We caulk the log house correctly: what materials are there and how to use them. Caulking a log house: methods - traditional and modern, technology of work, subtleties How to caulk a log house

Caulking a log house is a work that our ancestors did. It was in this way that they closed the cracks in their wooden houses. Today there are more modern methods of insulation, but caulking is still one of the most popular options for sealing seams and joints between logs. Caulking is done with natural materials that breathe with the wood and do not interfere with the air exchange of the wood. Caulking is a challenging job that requires not only skill and experience, but also great patience. If you want to try your hand, you need to study in detail how to caulk a house from a bar. There are many nuances in this business, without the knowledge of which a good and high-quality caulk will not work. Therefore, let us dwell in more detail on how to make caulking.

Caulking is done several times. For the first time, it is carried out immediately after the construction of the house, the second time the log house is caulked in a year and a half after construction. During this time, it goes through the process of shrinkage, new cracks and gaps appear between the logs, which need to be closed.

All wooden houses are deformed, perhaps only glued beams are an exception, houses made of profiled timber of natural moisture are especially susceptible to deformation. During the shrinkage period, gaps may appear in the wood itself, which will be removed as a result of caulking. Often, caulking a house made of rounded logs and beams is carried out again five to six years after construction.

Primary caulking can be performed at different times:

1. Directly during the construction of a bathhouse or a house. In this case, the insulation is placed between the rows of logs. First, its edges hang evenly on both sides, and then, after the frame is placed under the roof, they are hammered into the inter-crown seams.
2. Immediately after building a house. Insulation is applied to the seam and, using a tool, is pushed into the gaps between the beams.

Do-it-yourself caulking of a log house begins with the lower crowns. First, caulk the bottom row of logs around the entire perimeter of the house on both sides, then the second, third, and so on until the end. You cannot dig a house first on one side, and then proceed to the second and subsequent ones. Caulk lifts the wall by about 5-10 cm, so if you caulk the bath on one side, you cannot avoid skewing the whole house.

For caulking, only natural materials are used, which:

• hygroscopic,
• immune to temperature fluctuations;
• breathable;
• environmentally friendly;
• are similar in their properties to wood.

These characteristics are possessed by:

• tow;
• jute;
• flax

Many people ask themselves the question: how to caulk a house from a bar? All of the above materials are suitable for caulking both a log house and a log house, there is no difference.

Moss

It is considered one of the best materials for caulking. It is not for nothing that our ancestors caulked with moss. Among other things, it has antibacterial properties and protects wood from pests and mold. However, getting this natural insulation is very problematic today. It is difficult to find it in the free sale, you can, of course, prepare it yourself, but it is not so easy.

Tow is a waste generated after the primary processing of natural fibers of flax, hemp and jute. Its characteristics are entirely dependent on the properties of the feedstock. Insulation can be baled or tied into belts. In bales, hard and short fibers are collected, which is not very convenient to work with, the rolled material is softer and more pliable in operation.

Hemp has mild antibacterial properties. However, this insulation strongly absorbs moisture, which after a few years can negatively affect the wood. After laying, it is necessary to soak the tow with special impregnations or paint it with paint to protect it from birds.

Jute

It is made from plants growing in China, India, Egypt. Available as ropes, fibers or belts. The insulation is easy to use, durable, due to the large amount of natural resin, mold does not form in it and microorganisms do not appear. Even with high humidity, the material remains dry.

Flax

It is a needle-punched fabric produced in rolls. The material is completely ready to use and does not require any preparation. Insulation is made from short fibers of highly refined flax. Linovatin has high heat-saving qualities, does not rot, does not accumulate moisture.

Caulking technology

There are two main methods of caulking:

1. "Stretching". The material is pushed with a special tool into the gap, tightly filling it with insulation. The rest of the material is wrapped in a roller, which is strongly pushed into the empty space between the logs.
2. "Set". In this way, wide gaps and gaps are closed. Bundles are twisted from the material, which are then folded into loops. The hinges are pushed into the holes between the logs and fill the free space with them.

Regardless of the method used for caulking, the correct caulking always starts from the lowest row of logs. Next, we will take a closer look at how to properly caulk a log house.

Stretch caulk

Caulking with fibrous insulation

1. Caulking starts from the ends of the bottom row. They take a bunch of moss or tow in their hands and apply it across the fibers to the gap, then press it inward with a caulking blade.
2. The edges of the fibers are rolled up into a tight roller, applied to the seam and pushed into the cracks with a caulk, while the end is left hanging outside.
3. They take new strands of tow, weave them into the free edge of the roller and repeat the steps in the same sequence. It is necessary to seal the entire seam tightly and evenly. Therefore, it is very important that the roller is not interrupted and that it is solid along its entire length.

Caulking with roll material

When using tape insulation, it is much easier to twist the roller. The material is stretched slightly along the seam, which allows the insulation to be more evenly distributed. The material must be applied to the seam across the fibers; with a longitudinal arrangement, it is impossible to achieve the desired density.

1. The tape is unwound from one corner of the log house to another, without pulling it, but leaving it free to lie on the ground.
2. Take the tape by the edge and with caulk pushes the middle of the material into the seams between the logs, leaving the edges hanging down by 5-7 cm. Fill the entire seam like this.
3. After the entire seam is initially filled, you can cut the tape off the roll.
4. The remaining material is hammered into the gaps between the beams. The caulked seam must be of the same density and thickness and protrude about 4 mm from the grooves.

Caulking "set"

In this way, as a rule, wide gaps are caulked. In this case, more insulation is required, but the quality of insulation is much higher. To do this, use tow, from which long strands are made and wound them into a ball. You can trim the blockhouse with jute cords or hemp ropes, from which balls are also formed.

1. Unwind a little cord and fold it into loops, which are alternately pushed into the seam with a caulk.
2. The hinges are hammered with caulking, first from the top of the gap, and then from the bottom.
3. Another strand is applied on top, with the help of which the final seal is made, then the strand is leveled with a triangular caulk.

To make the work a little easier and to clog the insulation faster, the process can be mechanized. To do this, caulk the log house with a perforator is performed, which is used instead of the traditional tool. But during operation, you must not push hard on the perforator, otherwise its blade may get stuck between the logs, and you need to take a break every 20 minutes. You can also use a pneumatic hammer with a compressor to drive the insulation.

To give the seams a neat and beautiful look, on top of the caulk, you can trim the log house with a jute rope. The decoration does not insulate the house, but is done purely for decorative purposes. How to fasten a rope for finishing a log house? The decorative cord is attached using galvanized nails without heads, which are hammered into the upper and lower logs in 20 cm increments.

Grinding and painting of the house is done after the secondary caulking. How and what to paint a log house can be found in the article: "How to paint the facade of a wooden house correctly."

Caulking corners

The corners are caulked after the main caulk is finished. It is more convenient to do this with a roll of insulation.

1. The edge of the tape is applied to the fillet seam and pushed inward with a curved caulk.
2. After fixing the material, its edges are tucked up and tightly hammered into the cracks.
3. During work, they move from the top seam to the bottom. In order for the material to lay down evenly, it needs to be stretched a little and constantly straightened.

How to check the quality of log caulking? The tightness of the inner and outer seams can be checked with a chisel or other sharp object that should not pass through the caulk. The insulation should be tight and the caulked seams should look neat and secure.

Self-work errors

Caulking yourself is not easy. Lack of experience and lack of caulking skills lead to the fact that the work is not of high quality.

Typical mistakes that inexperienced craftsmen make:

1. The use of low quality insulation.
2. Incorrect preparation of the material for work.
3. Violation of the sequence of work.
4. Caulking the house on only one side, inside or outside.
5. Caulking not along the perimeter of the building, but along the walls.
6. Loose fit of the insulation and its protrusion from the seams.

Caulk will turn out to be of poor quality even if only one mistake is made. Caulking specialists do not immediately become. Caulking experience takes years, so it is not surprising that inexperienced masters often make mistakes, which then have to be corrected by professionals.

Professional caulking services

Entrust the caulking of your home or bath to qualified specialists who will quickly and efficiently perform all the work. The company "Master Srubov" employs caulkers with ten years of experience, who are well aware of all the subtleties and nuances of caulking. We use high quality and dried natural materials that meet all the requirements. We work under a contract and provide quality assurance. Our experts will make caulking of any complexity and volume at an affordable cost. Contact us in any convenient way using the coordinates in the section.

Caulking a wooden house is an important stage in the insulation of a finished structure using natural or synthetic heat insulators. Here every detail matters: the right working tool, high-quality insulation material, work technology. Not all homeowners know how to correctly seal the inter-crown gaps and joints in order to reduce possible heat loss, avoid skewing the house structure, and prevent rotting of wood and heat insulators.

What is the caulking of the log house for?

Thermal insulation of a log house contributes to the preservation of heat in the premises, prevents deformation of wood and a decrease in its operational parameters. Modern heaters are durable, practical and safe, therefore they provide high-quality caulking of wooden buildings.

Log caulking solves the following tasks:

• eliminates cold bridges and reduces heat loss at home;
• corrects construction defects in the structure;
• eliminates various flaws in the outer and inner corners, crowns, openings of doors and windows;
• makes the house more attractive and reliable;
• increases the service life of wood.

When is caulking

Caulking a wooden house is carried out in several stages, and this is due to the gradual shrinkage of the wood. The maximum shrinkage occurs during the first 18 months after the end of construction work and stops after 5 years.

1. The first stage of caulking is performed after the assembly of the log structure. In this case, when building a house, the thermal insulation material fills the space between the logs so that the edges hang freely on both sides. After installing the roofing structure, the insulation is hammered into the connecting seams between the crowns.
2. The second stage of insulation is performed 1.5 years after the completion of construction work and preliminary shrinkage of the house. The insulating material fits tightly enough to hide all gaps and crevices.
3. The third stage of caulking is carried out after 5 years, when the process of log shrinkage is considered to be completely completed. All existing defects between the logs are filled with insulation.

Important! For a log house, all three caulking are carried out, and for a house made of timber, which will be lined with siding on the outside, the third caulking stage is optional.

Caulking materials

For caulking a bar or log, it is better to use natural insulation with the following characteristics:

• hygroscopicity,
• resistance to temperature extremes,
• breathability,
• environmental Safety,
• ease of installation.

Such heaters include:

• moss (red and white),
• tow,
• flax,
• jute.

Moss

The safest and most practical material with excellent antiseptic properties. It provides reliable protection of wood from rotting and biological damage.

Moss (sphagnum) is a reliable material for sealing inter-crown seams: it allows air to pass through well and quickly absorbs excess moisture, prevents the development of pathogenic microorganisms and fungi, as a result of which it increases the life of the wood.

Moss is resistant to fire and decay, therefore it is able to maintain its performance characteristics for a long time. The high cost is the only drawback of such a material.

Self-procurement of raw materials will significantly reduce the cost of thermal insulation of a house from a log or bar.

Before caulking the walls, the pre-prepared moss must have a suitable moisture level - not excessively dry or moist.

Tow

A practical and safe material that is used for caulking crowns after complete shrinkage of the log house. It is made from hemp, jute and linen fibers.

Sold in pressed bales or rolls. Tow bale has short and stiff fibers, which complicate the process of hammering the joint seams. High quality tape tow has long, elastic and soft fibers.

This material has low antiseptic properties, is susceptible to increased moisture, and therefore requires additional processing with protective impregnations or paints.

The main disadvantages of the insulation include the complexity of laying, the unattractive appearance of the processed seams, and a short operational period.

Flax

Natural material for caulking wooden houses, which is produced by pressing short flax fibers into ribbons. Linovatin has high heat-insulating and moisture-resistant characteristics. Such insulation is able to provide reliable protection of wood from rotting and mold damage.

Linovatin is used to seal the seams between the crowns with fixation on metal staples.

Jute

The highest quality and most durable insulation tape for caulking houses from a log or bar. The material has high heat-saving properties, it is not susceptible to rotting and mildew. Even with prolonged exposure to moisture, jute fiber remains practically dry.

Jute is used for primary and secondary thermal insulation of a home. It has high strength, wear resistance, elasticity and practicality. It fits into the inter-crown seams with fixation on staples.

The only drawback of the material is its high cost.

Caulking tools

If natural materials are used for thermal insulation of a wooden house, then before caulking you should prepare:

1. Mallet. A small wooden or rubber hammer for laying insulation with wooden caulkers.
2. Typesetting caulk. A spatula with a metal or wooden base, blade width 10 cm, thickness 0.5 cm. This is the main tool for caulking the crown of a log house.
3. Crooked caulking. A curved chisel with a flat blade, 5 cm wide and 0.5 cm thick. Used to fill fillet joints and gaps in rounded sections of the building with insulation.
4. Road builder. Triangular blade with a special longitudinal groove. The width of the blade is 17 cm, the thickness is from 0.8 to 1.5 cm. The tool is designed to fill gaps of equal width.
5. Split caulk. A narrowed wedge-shaped blade up to 3.5 cm wide, which allows you to expand the inter-crown slots for the convenience of laying the heat-insulating material.

Important! All caulking blades should be slightly dull and smooth to avoid damaging the wood and pulling the insulation out of the seams. Before starting work, the tools are thoroughly cleaned with a clean cloth.

Logging technology

The process of caulking a log house is carried out in stages. There are two methods of caulking:

• stretching
• into the set.

It does not matter what method the caulking is carried out at home, all insulation work begins with the lower crown. Further, it will be considered how to correctly caulk a wooden structure.

Stretching

Caulking in a stretch provides for the insulation of the seams between the logs with pre-stretched insulation. For this, fibrous and roll materials are used.

Fiber insulation

1. Work is carried out from the ends of the lower rim. A small part of the insulation (for example, tow or moss) is applied with transverse fibers to the seam and is hammered inside with a type of caulk.
2. At the edges, the insulation is rolled up with a small roller and sealed into the inter-crown seam.
3. Next, a new portion of insulation is used, which is formed into a roller, and the whole caulking procedure is repeated. This allows you to efficiently seal the seam along its entire length.

Rolled insulation

Dense rollers from roll insulation are much easier to obtain. For even distribution, the material is gently stretched along the entire length of the seam and applied across the grain.

1. The tape is unrolled on a flat surface from one corner to the opposite corner.
2. Having picked up the free edge, with the help of caulking, the insulation is placed in the inter-crown seam so that the free edges hang down by 5 cm. This is how the entire length of the seam is filled.
3. After filling the seam completely, the tape is cut from the roll.
4. The rest of the insulation is hammered into large gaps between the logs. The insulated seam must have the same thickness and protrude 3 mm beyond the edges of the grooves.

Into the set

Caulking in a set allows you to insulate wide and deep gaps between the logs. A larger volume of material is used here, respectively, and the quality of thermal insulation is higher. For this, tow, hemp rope or jute cord are suitable.

1. To caulk a log house with jute (the easiest option for beginners), a small amount of material is unwound and folded into loops. Further, each loop fits into the seam with caulking.
2. Buttonholes start at the top of the seam and then continue at the bottom.
3. On top of the installed insulation, an additional strand is overlaid for better insulation. The material is leveled along the entire length of the seam using a road builder.

If desired, the insulation of the house in a similar way can be accelerated. In this case, the insulating material is driven in with a hammer drill. The tool is used at a low speed to prevent deformation of the seam. An air hammer with a compressor is also suitable for laying insulation.

Caulking corners

The corners in the log house are insulated after the completion of the main work.

For this, it is better to use a roll of insulation and a curved caulking. The process is carried out as follows:

1. The free edge of the tape insulation is applied to the seam located in the corner and clogged with a curved caulk.
2. After installing the material, its free edges are rolled up and hammered into the seam.
3. All work on laying the insulation is carried out from top to bottom. The material is gently stretched and straightened for uniform clogging.

Decorative caulking

If the main task of caulking is thermal insulation of a wooden structure, then decorative caulking is used to decorate insulated inter-crown seams.

To give the log seams an attractive and harmonious appearance, experts recommend using jute or flax rope and rope as finishing.

The rope is neatly fixed to the seam surface with galvanized, hatless nails driven into the logs at a distance of 18 cm from each other. Decorative caulk is also suitable for hiding unevenly dried joints between crowns and for additional insulation of the structure.

After completing the caulking process, the wooden house should be used as much as possible throughout the year. In winter, a check is made for the formation of new cracks and deformation of the installed insulation.

A year and a half after the first stage of caulking, the second stage is carried out. In this case, a thorough inspection of the structure is carried out, the thermal insulation material is added where it has deformed or fell out, as well as where new gaps or distortions of the log house have appeared.

Caulking a wooden house is an important and responsible event that requires a competent approach and adherence to all stages of the technological process. The quality of the work performed determines the internal microclimate in the premises and the duration of the operation of the house.

Many are already eyeing wooden log houses. After all, they look beautiful and quite warm inside. Indeed, during the construction of a building, insulation is laid between the crowns of the logs, this gives additional confidence in the quality of the log house.

But now several years pass and after the house has completely shrunk, all kinds of cracks and cracks appear. This not only makes the house cold, but also spoils the appearance. In addition, uncovered cracks are the places where mold and rot will appear first of all, which will further lead to damage to the building.

To prevent this from happening, after shrinkage of the building, the logging is carried out... There are several ways of this procedure, depending on the selected material, in this article we will look at them.

Log caulking material

Log caulking can be made with various materials. If insulation jute was used during the assembly of the building and its ends protrude properly, then this will be enough to perform the necessary manipulations as described below and you will not need additional material.

If insulation was not used during the assembly of the log house or its ends do not protrude from the slots, you will have several options regarding the choice of material.

The oldest method is caulking with moss. Although it is time-tested, today there are many modern materials that have better qualities for this purpose.

Also, tow is very often used for these purposes. In order for the quality of work to be as good as possible, you need to choose jute tow. It will lay down evenly, and it is easier to work with it.

Caulking with a rope is often used, while it is recommended to use a jute or linen rope.

Recently, the so-called warm seam has been increasingly used. This is the result of new technologies that are rapidly advancing especially in the construction industry.

Jute log caulking technology

To perform caulking, we need:

• Small hammer - 300 - 400 gr.
• Chisel 20 mm.
• Caulking shovel or wide chisel
• Rubber mallet

The caulking of the log house should be done after the building has settled and shrinks. Previously, during assembly, jute insulation must be laid between the crowns. The caulking process consists in tucking the jute with a spatula from top to bottom and then sealing it in the groove between the logs. This produces light hammer blows on the blade. You will end up with a twisted strip of jute in the shape of a string, which is very practical.

The work is carried out in two stages - primary caulking and main. It should be noted that the caulking of the log house is carried out only after the house has shrunk, for this it must stand for at least half a year.

Primary caulking is done without strong compaction, especially in places where the logs have not yet settled into place. In such places, the jute is rolled up without compaction, and care should be taken to leave room for further shrinkage of the logs. Caulking a log house, its technology is not very complicated, therefore we will consider it in detail below.

Caulking must be performed sequentially - from bottom to top. First of all, caulking of the lower groove will be made along the perimeter of the building, then the second groove, etc. It is important to do everything around the perimeter, otherwise caulking a separate wall can cause the building to skew. You also need to take into account that the higher we go, the less need to seal the grooves with jute. And the uppermost two or three grooves are tucked in only with a spatula, without hammer blows, this is done in order to avoid the slightest compaction of the jute.

The fact is that the frame will shrink for at least five more years, so the upper crowns will crush the jute tightly over time.

In a log house, the ends are the weakest point, because of the cut out bowls, so you need to caulk it carefully, without undue effort.

The second caulking, the main one, is carried out together with the finishing, where the caulking of the log house is carried out more tightly. It is advisable to carry out this operation no less than a year and a half after the construction of the building. During this time, the blockhouse will almost completely shrink and you, without fear, will be able to put windows and doors, conduct an electrician and install plumbing fixtures.

Periodically, you need to inspect the log house for cracks, especially after a hot summer. After all, even a small gap can lead to rotting wood.

Video instruction for caulking a log house with jute:

This method is not the best today, because there are already many other modern materials that allow you to perform this procedure faster and better. But if you do decide to use moss for caulking, first of all you need to choose the right one.

So, for the caulking of a log house, a moss called "cuckoo flax" or it is also called "red flax" is suitable. It has long fibers, brownish brown with shades of red. Also used is "white moss", or its correct name is "sphagnum moss". This moss is very soft, like cotton wool. It has excellent antiseptic and bactericidal properties. A pest of wood will never start in it, moss also kills all spores of the fungus. Both of these plants are often referred to as building moss species.

During the construction of a log house, it is laid between the crowns of logs as insulation. In the future, using moss, you can caulk it. This is done two times, the first time immediately after assembly, the second after some time has elapsed when the house shrinks. This can take from one and a half to two years, or even more.

Before caulking, the moss must be dried. And already before the process itself, it must be moistened with water, otherwise it will crumble during physical contact.

Caulking a bar with moss also requires special tools, you will need:

• Mallet
• Caulking

A caulk is a small spatula that is made from the same wood as the log house. This is done so that, in physical contact with the logs, they have the same hardness, which will avoid leaving marks on the log house.

A mallet is a small wooden hammer used to strike a caulk. This allows the moss to be pushed into the slots with a stronger force and to fill the free space more densely.
As in other technologies, caulking begins from the very bottom, passing the entire perimeter. This approach will avoid possible distortion of the building. First, the crown passes from the inside, and then from the outside.

If "cuckoo flax" moss is used, it is formed in the form of a tape up to 10 cm thick, laid parallel to the log and caulked tightly using the above tools. White moss, when used, is slightly fluffed, laying is done perpendicular to the log, so that the fibers hang down somewhere by 5 - 10 cm. Then caulk is made with the same tools.

Caulking a log house with a rope

The technology of using a rope for caulking is not much different from the above methods. The only thing that needs to be added is that this material needs to be treated more carefully, because it is used not only for insulating a house, but also for decorative design, so even slight damage is unacceptable.

Caulking a log house with a rope, stages:

• The places where the rope will be laid must be cleaned and even washed if possible.
• Treat the blockhouse with antiseptic properties, it is desirable that they have fire retardant properties.
• We make a punching with a rope of a log house using tools. This work is done carefully, make sure that the cord does not twist. They also make sure that the driving depth is the same everywhere.
• As with other materials, work is carried out from the bottom up along the entire perimeter.
• The undoubted advantage of using a jute rope is its decorative component.

Warm seam technology

Before applying this method, the seams where this technology will be applied must be cleaned. Especially if the cracks are painted with varnish or other materials.

Further, vilotherm should be laid in cracks and cracks - this is a material in the form of a cord made of foamed polyethylene. Note that the cord should be about a third thicker than the slot. This material not only insulates the log house, but will also reduce the consumption of the used sealant.

The sealant is applied with a gun and immediately leveled with a spatula. The recommended thickness of the sealant is 4 to 6 mm. Moreover, the area of ​​adhesion to the tree must be at least 4 mm. from each side. The sealant hardens no more than a day, so at this time it must be protected from precipitation. You can use plastic wrap for this purpose. Complete hardening of the substance will occur in about 48 hours at a temperature of 23 degrees. After curing, the sealant turns into a rubber-like substance, so your log house will be protected as well as possible.

Now, after it is completely dry, you can smooth out the seam, remove excess and paint with acrylic-based paints.

The caulking of the log house in this way can be carried out only after the log shrinkage. Outside, this work can be done after about a year, and inside the house only after a season with the heating turned on.

This technology has several advantages:

This is done only once.

Protects against water ingress to prevent mold growth.

Makes your home significantly warm.

Resistant to temperature extremes, not afraid of moisture.

Easy to use, which allows you to significantly speed up the caulking of the bar.

A beautiful appearance that allows you to disguise even the flaws of the building itself.

In order to get a perfectly warm log house for permanent residence, it is not enough to correctly mount it. It is also necessary to fill all the gaps between the logs with high quality so that heat loss overcomes the house as little as possible. Not everyone knows how to caulk a log house correctly, and therefore the performance of insulation work sometimes leads to a distortion of the house (in the worst case) or simply to rotting of the tree and insulation (in the best case).

Video and general recommendations for other types of insulation in our material below are about how to caulk moss log houses correctly.

Materials for caulking a log house

Caulking a wooden blockhouse can be done with various materials. Fortunately, the construction market today offers a wide selection of them from natural to synthetic and semi-synthetic. The most popular are the following types:

• Construction moss... It can be called "sphagnum" or "cuckoo flax". This type of insulation was used by architects in ancient Russia. The qualities of moss as a heater are priceless and undeniable. Sphagnum is highly resistant to moisture. It seems to live with a tree in case of waterlogging of the latter and simply takes all the moisture into itself. In addition, moss is of no interest to birds, moths and other insects. This means that all the material for caulking will remain in the place that the master will determine for it. Moss "sphagnum" and "cuckoo flax" does not burn, does not rot and is an excellent natural antiseptic for wood for many years.

Important: you can buy construction moss in any volume at specialized points of sale.

• Building tow... This type of material also works great in tandem with wood for caulking walls. Hemp is produced from the remains of flax and hemp grass. Tow is also a natural material that protects wood from moisture and cold.
• Jute fiber in the form of a tape - an improved natural-type material for caulking walls. Jute is made from a shrub that belongs to the linden family. And linden, as you know, copes well with cold and moisture. Jute is able to slightly moisturize the log when it dries out excessively, but at the same time it does not take moisture from the tree when the humidity in the house is 80%. It is convenient to lay the jute tape between the crowns, as well as stuff it into the cracks when re-warming the house.
• Flax A linen fiber insulation is produced in the form of a wide ribbon. According to its technical characteristics, linen is similar to jute. Convenient for laying between crowns and for stretching caulking.
• Felt. Unsuccessful type of insulation for a wooden house. Felt is prone to rotting between logs and if excessive moisture gets on the walls, the felt will not only lose its insulating qualities, but also spoil the wood from the inside.

Tool for work

To properly caulk a log house, you must use special tools. Otherwise, the insulation will lie superficially in the cracks, which will lead to the formation of cold bridges. Mostly professionals use special caulkers made of steel or metal. The first is better. You can also make wooden caulk from solid wood - beech, walnut, oak. In this case, it is desirable that the tool has a rubberized handle for ease of work.

Important: the caulking tool must not have a sharp blade, otherwise the heater may be damaged during caulking. For the same reason, chipping on the surface of the tool should be avoided. In this case, the insulation clings to the teeth and breaks.

The main type of caulking tools:

• Typesetting caulk. It is a kind of flat chisel with a blade width of 10x0.6 cm. It is used for filling the seams between logs with insulation.
• Curve caulking. The same chisel, but curved. Used for caulking house corners and rounded crevices. In this case, the width of the blade is half that of the inlaid caulk.
• Caulking "road builder". It has a fork-shaped shape and is used for caulking cracks using the "stretching" method. The blade here has parameters 170x15 mm. Depending on the width of the gap, you can use a wide, medium or narrow caulk.
• Broken cauliflower. Has a wedge-shaped blade with a width of 30-35 mm. Such a tool is used to widen narrow gaps and fill them with insulation.
• A mallet is used to help all types of tools. Using such a rubber hammer, the seal is pushed into the cracks.

Work technology

In order for a log house to be insulated with high quality, the insulation must be laid in several stages. First, roll insulation or construction moss is laid out between the crowns so that it protrudes 5-6 cm beyond the edges of the log. In this case, tape insulation such as jute or flax fiber is fixed to the tree with a construction stapler. By the way, you can do the same with moss.

After the house has settled and settled down, new cracks form. It is through them that heat loss will occur. In addition, heat escaping from the house, on contact with wood and low temperatures outside, will form perspiration (moisture). That, in turn, is transformed into frost, which will destroy the log. That is why additional caulking of new slots and packing of the peeping seal between the crowns are required.

The third caulking can be done in 2-3 years, when the house is completely seated and all possible cracks are open to the master.

Caulking methods

Stretch insulation

This method involves filling narrow gaps and gaps. It is good for caulking houses made of rounded logs, since the gaps here are minimal. In this case, you should be careful with the caulking of such a log house. There is a risk of over-filling the cracks, which will lead to a distortion of the crowns, and, accordingly, the walls.

So, stretching insulation is performed in this way:

• As soon as the 5 cm long edge of the insulation remains, a new bundle of insulation is taken and its edge is woven with the remaining end.
• The resulting plexus is hammered into the gap and thus continue to caulk all the gaps.

Important: the quality of the caulking can be checked by pulling on the remaining end of the insulation. If the material flows freely out of the gap, then the job is not done correctly. If the insulation remains in the gap, then everything is done soundly.

Cauliflower "in a set"

This method is used to fill large gaps. Here it is necessary to wind the insulation into a skein. Then, loops are made from the resulting fiber and the slots are filled with them. Moreover, first, the upper part of the gap is caulked with a ramming tool, and then the loops are hammered into the lower part of the gap with the help of the "road builder" tool. It is worth knowing that the thickness of the insulation loop must correspond to the thickness of the existing gap in the frame.

Important: when working with a mallet, it is worth remembering that one hammer blow should fall on one blade width. Do not be too zealous, otherwise there is a risk of over-filling the cracks, which will lead to a distortion of the house.

There are also a number of general requirements that must be followed when caulking a log house. Observing them, it will be possible to avoid gross mistakes in work:

• So, you need to start re-caulking the house from the lower rims, since when the insulation is stuffed into the cracks, the house will rise by 5-15 cm.
• It is necessary to fill the gaps alternately outside and inside the house. That is, first, the gap of the lower crown is filled from the outside, and then they go inside the frame and the gaps of the same crown are filled from the inside. This technology will keep the walls of the house flat.
• It is best to use natural insulation for caulking. Synthetics blocks the breath of the tree.
• If moss is used for caulking, then it should be treated with a special solution of soap and oil in a ratio of 200: 500, mixed with a bucket of water.
• The house should be insulated in dry weather at a temperature of + 10- + 20 degrees Celsius.
• In addition, the lack of insulation is as bad as too much of it. It is worth strictly monitoring the amount of fiber in the loops so that their width matches the width of the gaps.

Remember, a job done correctly is the guarantor of a warm and comfortable home even in severe frosts.

Almost do not reduce the number of people who want to build their own house from wood. Moreover, wooden buildings have a lot of advantages in comparison with frame, concrete and brick buildings.

But often many of them forget that a wooden blockhouse, whether it is erected from logs, rounded logs or beams, has such a significant drawback or, rather, a feature, such as shrinkage and high deformability of wooden elements. For this reason, the construction of a wooden house is always more time-consuming - first you need to wait for the shrinkage of the log house, and only then you can start finishing work.

But it leads not only to a change in the geometric dimensions of the logs, but also to the appearance of cracks and leaks, which must subsequently be sealed. Without this, the house will be cold, humid and uncomfortable. To eliminate the defects that have arisen, caulking of the walls is carried out.

What is caulk

The caulking process consists in eliminating the gaps between the elements of the log house with heat-insulating material, which is designed to prevent the penetration of cold air flows into the house.

This seemingly simple job requires patience, accuracy and a lot of time from the performer. Caulking technology has practically not changed over the past centuries, so many developers prefer not to do caulking on their own, but use the labor of professionals.

The caulking process has several purposes:

• correction of defects made during the assembly of a log house;
• by eliminating cold bridges;
• elimination of gaps that inevitably arise in the crowns, corners of the house, between the window and and the frame;
• giving the house a complete look.

Do not think that it is enough to dig the house once and on this all problems will be solved.

Only at the first stage - when building a house - caulking is carried out two times:

• after the initial shrinkage of the log house (about six months after its assembly);
• before starting finishing work.

In ancient times, moss and wool were the main materials for the insulation of a log house. They are still used today, but other materials have appeared on the market, differing in price and raw material. Therefore, any person, even those on a budget, will be able to find a suitable material for insulating their home.

In order to choose the right material for caulking, you need to know the properties that it should have (or at least most of them).

These are properties such as:

All materials used to insulate a log house are divided into two groups: natural and synthetic.

• tow;
• hemp;
• felt;
• flax;
• jute.

• mineral wool;
• foamed polyethylene;
• foam rubber;
• sealants.

Of artificial heaters, only sealants deserve attention.

The rest of the heaters should not be used, as this will lead to undesirable consequences:

• good insulation, but it is afraid of moisture and can lead to the development of allergic reactions in some people;
• foamed polyethylene - a material with closed pores, keeps heat well, but does not breathe, which can lead to decay of the frame crowns;
• foam rubber and other materials with open pores are not able to protect the seam from freezing, since air and water get into the pores (in addition, the foam rubber sags under the weight of the logs and decomposes in the light).

Sealing of joints can also be carried out with the help of sealants. This process is much simpler and faster than traditional caulking. Some sealants (for example, Neomid) have good adhesion to wood and high elasticity. Sealants are applied using a construction gun. The seams obtained in this way are not afraid of moisture, do not decompose under the influence of UV rays, do not turn yellow or mold.

But, no matter how good modern sealants are, most owners prefer to carry out caulking at home with natural materials.

Moss- This is the oldest and to this day quite effective insulation for a log house.

It has such essential properties as:

• excellent hygroscopicity (capable of absorbing moisture in a volume 20 times its own);
• the presence of lignin in the structure of fibers, which resists damage to both the moss itself and the logs;
• bactericidal properties - moss is capable of destroying microorganisms.

Before caulking, dry moss is moistened in a solution prepared from 200 g of soap and 500 g of oil, dissolved in a bucket of water. Of all types of moss, only two types are used as caulk: forest (cuckoo flax) and red marsh moss.

Moss is laid not after the assembly of the log house, but during it. To do this, the moistened material is distributed in a layer of at least 10 cm along the crowns with stems across. The ends of the stems 10-15 cm long are released outside for subsequent caulking. The disadvantage of this method is the high laboriousness of the preparation of the moss (it must be cleaned of soil residues and dried) and the rather complicated process of caulking.

Tow can be used, but not desirable.

There are several reasons:

• tow is difficult to twist so that it does not crumble;
• it absorbs water vapor well, therefore it is almost always wet and deteriorates;
• in the heat, the material crumbles into dust;
• Birds are very fond of tow and use it to build nests.

Thus, caulking a log will have to be done too often. The tow is pretreated with a formalin solution, and then dried. This protects it from pests. It is not very convenient to work with tow, because it is too stiff and it is very difficult to achieve a tight filling of the seam.

Hemp- made of hemp stem fibers, which are highly durable and resistant to various influences.

- non-woven fabric made from felted wool. For caulking, it is cut into strips. It needs pretreatment with protective compounds, since it is easily damaged by moths and other pests. Currently, you can buy impregnated felt that has already been treated with bitumen or resin.

Linen- it is advisable to use dry wood to insulate the house or. The material does not have a high density and is afraid of prolonged exposure to moisture, which can cause decay processes in it. The shade of linseed caulk is usually gray.

Flax- made of flax and jute, which together form a good insulation. The material is resistant to external influences, has good density and the ability to restore its size. After the wood dries, leading to the formation of cracks, the material reliably fills all the voids that have formed.

Jute- resembles moss in properties, but it is much easier to work with it. The material has sufficient density in order not to let the cold through and not let the heat out of the house. Jute is breathable, hygroscopic. In addition to all these positive properties, jute has a beautiful golden hue, which greatly decorates the house.

Insulation technology for chopped walls

From ancient times to this day, two main technologies have been used to insulate wooden walls.

Stretching - used mainly for caulking narrow crevices:

• a strand is formed from the selected insulation, placed in the slot and pushed with a spatula, leaving the outside edge of the material about 5 cm long;
• then a thin roller is rolled up from the insulation, which is wrapped in the edge of the insulation left free and carefully, using a chisel, hammered into the groove.

In a set - used for caulking large grooves and cracks between logs:

• the sealant is twisted into long strands up to 15 mm thick and wound into balls;
• then it is carefully unwound, while simultaneously hammering the material into the slots with a caulking chisel;
• if the slots are of different sizes, then for larger ones, the required thickness of the insulation is gained by twisting it into loops.

• caulking (they are different: type-setting, curve, split);
• a wooden mallet or rubber mallet with a wide head.

The caulkers have a steel blade, which must not be sharp and smooth, otherwise it could damage the seal.

The procedure for the production of work:

• The caulking process itself begins from the bottom, from the lowest crown and continues up. It should be borne in mind that digging the seams changes the height of the log house.
• One seam must be drilled along the entire perimeter of the log house, first from the outside, then from the inside. This will avoid distortions of the walls of the house.
• Then the next highest seam is processed. And so on to the very top.

It is impossible to caulk individual walls, this can lead to a deviation of the wall from the vertical.

As you can see, the process of caulking a log house is not so difficult, but it requires great care and careful execution of all operations. Then your house will be protected from atmospheric influences for many years, and the facades of the house will acquire a finished look.