Independent caulking log house. Caulker and log house insulation. Materials and technology Punching a log house with your own hands

Wooden log cabins are plastic, prone to multiple changes in configuration and volume during shrinkage and operation. The state of the log house is also affected by weather conditions, features of operation, the time of construction of the building and features of wood protection. In this regard, the standards provide for primary, as well as repeated caulking.

Features and causes

Caulking is the process of sealing joints and gaps between logs in log house or a log building. The main purpose of this process is to increase the thermal efficiency of the building. It is carried out by filling the gaps with special seals.

You can caulk after all construction (including roofing) work is completed, or during the assembly of walls.

Caulker allows you to solve a number of the following tasks:

warming the room and (as a result) reducing the cost of heating the building from the inside;
elimination of gaps and cracks that appeared on the walls as a result of deformation and shrinkage of wood;
prevention of condensation on the walls as a result of the difference between the temperatures outside and inside the building;
protection of wood from decay.

The first caulk is carried out immediately after completion roofing works, the second - after the primary shrinkage of the building, after 6-12 months. After 3-5 years, re-caulking is carried out, since it is during this time period that the wood shrinks completely.

It is necessary to carry out work in the warm season. Winter is not suitable for this because the process will become even more laborious, besides, the tree almost does not shrink during this period.

Houses and baths must be insulated from both sides, outbuildings can only be compacted from the outside.

materials

All materials for interventional insulation are divided into 2 categories. They are natural and artificial.

natural

There are different natural materials, and all of them have certain advantages. Let's take a closer look at their features.

Tow

It is one of the cheapest materials, which, unfortunately, cannot boast of efficiency. The thing is that the tow absorbs moisture, as a result of which the heat loss of the building increases.

The basis of the material is linen fibers. Depending on their quality, the insulation can be bale or roll. The latter has short and stiff fibers, which complicates styling. Bale tow is softer and more elastic, so it is easier to work with it. The material is difficult to work with: it is not easy to lay it in the slots, to replace the damaged area. After warming, the seam needs to be decorated, because it looks unaesthetic. Various microorganisms, moths can start in the tow.

Moss

It is an environmentally friendly and easy-to-use material for caulking, has antibacterial properties and high thermal insulation qualities. However, such material attracts the attention of birds, which pull out insulation for their nests.

Usually red or white moss is used. When self-collecting, it is better to perform such work in late autumn, immediately sorting through the raw materials after collection (you need to remove the earth, litter, insects). Then the moss is dried, but not too much, otherwise it will become very fragile.

Felt

This material is made on the basis of sheep's wool, it long time was considered one of the best interventional heaters. It's all about its low thermal conductivity, combined with high vapor permeability, sound insulation qualities, environmental friendliness, and the ability to keep moisture out. Long elastic fibers are easy to lay even in small gaps.

Among the shortcomings - exposure to moths, rotting. The addition of synthetic components to the felt makes it possible to level these shortcomings, but increases the cost of an already expensive material.

Lnovatin

Material based on recycled flax fibers, characterized by high performance and non-hygroscopicity. It provides a favorable microclimate in the room, because when the humidity level rises, it absorbs excess moisture, and when it drops, it gives it away. In addition, this feature allows you to protect the wood from decay.

Due to the composition of the material is absolutely safe.

Jute

The material is made on the basis of wood fibers exotic tree- jute. Due to the high content of resins in the material, it literally repels water, and also provides antibacterial protection not only to the interventional gaps, but also to adjacent logs. However, the high resin content is also a disadvantage. Under their influence, the material quickly becomes rigid, dries out, which leads to the appearance of cracks. This phenomenon can be avoided by mixing jute with linen.

artificial

Among the materials of artificial origin, several options also stand out:

Heaters based on polyester fiber. They are characterized by biostability, non-hygroscopicity and vapor permeability. Available in the form of ribbons. Among the most well-known manufacturers are Politerm (Finland) and Avaterm (Russia).

PSUL(pre-compressed sealing tape). A material with low thermal conductivity, a feature of which is the ability to contract and expand following deformations and changes in the geometry of wood.

Sealants. Sealants on silicone, polyurethane or acrylic base are also used for caulking a log house, but they are not independent seals. Their purpose is to seal cracks directly in the logs, as well as to apply over artificial seals. hallmark is the ability of sealants to expand and contract in response to the expansion or contraction of wood.

Requirements

The main requirement for insulation for interventional seams is a low coefficient of thermal conductivity. In addition, the material must be moisture resistant, since there are no other waterproofing and vapor-permeable layers for caulking. Since the insulation is in contact with environment, it must be resistant to winds, high and low temperatures and their abrupt change, as well as to UV rays.

If a we are talking about the insulation of the inside of the log house, then you should choose environmentally friendly seals. They must be non-toxic, not emit hazardous compounds under the influence of high temperatures.

The biostability of the material is also an important quality associated with its durability. It is good if the seal does not attract birds, insects, does not become a home and food for rodents and microorganisms.

Given the complexity and high cost, it can be noted that this material should be characterized by durability. The heat efficiency of the sealant should be maintained for 15-20 years.

There are several options for insulation, as already mentioned. If we talk about the methods of laying the sealant, then it can be laid in the process of erecting a log house or at the end of construction work.

At internal insulation thermal insulation of interventional gaps can be combined with the organization of insulation according to the principle of a ventilated frame. In this case, after the first and repeated sealing of the interventional seams, the surface of the log house is stuffed with wooden crate, the step of which should be 1-2 cm less than the width of the insulation.

Then, between the lags of the frame, a heater is attached, on top of it - sheets of drywall. An air gap of 30-50 mm is maintained between the insulation and the finish. Drywall sheets are plastered and decorated.

Before attaching the crate, the surface of the log house is covered with an antiseptic. Similar actions are done in relation to the surfaces of the lags.

Choice

The specific insulation technique depends on the type of structure and climatic features. It is believed that a new, properly built log house needs only interventional insulation. Additional thermal insulation from the inside will disturb the microclimate in the room and hide the aesthetic log walls. Baths do not need insulation from the inside either, since an additional layer of insulation will get wet, which will lead to freezing of the wall.

Primary caulking, embedding not large cracks are carried out by "stretching", while re-insulation or elimination of wide gaps - by the "set-up" method.

Instruments

To carry out the procedure for warming interventional seams, you will need the following materials and tools:

caulking- a tool that looks like a chisel, with which you can insulate gaps of various widths (from 2 to 10 cm);
caulk- is a thick narrow wedge for expanding excessively narrow gaps, allowing them to be filled easier and with better quality;
flat chisel, having a blade 50-60 mm wide, up to 5 mm thick - serves for laying a sealant in the corners, rounded parts of the log house;

mallet- is a hammer made of wood, serves to clog the seal;
road builder- a kind of caulking for the formation of even rollers from a twisted heat insulator;
a hammer- they hit the mallet, driving the sealant into the interventional space;
insulation.

The power tool, the puncher loses to the described tools, since they do not allow the formation of a dense roller from the material, but only drive it into the slot.

Methods and technology

There are two technologies for the caulking process:

"Stretch". It is usually used for primary sealing of seams and involves maximum stretching of the material along the entire length of the log house. First, the first strand of insulation is laid, and on top of it - a twisted second strand. The fibers of the insulation are perpendicular to the direction of the logs, and the ends are folded into a flat roller, which is hammered into the seam.

"Vnabor". The method is used for re-caulking when the house has shrunk. This method involves driving a small amount of insulation, the strand of which is formed into a loop. Then, with the help of a mallet or caulk, it is hammered into the slot, and the insulation fibers take a position perpendicular to the wood.

The process ends with a final seal. For this, a special tool is used - a road builder.

If you decide to caulk a house or a bath with your own hands, you should focus on the instructions. The step by step process looks like this:

Cleaning the interventional gap from dust and debris. It is convenient to use a vacuum cleaner for this.
Insulation preparation: roll material should be dissolved over the entire length of the log house, with a small (about 20 cm) margin. It is necessary, because in some areas the material can lie in a wave, and it should be enough for one tier.
One of the ends of the insulation tape is driven into the slot with a mallet.
Then the material is hammered into the slot with a mallet and caulk. It is important to ensure that the seam is tight, there are no distortions.
If a synthetic insulation was used, a sealant is applied over it.

When the insulation is laid during the assembly of logs, it must be placed immediately on the first row, leaving the overhanging ends of the material on both sides. Then a second crown is placed, on top of it - a heater. So the work is carried out until the very the last log. When all work is completed, and the installation of the roof is also carried out, the hanging ends of the sealant are hammered into the gaps with the help of caulking. It is necessary to correctly collect the hanging ends to the center of the crown.

When laying insulation (primarily for moss), it is important to ensure that it evenly lies on the surface of the logs. Their translucence through the insulation is unacceptable, otherwise the chopped house will turn out to be cold. If tape insulation is used, then it is rolled out along the crown and fixed with brackets. If the tape is over, then the next roll begins to overlap (about 5 cm) to prevent the formation of gaps.

Caulking any wooden bath must be carried out in two stages: after the completion of construction and after a year of shrinkage. For work, the same insulation is used, which is laid between the links during construction. Traditionally, baths are used for caulking: moss, felt, tow, hemp. Readers will learn how to properly caulk a bath with their own hands, what tools are needed and the intricacies of the work, having studied the article to the end.

In any case, you will have to caulk the bath. The main thing is to do the job carefully.

When assembling the bath box, a heater is laid between each log or beam. But wood shrinks regardless of chamber drying material or natural humidity. When shrinking, space appears between the logs, so it is necessary to caulk the bath for the first time in order to seal the seam and the second to eliminate the gaps that have formed.

It is easier to caulk a log cabin with the help of special tools: a caulk and a rubber mallet or mallet. If there is no caulk, then you can use a regular chisel.

What material is better to caulk a bath?

For caulking a log cabin, a steam room uses natural heaters: moss, hemp, tow, felt. All materials are available, but each must be prepared in its own way.

Preparing moss for caulking

Seam insulation with moss traditional way used by our grandfathers. Moss can be collected independently or purchased ready-made at a hardware store.

Moss for caulking is one of the most environmentally friendly materials.

The price of moss is from 250 rubles, so it's cheaper to collect in the forest. The collected moss is laid out under a canopy and left to dry for 1-2 weeks. It is necessary to mix the moss every 2-3 days so that it does not rot. Using damp moss will cause mold and wood decay. But it is necessary to monitor drying, as overdried moss will be fragile and difficult to work with.

Moss Pros:

Profitability (you can dial for free in the forest).
Natural, which means that environmental friendliness is not violated.

The material has more disadvantages:

It becomes brittle when dry.
It is difficult to caulk a bath.
Afraid of moisture and mold.
Short-lived.
It burns well.

Choosing moss to caulk a log house is necessary only as a savings. From the point of view of practicality and durability, it is better to pay attention to something else.

Preparation of felt for caulking

Felt is a natural material based on wool. But modern felt may be composed of smoked fibers. Moreover, the composition happens: 60% wool and 40% artificial fiber, 70% man-made fiber and 30% wool. For a bath, they choose completely natural or with a high content of wool felt. The fact is that natural material does not burn, but simply smolders. Artificial felt is flammable.

Felt for bath caulking is suitable natural or with a small addition of artificial fibers.

Before work, the felt must be treated with a formalin solution, it will not allow moths to get divorced in the wool. After spraying, the felt is hung out in the sun and dried thoroughly.

The main advantages of felt include:

Naturalness.
Caulking a log house is easy.

Natural material is afraid of moisture and rots.
Mice and birds love to use felt to build their nests, and pick the material out of the crevices in the log house.
High price natural insulation.

Preparing tow for bath caulking

Tow does not need to be specially prepared before work. But moths and other insects like to settle in natural material, therefore, the tow is impregnated with any protective composition, for example, formalin.

Tow for bath caulking can be bought in bales.

The main advantages of using tow:

Low price.
Natural material.
Ease of operation.

Afraid of moisture.
Over time, it may begin to rot.
Mice settle in heaters.

Tow is an alternative to moss, since the price of the material starts from 70 rubles.

Jute and flax fiber for bath caulking

Modern insulation options: jute and flax fiber can also be used to caulk a log house. But despite the manufacturer's assurances about the naturalness of heaters, most of them contain artificial additives. They make jute and flax fiber durable, but environmental friendliness is reduced.

Yuan jute is sold in the form of a ribbon.

Natural jute is made from bast wood of the linden family. Jute has high strength, durability and resistance to moisture. Water, falling on the material, does not linger on the jute fibers, but quickly disappears.

Flax fiber is made from flax waste. The material performed well construction sites. Does not rot and does not absorb moisture. But there are pitfalls, sellers offer the buyer flax wool instead of flax fiber. The materials are similar in composition, but batting has 40% artificial fiber. You can distinguish one from the other by color, lnovatin is light, and the fibers of natural insulation are darker.

Produced in the form of tape, cord. To caulk the log cabin of the bath, tape jute or flax fiber is used.

It is necessary to caulk the log cabin of your bath with a heater that meets your requirements and capabilities.

Caulking a bath is necessary in two stages:

immediately after the installation of the box;
after shrinkage of the bath.

It is difficult to re-caulk a log house from a profiled beam, since the lock will not allow the work to be carried out efficiently. Therefore, it is better to take a material with a profile chamber-drying or glued. So, shrinkage will be minimal and you won’t have to caulk again. All other types: a log, a simple bar, cylindering must be re-caulked. You need to work with special tools, as shown in the video:

Tools for the job

To caulk a log house use different kinds caulking:

typesetting;
curve;
broken;

A mallet (mushkel) is also needed. The tool is used to strike the caulk during work. The mallet can be replaced with an ordinary rubber mallet. We need a road builder, the tool helps to align the seam after punching with caulks.

What subtleties you need to know when caulking a bath

You need to caulk the walls of the bath from the bottom up around the entire perimeter. Moreover, the work is first done by caulking one row from the inside and outside, then the second, etc. The fact is that when caulking, the bath rises by 5–15 cm. If you do not work consistently, then the structure will warp. By caulking the bottom groove along the entire perimeter, outside and inside, then the second, the bath structure will rise smoothly and evenly.

Caulking baths start from the bottom, around the perimeter.

It is necessary to take care of the chimney before caulking the log house. The pipe is released at the junction with the ceiling and roof or removed for a while so as not to be damaged.

There are two ways to caulk a bath:

in a set;
stretched.

Let's consider each in more detail.

Bath caulk in a set

Caulking into the set is necessary when sealing large gaps and grooves. The selected material is twisted into a bundle of 15–20 mm and, for convenience, wound into a small ball. The tourniquet is substituted for the gap and hammered with a caulk and a mallet, as in the photo.

Caulker in a set and stretched.

First from above, then from below. Align everything with the help of a road builder.

Caulking bath stretched out

The insulation does not need to be twisted into a bundle. It is simply stuffed into the gap between the links, and then pierced with a mallet. Perform work until the insulation stops interfering between the logs of the log cabin of the bath.

It is necessary to caulk the log house slowly, carefully closing up every crack. Places where it is difficult to hit with a tool simply foam mounting foam.

We answered the question of how to properly caulk a bath various methods. After the log cabin of the bath has finished caulking, it must be sanded and coated protective compounds. We'll talk about this next time.

One of the main measures for warming a bath from a log house is caulking (caulking). Caulking is a clogging of the gaps between the log crowns with environmentally friendly insulating materials. In this article, we are talking about how to make a log cabin caulk on your own and what materials and tools will be required for this.

Article
Video

The purpose of the log caulk

After all the crowns of the bath from the log house are laid, inserted and the roof is closed, it is necessary to proceed to the process. They insulated the log house from ancient times, and this process remained virtually unchanged until today. The only thing that has changed is the materials and tools for caulking (we will talk about them a little later).

Caulking a log house is necessary for the following reasons:

For well-insulated, it will take less time to warm up the steam room and other rooms
The log house tends to dry out, as a result of which gaps are formed in the design of the bath, which will need to be hammered
If heat comes out of the bath, condensation forms outside the log house, which will cause the log house to rot.
A well-insulated sauna will require less fuel (coal, gas, wood or even electricity) to heat.

As you can see, caulking a log house is a very serious and at the same time useful event.

When do you need to caulk a log house?

As we know, it takes at least one year to shrink a log building. Based on this, there is a lot of disagreement about the time of caulking a log house.

The first caulking of the log house must be carried out immediately after laying all the crowns and covering the roof.

The second caulking of the log house is carried out after the bathhouse partially shrinks (about a year later). Despite the fact that during the first caulking all the gaps will be tightly clogged, in a year there will be a place for another warming of the bath in the interventional cracks.

Well, the last caulk of the log house should be carried out at the moment when the bath is completely seated, no later than after 5 years.

We draw your attention to the fact that do-it-yourself caulking of a log house must be carried out as with outside baths, and from the inside. Another important point: during high-quality caulking, the bath can rise by about 7-10 cm, so it’s better not to fix it with the roof so that it doesn’t deform during this time.

Materials for caulking a log house

To date, for caulking a log house with your own hands, you can use moss, tow, special sealant, jute and lnovatin. Let's take a quick look at the benefits of each material.

Moss

Previously, the log house was caulked with moss. This material for caulking is still used by some builders, but most experts prefer more modern materials.

The advantage of moss is that it is 100% environmentally friendly material that has antimicrobial properties and at the same time has high durability.

The disadvantage of caulking a log house with moss is the high cost of this insulation.

Moss for caulking should not be too dry, but at the same time, it should not be too wet.

Tow is also often used for log caulking, but this material is not recommended. Firstly, caulking a log house with tow is a very laborious process. Secondly, tow absorbs moisture, so after a few seasons it can begin to rot, thereby damaging the crowns of the log house. Thirdly, it is very difficult to pick out a rotten tow from the inter-crown cracks, especially since repeated caulking is not a very pleasant process. And fourthly, tow is a delicacy for moths.

Jute is an environmentally friendly material plant origin. It is often used for caulking a log house with your own hands, because. this material has the following advantages:

The material has high strength
Jute practically does not absorb water, and therefore does not rot.
Jute has good thermal insulation properties

We draw your attention to the fact that often in construction stores instead of jute they offer an analogue - jute felt. We do not recommend using jute felt for caulking a log house, because. this material has a share of flax, and this significantly reduces the strength and increases the hygroscopic properties of the material.

The caulking of the log house with jute is carried out during the erection of the structure from the log house. The material is laid on top of the crowns and fastened with a construction stapler.

Lnovatin is also used for log caulking. This material consists of compacted linen dust, which is made in long ribbons. Lnovatin, like jute, has high strength and heat-insulating properties.

sealant

Actively gaining popularity and special sealants for caulking a log house. They are most often used in conjunction with jute. There are different types of sealants depending on the width of the cracks. We draw your attention to the fact that it is advisable to use the sealant together with jute or flax, this will make the thermal insulation of the bath more effective.

To date, the following set of tools is used for caulking a log house with their own hands:

caulking
Curved caulk (requires skill to work, but more effective)
Road worker (used with a caulk)
Caulker (narrower, in some places it is more convenient to work with it)
Mallet (used to drive caulk into cracks)

It is recommended to use soft caulks (for example, made of wood), because. they will not damage the surface of the log house. The only problem is that soft caulking is more difficult to use, but with a few warmings you will definitely adapt to this tool.

Do-it-yourself log house caulking technology

Do-it-yourself caulking technology is quite complicated, although you can’t say this from the outside. As we said earlier, when caulking a log house, the structure becomes 7-10 cm higher, so you need to caulk evenly and correctly.

You should know that no finishing measures should be carried out before caulking the log house, because. during the lifting of the structure, they will immediately be damaged.

The correct caulking of the log house implies the warming of the interventional space in tiers (from the bottom to the top). First, we caulk the lowest joint (between the first and second crown). This must be done around the perimeter, starting from one corner and ending with it. As soon as the tier is insulated, you need to move to the overlying crown.

We draw your attention to the fact that it is extremely forbidden to carry out isolated caulking (for example, only one wall), because. the construction of the log house can noticeably warp.

It should be noted that experienced builders can level a skewed log house using only caulking.

When caulking a log house, it is necessary to carefully hammer in the insulation at the corners, because. these nodes need it the most (due to the presence of locks and complex grooves).

There are two ways to caulk a log house with your own hands: “stretched” and “set”. The first method is used if the gaps between the crowns are small, respectively, the second is intended for wide gaps. Let's take a closer look at each of the methods.

For caulking a “stretched” log house, you will need a strand of insulating material for the length of the entire gap. First, you need to tamp one side of the strand into the gap, then bend the other side (as shown in the picture) and carefully hammer it with a caulk or caulk.

This method of caulking a log house with your own hands requires much more insulation material, but it better insulates the bath from the log house. Caulking technology is different: a strand with a thickness of at least 15 mm is prepared. Next, the strands must be typed into loops and alternately hammer each loop into the gap (so that the strand goes across the gap, as shown in the picture). It is necessary to hammer the strand with the help of a split caulk, knocking the material from above, and then from below. After the strand is completely crammed into the slots, it is recommended to make a final compaction using a road builder.

Usually the construction of a building is not the end point of the entire project. In order for the house to serve good term It is important to follow the rules of care and preventive maintenance. This is especially true for log buildings. One of key points you need to know how to caulk a log house.

What, why, when

A bathhouse or a house that was built from rounded logs or log cabins usually shrinks. In some cases, this value can reach 15–20 cm in the first year. This factor must be taken into account when designing. Such a phenomenon with the fact that part of the moisture is lost and drying occurs. During the course of this process, loose abutments of the material may appear where everything previously seemed to be quite tight. To compensate for this unpleasant fact, it will be necessary to seal the seams. Simply put, this is an event that is aimed at sealing gaps to prevent drafts, as well as reduce heat loss. Caulking should be carried out after complete shrinkage, which occurs within 6-7 months.

The better

In order to produce the process of sealing the log cabin as efficiently as possible, it is necessary to acquire not only good tool, but also suitable material and also have an idea of how to use them correctly. From the devices we need:

Caulker. This is a small device that appearance resembles a chisel or chisel. Usually, at least two types are required for high-quality tasks. One of them is called a set. The width of its blade can reach 10 cm. Thanks to it, you can quickly go through large areas. The second will be smaller, about 2-3 cm. It will be needed during compaction corner connections. Skillful craftsmen use a crooked tool that allows you to do the job much better, but requires special skill.
material to fill gaps. Previously, only natural fibers were used for these purposes. Today, synthetic materials have already been invented, as well as various sealants.
A hammer. In this case, you can use any that is on the farm, but it is better if it is a small sledgehammer.

Some masters believe that it will be more convenient to work with wood or rubber mallet, since the impact is soft, the logs are not damaged as a result. Opinions may differ, so everyone chooses the most suitable tool for himself.

moss

For these purposes, swamp red moss is used. This is one of the most environmentally friendly methods. It serves as a kind of antiseptic that prevents rotting. It has been used for centuries. This material allows the wood to breathe. the best way. You can not lay it too wet, you need to let it dry a little.

If this is not done, then this can lead to the fact that the joints will begin to rot and the structure will become unusable. But laying it dry is also not recommended. In this state, it will crumble easily, and subsequently will not be able to seal the seams hermetically. Before it is hammered, it is necessary to carry out certain processing. A water-based solution (10 l) is prepared, to which 500 ml of oil and 250 g laundry soap. Everything is mixed until the soap is completely dissolved. After that, the moss is soaked and laid down to drain a little. To ease the formation of the roller, some craftsmen add tow fibers.

tow

It is also a natural material that is very familiar to plumbers. Due to its fibrous structure, it serves as a good sealant. Some masters are not very fond of this fiber. The thing is, it's hard to work with. Also, over time, the tow becomes unusable, which will force you to take out its remnants and do everything again. Before laying, it will need to be treated with a special substance that will serve as an antiseptic, as well as repel insects that can feed on both the fibers themselves and harm the wood.

An excellent material that, like moss, allows the tree to breathe. It is a good odor filter. AT modern material began to add additional synthetic inclusions, which made it even more durable. The main disadvantage of using this solution is that the moth loves to feast on felt. Before caulking it is processed special formulations that repel this insect.

A modern material that is 100% linen and is a waste product. It is a good seal that does not interfere with air circulation. It has some rigidity, which complicates the process of caulking.

One of the most the best materials. It not only perfectly fills the gaps, but also protects the interventional space from moisture penetration. Birds don't use it to build their nests, so you don't have to worry about pecking at it. It is made from lime wood. Usually it is imported from other countries. The material is soft and flexible.

Jute rope. In addition to its direct purpose, such a caulk acts as a decorative finish.

Sealant

This is modern method. Many manufacturers have joined this race. The material is supplied in special tubes. It is applied to the joints, after which a beautiful seam is formed.

Which one to choose is the decision of each individual. Everything will depend on the budget, as well as on the availability of a particular material in a particular area. But it is better not to save on the material.

Technology

The process of sealing interventional seams is divided into two types. They are interchangeable and rather complement each other.

Stretching. This type got its name due to the fact that the material is stretched along the entire seam and the fibers are intertwined. Usually it is used for primary caulking. After the construction of the log house, the cracks are still quite small, so it makes no sense to fill them with a thick layer of insulation and it is useless. The material is arranged in fibers so that they are perpendicular to the logs. With the help of a tool, it is pushed into the cracks. After that, the ends that remain hanging are tucked into a roller and tightly rammed into the seam.
To the set. This method is used after the log house has shrunk and the cracks have become more visible. To do this, you will need to collect all the fibers in a heap and make ropes out of them, which are then wound into a ball. Moreover, the thickness of such a rope will have to be calculated separately for each seam, because the gaps are not the same everywhere.

After the spread of roll material, the process of sealing seams has been greatly simplified. Primary laying is usually carried out immediately when laying the logs. To do this, roll material is placed on the lunar recess and fixed with construction stapler. Next, the log is placed in its place. No need to carry out additional work after complete assembly.

During primary sealing, it is important not to save material, but also not to lay it in a large layer. One strip will not be enough, so two are stacked. One should go next to the other, and the edges protrude a few centimeters. This is very important to give stability to the log and make it easier for yourself when re-processing is carried out.

Secondary compaction, which is carried out at least six months later, is not the last. Approximately in 4-5 years, when the building sits completely, it will be necessary to process the seams again. You can follow the following sequence:

We clean the seams of debris and material that has come out or worn out. You can walk around with a vacuum cleaner to make your task easier.
Caulking should be done side by side, not wall-to-wall. Those. you need to move around the circumference of each row. This is important so that there is no distortion and the building is not damaged.
Should start with outer side and then go inside the building.
You need to unwind the tape. Its length should be 15–20 cm longer than the length of the wall. This is important, because in the process of compaction, folds are formed, for which this reserve will go.
Now it is important to gently tuck one of the edges of the tape into the slot to fix it.
Next, using a caulk and a hammer, we make a seal. To do this, raise the hanging end, tuck it in and knock it out. This operation must be completed in several passes. You should not try to score everything at once, as this can cause distortion faster and the sealing itself will be worse. When twisted several times, a seam is formed in the form of a rope, which is dense enough not to let air in from the street.
We repeat the operation from the inside.
We move from the lower (collar) crown to the upper one. Perhaps in the upper part it will be enough just to gently tuck the material without much effort so as not to prevent further shrinkage.

You have to be careful not to overdo the layer. During caulking, the log house rises. Making the underlay too thick can cause the rise to exceed the size of a single log. The consequence may be that the dowels will not withstand and the bars will fall out.

Insulation with sealant is much easier. For this, a special lace is purchased. suitable diameter. It is usually made from synthetic materials. Without effort, he fits into the seam to cover the gap. After that, the mastic is applied. Its layer should be 5 mm wide and 10 mm high. After application, the composition is sprayed with impregnation, after which it is leveled with a small spatula. In the first few days, you will have to curtain the seams from the sunny side, because. usually the manufacturer advises to avoid direct sun rays until completely dry.

Sealant is also applied after application natural materials. It helps protect the seal from pests and animals. Inside the house, instead of sealant, it will be possible to use twine of sufficient diameter to decorate the caulked joints.

Usually, self-sealing a log house does not cause any particular difficulties and does not require great skills. The only thing you need is patience, because it will take a lot of time.

Video

This video shows the process of caulking with acrylic sealants:

In order for a house or a bathhouse made of a log house to serve for a long time, not to be blown through, and the building not to warp, you need the right caulk.

Various materials can be used for caulking: tow, jute, wool, felt or moss.

Moss is a material for caulking, proven for centuries. Moss caulked the log cabins of the generations of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers, and wooden houses built by them are still standing today. The most suitable mosses for construction are cuckoo flax and sphagnum.

Moss is placed between the logs as a heater during the assembly of the log house, and after the log house is assembled, caulking is carried out. The log house is caulked twice: the first time - immediately after assembly, the second - when the house shrinks completely, that is, after 1.5-2 years.

In order for dry moss not to crumble, it is moistened before caulking.

The log house is caulked with the help of special tools - mallets and caulks.

Caulker is a small wooden spatula, which is made from the same tree from which the log house is made. If it is made of harder wood, it will leave dents and scratches on the logs. There are also bent caulks for caulking seams at the junction of logs, made of harder wood or metal. It makes sense to use them only if there is already some experience in working with this tool. But, in general, in order to properly caulk a log house, a simple caulk is enough. Kiyanka is wooden hammer, which are struck on the caulk so that the applied force is greater, and the moss fills the interventional space more densely.

Caulking starts with lower crown, gradually moving up. Of course, you need to caulk each crown around the perimeter of the log house, first from the outside, then from the inside. If you caulk each wall in turn, or lay the caulk separately only outside or only inside, the house will warp. Wedging of crowns with caulking is unacceptable.

The laying technology of sphagnum moss and cuckoo flax is somewhat different.

Before laying, sphagnum moss is slightly fluffed by hands and the fibers are placed across the logs so that its fibers hang down by at least 50 mm. So stack several layers (somewhere 5-10 cm). Then, with the help of caulking blades, it is tightly hammered between the crowns.

Kukushkin flax is used as a tape insulation and is laid between the crowns with ribbons about 40 cm long, also in several layers 5-10 cm thick. The moss ribbons are superimposed on each other with an overlap of approximately 5 cm. Then the moss is also tightly caulked between the crowns.

Caulking a log house is not a difficult task, but it requires a lot of attention. At all its stages, it is necessary to ensure that the log house does not warp, and the seams are tight, but the logs do not come off from each other.