Forgot your password?
Bregenzerwald House
|
At first they used hand made nails, but for large areas, the nails were too expensive. It wasn‘t until about 150 years ago, when nails were mass produced and much cheaper, that it was possible to trim larger facades with shingles. The shingles protect the wooden walls and improve insulation.
|
|
|
Based on the farmhouse at Platz 179, in Hittisau This farmhouse, is at least 100 years old and is one of the many typical Bregenzerwald farmhouses, which are symbolic of our valley. Many of these „Wälder“ or Forest houses are 200 years old or even older. This particular farmhouse was listed as worth conserving by the Federal memorial agency. The Wälder house is what they call a „single farm“. This means that the living and farming areas are both under one roof. This is why we see the typical rectangular layout, which is becoming popular again in the modern houses in the Bregenzerwald. The old building traditions see wood as the raw material for building, and it is usually untreated wood that is used. The builders are very particular about the quality of the timber used to build. The living quarters usually face the east so that the barn is protected from the weather. The living quarters is a block construction which sits on a brick basement and is covered with wooden shingles. The ground floor of the stall is brick and above it is a wooden wallboard covered with wooden planks. Shingles:In the 19th century, people began to trim the block walls with shingles. In the old days, it wasn‘t only the walls that were shingled, but the roofs as well. At first, heavy rocks held the shingles in place. Later, with the use of nails, the roofs became steeper and that, in turn, extended the life of the shingles. The wooden shingles make the walls come alive. They give them structure. The wood used for the shingles is untreated. About 6 months to a year after they are put up, the colour starts to turn to a silvery grey, especially on the west side, which is the weather side. On the south side, the wood sometimes has a reddish shimmer, depending on the type of wood used and the amount of sun it receives, or the effects of the weather. One of the advantages of using wooden shingles is that just small areas can be repaired if need be. There are square and round wooden shingles. They are usually made of Spruce or Silver Fir. The use of wooden shingles is starting to become popular again today - even in modern architecture. |
|
|
|
|