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 is punishable by law: in last decades the extremely important role of swamps as moisture accumulators and regulators has been revealed 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 festoons should protrude from the grooves of the assembled frame for 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 useful 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 caulking, 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 chamber-drying materials that are completely dried and settled. 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 log, debarked by hand.

Sanding a log 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..

A log bathhouse is a tradition that, even after several hundred years, has not lost its relevance. The tree has the most high level thermal insulation among building materials, while the weight of the log structure does not go beyond the permissible limit. The only drawback of this technology is the presence of gaps between the stacked logs.

When laying and adjusting logs between individual elements, horizontal through cavities will inevitably remain along the entire perimeter of the bathhouse, and before its operation it is necessary to caulk them.

To learn how to properly caulk a bathhouse, you need to understand all the intricacies of this matter. The process of caulking cracks itself does not contain any difficulties, however, there are several special points that need to be taken into account.

This article will describe step-by-step instructions and main points on the topic - “how to caulk a bathhouse with your own hands.” In addition to a description of the technology, it will also provide detailed information about what they use to caulk a bathhouse, since in this case right choice The material plays a decisive role in the success of the entire process.

Selection of material

Forest moss is the most traditional material that our great-great-grandfathers used for caulking log houses. It's the most environmentally friendly pure material of all analogues used, since it is of natural origin, assembled by hand and not treated with chemicals. It has bioactive properties - it does not grow moths and mold.

Moss is especially valued for its antiseptic properties - it does not rot even when exposed to high humidity. At the same time, moss caulking is not only not subject to rotting, but also protects nearby areas from damage, which is especially important.

Also, using moss as a material for caulking allows you to significantly save on the purchase of material, since it can be collected in the nearby forest with your own hands. Even if this is not possible, its price in stores is quite affordable. Natural moss is the most rational decision The question is, what is the best way to caulk a bathhouse?

The most common material for log caulking due to its cost, but flax has the lowest quality characteristics. Before caulking a bathhouse with flax, you should take into account that it contains practically no natural antiseptics - therefore, putrefactive bacteria, which damp wood contains in abundance, will quickly destroy the formed seam, after which nearby areas will undergo degradation.

It quickly deteriorates under the influence of high humidity - its service life is from 1 to 3 years, after which the seam begins to crumble. Insects love it - moths, beetles; in its raw state, mold and mildew quickly grow. Without chemical treatment for the next season of operation, you can find in it a large number of insect larvae.

Note!
Some of the disadvantages of this material can be mitigated through chemical impregnation, but this will negatively affect the atmosphere of the bathhouse.

Of all the analogues used, flax can be called the most undesirable solution to the question: how to caulk a bathhouse?

IN Lately expert opinion on the question of what is the best way to caulk a log bathhouse? — is increasingly leaning in favor of jute fiber, which recently appeared on the domestic market.

And this is not without meaning - natural jute is a durable material containing a large amount of natural lingin, which gives it water repellent properties. Also, jute is much less damaged by insects than flax.

Note!
Not to be confused with jute felt, which contains a certain proportion of flax, and accordingly all its negative qualities are present.
It is quite simple to distinguish them from each other - 100% jute is gray in color.

Caulk

IN this process there is practically nothing difficult - the main thing is to choose the right material for sealing the seams. You will need a mallet ( wooden hammer) and a set of caulks. There are two technologies for caulking seams - stretching and tapping.

Stretch

• The insulation is pushed crosswise into the cavity with fibers; this is done either by hand or with caulk, depending on the width of the cavity. The material is hammered inside until about 4–5 cm of the insulation edge remains outside;
• Then a roller of the appropriate diameter is made from the insulation, which is wrapped into the remaining edge, after which it is hammered into the cavity using a caulking chisel;

Recruitment

• For this method the insulation must be twisted into strands like a rope, the diameter of which is selected based on the size of the cavity between the log house;
• The finished strands are pushed into the slot using a caulking chisel - first pushed top part, and then the bottom one. A road worker is used to level the seam;

• During caulking of cracks, the frame rises a little, and therefore it is necessary to hammer in each crack along the entire perimeter and only then move on to the next level, otherwise the bathhouse may “skew”;
  
• If it is necessary to free it so that the structure raised due to caulking does not damage the masonry.
  To do this, it is enough to free up space by a few centimeters;

Bottom line

Caulking a log house in a bathhouse is one of the simplest construction processes

Correct selection of material and our useful tips will help you carry out these manipulations without any difficulties. You can learn more clearly about the process of caulking a bath by watching the video in this article.

The essence of the caulking process is to seal the inter-crown seams and joints. In order to stay in own home has become comfortable, such a stage of construction cannot be avoided. What and how to caulk a log house is a question that requires detailed investigation, since neglecting it will affect the structure of the house as a whole.

Insulation with caulking wooden house It is made by plugging the cracks between the logs outside and inside the house.

The types of materials for caulking are varied: moss, jute, tow, batting. Each building has its own type, for example, it is customary to caulk a rounded log with rope, which looks like decorative element. All materials purchased in stores must have quality certificates.

Materials used: features

1. Moss. A long-known material used for caulking. But now experts do not recommend using it for such a purpose. Why? Over time, the moss turns into dust, and the wind simply blows it out of the cracks. Accordingly, there is no insulation. It is very good to use moss for a bath both as a sealant for joints and for laying timber or logs. Considering that this natural material never absorbs water, it is better not to find it, but only as insulation for a bathhouse.
2. Tow. Also not a particularly recommended material for caulking. It is very difficult to twist it without it falling apart. But you will have to pull it tight, because birds have long chosen such fiber for their own construction. It absorbs vapors and condensation, so the tow is always wet, and in the heat it crumbles into dust, and caulking will have to be done again and again.
3. Jute. New generation material. Not to be confused with jute felt. This sealant is not hygroscopic, therefore, if you caulk a log house with jute, it will remain dry. And the felt will absorb all the moisture, and besides, moths love it very much. You must be attentive to the recommendations of sales consultants.
4. Linen wadding tape. Modern material, which has all the qualities of jute: does not interact with moisture, easy to install. But it is much rougher, which will take more time to work.
5. Caulking with sealant – new way seals and is quite effective. It is only necessary that the bottles with the mass be labeled accordingly.

The list is incomplete. Each owner can use any caulk in the process, but guided by the belief that this is how our grandfathers built it, it is impossible to make a good caulk - they (the grandfathers) had no choice and made from whatever they had to.

Caulking Tools

To do the job efficiently, you will need the appropriate tool:

• straight caulking;
• rounded center caulk;
• mallet;
• extension, a tool for forming a roller;
• mittens or construction gloves.

How to caulk a log house correctly?

Preparation includes all manipulations with the log house: removing old material, cleaning logs or timber from excess chips and debris. A caulking tool is ideal for this type of work; with its rounded blade, it can easily remove all excess from the seams. You can vacuum it. It would also be a good idea to spray the seams with chemical protection against fungus and mold and dry them thoroughly. An exception can be made only for caulking with moss - it will still have to be wetted.

Then we begin the process itself. There are two technologies for laying the seal: in a set and stretched. The first one is convenient for ball caulks. The fibers are twisted into a ball and the resulting thread is pushed into the cracks by forming loops and straight caulking. The handle is hit with a mallet. This must be done carefully so that the tool blade does not damage the material. The second method can be used to caulk a log house with jute. The material is spread over the entire length of the log, and one edge is pushed into the gap, then the second is rolled up in the form of a roller and, using a double-horned tool, the entire material is caulked into the seam. You can’t rush, otherwise the caulking will go in waves and you’ll have to cut it, thereby leaving room for gaps. That's all.

Before the beginning finishing works it is necessary to caulk all the cracks of the log house and treat it with an antiseptic.

The essence of the above is clear. But to make caulking correctly, no matter with jute or moss, you should know:

1. The process consists of three stages: the first caulk, the second and the last. The first is supposed to be done immediately after construction is completed. Don't get down to business too eagerly. The material is placed for testing, so that during the initial shrinkage, construction flaws are visible. The second caulking of the log house occurs a year later, and the last one occurs several years later, when it becomes clear that the log house has finally “settled.”
2. Caulking should not be done in either cold or hot weather. From 10 to 20 º C heat will be just right.
3. The caulking of the log house begins from the bottom up and completely along the crown, that is, in a circular manner. There is no need to do everything at once, otherwise there is a risk that the layer of material placed in the seam will be uneven.
4. Round elements and corners cannot be ignored; a semicircular tool was invented for caulking them.

Caulking with different materials

Sealing a log house with moss occurs as follows: debris is cleaned from the seams, and then pieces of natural material, previously generously moistened, are placed in the cracks. The moss must be moistened, otherwise it will be difficult to place it in the seam. But the caulking of the log house is stretched using lumpy jute or tape (the method is described above).

It is customary to seal seams on rounded buildings, because they appearance needs decorative caulk. It can be done beautifully by a professional, but it’s also worth trying yourself. The mass is squeezed into the seam with a gun and the excess is removed with a spatula placed exactly between the logs.

The sealant is used if the structure of the log house is not intended for cladding, beautiful seams visible from afar.

The caulking of the log house with tow occurs as a set: a ball is twisted, and by twisting the loops the material is compacted into the gaps and grooves. You need to twist it carefully and push it deep so that the birds do not get to it.

The methods for caulking a log house with moss or other materials are different from each other, but nevertheless the essence is the same - sealing the crown joints and gaps. Venerable carpenters even have this trick - leveling the entire frame using caulk, adding a larger or smaller layer where necessary. Amateurs should not do this - there is a risk of knocking off a log or timber.

There is no escape from such work as caulking a log house. Even if the houses are made using high technology, wood construction assumes such installation. Because comfortable living depends on many factors, and even more so on the caulk.

The caulking of the log house provides reliable insulation of the house for the entire period of its operation. This operation is no less important than the construction of a log house; if you treat it formally, you can end up with a cold, uncomfortable and drafty house.

Unlike brick and concrete, wood is special building material, the tree is sensitive to the conditions in which it finds itself. Caulk correctly wooden house– this means creating normal conditions for construction wood, and ensuring the longevity of the structure. In addition to solving problems of insulation, caulking protects wood from excess moisture and dampness, rotting, damage by microorganisms and insects.

Wooden houses are traditionally caulked with material natural origin, one of the most popular are insulation materials made from the fibers of the jute plant. In wooden house construction, insulation made from this plant, exotic for Europe and America, confidently displaces other materials; jute is widely used by Canadian and Scandinavian builders.

The reason for the popularity of jute fibers was low price and good performance, Russian market jute competes with traditional Russian flax. When the question arises: how to caulk a house made of timber, preference is increasingly given. Cottages, economy class residential buildings, bathhouses and outbuildings are insulated using jute.

In the countries of South Asia, three “harvests” of jute are obtained from one plot per year with a yield of about 2 tons per hectare; Asian producers are able to fully satisfy the needs of the world market for this product; the advantages of jute material include:

• Environmentally friendly, fibers do not split and do not form dispersed dust,
• The fibrous mass is homogeneous, does not cake,
• Jute tape is compressed to 1-2 mm without disturbing the geometry,
• Jute insulation is hygroscopic, protects the log house from excess moisture,
• Jute can be used to caulk houses made of logs, beams, profiled and edged timber.

As a disadvantage, it is noted that wet jute mass can create a favorable environment for microorganisms and insects. To eliminate this drawback, manufacturers use preservatives and antiseptic impregnations, you need to pay attention to this when purchasing material.

Depending on the density, jute insulation is divided into tow tape, batting and felt. The material is rigid and elastic, tends to maintain its original shape, which requires attention and certain skills when using it.

How to properly caulk a log house with jute

A house is caulked in two stages: during the construction of the log house and after its shrinkage, the first operation is called primary caulking, the second - finishing. Primary caulking is done in two steps: jute tape is laid between the crowns during the construction of the log house, after the walls are erected, the seams are processed clean. When laying jute tape between logs or beams, you must adhere to the following rules:

• The surfaces of the crown before caulking are cleaned of adhering dirt, shavings and sawdust, the jute tape is rolled out along one side of the wall, and secured every meter with a construction stapler. When laying in parts, the edges are joined end to end,
• The tape is cut along the side edge of the beam, in a log house - along the line of the laying groove,
• The dowels are driven through the jute tape, an incision is made crosswise at the puncture site,
• The operations are repeated on the next crown.

The initial finishing caulking begins after laying the walls and installing the roof; caulking begins with lower crown. The material is driven into the inter-crown joints to a state of elasticity using a special tool, after completing work on the first crown, move on to the second. The operation is labor-intensive and requires diligence and considerable effort. According to builders' prices, the cost of this work is up to 100 rubles per meter.

After completion of work on outside, the operation is repeated from the inside of the house, the technology for insulating a house made of timber from the outside and inside does not differ. Time spent on caulking one-story house 8x8 can be 5-7 days.

It is important. If you caulk each wall separately, you may encounter the following problem: each processed seam increases the inter-crown distance by 3-4 mm, a fully processed wall of a house made of 200x200 timber with a height of 16 crowns will become higher by 5-7 cm, which can lead to distortions in corner connections.

Caulking methods

When caulking cleanly, interventional crowns drive jute batting into the cracks, the operation is performed in two ways:

• “In a stretch” - a twist-pigtail of jute batting with a diameter of 20-25 mm is driven into the crack, in this way seams with large gaps are caulked,
• “To the set” - the cracks are caulked with tape insulation 5-7 mm wide, the edges of the tape are hammered into the crack one by one, then the middle part is recessed.

The craftsmen recommend laying jute tape between the crowns with an overlap of up to 60-70 mm, the free edge is wrapped, tucked into the gap and caulked “into the set”. In difficult cases, the insulation is hammered into the stretch, and the seam is finished off as a set.

After the house has been subjected to shrinkage, the previously laid layer of insulation is deformed, the inter-crown cracks open, and at this stage of caulking the log house, the work must be done virtually all over again. During the shrinkage process, deep longitudinal cracks-sinuses will appear in the body of the beam; such cracks are caulked with flax tow and sealed with sealant; for individual cracks, thermal insulation with flax material is more effective.

How to caulk the corners of a log house with jute

When caulking a log house Special attention They pay attention to the corners; this largely determines whether the house will be warm or not. The easiest way to work is with angles. In this case, the oblo is part of a log or beam, the jute tape is laid on a common surface, as a result, each seam of the corner lock receives its own layer of insulation.

When chopping into a paw, the elements of the castle are caulked in different ways; in general, the principle is followed: each joint must be caulked.

Finishing caulking is done in order, simultaneously with the crowns.

How to choose a jute ribbon

Jute insulation is selected according to density, thickness and width. A high-density jute tape is laid between the crowns; when shrinking, the low-density insulation cakes more; the width is chosen according to the size of the timber; for rounded logs - according to the size of the laying groove. Experts recommend:

• Lay the edged timber with jute tape 20-25 mm thick; under pressure its thickness will be no more than 4 mm;
• For dry planed timber, use a tape 10-12 mm thick, which shrinks to 2 mm.

Intervention seams are caulked with a material of lower density; to fill cracks, jute batting with a density of 500-600 grams per square meter is used.

Caulking Tools

The toolkit includes:

• A stackable caulk with a blunt blade for working “as a set”; it is better to have two types of tools: with a 10-centimeter blade for caulking crowns and a 2-centimeter blade for cracks;
• The road worker for laying twists “in a stretch” has a wide blade thickened towards the bottom. A semicircular notch is made along the entire length of the blade;
• Breaking caulking with a wedge-shaped blade is driven into the cracks to widen them.

The tool is made of hardwood or soft metal and has a handle that is comfortable for use. As percussion instrument use a mallet - a hammer with a wooden or rubber head.

Caulk with jute rope

1. The walls of a house made of edged timber do not always have an attractive appearance; it is almost impossible to lay insulation between the crowns without unevenness, so it will not be possible to caulk the frame “string by thread”. You can decorate the facade using jute rope, which is laid over a layer of inter-crown insulation; the rope is secured with clapboard nails.
2. After finishing caulking, it is advisable to treat the inter-crown cracks with an antiseptic, effective means is a domestic drug "Neomid". The product provides long-term protection of insulation from natural material from rotting, fungus and insects. It has a liquid consistency and is applied with a brush.
3. If the log house is subjected to grinding after shrinkage, the finishing caulking is carried out in last resort– after finishing sanding the walls.

Conclusion

Despite mass production synthetic materials, houses continue to be caulked with natural fibers that have excellent thermal insulation properties. Interventional insulation made from flax and jute have specific advantages and disadvantages, all best qualities combined in the increasingly popular combined material “linen-jute”.

What material to caulk with? Vacation home or a bathhouse, each developer decides independently depending on the design of the house, local climate and other conditions.

Nowadays the fashion for building baths and residential buildings made from natural wood. Log houses have a respectable appearance, are warm and environmentally friendly, which is very much appreciated modern people. But even such reliable and energy-saving buildings should be additionally insulated in order to feel truly comfortable in them in any weather.

Caulking - what kind of operation?

Since ancient times in Rus', most buildings were built from logs. Such buildings have always been called log houses. IN last years interest in them has increased significantly, due to their special performance properties wooden houses and baths. The construction of log houses is offered by many companies these days. And experienced home craftsmen even build cozy homes and hot steam rooms from logs with their own hands. In this article we will not describe the technology for constructing environmentally friendly buildings, but will talk about how to make them warmer. We will talk about the rules of caulking wooden structures. Without this operation it is really possible to arrange cozy sauna or a residential building, believe me, it won’t work.

First, let's figure out why you need to caulk a log house? Everything is simple here. During installation, gaps and voids remain between the logs from which this or that structure is built. It is clear that they cannot be left. After all, through such small, at first glance, gaps, precious heat will escape from the room. Instead of a comfortable building, we will get a bathhouse or a house blown by all the winds. Caulking allows you to solve this problem. It is understood as the procedure for carefully sealing all the cracks between logs using special tools and materials. All their varieties will be described below.

Tools for insulating log cabins - unusual, but easy to use

You can do caulking of any log house yourself. To do this, you will need to study the technology of the operation and stock up on special tools:

1. 1. A flat spatula made of hard wood or metal. We need to purchase a tool with a blade about 5.5 mm thick and 10 cm wide. This blade, called a flat caulk, is the main device for insulating log buildings.
2. 2. A tool, called a road builder by specialists, triangular in shape with a blade 8–15 mm thick and at least 17 cm wide, along which a special groove is made. This caulk is needed to form smooth rollers from the strands of the sealing material used.
3. 3. The so-called curved caulk - a flat chisel. The thickness of its working part is 5 mm, width is about 5.5 cm. The chisel makes it possible to seal seams on rounded parts and in the corners of a log structure.
4. 4. With a wooden hammer (mallet). With its help, you can easily fill the seal without worrying about it deforming or collapsing. It is also possible to work with ordinary hammers.

In addition, you need to buy two split caulks - narrow and wide. The width of such devices, which visually resemble a wedge, should be approximately 3.5 cm. Breaking tools are necessary to widen narrow cracks. After using them, it is much easier to place the insulating material into gaps and voids.

The working parts of all these tools must be as smooth as possible, and the ends must not be sharp.

A rough surface will not allow the planned work to be completed efficiently, since the insulation fibers will cling to the caulk and be pulled out of the gaps. And too sharp blades will cut the material used for thermal insulation of the log house.

Let us add that there is no need to be afraid of unfamiliar names. Every self-taught craftsman can use the caulking tool.

Materials for caulking – an assortment for every taste

Thermal insulation of log houses is carried out different insulation materials(by the way, they are usually called inter-crown), both traditional and more modern. The most famous material for caulking is moss. It can be white and red. Our ancestors used it when constructing buildings from logs. Moss is environmentally friendly natural material. It has:

• low thermal conductivity;
• antimicrobial and antiseptic properties;
• resistance to temperature changes (this is especially important if we are insulating a bathhouse);
• durability.

It is almost impossible to purchase moss in construction stores. Therefore, if you plan to use it, you will have to take care of collecting and proper preparation this material. Here you need to know the following. It is advisable to collect moss in November. At this time, there are practically no insects and snails in it. Collected material We carefully sort through, throw away rotten particles, remove debris and lumps of soil. After this, dry the moss. Don't overdo it. Overdried moss cannot be used; it becomes too brittle. It is almost impossible to push it into the cracks between the crowns and place it tightly there.

An alternative to moss is tow. It is made from flax fibers. Such material can be tape (roll) or bale. Experts recommend using the first type of tow. Insulation in the form of tape is easier to push into the seams. And the heat-protective properties of rolled products are higher. Bale tow is cheaper. But it is characterized by hard and short fibers. Working with such material is very inconvenient. The key advantages of tow are that it is not electrified, has low thermal conductivity, affordable price, antibacteriality. Disadvantages of the material - the insulated seam has an unaesthetic appearance, the installation process is complex and labor-intensive. For these reasons, home craftsmen rarely use tow.

About 10–15 years ago, the insulation of log houses was often done with natural felt. It is environmentally friendly, easy to use, protects the building from street noise and foreign odors, and has increased vapor permeability. But, unfortunately, this material also has two serious disadvantages. Firstly, moths love it very much. She literally chews out the insulation. Secondly, felt is susceptible to rotting.

Jute does not have these disadvantages - it is pliable, soft material in the form of tapes and ropes different thicknesses. It can be matched to any seam. Jute, according to experts, creates an optimal microclimate in the log house. And most importantly, it is quite simple to install it in the cracks between the logs.

If the log house was built by professionals from ordinary logs or from rounded logs, has a semicircular groove and gaps of small thickness, it can be insulated using sealant. This is the most modern and simplest method of thermal insulation of wooden buildings. The sealant cannot be used in the presence of large gaps and in cases where the grooves of the structure have the shape of a triangle. IN similar situations there will be no sense from it.

We will protect the wooden building from cold and winds ourselves

Caulking of a bathhouse or a residential building made of logs is carried out twice. The first time insulation is carried out directly during the construction of the log house. We need to lay the selected material after installing each crown. If we use insulation in the form of tape, the operation takes place with minimal costs time. We roll out the insulation along the crown and fix it with a construction stapler (staples). If it is necessary to lay additional tape, we mount it on the previous one with a 5-centimeter overlap. Cover installed material the next crown and repeat the procedure.

If you use moss, you will have to tinker a little longer. We take a bunch of dried material (we moisten it if necessary), lay it across the log. The fibers should hang 5-6 cm on each side of the log. Then we lay the second bundle close to the first. The moss layer is quite impressive. The tree should not be visible through it. The thicker the layer, the better the insulation.

The second part of caulking is carried out after installing all the crowns of the building and installing the roof on it. Repeated thermal insulation is necessary for any structure, be it a residential building or a bathhouse. The wall insulation scheme looks like this:

1. 1. Take a bunch of tow (moss, felt), apply it to the seam between the logs, and use a caulking blade to press the fibers into the gap. We begin work from the end of the building from the bottom row.
2. 2. Gently twist the protruding ends of the material. We will get a roller 8–10 cm in length. It should be applied to the gap and pushed back between the logs using caulk, leaving only a small tip.
3. 3. We weave the next bundle of material into the free end and continue to insulate the frame. The roller must not be interrupted. It must remain intact along the entire length of the gap.

It will take a lot of time to complete such a labor-intensive operation. But we will get a well-sealed building. And you can reduce labor costs by using not tow or moss, but tape materials. Installing them is much faster and easier. We simply cut off a piece of tape to the required length and begin hammering it into the seams. After insulating the walls, we begin to insulate the corners of the log house. This operation is also easier to perform with tapes. They are pushed into the gaps with crooked caulk.

Caulking with sealant can be done after complete shrinkage of the structure. The procedure for performing such work is given below:

1. 1. We thoroughly clean the seams between the crowns from debris and dust, wipe them with a dry rag.
2. 2. We treat all joints with a primer (water-based or rubber-based primer) using a sprayer or a regular brush.
3. 3. Wait for the soil to dry.
4. 4. We insert a tourniquet made of polyethylene (foam) into the gaps. We select products that match the width of the seams.
5. 5. Apply sealant.

To give the log house an elegant look, we treat the insulated joints with tinted or colorless varnish.