Old wooden houses, real books of building history

In addition to history and ancestors, the past also means old houses, built with almost forgotten techniques and materials, which say a lot about us, about who we were. It is sad that we are breaking links with this past by demolishing or letting houses of inestimable value to our collective memory be lost. We are cynically cutting our roots, forgetting that without roots any plant, however big and strong, dies. I rejoice when I go to areas where there are still old houses built of rectangular wooden beams and I see one such house being displaced for protection. I also appreciate the initiative to salvage wood when the house can no longer be saved because wood salvaged from old houses has a special beauty and energy.

I'm writing now from the Dornel Country, an area where old and new wooden houses coexist, where you can see courtyards where the old wooden barn is much more beautiful than the newly renovated masonry house, but also where they build with wood recovered from an old house on the ground floor or the stone or concrete foundation. They are so beautiful these beams and enrich the look of the house so much, if you have the opportunity, don't miss this wood. In the US or Canada, reclaimed wood from old houses is considered more valuable than new. In the past, only wood from 80-100 year old trees was used for construction. At this age trees have the best characteristics to be used for building houses.

Traditional houses. Materials from the past

Wood was also used for building in the past. If the area was not rich in forests, existing wood was used for structural strength and decoration. It was all the more important and protected, and whoever had hardwood, timber - acacia, nuc, oak - was considered rich. In the north, north-west or central parts of the country, in areas where there were impressive forests, wood was the basic raw material and houses were built largely of wood. The insulation was made of clay and the foundations of stone. In areas where forests were scarcer, wood was combined with clay and straw for the walls or used to embellish the outside posts, the eaves and the eaves.

Old construction methods

Although we lacked the means we have now, the craftsman found solutions to obtain a warm, insulated and pleasant house. Natural materials were the basis, and the solution was to combine them intelligently.

Floor construction.The foundation was built using ballast as a drainage layer and river stone. Washed or crushed stone was placed on top for reinforcement and finally slag. All these layers formed the foundation. On top of this came the house's base, made of wooden beams laid in the form of a frame, which was then divided into 60 cm wide spaces using other wooden beams and filled with sawdust for insulation. Wooden joists were nailed to the beams to support the floorboards.

Ceiling construction. Using hardwood (oak) beams, a frame was made, supported on supporting posts. On the outside of the beams, 2/2 cm wooden slats were placed on the room side, with a slat between them. Between the joists were placed tiles made of building clay mixed with dry straw and twisted into scrolls. Clay is recognised as a very good insulator, both thermally and acoustically. Thinner and smaller ones were beaten onto the floorboards. They were beaten obliquely, plastered with a thinner clay and, after drying, glazed.

Construction of walls. On the outline of oak beams that formed the base of the house, vertical posts rose at the corners and in front of the doors and windows. The top ends of the posts were attached to the ceiling frame. To make the structure strong, the frames formed by the horizontal posts and the horizontal beams were reinforced with oblique beams that joined the opposing joints. On either side of the posts, on the outside and inside of the house, horizontal slats were battened like the ceiling (with a break between them). This formed a hollow wall which was then filled with clay mixed with straw. After the walls were filled with clay, the outside of the house was battened with slats inclined at 45º, one row facing one direction and the next row facing the other, in order to stabilise and stiffen the house. Thinner clay was loaded between the slats and after it dried, it was glazed. I have seen a lot of such houses these days that are real building history books.

Rectangular wooden beam houses

The traditional houses built in the northern area - Bucovina, Maramureș - are made of horizontal rectangular beams. In order to form the wall, they were fixed between vertical posts on the corners of the houses and in front of doors or windows. The beams were 'fitted' from above, with their ends in the box formed by the posts, and were dropped. Beam upon beam was laid until the wall was complete. Sometimes the ends had a certain profile that provided a more fixed grip. If the dimensions decreased due to drying, the beams continued to "fall" on top of each other, the wall remaining compact. The gap that appeared at the top, under the eaves, was filled with clay or another beam. The same clay with straw was also placed on the horizontal line between the beams to avoid heat loss. For external protection, the wood was impregnated with burnt oil or diluted tar (tarran).

In Bukovina, the walls were not made of a single beam along the entire length or width of the house. The beams were from pillar to post, i.e. from the corner to the window, then from the window to the door and so on to the other corner. In Maramureș, the beams were mostly built to the length and width of the house, and at the ends they were "braided". The ends were profiled to fit perfectly and form joints in swallowtail or fish tail.

Reclaimed wood. Using wood from old houses and barns

Wood used decades, even hundreds of years ago can be saved and reused in the construction of new houses. Experts say that in the past, wood was only cut when it was fully mature, when its qualities were much better. It is stronger, harder and has smaller pores, so less moisture is absorbed. Wood never loses its nobility and warmth, even after decades and decades. It will darken, but unless it has been through hard tests, be massively attacked by curries or other insects or rot, it can be cleaned and reused. The years take their toll on it, giving it a natural patina that makes it even more valuable. Wood salvaged from old houses is a material that has been ennobled by the passage of time and it is a shame not to use it. It would be good to stop throwing it away and reclaim more. And we should only put reclaimed wood from old buildings on the fire if it is rotten or decayed and becomes dangerous for the 'clean' wood in the house. Traditional houses are a history lesson you learn if you look carefully. We have a beautiful heritage that we are obligated to protect and cherish, and wood is part of that heritage. Let's not lose it, let's not ignore it and let's not forget it.