Article courtesy of “Union” magazine – (translated from the Russian – Soyuz magazine)
Eco houses. Glued laminated timber houses in North Cyprus
In recent years the tempo of construction in North Cyprus has speeded up. The city images are gradually changing together with the appearance of new buildings. New technologies are coming to the island and new materials are coming with them. Until recently the construction of eco-friendly houses on the island was almost impossible because of the high cost of timber materials and the great lack of timber in Cyprus. The island, because of peculiarities of the climate, cannot boast of deep forests. Moreover the southern timber, especially pine timber, is too soft for house construction.
Now there is an opportunity of wooden house construction for North Cyprus dwellers, as Siberian timber has come to Cyprus. The modern technology of wooden house construction is with the use of glued laminated timber. This technology allows building strong, lasting, eco-friendly houses in which one feels more comfortable than in a stone or concrete house. Such houses are very much suitable for the climate of Cyprus, where it is cold indoors in winter and hot in summer. Timber is well known for its low thermal conductivity; therefore it keeps the house warm in winter and cool in summer.
The biggest advantage of a glued laminated timber beam over the whole log is that it is not possible to dry the log without cracks. But it is possible for the thinner planks called “lamellae”. They dry evenly and without cracks. A strong monolith timber beam is produced by gluing dried lamellae together. From these beams the modern houses are being built.
Each glued laminated timber beam has special grooves. With their help the beams are fixed to each other. Such a beam has a specific “profile” and is called profiled beam. The profiled beam is modern technological material which helps to assemble a house in a short period of time in accordance with the design scheme. It means that with the help of an architect it is possible to design a house of any complexity. In the factory the set of profiled beams will be prepared and the house will be assembled at a construction ground like a jigsaw puzzle. Because of this technology the construction of a house may take from 2 to 3½ months (time depends on the complexity of a project).
After a house is constructed it doesn’t require any finishing either inside or outside. It doesn’t need to be painted and the walls do not need to be plastered. This makes construction cheaper and faster. If needed all the common finishing work can be done as well as artistic interior design and cosmetic works of the facade.
Modern technologies can easily protect the beams from insects which are the biggest threat for the wood. Moreover, because of the modern impregnations the wooden houses have become fire proof and completely safe in these terms.
In North Cyprus there is only one company now which constructs houses from glued laminated timber. This company is ВХ CONSULTING, INVESTMENT & ENTERPRISES. It has come to the North Cyprus market only recently. That’s why it is only now that the people of the northern part of the island have the unique opportunity to build glued laminated timber houses. The experience of the company managers and specialists is 18 years. Together with new technologies and eco-friendly materials the company uses its rich experience in designing the houses which do not need changes or repairs afterwards as each project is deeply thought and worked out.
The pine kinds of trees are used for glued laminated beams production. The most useful kinds are Angarsk pine and Siberian larch. The wood of these kinds of trees is especially strong, resistant to decay and has low thermal conductivity. Their tree rings are formed through short summers and long winters.
It is believed that wood of this kind has an antibacterial effect, thanks to the release of phytoncides. Quality of life, as we know, is primarily determined by the state of health. To preserve it and even improve it can result from living in a natural and eco-friendly house made of such superb material as Siberian wood.
For further information please call 0533 870 7915 or 0533 885 7689
