepers are made mainly of pine or other softwood. Thanks to the even tree trunk, their processing is much simpler.

• Pine refers to soft rocks.
• It is moisture resistant.
• Has a homogeneous structure.
• Does not crack.
• Has great strength.
• Not exposed to rot.
• Saves all its properties for a very long time.

All listed characteristics of wood are considered to be a dignity and railway sleepers, as a material for building a house.

Impregnation with antiseptic

The special creosote composition impregnated with sleepers has a strong antiseptic effect. Thanks to this treatment, the lifespan of sleepers is maximized. It is believed that a house built of sleepers and covered with plaster on both sides, can survive for more than one generation. He is not afraid of fungus, rodents or insects.

What is Creosote?

This is a mixture that consists of various phenols and flavored carbons. Obtain it from wood and coal tar with the use of caustic solutions of alkali and sulfuric acid. Therefore, creosote has a specific odor.

The last advantage is also the most significant drawback of the house from sleepers. Since creosote is a strong toxic, carcinogenic substance that can significantly worsen a person's health. And it is natural for this very reason that you will be bothered by the question: "house of sleepers - how to remove the smell?"

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Impact of impregnation on human health or what are the disadvantages of a house made of sleepers?

When staying indoors with creosote impregnation, the following symptoms of deterioration of health can be observed in a person:

• Constant headache.
• Development of liver disease.
• Education and rapid growth of cancer cells.
• Nervous system disorders.
• Respiratory problems, asthma.
• Chronic skin diseases, allergies.

Important! Creosote, on contact with skin, causes burns. Its vapors, which are formed in warehouses of wooden sleepers at high temperatures, are also capable of causing burns.

In addition to harm to human health, impregnated sleepers are easily flammable. Similar houses are burned in the fire for 15-20 minutes.

Important! In 2003, after research on the damage to creosote on human health, in the European Union, the substance was banned for use in civil engineering.

You can hear a lot of objections from people that before their grandparents lived in such houses, and everything was in order. Part of the answer to such statements lies in the method of wood processing. When making sleepers, they can be impregnated with a surface( to a depth of up to 5-10 mm) and through( under pressure to the full depth of the bar).

Using sleepers with superficial impregnation for the building of the house, and providing the room with good ventilation, the detrimental effect of creosote is minimized. But the minimum is not a complete absence. In the heat, you will constantly feel the unpleasant smell of harmful impregnation. Therefore, to buy or not sleepers for building your own house, it's up to you.

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How to get rid of the smell of sleepers in the house?

If you have built a house of railway logs or are going to do it, then minimize the release of harmful substances and get rid of the smell of sleepers in the following ways:

• Treat the sleepers with diluted pure cement in the water. Consistency of it should correspond to thick sour cream. Blend the mixture with a brush, carefully rubbing it into grooves and slits.
• On the inside, finish the houses on a metal or wooden frame with plasterboard.
• Between the frame and sleepers or between the frame and the finishing material, lay a layer of high-quality vapor barrier airtight material.
• Tape the inner and outer partitions of the sleepers, ceilings and floor. All constructions, through which leakage of harmful substances are possible, must be hermetically sealed.

Important! Polyethylene film, reinforced with fiberglass, or foil-foamed polyethylene are quite reliable and cheap options for building a vapor barrier. A regular film of the greenhouse sample is also suitable for this purpose, but it quickly becomes unsuitable.

• Eliminate other ways of penetration of harmful fumes into the house. All joints between door and window blocks should be filled with a minimum of construction foam. Traditional towers in this case will not help much.

Important! The integrity of the vapor barrier must not disturb the sockets, switches and other wiring components.

• Complete vapor barrier makes the house a sealed building. Having done all the procedures, you will minimize the degree of penetration of the harmful odor and harmful substances into the living rooms, but lose the important property of the wooden walls - their "breathing".To ensure air exchange and remove excess moisture, it is necessary to think and provide ventilation of the premises. The rooms should have adjustable openings, through which fresh air will penetrate: micro-ventilation devices, windows, windows. In the bathrooms and kitchen should be drawn channels. Thus, you will establish a favorable microclimate in the house and be able to get rid of the smell in the house from sleepers.

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How to build a house yourself from sleepers?

If you, after reading all the above information, still did not abandon the construction of housing from sleepers, the following recommendations will be useful to you during construction:

1. The construction of each room begins with a foundation. As a rule, a columnar foundation is being built for sleepers' houses. But if you plan to make a basement under the building, then the best option is to fill the strip foundation.
2. It is necessary to cover with waterproofing the upper part of the foundation before laying the log house. To do this, it is necessary to coat the concrete with melted bituminous mastic, and lay several pieces of roofing material on it.
3. Next follows the laying of the first row of sleepers. They lie down on the broad side flat. For the bottom row, it is best to choose the heaviest sleepers, for example, wood completely impregnated with creosote. The dressing is carried out by a stud joint.
4. On the first crown you need to lay a heater. As a heater can act moss, jute or tow.
5. After this, the second row of sleepers with a narrow side is laid with the edge.
6. The fixing is done by the nail method. To do this, holes are drilled under wooden pins, which will hold the sleepers at a distance of 60 centimeters from the ends on opposite sides of the log.

Important! Installation of the structure can be carried out without laying the heater. The seams are subsequently sealed with a mounting foam. Fastening of rows can be done with the help of staples and nails for 200 mm.

1. It is worth picking the same parts for each row. They will depend on the geometric parameters and dimensions of sleepers.
2. With the help of a level or plumb line during the masonry, a vertical direction check is performed inside. Unevenness of the outer walls are concealed with the help of facade finishing.
3. Angular fastening of wooden sleepers is carried out in a manner similar to brickwork - using a special dressing and staples.
4. Window and door openings in the piers are filled vertically with 50 mm boards or installed sleepers. Slots are eliminated by using a wax or foam.

Important! The inner partitions should be made of ordinary wood. In this case, you will get a warm and dry house of sleepers.

1. When raising sleepers on the top of the building, difficulties may arise. To do this, you can use a manual or electric chain hoist.

Important! Tal should be not less than 750 kg. Pre-check the operation of the device.

As you can see, you can not completely get rid of the smell of sleepers in the house. And to reduce its level, as well as the amount of harmful substances inside the premises - a very expensive pleasure. Used wooden sleepers can be perfectly used for the construction of auxiliary rooms such as sheds, where people are minimized. From the unpleasant smell of creosote it will not save you, but the risk of deterioration of health will significantly decrease.

If you want to quickly and inexpensively build a house of sleepers, then choose sleepers only new, which have not yet been processed by toxic antiseptics. A similar house will serve you long and reliably, without harm to the environment and your family in particular.