Preservation of log bathhouse building to a large extent depends on the choice of what and how to caulk the bathhouse, the ability to correctly identify future problems with crowns, and mastery of tool operating skills. First of all, you need to know which inter-crown insulation to choose for a bathhouse. You can, of course, give up and seal the joints with silicone, but this will only make the situation worse. It’s still better to do a full-fledged caulking of the bathhouse with your own hands.
Why do you need to caulk a bathhouse?
Craftsmen usually answer such a question simply - so that the log house does not rot or fall apart. Without a seal, a log box becomes a cold, eternally creaking hut. If you do not caulk the bathhouse and seal the seams hermetically, then the supporting surfaces of the crowns will rot in a year or two and the log house will simply “sit down” or fall on its side to the north.
In addition to choosing how to caulk a log bathhouse, it is important to do the job correctly, so we will try to understand the means, tools and rules for caulking a bathhouse.
For high-quality seam sealing you will need:
- Packaging jute, flax tow, proven over the years, or any other type of sealant with a fiber structure;
- Set of tools - wooden hammer, a stuffing spatula, a wedge knife and a hook for stripping a seam or an electric groove;
- Brush with stiff bristles;
- Carpentry measurer.
Advice! There are few tools, but they will all be needed for the job. The first time you can rent them. After your first practical experience, it will become clear how to properly caulk a bathhouse, then you can buy a good kit or make it yourself.
If you want to seal the seams with sealant, fortunately there are quite a lot of them sold for bathhouse needs. different brands and types, then in this case no tool other than a gun nozzle for a tube with liquid polymer, will not be needed at all. It is possible and necessary to spray the joints with sealant for a log bathhouse in one day; the technology requires laying the paste-like mass in two passes with a difference of no more than four hours. Any disruption of the process can lead to peeling of the sealant, whereas caulking the frame of a bathhouse can be done in a couple of days with interruptions.
Choosing material for padding
Traditionally, seams and joints between wooden parts are sealed with a moisture-resistant, durable and necessarily easily deformable material. Interventional insulation for a bath can be made from:
- Synthetic polypropylene fibers, for example, in the form of a tape of woven and non-woven structure;
- Organic fiber, primarily jute cords and flax tow;
- Natural plant fibers from certain types of moss for baths.
For your information! Sometimes the problem arises of choosing whether moss or jute is better for a bathhouse, or they try to determine before starting work whether it is better to caulk with synthetics or organics. You need to choose based on the degree of shrinkage of the bathhouse frame and the size of the seam between the crowns.
What is better, moss or tow for a bath?
Today, both materials are recognized as the most durable and reliable of all traditional fiber seals. In both cases, the decisive factor is not even the type, but the quality of the preparation of the material.
Moss is recognized by all masters as universal remedy for sealing crowns. Most often they try to caulk the bathhouse with red or white moss. Bunches of plants are prepared 2-3 weeks before the start of work. Before caulking the bathhouse, remove debris and dry the moss under a canopy, periodically turning over and shaking the layers.
The organic matter should remain slightly moist. After drying, the fibers turn into a springy and strong wire-like structure.
Caulking walls with moss is not difficult; you just need to correctly measure the amount of material and the force of hitting the shovel with a hammer. The easiest way is to caulk the seams immediately on the new log house, after assembling the walls of the bathhouse. After shrinkage, after a year and a half, the procedure will have to be repeated with the same material.
For your information! Often, craftsmen who undertake to caulk the walls of a bathhouse tell stories about the bactericidal properties of mosses, the ability of the plant to germinate and completely fill the gap between the crowns.
In fact, the seal can bloom and turn green only if the birds have collected seeds and grass in the spring. If you caulk with organic matter, the seal can easily become a source of problems, from the appearance of fungus to green sprouts. Therefore, you still need to be able to prepare the moss for the bathhouse for caulking. If it’s too dry, the material becomes brittle and doesn’t hold well in the gap; too wet moss is very difficult to caulk into the seam.
How difficult is it to caulk the walls of a bathhouse with tow?
Tow or combed flax fibers twisted into bundles are safer than moss or jute. Due to its soft and thin structure, working with linen material is more difficult than with any other sealants. Tow is convenient for caulking the seams on the walls of a rounded bathhouse. Interventional gaps on log buildings are too large, so the fiber has to be folded into several loops. Technologically, this does not affect the quality, but it can seriously delay the caulking process over time.
Flax tow, thanks to the small amount of non-drying oils remaining in the fabrics, has the best damping properties of all possible sealants, both natural and synthetic. Tow for a bath is very well suited for sealing corner locks, especially hand-cut ones. When shrinking, it does not make frightening squeaks or sounds; the process itself occurs without any complications.
The only drawback is the low durability of flax fiber. In a log house, tow caulk will last up to 5 years; in a bathhouse, the fiber burns out in 2-3 years.
Jute fiber
Mechanically combed stems of jute hemp Jute Tassa produce a tough and at the same time durable fiber, which is used not only as a sealant on the walls of the bathhouse, it is an ideal material for containers and technical fabrics. Jute is produced in the form of coils, ribbons, and ropes, which allows you to caulk cracks on the walls of a bathhouse many times faster than using tow and moss.
Technical jute has only two disadvantages:
- High hygroscopicity;
- Susceptibility to rotting when soaked for a long time.
Jute for a bathhouse is interesting because during the shrinkage process it ideally fills the inter-crown space, especially if the log house is built from chopped logs. In this case, you only need to caulk with jute fiber and rope.
If according to the project the bathhouse building is planned to be faced decorative finishing, jute rope will simply rot in a couple of years. The tapes are laid to seal the crowns of the new log house; the rope is good for finishing the open surfaces of the walls of the bathhouse.
In fact, jute occupies an intermediate position between dense and hard moss and soft flax tow.
Synthetic materials
Besides natural fibers You can caulk the bathhouse with more modern materials, for example, a composite cord consisting half of polypropylene threads and wool fibers. This type of caulking ensures strong retention of the seal even when the gap expands.
Caulking with synthetics is much more difficult; in addition, polypropylene burns out and crumbles under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, so for a bath it is best to use seals made of natural materials.
Seam filling technology
The process itself looks easy. In theory, it is necessary to caulk the crowns of a successfully constructed bathhouse twice, immediately after construction and upon completion of the shrinkage processes. In practice, caulking is done every three years, especially if the log has not been sanded and rounded.
First of all, before caulking the bathhouse, you need to inspect the seams, check and free the joint line from the old burnt-out seal. If the gaps in the inter-crown space of the bathhouse are supposed to be caulked with a cord or rope, then you will first need to measure the maximum drawdown of the crowns with a gauge.
This is done in order to determine the uniformity of shrinkage of the bathhouse building. If on one side the seal is pinched and compressed, and on the other it has fallen out of the cracks, then before caulking the box you need to determine the reasons for the uneven settling of the log house. At the same time, we specify the required thickness of the jute or flax hemp rope.
Sealing the material with tape
The easiest way to caulk a bathhouse is with a tape seal. After measuring the cracks, it becomes clear what width of tape should be used in this section of the log house. One end of the roll is secured in the gap at the corner, the sealing strip is carefully unrolled along the wall without twisting, a margin of 20-25 cm is left and cut off.
The ribbon laid out on the gap is carefully tucked into the gap so that the material does not sag or be stretched. Caulking begins from the widest edge, using a hammer and a wooden spatula with a rubber tip. The ribbon is pressed into the slot with light blows. It will be necessary to make 3-4 passes so that the sealant evenly and completely fits end-to-end between the crowns.
It will be necessary to caulk three or four pieces of tape before the desired joint seal can be achieved.
For your information! In this way, the cracks along the entire perimeter of the crown are sealed before it is possible to move to the next higher level.
If you caulk the entire wall at once, then one edge of the log house may rise by more than the thickness of the log, which will lead to the breakage of the upper rows of the bathhouse.
Caulk joints of tow
The procedure for sealing the inter-crown space with bundles of fibers, such as tow or linen yarn, is a little more complicated. After cleaning the seam between the logs, the future place where the tow will be laid is rubbed with a mixture of formaldehyde, alcohol and linseed oil. You can impregnate individual cords with a disinfectant mixture before laying them in the wall of the bathhouse.
You need to caulk the bathhouse wall in the same sequence as when using tape. If the thickness of the seam is small, then the material can be laid by immediately rolling cords of 2-3 mm thick from the fiber. A tightly rolled roll of tow applied to the gap, without blows, is carefully pressed into the gap with a spatula.
For the next pass, roll up a thicker cord from tow, about 3-4 mm; this time you need to caulk the seam with force. For the last pass, a thick rope is rolled up, sometimes up to 8 mm. The material is hammered into the gap so that the edge protrudes above the line of the bathhouse crowns by no more than 3-4 mm.
If there are wide cavities between the crowns, they are caulked with additional ropes made of tow with a lubricant of any rubber-based elastic adhesive. In the same way, cracks in the logs of the bathhouse walls are clogged. The repaired areas are rubbed with additional acrylic paste.
Conclusion
Before caulking a bathhouse, it is best to practice on a small area to evaluate how correctly the caulking is done, and at the same time measure how high the top log of the crown rises. If the force is too great, the log house can rise by 10-15 cm; with a soft seal, the walls quickly settle into place; with a hard synthetic material, the shrinkage process can take several weeks.
Houses, cottages, bathhouses and other buildings made of logs are not only a return to old traditions, but also a special atmosphere of the home.
Log houses have been valued at all times, and in recent decades they have become increasingly popular for environmental and aesthetic reasons. They keep the warmth of human hands, they are pleasant to be in and comfortable to live in.
The advantage of timber buildings is their durability and good thermal insulation qualities. During the winter cold, the heat in such houses is retained for a long time, and during the summer heat they are effectively protected from the heat. The incomparable aroma of wood has a positive effect on a person’s well-being. But to ensure the comfort of such a home, all technological stages of caulking a log house should be carried out efficiently.
What is caulk?
This is the process of insulating a log house using natural or synthetic materials by eliminating gaps located among the logs. It occurs immediately after construction is completed. Primary insulation is not enough, since after some time the logs dry out and the structures settle. The result of this is new cracks through which heat will escape.
In winter, this can cause frost to form on the outside of the facade and negatively affect the wood itself. Repeated caulking should be done at least 6 months later, when the timber has dried to 80-90%. The third time the house is sealed is carried out when the frame has completely settled down (after about 3 years).
Methods for caulking a log house
The quality of sealing directly depends on the caulking method, the right choice tools and materials, as well as favorable weather conditions. There are two methods for caulking a log house:
- Stretch. To seal narrow gaps, it is made from individual strands of insulation, which are evenly distributed along the entire length of the groove, collected in a bundle and driven into the gap until it is completely filled. On both sides of the log house it is necessary to leave at least 4-5 cm of insulation, which should be intertwined and driven between the crowns;
- Into the set. For sealing wider cracks that are filled with tow. Its long bundles are pre-wound into special loops. Their thickness depends on the width of the gap.
Antiseptic agents must be applied to all gaps.
Features of log caulking technology
By fully observing the technological process of insulating a building, you can further ensure that it maintains a comfortable temperature and save on heating. The building is caulked from the bottom log, gradually moving to the top logs. Careful sealing of the gaps is carried out strictly along the perimeter, starting from the outside, and then from inside Houses. If you caulk, insulating the walls separately, there is a risk of distortion of the entire building. It is necessary to caulk carefully, taking into account that when performing this work, the log house tends to rise to a height of approximately 5-15 cm.
Choosing material for caulking
When insulating timber, it is better to use only natural insulation materials:
- Felt. It does not have sufficient strength and is subject to rotting more than others. Therefore he is not the most reliable insulation. Requires impregnation with formaldehyde or a similar agent that will prevent moths from multiplying;
- Moss. One of the most environmentally friendly seals. Does not rot, has antibacterial properties, and is resistant to temperature changes;
- Tow. A heat insulator made from flax and hemp waste perfectly prevents rotting processes. Disadvantage: short-lived;
- Jute. Natural, dense and high-strength insulation made from linden bushes. It has low hygroscopicity, so it is laid even on damp logs. Resistant to rotting and moth reproduction. In addition to sealing crowns, it is used to fill gaps and cracks in wood and concrete materials, sealing along the contour of door and window openings with different impregnations;
- Lnovatin. Current in modern world a material made from flax fiber waste. It has a high level of strength and rigidity. It is produced in rolls, so it is convenient to use it for caulking using the “stretch” method.
Tools for caulking log houses
The quality of sealing of a log house largely depends on the correctly selected tools. Log houses are insulated with “caulking” different types made from various materials: metal, wooden blocks (oak, walnut or beech).
To carry out the work, you will need caulking tools with a wide and narrow blade (composite, curved, breaking, road worker) and a mallet - a hammer made of wood or rubber. To save wooden surfaces from mechanical damage, the blade must be smooth, without roughness, so that it does not cling to the seal, not sharp, so as not to cut the material, and have handles made of embossed rubber.
Do-it-yourself caulking of a log house video
Caulking of a log house is the filling of cracks between the logs of the crowns and in the notches of the corners during the construction of the building and after its complete shrinkage. Proper implementation of such work allows you to avoid deformation of the walls of the house, insulate it and protect the living space from external negative influences(wind, precipitation, low temperatures etc.).
Caulking at home can be done using various materials and working tools. However, such work should only be carried out by experienced professionals. Qualified craftsmen will be able not only to caulk a log house at a price that is most affordable for everyone, but also to ensure the maximum quality of this work.
When is a log house caulked?
Caulking timber is a mandatory process before any finishing works. The work is carried out in two stages. First, filling the grooves between the logs must be done directly when assembling the walls. Next, the caulking of the house must be done after the log house has completely shrunk. As a rule, it takes one to two years for walls to completely shrink. The price of log caulk depends on:
- height of walls and area of the house;
- material used to seal cracks between the frame;
- the quality of the wood from which the walls are built.
If you want to caulk a log house, the price of which is quite affordable by the standards of the modern construction market, it is best to trust real professionals who can perform work of any complexity on highest level.
Materials for caulking a log house
Caulking of a log house, the price of which is determined by the craftsmen directly after inspecting the scope of work, must be carried out on the outside and inside of the walls. This approach to work will ensure maximum moisture and wind protection of residential premises. Can be used for caulking timber various materials. Thus, the most in demand are tape and inter-crown linen and jute seals. With its use, you can easily caulk houses of any size.
Caulking, the price of which also depends on the quality of the sealant and the ease of working with it, can significantly increase the service life of the building and the quality of life in it. If you want to caulk your house, it is best to turn to professionals. Experienced craftsmen will be able to perform rather monotonous and labor-intensive work with the highest quality. The price of caulk in this case will become your investment in durability wooden house.
Have you been told that it is not necessary to caulk a house made of timber, they say, everything fits perfectly there anyway? You can safely send such “woe” specialists home and invite real professionals in construction wooden houses. Like any other, the technology of building houses from timber has its own stages and design features, which invariably include caulking timber house, even if you are going to do external and internal finishing with insulation in the future. You should not try to save time and money so as not to overpay in the future. If you don’t want there to be constant drafts in your house, curtains to flutter even in calm weather, and over time wet and rotten places in the wood to appear, it is better to complete all the caulking work at home on time.
Is it necessary to caulk a log house and why?
In some sources you can find information that timber house You don't have to caulk it. And the builders who are building your house can say the same thing. They explain this by the fact that, unlike lumber in log houses shrinkage and displacement of wood occurs stronger and more intensely, cracks and leaks appear, so it is necessary to caulk the structure. But houses built from profiled timber practically do not shrink, since the wood passes pre-treatment. Let's figure out how it actually happens when building a house from timber with your own hands.
Natural moisture timber- relatively cheap construction material, for which it is popular in the construction of economy-class houses with subsequent insulation and finishing with siding. Even if you invite the best architect, he will not be able to build a house from such timber without gaps between the crowns and gaps. Moreover, when the timber begins to dry out, and this is inevitable, additional cracks will appear, wider ones, the timber will decrease in size, and it will begin to “twist”. As a result, cracks will appear, due to which the wooden wall will lose its thermal insulation abilities. To avoid such a sad end, the walls must be caulked at least 3 times and thoroughly insulated.
It was invented precisely in order to reduce costs and time for building a wooden house. It undergoes special processing in production, due to which it practically does not dry out during operation, and its tongue-and-groove connections are perfectly aligned to the nearest millimeter. The beams fit together as closely as possible, and 5 mm insulation is placed between the crowns, which is located between the interlocking parts. Despite the seller’s assurances, the house made of profiled timber still shrinks, as the timber finally falls into place under the weight of the structure. In addition, the properties of wood strongly depend on the region of growth, climatic conditions and storage conditions. No one can guarantee that absolutely all the timber you purchased is the same High Quality. As a result of building movements, the timber may shift slightly and the insulation may become wrinkled. Even if no gaps appear after shrinkage, and this option is possible, still those gaps that are located in the inter-crown space outside and inside the house accumulate moisture, and since the place itself is very secluded and vulnerable, mold and rot can form in it.
Caulking of a timber house is necessary in order to insulate wooden walls, completely filling natural insulation and sealing the gaps and cracks between the timber and in the corner joints. This guarantees tightness, no heat leaks through the walls, drafts and icing of the timber outside the building, which occurs when warm steam escapes through the cracks and settles as wet frost on the surface.
How to caulk a timber house
To summarize, the material that can be used to caulk a house must meet the following requirements:
- Have low thermal conductivity.
- Be immune to temperature and humidity fluctuations, and easily withstand wind.
- So that insects and pathogenic fungi (mold) do not grow in it.
- Be completely ecological pure material, otherwise the whole point of building a wooden house is lost.
- Be relatively durable (not lose properties for at least 20 years).
- Be breathable.
- Be hygroscopic, i.e. when you need to absorb moisture, when you need to give it away.
- And the most important thing is to be similar in its properties to wood.
Due to the fact that our ancestors caulked their houses hundreds of generations deep on their own, materials that have been tested and tested by thousands of years of successful practice have survived to this day. They can be called traditional materials.
Moss- most best material even today for caulking wooden buildings. This is sphagnum moss - a bog plant that can be red, white or brown. Subsequently, peat is formed from it. Neither of modern materials cannot compare with moss, it is so durable and environmentally friendly. You can travel through old abandoned villages, look at the houses: the logs have almost rotted, and the moss is still in excellent condition. Moss is simply irreplaceable as an interventional sealant: it is antiseptic, antibacterial and medicinal properties. Sandwiched between wood, it suppresses the development of putrefactive bacteria and mold fungi, due to which the wood lasts longer. Moss easily allows air to pass through itself, which, passing through it, is saturated with healing vapors, so the atmosphere inside the house becomes healing. Moss is hygroscopic, which means it smoothes out changes in humidity. In general, moss has no drawbacks, except for one thing - it is not so easy for them to caulk, otherwise no one would invent or look for anything new.
Tow made of flax fibers It is used as a sealant and sealant everywhere, but for caulking - mainly in regions where flax grows and where there are no swamps where moss could be stocked. No one produces tow specifically; it is waste from the production of ropes, cords and linen, or tweezing and stripping after cleaning flax fibers. Tow has some antiseptic and bactericidal properties, but to a lesser extent than moss. Therefore, in some cases, tow is treated with resins to increase resistance to high humidity. These resins can be natural, i.e. tree resins, then this material can still be called environmentally friendly, but petroleum products are also used for impregnation, then tow no longer has anything in common with natural materials. The tow contains a large amount of fire, which will be shaken out during the first years of operation of the house, so the caulk will need to be repeated several times.
It is very similar to tow, only its fibers are coarser, so they are sometimes confused. Hemp is not afraid of temperature changes and high humidity, so it can be used even in very humid regions. These properties are due to the high content of the polymer lignin, which is also found in any wood to bind cellulose fibers. Hemp does not lose its properties even after getting wet, therefore it is resistant to rotting.
Among the modern materials for caulking, the following can be distinguished:
A foreign product, it is imported to us from China, India, Egypt and other countries with a tropical climate or heavy rainfall. It is produced from the shoots of the jute plant of the Malvaceae family. Jute fiber is very durable, not affected by mold, putrefactive bacteria, not interesting to insects and birds, hygroscopic, i.e. easily accumulates and releases moisture, allows air to pass through. Jute contains about the same amount of lignin as wood, so their properties are similar and together they are a perfect pair.
Jute is produced both in fibers and in strips of different widths. Tape jute insulation very convenient to use for laying between the crowns of a timber house. In addition, pure jute compacts evenly. These advantages more than cover the price of this material.
In addition to materials made from fibers, felt insulation materials (inter-crown felt) are also used for caulking:
Jute interventional insulation consists of 90% jute and 10% flax. But it is better to follow this ratio, since there is jute felt that consists of 70% jute and 30% flax, which significantly worsens its properties.
Linen felt also called Eurolen or flax wool. It is a needle-punched material made from highly purified flax.
Flax-jute felt consists of jute and flax in a 1:1 ratio.
All-jute modern insulation materials are considered the best, since they interact perfectly with wood and shrink evenly, while other materials with the addition of flax worsen the properties of the insulation. The more flax, the worse the properties.
When to caulk a log house
Work on caulking a house is carried out in several stages, this is due to the fact that the timber dries out gradually, the house sinks under its own weight. The largest shrinkage occurs in the first year and a half after construction, and every year it is less and less. Experts say that after 5 - 6 years, shrinkage practically stops.
First time a log house is caulked immediately after construction. During the construction process, insulation is laid between the crowns, and after the entire house is erected, the gaps between the beams are filled with caulking material, but not too tightly.
Second caulk is carried out a year and a half after the completion of construction of the house. The house will already have settled, so it is necessary to caulk tightly, leaving no gaps or hanging material.
Third time Caulking work will have to be done again after 5 - 6 years, carefully filling all newly formed gaps and cracks and adding material where it accidentally spilled out or was pulled out by birds.
If it is planned to cover the outside of a timber house with siding, then the third caulking is not performed, but the first two must be completed. There is no need to rush and save on something for which you will later have to pay much more.
Do-it-yourself caulking of a timber house
Caulking is a very responsible and labor-intensive process, despite some monotony of the operations performed. Not many construction crews agree to do caulking work; they simply don’t know how to do it and are afraid of ruining it, which is why they recommend not caulking at all. We have already discussed why you should not listen to them.
But there are teams and entire organizations that deal with caulking professionally. The price for caulking a timber house depends on the stage of work and amounts to a certain amount per 1 linear meter of each crown. average cost caulking costs 50 - 60 rubles. for 1 m.p. And caulking corner joints can cost up to 200 rubles. for 1 m.p. At a separate rate, caulking will be carried out with a decorative rope (rope), which decorates appearance caulked walls and prevents birds from pulling out the material. By the way, it is customary to pay for the material separately. If you are offered to perform caulk work for 25 rubles. m.p., you should not agree, since the work will be done extremely poorly.
If you want to do all the work yourself, then stock up on patience, material, tools and subsequent information.
How to caulk a timber house with jute
Jute, as a material for insulating a log house, is gaining wild popularity. It is often used in the construction of the house itself.
Before caulking a timber house, you must first properly lay and secure the timber. Insulation is always laid in the inter-crown space with a layer of at least 5 mm. Even if the beam is profiled, jute must be laid between the tenon and groove. But its width depends on the shape of the tongue-and-groove system. The simplest option is when the lower beam has a surface convex with a crescent, and the upper one has the same notch (somewhat reminiscent of a joint of logs), in which case the space between the crowns is completely filled with insulation, and its edges remain hanging 4 - 5 cm on each side. A more complex version of profiled timber, when it is impossible to lay the insulation with a continuous carpet, then it is laid only in the middle, and the external and internal cracks are then caulked separately.
If the house is made of timber with natural humidity, then the thickness of the inter-crown insulation should be 10 - 15 mm.
Important! Caulking must be done from top to bottom. In this case, first one crown is caulked completely outside, then inside, and only then they move on to the second crown. It is better if the work is carried out by 4 people simultaneously on 4 walls. This is necessary to ensure that the house does not warp. After all, after caulking is completed, it will rise by several centimeters, from 5 to 15 cm.
Let's consider the option when the insulation hangs 4 - 5 cm between the beams. The caulking technology is very well shown in the video example. Using a caulking tool (tool), the jute is tucked underneath and lightly pushed into the gap. Then it is gently, but more forcefully pushed in the upper part, and finally - in the middle. To push the material inside the crack, use a rubber or wooden hammer (mallet), which is gently hit on the caulk.
If, after the work has been completed, loose cracks are still observed, then additional caulking is performed.
Let's consider the option when the gaps between the crowns are not filled (the insulation is located somewhere in the middle of the beam). The work will be exactly the same as with additional caulking.
Usually the gaps between the beams are quite narrow, so this caulking method is used: a rope as thick as the gap is twisted from jute fiber and hammered into the gap with a mallet.
There is another way - “stretching”. Separately taken fibers of jute are laid in fibers across the beam and pushed inside with a spatula or caulk until the gap is completely filled. We leave the remaining ends of the material hanging, it should be about 5 - 6 cm. Next, take a little more jute, roll it into a ball (roller), which is wrapped in these hanging ends and pushed into the gap.
Important! How can you check whether it’s enough to push the insulation in or if you still need to add a little more? If it fits into the gap between the crowns kitchen knife by 15 mm or less, then the caulking was completed successfully. If the knife goes further, then material should be added.
When large cracks are formed, use the “set” caulking method. Long strands of jute are twisted and rolled into a ball. Loops are then made from the ball and pushed into the cracks until they are filled.
After all caulking work is completed, the house is loaded and, if possible, used for a whole year. In winter, it will be possible to check for the presence of cracks using the so-called “hares”. These are pockets of frost on the outside of the wall. If you find them, mark the place, this means that there is a leak here warm air from home. A year to a year and a half after the first caulking, a second caulking is carried out, the house is carefully inspected, insulation is added to those places where it has spilled out or frayed, where the cracks have widened, where the timber has warped, and also in places where there are “hares”.
Only after repeated caulking can you begin external and interior decoration Houses. Even if it assumes 100 mm mineral wool and a ventilated façade.
You can caulk a timber house with other materials. But there are some exceptions. For example, only a house made of non-profiled timber can be caulked with moss, since this material is laid and completely fills the inter-crown space, which is absolutely impossible if the timber has a tongue-and-groove system. The work itself on caulking a house is complex and painstaking, although from the outside it seems painfully simple. If you are not confident in your abilities, invite a specialist.
Caulking a timber house: video - example
Caulk of a wooden house – important stage insulation of the finished structure using natural or synthetic heat insulators. Here every detail matters: the right working tool, high-quality insulating material, technology for performing the work. Not all homeowners know how to properly seal roof gaps and joints in order to reduce possible heat loss, avoid distortion of the house structure, and prevent rotting of wood and heat insulation.
Why is caulking of a log house done?
Thermal insulation of a log house helps retain heat in the premises, prevents deformation of the wood and a decrease in its operational parameters. Modern insulation materials They are durable, practical and safe, therefore they provide high-quality caulking for wooden buildings.
Log caulking solves the following problems:
- eliminates cold bridges and reduces heat loss at home;
- corrects construction defects;
- eliminates various flaws in external and internal corners, crowns, door and window openings;
- makes the house more attractive and reliable;
- increases the service life of wood.
When is caulking done?
Caulking a wooden house is carried out in several stages, and this is explained by the gradual shrinkage of the wood. Maximum shrinkage occurs during the first 18 months after completion construction work and ends after 5 years.
- The first stage of caulking is performed after assembling the log structure. In this case, when building a house thermal insulation material fills the space between the logs so that the edges hang freely on both sides. After installing the roof structure, the insulation is driven into the connecting seams between the crowns.
- The second stage of insulation is carried out 1.5 years after the completion of construction work and preliminary shrinkage of the house. The insulating material is laid tightly enough to hide all the gaps and cracks.
- The third stage of caulking is carried out after 5 years, when the process of shrinkage of the log house is considered completely completed. All existing defects between the logs are filled with insulation.
Important! For log house All three caulking steps are carried out, and for a house made of timber, which will be lined with siding on the outside, the third stage of caulking is optional.
Caulking materials
For caulking timber or logs, it is better to use natural insulation materials that have the following characteristics:
- hygroscopicity,
- resistance to temperature changes,
- breathability,
- environmental Safety,
- ease of installation.
Such insulation materials include:
- moss (red and white),
- tow,
- flax wool,
- jute.
Moss
The safest and practical material with excellent antiseptic properties. It provides reliable protection wood from rotting and biological damage.
Moss (sphagnum) is a reliable material for sealing crown joints: it allows air to pass through well and quickly absorbs excess moisture, prevents the development of pathogenic microorganisms and fungi, thereby increasing the service life of wood.
Moss is resistant to fire and decay, therefore it is able to retain its performance characteristics long time. High cost is the only drawback of this material.
Self-procurement of raw materials will significantly reduce the cost of thermal insulation of a house made of logs or timber.
Before caulking the walls, the pre-prepared moss must have a suitable level of humidity - not be overly dry or moist.
Tow
A practical and safe material that is used for caulking crowns after complete shrinkage of the log house. It is made from hemp, jute and flax fibers.
Sold in compressed bales or rolls. Tow in bales has short and hard fibers, which complicate the process of driving crown joints. High quality tape tow has long, elastic and soft fibers.
This material has low antiseptic properties and is susceptible to high moisture, so it requires additional processing protective impregnations or paints.
The main disadvantages of insulation include the difficulty of installation, the unattractive appearance of the treated seams, and a short service life.
Lnovatin
A natural material for caulking wooden houses, which is produced by pressing short flax fiber into strips. Linen wool has high heat-insulating and moisture-resistant characteristics. Such insulation can provide reliable protection of wood from rotting and mold.
Linen batting is used to seal seams between crowns with fixation on metal staples.
Jute
The highest quality and most durable tape insulation for caulking houses made of logs or timber. The material has high heat-saving properties and is not susceptible to rotting and mold. Even with prolonged exposure to moisture, jute fiber remains practically dry.
Jute is used for primary and secondary thermal insulation of a house. It has high strength, wear resistance, elasticity and practicality. It is placed in interventional seams with fixation with staples.
The only drawback of the material is its high cost.
Caulking tools
If natural materials are used for thermal insulation of a wooden house, then before caulking you should prepare:
- Mallet. A small wooden or rubber hammer designed for laying insulation using wooden caulks.
- Stacked caulk. Spatula with metal or wooden base, blade width 10 cm, thickness 0.5 cm. This is the main tool for caulking the crowns of a log house.
- Crooked caulk. A curved chisel with a flat blade 5 cm wide and 0.5 cm thick. Used for filling corner seams and gaps in rounded areas of the building with insulation.
- Road worker. Triangular blade with a special longitudinal groove. The blade width is 17 cm, thickness is from 0.8 to 1.5 cm. The tool is intended for filling gaps of equal width.
- Breaking caulk. A narrowed wedge-shaped blade up to 3.5 cm wide, which allows you to widen the inter-crown gaps for the convenience of laying heat-insulating material.
Important! All caulking blades should be slightly dull and smooth to avoid damaging the wood and pulling the insulation out of the seams. Before starting work, the tools are thoroughly cleaned with a clean cloth.
Log caulking technology
The process of caulking a log house is carried out in stages. There are two caulking methods:
- in a stretch,
- to the set.
It doesn’t matter what method is used to caulk the house, all insulation work begins with lower crown. Next we will look at how to properly caulk a wooden structure.
Stretch
Stretch caulk involves insulating the seams between logs with pre-stretched insulation. For this purpose, fibrous and rolled materials are used.
Fiber insulation
- Work is carried out from the ends of the lower crown. A small part of the insulation (for example, tow or moss) is applied with transverse fibers to the seam and hammered inside with caulking.
- Along the edges, the insulation is rolled up into a small roller and compacted into a crown joint.
- Next, a new portion of insulation is used, which is formed into a roller, and the entire caulking procedure is repeated. This allows for high-quality sealing of the seam along its entire length.
Roll insulation
Dense rolls from roll insulation are much easier to obtain. For uniform distribution, the material is carefully stretched along the entire length of the seam and applied to it across the fibers.
- The tape unwinds on flat surface from one corner to the opposite corner.
- Hooking it up by the free edge, using caulking, the insulation is laid into the inter-crown seam so that the free edges hang down by 5 cm. This way the entire length of the seam is filled.
- After the seam is completely filled, the tape is cut off from the roll.
- The rest of the insulation is driven into large cracks between the logs. The insulated seam must have the same thickness and protrude 3 mm beyond the edges of the grooves.
Included in the set
Caulking in the kit allows you to insulate wide and deep gaps between logs. Here, a larger volume of material is used, and accordingly, the quality of thermal insulation is higher. Tow, hemp rope or jute cord are suitable for this.
- To caulk a log house with jute (the easiest option for beginners), a small amount of material is unwound and folded into loops. Next, each loop is placed into the seam using caulk.
- Hammering loops begins at the top of the seam and then continues at the bottom.
- An additional strand is placed on top of the laid insulation for more high-quality insulation. The material is leveled along the entire length of the seam using a road builder.
If desired, insulate the house in a similar way can be accelerated. In this case, the heat-insulating material is driven in using a hammer drill. The tool is used at low speed to prevent seam deformation. A pneumatic hammer with a compressor is also suitable for laying insulation.
Caulking corners
The corners in the log house are insulated after the main work is completed.
For this it is better to use roll insulation and crooked caulk. The process works as follows:
- The free edge of the tape insulation is applied to the seam located in the corner and filled with crooked caulk.
- After installing the material, its free edges are rolled up and hammered into the seam.
- All work on laying insulation is carried out from top to bottom. To ensure uniform driving, the material is carefully stretched and straightened.
Decorative caulking
If the main task caulking – thermal insulation wooden structure, then decorative caulk is used to decorate insulated crown joints.
To give the seams of a log house an attractive and harmonious appearance, experts recommend using rope and rope made of jute or flax as finishing.
The rope is carefully fixed to the surface of the seam using galvanized nails without heads, driven into the logs at a distance of 18 cm from each other. Decorative caulk is also suitable for hiding unevenly dried joints between crowns and additional insulation of the structure.
After finishing the caulking process wooden house should be used as much as possible throughout the year. In winter, a check is made for the formation of new cracks and deformation of the laid insulation.
A year and a half after the first stage of caulking, the second stage is carried out. In this case, a thorough inspection of the structure is carried out, thermal insulation material is added where it has become deformed or fallen out, as well as where new gaps or distortions have appeared in the frame.
Caulking a wooden house is an important and responsible undertaking that requires a competent approach and compliance with all stages technological process. The internal microclimate in the premises and the duration of operation of the house depend on the quality of the work performed.
