How to caulk a house made of timber? A question that faces every owner of a wooden house. It has a very relevant basis, since the caulking process ensures the insulation of the house, and therefore the maintenance optimal microclimate indoors. This characteristic is extremely important when it comes to comfortable living conditions.
Exists great amount skeptics who claim that this process not only is not beneficial, but also harms the design. Their claims are based on the fact that such houses undergo special treatment, which eliminates the possibility of shrinkage. And the formation of any cracks is simply impossible.
In practice, everything is completely different. Any tree species After time it can be dried. This process modifies the structure of the material and its shape. Deformation and drying occur, which ensures the formation of gaps. It is when these problems become noticeable that it is necessary to caulk the house made of timber. If this is not done, then according to all the laws of physics warm air from the room will leak out, being replaced by cold. Timely insulation work will save any home from such a problem.
Devices for work
The question of how to caulk correctly first of all involves the right choice of material for the job. The main requirement placed on it is that the material must be similar to the structure of wood. In addition, do not forget about the issue of ecology. There are a number of other requirements to consider:
This method of insulating houses has come from ancient times. Previously people To achieve this goal, various substances such as flax tow or moss were used. In light of development modern technologies, which also affected this area, a material called jute was developed. However the best option is bog moss.
Swamp moss significantly extends the life of the building.
This is due to the fact that it has specific qualities. Its unique structure acts not only as insulation, but also as an antiseptic that fights various fungi, mold, and rot.
Linen tow also has its place in this type of work. However, she does not have such high performance like moss. She happens to be industrial waste, which through processing acquires new life. However, its qualities leave much to be desired.
As for jute, it is imported goods, which appeared on the market quite recently. He's pretty tall qualitative indicators, but still lower than that of moss. But its advantages are that it is much easier to purchase, and the operating process is much easier.
Features of the work
The caulking process is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. House from wooden beam- Not simple design, the components of which fit perfectly together. And in order not to disturb the joint features, it is recommended to use a material whose width does not exceed 5 mm. If the house is built from a homemade log house, then this figure can soar to great heights, reaching 10 cm.
Most often, the timber has the same shape. Top part has a groove into which a groove fits, and the bottom one is equipped with the same groove. Along the edges there are elevations at the top and, accordingly, at the bottom of the border. To provide high-quality thermal insulation, it is important to ensure that the insulating material hangs about 4 cm on each side.
The caulking process is always carried out the same way. Work starts at the top and gradually works down to the base of the house. To carry out this line of work, it is strongly recommended to acquire a couple of assistants, since it is extremely difficult, sometimes even unrealistic, to carry out caulking on your own. To carry out the work you will definitely need the following set of tools: caulk, kitchen knife, putty knife.
It is worth remembering that the thickness of the material that will serve as insulation directly depends on the gaps that have formed in the walls. You should not take material that is too thick that it will be impossible to stuff under any circumstances. However, if the material is too thin, it will not have any significant effect. It is worth paying careful attention to the width of the gap in order to avoid mistakes at this stage. The work is carried out measuredly and slowly, checking each finished joint.
Conclusion on the topic
The caulking process is quite complex and painstaking. However, with the proper skill and certain knowledge, you can do the work yourself. It is much easier to do this if you ask for help. Three people can complete this task in a matter of days.
By completing the entire scope of work on time, you can avoid unpleasant factors such as drafts, condensation, etc. It is important to remember that by insulating a house, the owner not only saves on heating, but also takes care of the health of others.
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Caulking a house made of timber is the process of compacting the space between the logs and crowns. This sealing of gaps saves heat indoors and helps maintain optimal temperature regime, and also avoid problems associated with drafts.
What to do if cracks appear in logs, beams or block houses? What materials are there for sealing them and how to use them correctly? Is it possible to do this yourself? You will find answers to these and many other questions, as well as professional advice, in this article.
A hundred years ago, a log house was the most popular option for housing construction. In our forest-rich area, towers and huts have been built from time immemorial with the help of an ax and a saw, laying hand-hewn logs with moss. Craftsmen achieved perfection in working with wood, but rapid progress gave people new materials, allowing them to calibrate beams and cylinder logs. Today, houses made of timber or logs are “eco-friendly antiques”, accessible to the majority. However, the tree remains a tree and the problems that owners faced hundreds of years ago are still relevant today. Only the ways of solving them have changed. This is what we will talk about.
Longitudinal cracks in wood
What you should know in advance when choosing a wooden house:
- Despite all the natural advantages, wood retains natural disadvantages - hygroscopicity, susceptibility to decomposition, oxidation of the outer layer, torsion, drying out, shrinkage, etc.
- For all the cases listed above, there are modern “antidotes”.
- The log house requires constant maintenance during operation. Miscellaneous works are held at different intervals (1/3/5/10 seasons).
- A house made of logs or timber will retain enough heat only in mild winter(up to -15 at normal humidity). For living in colder periods, insulation or increased heating will be required.
- The tree is afraid of wind, moisture and sun. That's why perfect place for a wooden house - natural environment (wooded area).
- The tree has the most high degree fire danger of all building materials(for walls).
So, all the nuances have been taken into account, the house has been built or purchased and we are ready to deal with all the problems, finishing the appearance and operational properties to perfection.
Due to the fibrous structure, a log or beam has defects that spread longitudinally. A transverse crack or dent occurs extremely rarely in the event of overload or rotting of the material. In such cases, the log is not subject to repair, but to complete or partial replacement.
Longitudinal cracks, based on their location in the structure (direction), are divided into:
- Direct. Approximately coincides with the axis of the log (timber).
- Spiral (uneven). Does not match the axis.
- Segmental. Uneven cracks with fiber transition.
In all cases, one selected method is used. As a rule, this is insulation and subsequent sealing of the sinus. This combined method is the simplest and most accessible today. It is suitable for cracks with an opening width of 5 mm. Smaller defects are sealed with a special sealant. The described method is perfect for a block house.
Question. Why not seal all the cracks with just sealant?
Answer. This will be very expensive due to the high consumption of sealant. At the same time, his thermal insulation properties an order of magnitude lower than insulation.
What you will need:
- Thermal insulating filler. This could be a special thermal harness or just a strip of foam rubber.
- Sealant, professional gun.
- Metal knives and scrapers.
- Hand sprayer with water.
- Pieces of foam rubber, rags.
Attention! Before starting work, make sure that the wall material is dry (normal humidity). Treat the internal cavities with an antiseptic.
Operating procedure:
1. Clean the edges of the crack from sawdust, loose wood, and wood chips.
2. Fill the cavity with a thermal tourniquet (foam rubber). On the outside, ½–¼ of the crack remains for sealant to be applied.
Attention! If you use foam rubber, you should not tamp it down too hard. Any insulation in a compressed state loses its properties. The thermocouple is not subject to crushing.
3. Place the sealant in the sinus.
4. Using a foam brush, smooth the sealant along the edges so that you get a continuous smooth surface. For a better effect, you can wet the sealant with water from a spray bottle.
Attention! Don't do this with your finger. The quality will be low, but the risk of getting a splinter will be high.
5. Remove any remaining sealant from the surface with a rag.
The choice of sealant is the most critical part of this work, if you do it yourself or “problem good master"Solved. An experienced specialist will advise you suitable option. Most of these products are universal - suitable for any type of work. “Internal” sealants, as a rule, differ slightly in price from “external” ones. The companies that produce them have an assortment of related products - thermal rope, felt.
Sealants for cracks and joints of logs and beams:
| Name, manufacturer | Release form | Unit price, rub. | Consumption, g/linear m* | Cost of processing 1 linear m, rub. |
| NEOMID Warm house Wood Professional, Russia | Cartridge 310 ml (420 g) | 200 | 70 | 25 |
| File package 600 ml (815 g) | 360 | |||
| Bucket 15 kg | 5400 | |||
| EUROTEX seam sealant for wood NPP Rogneda, Russia | Bucket 3 kg | 1100 | 170 | 54 |
| Bucket 6 kg | 2000 | |||
| Bucket 25 kg | 8000 | |||
| TENAX Tenaplasts, Latvia | File package 600 ml (815 g) | 240 | 75 | 52 |
| Bucket 15 kg | 3500 | |||
| Therma-Chink Accent, Russia | Cartridge 400 g | 280 | 70 | 28 |
| Tube 900 g | 360 | |||
| Bucket 3 kg | 1200 | |||
| Bucket 6 kg | 2350 | |||
| Bucket 7 kg | 2700 | |||
| Bucket 15 kg | 5800 | |||
| PermaChink, USA | Cartridge (sample) 325 ml | 800 | 63 | 110 |
| Bucket 19 l | 19000 |
* - consumption is indicated per 1 meter linear seam 10 mm wide and 5 mm deep (0.5 cm 2)
Question. And yet, what is the difference between a thermal tourniquet and simple foam rubber?
Answer. Condensation can accumulate in the pores of foam rubber and destroy the material over time.
Thermal tapes are made of polyethylene, are universal and can be used with any sealant. Sealing cords of the “Energoflex” type are the most convenient and popular look this material. It is produced by different companies, but the name “Energoflex” is used by almost everyone.
Sealing cords (harnesses):
| Name | Manufacturer | Diameter, mm | Price 1 linear m | Release form |
| Cord Energoflex | Russia | 6 | 5 | Bay 800 m |
| 20 | 20 | Bay 150 m | ||
| Belgium | 6 | 6 | Bay 1500 m | |
| 8 | 6,5 | Bay 900 m | ||
| Wood Security | Russia | 6 | 5 | Box 150–450 m |
| 10 | 9 | Box 150–450 m | ||
| 20 | 21 | Box 150–450 m | ||
| Vilaterm "Tilit" | Russia | 6 | 2,9 | Packing 800 m |
| 8 | 3.7 | Packing 800 m | ||
| 20 | 7,5 | Packing 150 m |
In houses made of long timber or logs, in addition to natural cracks in solid wood, horizontal gaps appear at the joints of elements. Even if the initial installation is done efficiently, this still happens due to natural causes- wood shrinkage. Measures to prevent problems associated with this phenomenon depend on the material itself.
Slots at the junction of calibrated timber
Here it is reasonable to mention the main advantage of calibrated timber over logs. The presence of a tongue-and-groove system on the longitudinal edges of the timber reduces to zero the possibility of air passing through. However, opening the joint even to a small depth allows winter period cold air passes inside the wall, which contributes to the formation of condensation (cold bridge). In spring and autumn, humidified air penetrates there. The tree takes in moisture, and oxidation and rotting processes can begin.
Modern method of blocking joints wooden log houses looks the same as for cracks. In this case, the same materials are used - sealant and Energoflex cord. Sealing materials for log houses from different companies are usually labeled with the name “Warm seam”.
Slots at the junction of logs
With a log the situation is somewhat more complicated than with timber. Here, in case of severe shrinkage, through passages of air may occur. This problem usually occurs in homes that did not receive preventive measures at the right time. The log dries out and cold air enters through the widened joint. wet air, cushioning material (felt, moss, tow, jute) is destroyed and eroded. In this case, the load from the crowns in this place is distributed unevenly, which can lead to distortions.
In order to correct the situation, you need to caulk the joint.
Caulking is a dry method of filling joints between wood elements. This procedure came to us unchanged thousands of years later: a rope or tow, stuffed into a crack, became a stronghold of navigation and wooden house construction. Previously, to seal, the material was impregnated with a hydrophobic compound - tar, resin and oils.
When insulating seams, the caulked material is sealed on top with a sealed layer that does not conduct moisture. Therefore, there is no need for its additional hydrophobization.
What you will need:
- Shovel with hammer protection.
- Hammer 500–800 g.
- Jute, felt, tow.
- Masking tape (optional).
- Next are the points from the description of sealing cracks (except for the first).
Operating procedure:
- Using a spatula, the material is driven into the joint until it becomes elastic.
- If desired, the edges of the joint are covered with masking tape.
Attention! Under no circumstances should cracks be caulked. This will lead to increased stress and crack propagation. Only light compaction is allowed.
The described sealing materials have a (gradual) stretch coefficient of up to 4. This allows the wood to “live” and does not depressurize joints and cracks. They are made on the basis of acrylic, are non-toxic and are subject to all types of processing - tinting, sanding, painting. The service life of sealants is usually 20 years. published
Caulking a house made of timber does not mean sealing the gaps and cracks that arose during construction, however, the principle is very similar to this type of work.
Significant differences between caulking and the initial elimination of cracks exist only when processing log cabins. In order to be able to carry out all manipulations efficiently, the owners of the log house must adhere to several basic rules.
How to caulk log houses: from beginner to master
To properly caulk the timber you need to be very careful. It is necessary that the ends of the insulating material protrude at the corners of the log house by about 10 cm. For houses built according to this principle, insulation made from natural materials is excellent. Wood, a natural and breathable material, should not be filled with synthetic insulation.
How is the quality of the work done determined? To check, insert a kitchen knife into the previously caulked gap; with high quality work, the blade does not fit further than 1.5 cm. If the tip goes in much further, then additional caulking will be required.
As soon as all manipulations are completed, the previously caulked areas are covered with an additional tourniquet or nailed down with narrow wooden slats.
Is it necessary to caulk a timber house and why is it done?
Some builders are of the opinion that caulk timber house– unnecessary financial and time costs. They explain this by the fact that buildings made of profiled timber are almost not subject to shrinkage, and the wood itself has already been processed in advance. But it is necessary to take into account several significant nuances:
- Profiled timber– invented to save time and finances when building a wooden house. Pre-treatment helps it practically not dry out during the shrinkage process. The tongue-and-groove joints are ideal, the beams fit together with maximum precision, and during construction the crowns are insulated with natural material located between the interlocking parts. But with any treatment, the house will still settle, and even the most experienced manufacturers rarely provide a guarantee for the high quality of absolutely all timber. Movements occur, the beam shifts, the insulation can wrinkle. Even if no visible cracks appeared during the shrinkage process, gaps still formed in the spaces between the crowns. They accumulate moisture and, without treatment, are breeding grounds for mold, rot and mildew.
Timber with natural humidity – belongs to the category of relatively cheap building materials, is used to create “Economy” class buildings, requires mandatory insulation and siding trim. There will definitely be gaps between the crowns. When drying, such a log house will form additional wide gaps, because the timber itself will decrease in size. Because of them, the wall will lose its thermal insulation capabilities. Therefore, the walls are insulated and caulked at least three times.
Therefore, caulking a timber house is justified by the desire for its long-term operation. Insulation wooden walls natural and natural materials guarantee sealing, thermal insulation, absence of drafts, external icing.
Elimination of gaps and cracks using caulking in houses made of profiled timber
When insulating walls in such houses, it is correct to use materials of medium thickness, approximately 5 mm in diameter. A house made of profiled timber is caulked several times, and the caulking is carried out again as the building shrinks, after a year or a year and a half. To eliminate cracks in a log house made of this type of timber, you need several times less insulation. But if the log is rounded, then the material consumption increases significantly.
The modern market for construction and finishing materials offers for caulking not only natural and natural materials, such as jute, hemp tow or tow, but also their synthetic analogues. Manufacturers supply insulation from polyurethane foam and polyethylene foam. They are cheap, have heat and sound insulation properties, and are easy to use. However, a log house made from profiled timber is best caulked with traditional insulating materials.
Processing of houses made of laminated veneer lumber and pressed lumber
This is one of the most popular materials for building a private house. Its cost is low, but it cannot be placed perfectly.
There will definitely be gaps and inter-crown cracks, since the lumber shrinks too much. During the drying process, it is greatly deformed and twisted, and during construction, gaps are formed. Therefore, the log house will definitely need to be caulked. You can do this yourself.
The caulk is repeated at least three times. The first - immediately after the log house is put into operation, the second - a year after the completion of construction, the third - when the final shrinkage occurs.
Natural materials for caulking wooden frames
Caulking a house made of timber was previously carried out using the most natural material - moss. Sphagnum is an excellent heat insulator and does not destroy wood blocks. Then tow gained popularity, which is still actively used in insulation work.
But now you can caulk the log house with imported insulation. In most cases, it is high quality jute, which is effective, easy to work with and convenient.
Technological nuances of caulking
You can correctly apply caulk in two ways: the caulk is placed “in a set” and “in a stretch”.
The “stretch” technique involves completely filling the gap with insulating material, and the groove itself is later sealed with a roller made of the same material. If you choose the “set” method, then you need to prepare in advance a special “braid” woven from insulation. It is rolled into a skein, and the cracks are filled with loops from such a “braid”. After which the groove is leveled and compacted.
They try to insulate the log house immediately, even during construction. The preferred insulating material is placed between its parts, and its free ends are driven into the space of the crown. Caulking is carried out only after construction is completed, when all the voids have formed.
Repeated caulking is carried out after shrinkage, this period depends on several factors:
- Wood moisture level.
- Weather conditions in the construction area.
The quality of the wood used.
The season of procurement of materials from which the log house is built.
Typically, complete shrinkage takes from one and a half to three years.
When a log house is caulked again, it is correct to start the process from lower crown and move further along the perimeter of the room. You cannot split the caulking process over several weeks. Since during the work the walls of the log house are raised by at least 5 cm, the insulation must fill all existing cracks at once. Caulking of a timber house is carried out both outside and inside.
Houses made of timber are always attractive not only in their appearance, but also technical specifications. Their distribution in individual construction is common due to the availability of the material, as well as due to the diverse range. Features wooden houses there are a lot of advantages about which much has already been written.
However wooden houses They also have disadvantages, including the appearance of gaps between structural elements. This is caused by the fact that even factory processing of the timber cannot provide and guarantee a perfectly flat surface and tight adhesion of the beams. The second reason is shrinkage of the material. Workpieces that have undergone heat treatment still contain a certain percentage of moisture. To make the house look presentable and retain heat, you will need to caulk the structure.
Caulking a house made of timber is the process of compacting the space between the logs and crowns. This sealing of gaps saves heat indoors, helps maintain optimal temperature conditions, and also avoid problems associated with drafts.
Tools and materials - how and with what to caulk
The tool for caulking must be convenient and correctly selected. The following tools have been used for this for a long time:
- Stacked caulk;
- Crooked caulk;
- Road worker;
- Breaking caulk;
- Mallet (mushel).
Today, inter-crown tape seals are widely used as a material for caulking. They are made using flax or jute. During the assembly of the log house, they are placed in grooves, after which they are fixed with a construction stapler. Jute sealant is capable of releasing moisture well, does not rot, and is not in demand among birds. During the period of shrinkage of the log house, it is evenly compacted.
Of the nonwoven materials, flax can be considered the most affordable. Its qualities are elasticity, durability, and good heat retention. For the caulking process, it is produced in the form of Euroflax (flax fibers) and flax tow. Unfortunately, flax can be attacked by insects and attracts the attention of birds.
In addition to these materials, others are used:
- Wool is a material that deserves close attention. According to its thermal insulation ability, sheep's wool superior to wood. This material operates on the principle of a spring, that is, during the assembly of a log house, a 20 mm thick seal is compressed to 6 mm. During the period of shrinkage of the beams, it expands, thus filling the voids;
- Moss is a centuries-old sealant. This natural material, which has bioactive properties. It protects against the formation and spread of mold. Red swamp moss can easily withstand sudden temperature changes. Also, flax moss, another name for which is cuckoo flax, can be used for caulking.
- Felt and tow - it is on the basis of these materials that insulation is produced. Their advantage is considered to be naturalness, but there are also disadvantages, which include short period of time suitability or ability to absorb moisture;
- Artificial materials made on the basis of polyethylene foam and mineral wool.
When choosing insulation, other materials can be used if they meet the following provisions:
- They have low thermal conductivity;
- The composition does not contain harmful and toxic elements;
- Resistant to germs and insects;
- Resistant to internal and external factors, for example, to increased level humidity or strong wind;
- They should not have an unpleasant odor;
- A mandatory parameter is durability. The period of their use without loss of all properties and qualities should be 20 years.
Tip: You need to be able to distinguish simple felt from the jute variety. Last option is one of the most favorite materials of moths, in addition, jute felt is susceptible to rotting.
Types and methods of caulking
There are two types of caulking:
- Primary caulking is a process carried out at the stage of building a house from timber. The material used is placed in a row of logs;
- The final caulking occurs 7-12 months after the completion of the frame assembly. For this, the master uses special equipment. With its help, they are again placed in gaps and voids. thermal insulation material.
In addition, there are two ways to caulk a log house:
- “In-set” is a method in which wide voids are caulked. To carry out the process, the sealant is twisted into strands, the thickness of which is 20 mm, after which they are wound into a small ball. When filling the free space, start from the top edge, gradually moving to the bottom. After this, a tool such as a road builder is used;
- “Stretch” is a method in which insulation is applied to the groove. It is pushed inside with your hands, then the remaining edges are tucked in and, using caulking, they begin to be driven inside. To perform all the steps correctly, it is recommended to watch the video.
Insulation of a building from the inside
After caulking the external walls, it is worth carefully dealing with this process inside the log house. Building a house from laminated veneer lumber also implies insulation from the inside. To carry out the work correctly, you should adhere to the same rules, that is, caulk the groove only around the perimeter of the walls. It is worth preparing the tool for work in advance.
The walls inside the room must have an aesthetic appearance. For this reason, the choice of material for insulation should be approached with doubly careful attention. It is necessary to carefully seal the grooves so that no damage occurs general interior. Inside the house, the insulation should be checked every three years. External walls need to be caulked with your own hands during the assembly of the timber frame, after a year, and after five years. In the future, this procedure should be carried out as needed. If you watch a video on the Internet, you can learn more about internal caulk with your own hands.
Do-it-yourself caulking is a meticulous and labor-intensive job that requires maximum effort. In order for the activity being carried out to be more effective and also have a good effect, you need not only to select and prepare a tool, but also to know some tips and recommendations that are given by specialists and professionals in their field.
Firstly, to avoid distortion of the building, you do not need to process each wall with your own hands in turn. It is required to carry out work in a circular manner, along the entire perimeter of the log house, starting from the bottom and gradually moving higher. After watching the video, the technology of action will become more clear.
Secondly, it is worth considering that high-quality work will increase the height of the house by at least 10 cm. This should be foreseen during the design process, so that no difficulties arise later;
Thirdly, during the construction of a log house, insulation must be laid between the rows. It is definitely worth considering the final caulking of the walls. To do this, you need to lay the thermal insulation material so that there is free space(3-4 cm). For this, a tool such as a road builder can be used. Thanks to this, it is possible to lay the material efficiently and correctly when filling gaps.
Cost and price of caulking
The feasibility of caulking walls with your own hands will largely depend on the availability of free time and experience. Building a house from profiled timber requires additional caulking, but due to the complexity lock connection It is difficult to do it yourself. In the case when you decide to involve specialists in the matter, you need to provide for additional costs.
The cost of the work will depend on several factors:
Some average prices for services provided by specialized firms:
- Removing insulation from gaps - from 25 rubles/linear meter;
- Caulking (with independent purchase of material) – from 60 rub./l.m.;
- Subsequent impregnation of joints - from 13 rub./l.m.
A poorly caulked timber house can lose its symmetry over time, so the whole process should be carried out thoughtfully and carefully. It is recommended to take the help of specialists in this matter to avoid possible problems.
Caulk with moss
In caulking with moss, the main thing is no longer compliance technological subtleties- in this regard, it is much simpler than caulking with fibrous materials - but the preparation of material. More precisely, purchasing. Forest and bog building moss goes on sale, but self-harvesting of tree moss is possible only in certain places very remote from civilization, and self-harvesting of bog moss in most developed countries is prohibited and prosecuted by law: in recent decades it has been detected exclusively important role swamps as moisture accumulators and regulators natural processes. In addition, mosses actively accumulate many useful and harmful microelements; swamp moss is a natural filter for radionuclides. By caulking with moss collected yourself, you risk not only infecting the frame with rot, mold and pests, but also yourself and your loved ones, which is no better.
The best moss for caulking is bog sphagnum, or cuckoo flax, pos. 1 in Fig: it never wakes up in buildings and releases substances that protect wood from damage. But it is impossible to caulk with bright green fresh sphagnum (item 2) - on the contrary, it will overheat and ruin the frame. You need to caulk with moss (both swamp and forest), dried until it withers without rotting, pos. 3. This moss is sold in bags (item 4). It must be stored in them until use, not allowing it to dry out completely: moss that is still slightly alive is suitable for caulking. Dried gray or brown building moss (item 5) is not caulk, but insulation material. By the way, very good.
Note: It is impossible to caulk with rock and ground moss - particles of the substrate with germs of wood pests will certainly remain in it.
Procedure for caulking with moss
They caulk with moss before winter. In the spring, when it gets warm but not dry yet, the hanging festoons are checked (see below) and the green ones are plucked out. Then the scallops are tapped into the grooves. It is very important to prevent the caulk from drying out: if the moss begins to crumble under the caulking tool, the entire caulk will never be intact, and every 2-5 years you will have to re-caulk, and the entire log house will not stand as long as it can. A year later, the building is checked and, if it is split, a secondary caulk is carried out with the same (!) moss.
Sphagnum moss is laid out in the grooves when assembling the log house as a mountain (item 1 in the figure below), because It cakes heavily under pressure. The festoons of bog moss should hang abundantly from the grooves, pos. 2. Immediately after assembling the frame, moss is added to the remaining cracks (shown by arrows in position 2), tamping with a scythe on top wooden caulk. Quite easily reviving tree moss, on the contrary, is laid out sparingly but tightly so that there are no empty cracks, pos. 3. Its scallops should protrude from the grooves assembled log house approx. half the palm of your hand, but not hanging down, pos. 4. Hanging ones (shown by an arrow in position 4) are cut off.
Instead of moss
In coastal areas you can find durable log buildings, caulked instead of moss with damask - sea grass eelgrass or eelgrass thrown ashore by storms. Kamka also good insulation and in this capacity it is now sold dried, but caulk can only be done with damp, fresh stone. But caulking with damask turns out to be excellent: it releases salts into the tree, making it unsuitable for pests, and releases iodine into the air in the room. Which, as is known, among others beneficial properties, promotes the removal of cumulative poisons and radionuclides from the body. They caulk with damask like moss, with some differences: they take it apart into flat strands and lay them out in the grooves of the log house in a herringbone pattern without gaps so that the ends hang down half a log. Upon completion of the assembly of the log house, the ends are tapped into the grooves with wooden caulk.
Synthetics and sealants
Synthetic caulking is used in combination with rough jute tape, or, for “aesthetics,” with twisted white jute rope. The rough tape is placed in the grooves of the log house under caulking with sealants without wings, flush with the edges of the groove. If the logs have a Finnish groove, then the edges of the tape should lie exactly on the longitudinal cuts in the log under the edge protrusions of the groove of the upper log.
Sealants for wood are produced in chemically neutral polyurethane: silicone for mechanical and physical and chemical properties it is less compatible with wood (in particular, in terms of the coefficient of thermal expansion TCR), and is destroyed under the influence of even very weak acids. In turn, the silicone solvent - acetic acid– spoils the wood, so do not try to replace special sealants for wood with ordinary construction ones. Synthetics are used to caulk mainly log houses made of laminated logs and timber - their estimated service life is the same as that of glue joints of laminated lumber.
Caulking with sealants is done quickly and simply: the initial composition is squeezed out of the tube into the groove, pos. 1 in Fig.. When it has set, the seams are puttied on top with a finishing compound to match the wood, pos. 2.:
There is also an “ultra-modern” method of caulking log houses built without rough caulking at all: cuts are made along the seams, strands of self-expanding polyethylene foam are inserted into them and sealed with wood-like sealant, pos. 3. In essence, this is no longer caulk, because This method is suitable for buildings made of lumber without shaped grooves, assembled on dowels and impregnated with water repellents (water-repellent impregnations). In addition, it is only suitable for selected materials chamber drying, completely dried out and shriveled. And then what will happen with warping from moisture during operation - we’ll wait and see: in practice, “caulk-free caulking” has so far been used for no more than 10-12 years.
Let's return to caulking, which is still caulking, albeit synthetic. Finishing compounds darken when dry, so they are selected to match the wood using test strokes on the container. But in the light, the finishing synthetic caulk fades and the walls of the log house take on the appearance shown in pos. 4. Some people, since such “decoration” cannot be avoided, order caulking seams to be glued or filled with white twisted cord. How much this adds “aesthetics and respect” to the building is a matter of taste of the owner. And there is no arguing about tastes. Moreover, about the tastes of people who believe that natural wood needs additional “improvement”.
It is much more practical to use synthetic caulk to seal gaping cracks in logs, pos. 5 in Fig. On top of the sealant, the cracks are filled with any wood putty for exterior use, and the entire structure is rejuvenated. The putty has to be renewed every 2-3 years - it also fades in the light - but this doesn’t last long, it’s not difficult and inexpensive.
The final touch - sanding
Caulking has not yet completed the construction of the log house until it is ready for flooring, installation attic floor, roofs, installation of windows, doors, partitions, for finishing and equipment - the log house is desirable, but the inside must be sanded. Especially - chopped from wild logs, debarked by hand.
Sanding a frame with sandpaper is extremely time-consuming, tedious, and this damages the outer most resistant layers of the wood. The log house is sanded manually using a universal grinder With nylon brushes. Worse - grinder with them; drive is too powerful. But the main thing here is still brushes for sanding wood, see video review:
Video: review of nylon brushes for sanding logs
Sanding a log frame with a brush is actually a controversial issue: the brush removes the bead of caulk, see figure..