Houses made of timber are durable, strong, beautiful, warm, and not very expensive. But they need exterior decoration. During construction, very small gaps remain between the beams. No matter how hard you try to lay them tighter, these gaps will still remain. They are dangerous because excess moisture penetrates into the house through them and the wind blows. As a result, the building will soon require renovation. To prevent this from happening, the structure must be caulked.

Caulking tool.

Caulking a house made of timber increases the service life of the building, protects it from negative impact external environment, will make the house warmer. It is necessary regardless of what material it is made of - rounded, glued or profiled timber. The structure is subject to shrinkage, so after some time the gaps between the logs may increase.

Felt, moss, jute, hemp and tow are used for caulking.

Methods for caulking a house made of timber.

All these materials have common properties:

Felt is a linen material in the form of a ribbon. Moss - sphagnum, grows in a swamp, was previously used in villages and villages, you can collect it yourself. Jute - made from the jute plant, which grows in tropical climates. Hemp is hemp fiber. Tow is the remains of flax from the production of ropes; it looks like hair.

Caulking stages

You can caulk houses made of timber immediately during construction or after 6-12 months, that is, after the building has settled, in warm, dry weather. You can plug cracks in 2 ways: by stretching - tapes are made from the material, which are compacted into the spaces between the logs; in a set - they make ribbons, wind them into a ball and collect loops from it, and then use them to seal the gaps.

Caulk at home.

It is necessary to seal cracks not only from the outside, but also from inside building. First you need to calculate required amount material: add the length of all seams, and increase the resulting value by 2-3 times. Caulking of timber is done on all walls of the building. There is no point in insulating only one, as this will not protect against external influences.

To insulate the gaps between logs, you will need the following tools:

• roulette;
• steel blades different sizes with a wide and narrow flat blade;
• rubber hammer.

You need to start working from the bottom seam. Moreover, you need to seal it around the entire perimeter of the house, and not just on one wall. You can choose any method of caulking the building. You need to take a piece of material and compact it into the walls using metal shovels. Where the logs are very close to each other, you need to use a rubber hammer to compact them. First, the walls are caulked with outside, and then with the inner one. Remember that you need to seal the joints between the beams along the entire length. Be careful and careful, you can accidentally increase the gaps between the logs so that it will be difficult to close them with insulation.

The process of caulking walls made of profiled timber differs from rounded timber. The first type of logs has rectangular shape: one side is flat, the other is figured (there are grooves). Many people think that houses made of such material do not need to be caulked, but this is not true. Sometimes cracks are plugged twice: during construction and after shrinkage. Unlike profiled timber, rounded timber has rounded shape from all sides, but the contact area of ​​the logs is much smaller, so caulking will require more material.

Caulking is the sealing of the vein gap with fibrous materials (moss or tow). In this case, between the crowns you can lay a special thermal insulation material – polyurethane foam or flax juter fiber. Caulk does wooden house warmer and more comfortable. Caulking of a log house made of timber or logs can be done using felt, tow, moss, hemp, or linen rope. In this article we will talk about the intricacies of the caulking process.

In our country, good caulkers have always been valued. After all, when the right approach Caulking can not only insulate a house, but also eliminate construction defects, for example, a skewed frame. The skill of a caulker was passed on from father to son.

When and how many times should you caulk?

The first time, usually, is done six months after assembling the log house. A year and a half after the completion of construction, when the log house has already settled well, the second caulking is carried out. Five years later they make another caulk. Further - as needed.

Tool for caulking a log house

The main thing in the caulking process is the material. However, you can’t do it without the right tool. So, you will need: a chisel, a fairly heavy hammer weighing 300-400 grams, a rubber mallet and wooden caulking spatulas. You can buy tools for caulking a log house at any hardware store.

Log caulking technology

Interventional gaps are insulated in two ways – “stretched” and “set”. The first method of caulking involves the use of individual strands - the gap is filled with strands so as to form a roller, which is hammered into the groove using a mallet and spatulas.

Caulking “in a set” is performed as follows: the strands are first wound into a ball, and then sent into the cracks.

Material for log caulking

The first thing that comes to mind is, of course, moss. The insulation of our ancestors is still used today. And there are reasons for this: environmental friendliness, antiseptic properties and high availability (moss can be collected from the nearest forest). Moss copes well with temperature changes, does not rot and absorbs moisture. Moss should be used only in a highly moistened form, this is the only way it can fill all the cracks when dried. However, keep in mind that searching for moss on your own is not a pleasant task. The fact is that a medium-sized house requires a lot, a lot of it, and moss miners value their work and do not sell it for cheap. In addition, insulation with moss is an outdated method. A much more rational step is to use sealant for a wooden house.

Tow is another fairly common caulking material. But keep in mind – caulking the tow of a log house is considered the most difficult. In addition, during the process of shrinking the house, the tow rots, turning into dust. In practice, this means that the house will have to be caulked again.

Jute fiber – more modern material. It is made in India and China. The material is highly hygroscopic and durable. At air humidity of 80%, jute fiber absorbs only 20% of moisture, remaining dry to the touch.

Another thing is jute felt. The use of this material for caulking is strictly prohibited. It's all about the flax fiber that is part of the felt. Because of it, felt rots well and becomes an appetizing dish for moths.

Another insulation material that is often used when caulking is flax wool. It is produced from flax production waste. In fact, flax wool is compressed flax dust. The material is rigid and durable.

Almost any caulk for a log house can be bought at a construction hypermarket or on the market.

The cost of caulking a log house

The price of log caulk depends on several factors. Firstly, this is the surface area of ​​the log house. Secondly, the number of crowns. Thirdly, the material of the log house (rounded or chopped logs, profiled or rough timber). Fourthly, the type of corner joints.

Caulking a log house is hard and responsible work. With its help, you can correct some defects made during the installation of the house, even its distortions. You can decide to do caulking yourself only after thoroughly studying the caulking technique and choosing the right material for filling the cracks and the right tool.

Caulking Tools

When wooden log houses were the main method of house construction, professional caulkers for the most part used wooden instrument. Of course, it wore out quickly and had to be changed often, but it was softer than the one used building material and did not damage it. And now, although the market offers durable metal tools for caulking, craftsmen often use wood products. In addition to the fact that they are more practical to use, their price is lower than their metal counterparts.

Required set of tools:

1. Stacked caulk.
2. Crooked caulk.
3. Breaking caulk.
4. Road worker.
5. Mushel (mallet).

Types of instruments

Types, purpose and characteristics of caulking tools:

Typesetting

The most important item for caulking a log house is a spatula, or, as it is also called, caulking. For ease of use, you need to have a set of several of these products of different sizes that can be used to seal the grooves different widths: narrow, medium and very wide. The most commonly used tool is 10 cm wide, 0.5 cm thick and about 20 cm long: with its help, the main area of ​​the log house is caulked. Narrow caulk is used when you need to seal cracks in inaccessible places.

Road worker

If the caulking of a log house will be done using jute or tow using the stretch method, it is better to choose a device with a longitudinal groove for the work - a road builder. Thanks to the recess in the tool, the material for filling gaps is easily rolled into a roller, and the work process moves faster. The road worker is a flat blade with a blade 8 to 15 mm thick, which has a 10 mm deep groove in the middle part. To work, you need to purchase a set of 3 of these products, and use them depending on the width of the gaps between the logs of the log house.

Crooked caulk

To seal seams in the corners or curves of a log house or house made of timber, curved caulking is used. With its help, grooves are filled that cannot be reached with a spatula with a flat blade. Unlike a spatula, it can be made of metal - it is easier to reach the very center of the bowl of corner joints.

Breakable

It is used when it is necessary to widen tight grooves so that enough material can be placed in them to seal them and is a flat wedge-shaped spatula, only about 3 cm wide.

Mushel (mallet)

The instrument, better known as a mallet, is a wooden hammer. By striking the caulk with a mouchel, the jute or tow is pushed as deeply as possible into the grooves. A metal hammer is not entirely suitable for these purposes, since the blows are hard and you can damage the log, fail to calculate the force of the blow and break the roller, and your hands get tired from working with a heavy tool. In exceptional cases, you can use a regular hammer, putting a rubber pad on its striking part.

The mushel is made from wood species whose hardness is superior to the wood used for logs. To protect the wooden hammer from splitting, hoops are placed on both sides of it.

All tools are simple in design, so you can make wooden objects yourself, following no complicated rules, and buy metal ones at a hardware store.

All types of blades should not be sharp, as a blade that is too sharp will cut tow, jute and other caulking materials. Wooden blades are made from wood that is slightly softer than log wood. A tool that is too hard will leave marks on the logs and crush the caulking material.

The blades of the blades must be perfectly smooth, free from burrs, roughness and other defects. If the shovel is flawed, the caulking material will catch on its irregularities and, instead of being pushed between the logs, will come out again.

To caulk a log house you will need special tools

Caulking a log house will require time, diligence, the right material and a good tool.

Such work is quite labor-intensive and manual. There are no mechanical devices that would speed up the caulking process and make the work easier. Only with your own hands and nothing else.

It’s not for nothing that wood construction There is such a specialization as “caulkers”. A team of several strong men performs only caulking!

Since they perform only this kind of work, they have achieved the highest qualifications in this specialization. If you manage to find such a team, then be sure to use their services, because the caulking will be done quickly and, most importantly, with HIGH QUALITY.

Naturally, the team of caulkers has a tool for caulking log cabins in complete set for all occasions, depending on:

• material used for sealing log seams
• seam sizes
• log type of wood
• the presence of complex elements (corners, junctions) in the configuration of a wooden building

Tool for caulking logs in a log house

The next tool for caulking logs is necessary when the right technology execution of work:

1. the caulk itself. This is different kinds blades (wooden or metal), which should have a smooth blade so that when pulling it out of the seam, it does not pull the insulation along with it. And the pointed end of the spatula (blade) should be thin enough to drive the insulation into a thin gap, but not sharp so as not to cut the insulation during the driving process.
2. a hammer (mallet, mallet) for hitting the caulk, hammering the insulation into the cracks.

Wooden caulk

Wooden caulk for hardwood

Caulk wooden type blades are usually made by caulking a log house with your own hands.

What's so complicated about caulking a log house?! I took it, tapped a wooden spatula and slowly pounded it with a hammer, compacting the tow in the seam...

Some people manage to insulate the seams of a log house with an ax, simply poking the oakum inside...

It's not that simple. Yes, in early times, when caulking, homemade spatulas of various widths and sharpness were always used. But even before, this work was entrusted to a person who KNEW how to caulk the seams of a log house with high quality and who was considered an expert in this matter.

Wooden caulk should be:

• made of hardwood. What is the point of it if after a couple of meters its blade becomes terry with burrs
• with a polished surface so that the insulation does not cling
• with a metal handle, if a metal hammer will be used as a driving tool
• width 100mm, other options are possible, depending on the technology

The task of the caulk is to tightly fill the inter-crown seams with insulation. And, if the log house is not of the highest quality, then its seams are wide enough to easily caulk them with a wooden caulking shovel.

If the seams between the logs are very thin, for example in a log house made of galvanized logs, then metal caulking will be required.

Caulking chisel

Chisel-caulker with protector STAYER 2125

It’s easier to say that a caulking chisel is the same shovel, only metal. Nowadays, such a tool for caulking a log house can be bought in a store. That is, you don’t literally take a chisel and start hammering the insulation into the seams with it...

Although you can try, the chisel is too thick, and the blade should have a thickness of no more than 5mm. And the chisel is too narrow for such work: it will take a long time to chisel. To speed up work, the width of the blade should be 80-100mm. It is with this caulk that the main volume of the log house is made: 100mm wide, 5mm thick. It is also called type-setting caulk.

On sale, metal caulking chisels can be purchased in various widths and blade thicknesses for caulking:

• straight seams with large footage
• middle grooves
• narrow gaps

It is also worth purchasing a curved caulking tool designed for corners and rounded areas. Without it, it will be difficult to tightly (high-quality) insulate the joints of the logs into the bowl.

You can view this tool for caulking log houses (chisel-caulk) on the website “All instruments.ru”:

• reasonable prices
• large selection of markings (with protection, rubber protector, etc.)
• wide range of purposes and applications (narrow, wide, curved)

Caulking with a hammer drill

We can immediately say that caulking with a hammer drill is not very good idea speed up work due to quality:

• can damage the wood of the logs

The load is shock and uncontrollable. If, with manual caulking, a professional hits the caulk only once the width of the blade in order to place the insulation at a certain and constant (due to an individual blow) depth, then with mechanical caulking with a preforator, the blows are frequent and the worker cannot evaluate them accurately: in what - In that place it took several blows, in another place I went through it with a punch faster than in the previous one, so the force of sealing the insulation into the seams was less. and so on. Due to such circumstances, the caulking of inter-crown seams turns out to be uneven and of poor quality.

Caulking with a hammer drill has only one positive fact: speed.

But professional caulkers will never allow themselves to use a hammer drill, since the main factor is important to them: quality.

Also, we will not dwell on such non-professional caulking as an ax, chisel, etc., that is, an improvised tool that we could find in the house.

Last year, on a neighboring site, we observed the process of caulking a log house by a woman using an ax and the poking method. It is clear that women’s hands only superficially plugged the visual “holes.” In this way, without a special tool for caulking a log house and the correct technology, high-quality insulation will not work. The problem of “draft” will arise for the owners within a year, when the new log house settles...

Wooden log houses are characterized by plasticity and a tendency to undergo multiple changes in configuration and volume during the period of shrinkage and operation. The condition of the log house is also influenced by weather conditions, operating conditions, time of construction of the building and features of wood protection. In connection with this, the standards provide for primary as well as repeated caulking.

Features and reasons

Caulking is the process of sealing joints and cracks between logs in log house or a log structure. The main purpose of this process is to increase the thermal efficiency of the building. This is done by filling the gaps with special sealants.

Caulking can be done after all construction (including roofing) work has been completed, or during the process of assembling the walls.

Caulking allows you to solve a number of the following problems:

• insulation of the premises and (as a consequence) reduction in 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;
• preventing the formation of condensation on the walls as a result of differences between temperatures outside and inside the building;
• protection of wood from rotting.

The first caulking is carried out immediately after completion roofing works, the second - after the initial 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 complete shrinkage of the wood occurs.

Work must be carried out in the warm season. Winter is not suitable for this because the process will become even more labor-intensive, and the tree almost does not shrink during this period.

Houses and bathhouses must be insulated on both sides; outbuildings can only be insulated 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 they all 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 tow absorbs moisture, as a result of which the heat loss of the building increases.

The material is based on flax fibers. Depending on their quality, the insulation can be bale or roll. The latter has short and stiff fibers, which makes styling difficult. Bale tow is softer and more elastic, and therefore easier to work with. The material is difficult to work with: it is not easy to insert it into the cracks or replace the damaged area. After insulation, the seam needs to be decorated, as it looks unaesthetic. Various microorganisms, moths, can grow in tow.

Moss

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

Usually red or white moss is used. When collecting independently, it is better to carry out such work in late autumn, immediately sorting out the raw materials after collection (you need to remove soil, debris, and insects). Then the moss is dried, but not too much, otherwise it will become very fragile.

Felt

This material is made on the basis sheep wool, it has long been considered one of the best inter-crown insulation materials. It's all about its low thermal conductivity, combined with high vapor permeability, noise insulation qualities, environmental friendliness, and the ability to not allow moisture to pass through. Long elastic fibers are easy to fit even into small gaps.

Disadvantages include susceptibility to moths and rotting. Adding synthetic components to felt makes it possible to eliminate these disadvantages, but increases the cost of an already expensive material.

Lnovatin

A material based on recycled flax fibers, characterized by high performance qualities and non-hygroscopicity. It provides a favorable microclimate in the room, because when the humidity level increases, it absorbs excess moisture, when it decreases, it gives back. In addition, this feature allows you to protect the wood from rotting.

Thanks to its composition, the material is absolutely safe.

Jute

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

Artificial

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

• Insulation materials based on polyester fiber. They are characterized by biostability, non-hygroscopicity and vapor permeability. Available in tape form. Among the most well-known manufacturers are PolyTerm (Finland) and Avaterm (Russia).

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

• Sealants. Sealants based on silicone, polyurethane or acrylic base are also used for caulking log houses, but they are not independent seals. Their purpose is to seal cracks directly in logs, as well as to apply artificial sealants over them. Distinctive feature is the ability of sealants to expand and contract in accordance with the expansion or contraction of wood.

Requirements

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

If we're talking about When insulating the inside of a log house, you should choose environmentally friendly seals. They must be non-toxic and not release hazardous compounds when exposed to high temperatures.

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

Considering the labor intensity and high cost, it can be noted that this material should be characterized by durability. The thermal efficiency of the seal should be maintained for 15-20 years.

As already mentioned, there may be several options for insulation. If we talk about the methods of laying the sealant, it can be laid during the construction of the log house or after the completion of construction work.

At internal insulation Thermal insulation of inter-crown 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 inter-crown seams, it is packed onto the surface of the log house. wooden sheathing, the pitch of which should be 1-2 cm less than the width of the insulation.

Then, insulation is attached between the frame joists, and sheets of plasterboard are placed on top of it. Between the insulation and the finishing is preserved air gap at 30-50 mm. Drywall sheets are plastered and decorated.

Before attaching the sheathing, the surface of the log house is covered with an antiseptic. Similar actions are performed in relation to the surfaces of the joists.

Choice

The specific insulation technique depends on the type of structure and climatic conditions. It is believed that a new, properly constructed log house only needs inter-crown insulation. Additional thermal insulation from the inside will disrupt the microclimate in the room and hide the aesthetic log walls. The baths do not need to be insulated from the inside, since the additional layer of insulation will get wet, which will lead to freezing of the wall.

Primary caulking and sealing of small cracks are carried out using the “stretching” method, while repeated insulation or elimination of wide cracks is carried out using the “pull-in” method.

Tools

To carry out the procedure for insulating inter-crown seams, you will need 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);
• breaking caulk– is a thick narrow wedge for expanding excessively narrow gaps, allowing them to be filled more easily and with better quality;
• flat chisel, having a blade 50-60 mm wide, up to 5 mm thick - used for laying the seal in the corners and rounded parts of the log house;

• mallet– is a hammer made of wood, used to hammer in the seal;
• road worker– a type of caulk for forming even rolls from twisted heat insulator;
• hammer– they hit the mallet with it, driving the sealant into the inter-crown space;
• insulation.

A power tool or hammer drill is inferior to the described tools, since they do not allow the formation of a dense roller of material, but only drive it into the gap.

Methods and technology

There are two technologies for the caulking process:

• “Stretched.” Typically used for primary sealing of seams and involves maximum stretching of the material along the entire length of the frame. First, the first strand of insulation is laid, and on top of it - a twisted second strand. The insulation fibers are perpendicular to the direction of the logs, and the ends are rolled into a flat roller, which is driven inside the seam.

• "Recruiting." The method is used for re-caulking when the house has shrunk. This method involves hammering in a small amount of insulation, a strand of which is formed into a loop. Then, using a mallet or caulk, it is hammered into the crack, and the insulation fibers take a position perpendicular to the wood.

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

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

• Cleaning the inter-crown gap from dust and debris. It is convenient to use a vacuum cleaner for this.
• Insulation preparation: roll material should be spread 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 waves, but it should be enough for one tier.
• One of the ends of the insulation tape is driven into the gap using a mallet.
• Then the material is hammered into the gap with a mallet and caulk. It is important to ensure that the seam is sealed and there are no distortions.
• If used synthetic insulation, sealant is applied over it.

When the insulation is laid during the process of assembling logs, it must be placed immediately on the first row, leaving the ends of the material hanging over on both sides. Then a second crown is placed, with insulation on top of it. This is how the work continues until the very last log. When all the work is completed and the roof is installed, the hanging ends of the seal are driven into the gaps using caulk. It is necessary to correctly collect the hanging ends towards the center of the crown.

When laying insulation (primarily this concerns moss), it is important to ensure that it lies evenly over the surface of the logs. It is unacceptable for them to show through the insulation, otherwise log house will turn out to be cold. If tape insulation is used, it is rolled out along the crown and secured with staples. If the tape runs out, then the next roll begins to overlap (about 5 cm) to prevent the formation of gaps.