The caulking of a log house raises many questions for beginners. You should first decide when to insulate the bath, which heat insulator is suitable. It will be possible to seal the cracks in the building with your own hands without the help of specialists. Let's consider the nuances of this process. Content:
- Material selection
-
Caulking methods
- Moss
- Tow
- Jute
- Sealant
Thermal insulation of the bathhouse is carried out by the caulking method. For this, a heat insulator is driven into the gaps between the joints. This is necessary to prevent the appearance of condensation and, as a result, rotting of the tree. Bath caulking is a long, laborious and painstaking process. The first time a building is caulked during the construction phase or immediately after it. The second time is in a year or two, when the logs settle down and additional cracks appear. The third caulk is produced 5–6 years after construction. It is this period that must pass for the final shrinkage of the structure.
The choice of material for caulking a bathhouse
You can choose natural material or artificial one. The main thing is that it should have low thermal conductivity, not emit an odor, be environmentally friendly and resistant to temperature extremes. The choice of the optimal insulation is also influenced by the thickness of the timber.
For caulking use:
- Flax … Differs in environmental friendliness and high heat-shielding performance. Absorbs moisture and releases it. Attach the tape with a construction stapler. Among the shortcomings, one can single out a short service life (up to three years). To prevent insects from starting up, it is treated with a special chemical solution. This has a negative effect on the atmosphere of the steam room.
- Hemp, linen, jute tow … Eco-friendly material. It is popular for its insulating and antiseptic properties. However, it absorbs moisture, and therefore its service life is up to three years. After which it is very difficult to remove it from the gap between the joints. It is more convenient and faster to lay the combed tow.
- Jute … Durable, moisture-resistant, environmentally friendly, heat-insulating and rot-resistant material. It comes in several forms. Jute tow is not dense and tough enough. Laying is time consuming and needs to be done several times. Jute felt is dense and flexible. Before caulking, you need to treat it with a solution from decay and the appearance of moths. Flax-jute has all the disadvantages of flax. Therefore, it is not recommended for insulation.
- Forest, white and red bog moss … It has been used for several centuries due to its antiseptic and bioactive characteristics. It does not rot, does not contribute to the reproduction of microorganisms, quickly absorbs moisture and at the same time is environmentally friendly. The only drawback is the complexity of the installation. When choosing a moss, pay attention to its moisture content. It should not be completely wet or too dry. Moss the moss before caulking. The procedure for such insulation must be repeated 6 months after construction and after a year and a half.
- Hermetic composition … It is easy and convenient to work with such material. It can be matched to the color of the frame. It is produced in different forms. A soft sealant is squeezed out of the tube into the gap. A cord made of foamed polyethylene is pushed into the space between the crowns and opened with varnish. The briquettes are also squeezed out into the gap with an electric sealer gun. Among the disadvantages, one can single out the transformation of the material into a monolithic substance. When the logs are deformed, it damages the fibers. This can be avoided by using flexible sealants.
Ways to caulk the walls of the bath
To insulate the log house yourself, you will need a mallet, a road builder and a set of caulkers - type-setting (with a narrow nose), split (for expanding the seams), a curve (curved). It is best to choose tools from wood to prevent damage to the logs.
There are two methods for caulking a bath:
- Stretching … We hammer a strand of insulation with one side into the gap. We bend the second side and tamp it inward.
- In the set … We put a strand of heat-insulating material with a thickness of 1.5 cm into loops and hammer each one across the gap with a broken caulk. We seal the top with a road builder.
Bath caulking technology with moss
You can reliably caulk a log house using moss (from 16 thousand rubles), vegetable oil, water, soap.
The process of warming a bath is carried out in the following sequence:
- We make a solution. We dilute vegetable oil (0.5 l) and soap (200 grams) in a bucket of water.
- We moisten the moss in the solution.
- We twist the ends of the heat insulator into a kind of roller and tamp it tightly into the gap.
- We apply a spatula to the insulation and tap it with a mallet.
- We start caulking from the bottom seam. We process it around the perimeter of the bath and only after that we begin to caulk the second one.
The first insulation of a log house is better to stretch, and the subsequent ones - in a set. It is also important to pay attention to the corners, as this is where the largest gaps are formed.
Instructions for caulking a bath of tow
To prevent insects from getting in the insulation, it must be treated with a disinfectant solution. To caulk the blockhouse with tow, you will need an antiseptic (formalin), water, tow (from 40 rubles a kilogram).
Thermal insulation occurs step by step:
- We make a formalin solution (antiseptic).
- Soak tow in it for 30 minutes.
- We drive the insulation into the gap between the joints with the help of tools.
- We tap with a mallet on the shoulder blade in order to tamp the material as tightly as possible.
This is a way of stretching caulking. We carry out the work strictly in one tier. If you caulk each wall in turn, the structure can be strongly skewed to one side.
Method for caulking a bath with jute
This is the caulking method in a set. First you need to decide on the type of jute. Then prepare it for insulation. To caulk the log house as efficiently as possible, we need jute (about 6 rubles per running meter), resin or bitumen (if we use jute felt), formalin (when using jute tow).
In the process, you should adhere to the following sequence:
- We prepare the material for work. Soak it if necessary.
- We twist the jute into strands and hammer them into the gap between the joints of the lower seam.
- We drive the edges with caulking.
- Align the seam with a road builder.
- We successively go to each tier.
Please note that 2-3 cm of space must be cleared around the chimney before work. When insulated, the structure rises to a height of about 10 cm. Therefore, it can damage the masonry.
Sauna log caulking with synthetic sealant
Caulking works with the help of sealants are performed promptly. The main thing is to choose the best option for the material. We need a sealing cord, a sealant (about 200 rubles), a brush or spatula for smoothing, an assembly gun.
We insulate the log house in stages:
- We put a sealing cord in the gaps and cracks.
- We fill all the gaps around the perimeter with sealant in layers. For this we use a mounting gun.
- Carefully apply the mixture to the cut corners.
- We spray all the seams between the joints with water.
- Smooth out the sealant with a spatula or brush.
- Remove excess from the beams using a damp cloth.
All finishing works are carried out after thermal insulation. The structure rises, and therefore can damage the cladding. Bath caulking technology is shown in the video:
For high-quality insulation of a log house, it is necessary to carry out both external and internal caulking. If you choose the right material and follow the step-by-step instructions, then all the work is easy to do on your own, even without relevant experience.
