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What is caulk? Essentially, this is the process of compacting a log house with fibrous materials - moss, tow and others; it can be used thermal insulation material as inter-crown insulation – flax jute fiber, polyurethane foam, For example. But caulking correctly is not so easy - you will learn about all the intricacies and features of this process from this article. So, how to caulk a log house - with moss, tow, tape and sealants.

Technology for getting the job done right

Once the frame is laid, it is still impossible to caulk it - after all, shrinkage lies ahead. One can understand, of course, the desire of those building a bathhouse to make money, which is why they offer to caulk everything right there, but this needs to be done only after at least six months.

So, as soon as the log house has shrunk, you can begin to caulk it - from the bottom up, from the very bottom crown. This should be done this way: caulk one seam, strictly along the perimeter of the entire log house - outside, then inside. It is impossible to caulk each wall separately - otherwise the log house will warp over time. The same applies to separate external caulking and inside– because of this, a dangerous vertical deviation of the walls can easily occur.

Caulking is a careful, fussy job. At the same time, the master is obliged to constantly monitor the log house so that there are no distortions in the walls. And it’s bad if, after caulking, the entire frame has risen up a whole crown - this will invariably lead to logs falling out of the dowels or locks, and therefore it is better not to allow this.

Which material should you prefer?

So, here are the most common materials for caulking a log bath:

Moss - like the good old days

Moss - environmentally friendly pure material, which has medicinal properties. It resists temperature changes and drying well, absorbs moisture, but does not rot. And most importantly, it has antimicrobial and tonic properties, and at the same time lasts quite a long time.

This material for caulking has been used since ancient times. Today it cannot be called the best, but many bathhouse owners use only it during construction.

So, when laying, you can only use highly moistened moss - then after drying the log house, it will turn into a homogeneous dense mass that will fill all the cavities and cracks. Therefore, you won’t have to caulk the bathhouse anymore. However, experienced builders do not advise attaching special importance to the historical experience of its use - such finishing is still quite expensive.

Tow - not everything is so smooth

Caulking tow is the most difficult. As the log house dries out, it will gradually gain moisture and eventually rot, turning into dust. And then you will have to clean out this insulation, caulk everything again and tightly fill the empty cavities - and this will take a lot of effort and time.

Sealants - modern technologies

Sealants for log baths are much more expensive than tow, but they also have their own undeniable advantages. Sealants as a means of caulking are suitable if the log house is rounded, or well-cut from an ordinary log, and the groove in it is semicircular. And if there is jute fabric between the logs. In this case, you can really get by with just one sealant. But, if the log house was made using a chainsaw, and the groove in it is triangular in shape, then it is already necessary to fill the void, i.e. caulk for real.

If you use a sealant with tow, then everything should happen according to this scheme: the bathhouse is caulked with tow twice, and after it completely shrinks, the seams are sealed. And in order to save sealant, it is advisable to lay a cord of insulation in the grooves.

And for the seams different widths – different types sealant. But the seams turn out light and neat. And there is no longer any risk of subsequent caulking.

Caulk with tape insulation

One of the most simple ways caulking – caulking with tape. There is no need to cut it into strips, which makes the whole process much easier. And you need to do it like this:

• Step 1. First you need to approach one of the ends of the log house, place the end of the tape on the ground, and, unwinding it, gradually move away to the other end. There is no need to cut the tape - it is only important that it does not twist and runs in a strip. And most importantly, the tape should not be pulled, it should go slightly relaxed.

• Step 2. Returning to the beginning of the tape, you need to lift its end and start tucking it right from the end between the crowns - with the tool that was selected depending on the existing gaps. As soon as it has already been passed to the end, you need to leave a margin of 10-20 cm - and only then can the tape be cut, and only with well-sharpened scissors.
• Step 3. At this stage, you can already caulk the tape. But only a little bit - otherwise it will go into folds. Moreover, you need to caulk it not in one stage, but in several - until the tape completely disappears in the logs, and the reserve that was initially left will also disappear. As for the process itself, the tape should be pushed in diagonally.
• Step 4. Now you need to repeat everything - between the same crowns. Oddly enough, two or three tapes will easily fit there, depending on their density. Those. The amount of insulation caulking itself requires at least four times what was originally used during installation - and this is only when caulking outside, whereas according to all the rules, the same should be done inside.

So, if the insulation padding has become dense, like wood, the caulking was successful. By the way, craftsmen advise taking jute of at least 10 mm – and the thicker it is, the better.

But today a Chinese instrument is considered a completely worthy alternative, which is not expensive and is quite acceptable in quality.

By the way, if you use a hard tool for caulking, you cannot avoid chips and dents - after all, it will slide off. Soft caulk is more difficult to use, but you can make it right on the spot, with your own hands. Today, wooden caulks are also made with curved edges, which are quite easy to penetrate into the depth of the seam, but they require skill to use.

In general, everything is within the power of a Russian person!

To get rid of the gaps between the crowns and close the cracks formed during the shrinkage of the log house, apply caulk: this is the only way to retain heat inside the log house. For work you can use various materials, but the technology is the same. How to caulk a log house correctly? What's best to use for this?

What is the best way to caulk a log house? The work can be done using both natural and artificial materials. The latter are much more convenient to use, and the process takes very little time, but they have several significant disadvantages.

Natural

These include moss, tow, jute, flax wool, hemp and others.

Moss

Caulking a log house with moss has been done for a long time, and even with the advent of modern materials it has not been abandoned. This explains his unique properties: it not only retains heat well, transfers sudden changes temperatures, removes excess moisture without rotting, but also has antimicrobial and even medicinal properties.

Tow

The technology using tow is considered one of the most complex. As the log house dries out, the material will become damp, which is why it will begin to rot over time. Therefore, after drying out the house or bathhouse, the old tow is cleaned out, and then the log house is caulked again.

Jute

Moisture resistant, environmentally friendly and durable material, excellent heat retention. Due to its ability to absorb moisture, it has a fairly short service life (about 3 years). Jute that has become unusable is not easy to remove from the cracks between the crowns, so it is rarely used.

There are several types of material:

1. Jute tow. When producing this type of insulation, the fibers are combed to give them the desired direction. The tow obtained in this way retains all the properties of jute, however ready material not very convenient for work: rigid, and at the same time not too dense. The process of caulking when using the material becomes more complicated - the work has to be carried out in several stages (during the initial laying, the required degree of density cannot be achieved).
2. Flax-jute. A mixed material consisting of equal amounts of flax and jute fibers. It is popular among builders, but needs protection from insects: before use it is treated with anti-moth and anti-rot agents.
3. Jute felt. The material, 90% jute and the remaining 10% flax fiber, has the density necessary for work, but at the same time remains flexible. The ease of use of felt makes it optimal choice. When purchasing a material, you should choose one whose fibers are longer than 2 cm - it is more elastic and flexible. The only drawback is that it can be damaged by moths, so before laying the felt, it is treated with a special protective impregnation.

Lnovatin

Insect repellent material is processed chemicals, therefore it cannot be called environmentally friendly. The service life of the insulation is up to 3 years; it is attached to the frame using construction stapler.

Synthetic

The use of ready-made compounds - sealants - will cost significantly more than if you caulk a log house with tow. However, they are much easier to work with. Usually, in order to reduce the consumption of a synthetic product, it is used together with a natural one (for example, a cord). First, the cord is sealed into the gap, and sealant is applied on top, leveling the layer with a scalpel spatula.

Among the disadvantages of sealants:

1. A number of synthetic products are destroyed under the influence of sunlight - over time, they begin to crumble and fall out. To protect the substance from damage, strips are installed on the seams, which protect the sealant from ultraviolet radiation.
2. Some compositions, after drying, harden into a dense solid mass, due to which the wood, which contracts and expands depending on humidity and air temperature, begins to collapse. It is recommended to use only flexible sealants.

Methods for caulking the walls of a house or bathhouse

Caulking and insulation of a log house can be done using two methods:

1. Into the set. Suitable for wide cracks. For work, use jute, tow or hemp. The selected material is divided into strands and wound into a ball.
2. Stretch. In this case, the heat-insulating material is divided into strips and driven into the cracks.

General rules

The initial caulking of a timber house is carried out approximately 6 months after assembly. During this period, most of the moisture contained in the timber will disappear, cracks will appear on the tree, and cracks will appear in the structure itself.

The next time the work will need to be carried out another year. By this point, the structure will have completely settled, and it will be necessary to eliminate the cracks and crevices that have arisen over the past months.

If everything is done correctly, the third time will be needed only after 5 years. However, if technology is not followed, the need to eliminate cracks may arise annually. To ensure that the caulking of a timber house is done correctly, it is worth watching a video with advice from experienced craftsmen.

1. Work starts from the bottom. Sequentially caulk the lower crown around the entire perimeter from the outside, then inside the log house. After that, they move on to the next one, acting in the same way.
2. Typically, the largest cracks form at the corners, so caulk in these places should be especially careful.
3. First, the material is fixed in the crack over an area of ​​about 1 m, then the hanging parts are folded in and tucked inside. Using a mallet, the insulation is firmly hammered into the gap until the material begins to spring back. When everything is done, move on to the next section.

Caulk with moss

To work you will need:

• pre-dried moss;
• water;
• soap;
• vegetable oil.

Work order:

1. Add 200 g of soap and 0.5 liters of oil to a bucket of water. Mix thoroughly.
2. Place dry moss in the prepared liquid. Wet fibers will become elastic.
3. Take a strand of material, twist it into a roller, and insert it into the slot. They compact well.
4. Using a spatula and mallet, firmly hammer the insulation into the gap.

For the initial caulking of a log house using moss, it is recommended to use the “stretch” method, all subsequent ones – the “set” method.

Using tow

Over time, insects may infest this type of insulation, and in order to protect it, the tow should be treated with a disinfectant.

You need to prepare:

• tow;
• formalin (it will act as an antiseptic);
• water.

Caulking a house made of profiled timber using tow takes place in 4 stages:

1. Formalin is diluted with water to obtain a disinfectant solution.
2. All the prepared tow is placed in it and left for half an hour.
3. Having taken out and squeezed out the material, they drive in the tow, divided into strips, using the “stretch” method. The insulation is compacted using a spatula and a mallet to achieve maximum packing density.

Caulk with jute

This material is laid using the “set” method.

Depending on what type of material is chosen, you will need:

• the jute itself;
• bitumen or resin (for felt jute);
• formalin (for jute tow).

Work order:

1. The tow is soaked in a formaldehyde solution.
2. The material is rolled into strands and filled into the cracks of the lower crown.
3. Using a tool, push in the overhanging edges.
4. Using a groove, level the position of the insulation layer.

Important! When processing the area around the chimney pipe, you need to leave about 3 cm of the surface untouched.

Caulking with sealant

Caulk timber house using sealant is the fastest way. To work you will need yourself synthetic material, a cord for filling cracks, a special spatula for smoothing seams (you can take a narrow spatula), a mounting gun.

Log houses made of rounded logs are in great demand. These building materials retain heat well in the room, have a pleasant appearance, and are environmentally friendly, created from natural material - wood. Thanks to the perfectly even shape of rounded logs, many believe that there is no need to worry about insulating a house made from them. In fact, this is not so, because it is impossible to lay the crowns on top of each other so that there are no gaps between them. Even if they are minor gaps, they will appear; later, after the house shrinks, they will become even larger, and heat will escape through them. It is necessary to insulate cracks using insulating materials immediately during construction and afterwards using caulk.

The process of caulking is caulking insulation material into the inter-crown cracks. This must be done several times:

• immediately after construction;
• a year or 1.5 after the house shrinks;
• 5 years after construction.

For houses made of rounded logs, one caulk, made after the log shrinkage, is sufficient. This process It insulates the seams between logs well, preventing cold penetration into the room, moisture ingress and freezing of inter-crown joints. The main thing is to properly insulate the house and use only high-quality insulation materials.

Materials for caulking

Materials for insulation wooden houses by means of caulking has many. All of them can be divided into two main types:

1. Artificial insulation. Made from mineral, synthetic components.
2. Natural interventional insulation. They are made from natural materials, plant fibers.

TO artificial materials relate:

1. Mineral wool, glass wool and other fibrous mineral wool insulation. They are environmentally friendly but can still lead to development allergic reactions from the residents. They provide good insulation and prevent rodents from growing in them. But these insulation materials are not hygroscopic and even to be afraid of moisture, it worsens their basic characteristics.
2. Foamed polyethylene and other closed-cell insulation materials. Materials made from it insulate the inter-crown seam well. They keep the cold out and keep the heat out. But at the same time they don't breathe. They can be compared to a plastic bag, creating a greenhouse effect in the inter-crown joint, this can lead to damage to the wooden material and its rotting.
3. Foam rubber and other open-cell insulation materials. These insulation materials are not able to protect the crown joint from freezing. Despite the fact that air and moisture are able to penetrate into the small pores of the material, under the weight of the upper crowns of the log house they are compressed, and the result is a non-breathable, homogeneous mass of insulation.

Many artificial insulation materials cope well with their thermal insulation tasks. But it is advisable to use them for structures built from bricks, concrete, cinder blocks and other minerals building materials. These insulation materials are not suitable for wood; they will shorten its service life, worsening its strength characteristics.

Natural interventional insulation materials include:

1. Moss. This is the most the best insulation. It was used for caulking hundreds of years ago. It does an excellent job of insulating a home. It has good hygroscopicity, capable of absorbing moisture more than 20 times the volume own size. The structure of moss fibers contains lignin, which prevents rotting and damage to the insulating material and the logs themselves. It has bactericidal properties and will destroy bacteria in the air in the room.
2. Jute. Its properties resemble moss, but it is easier to work with. The density of jute is good and does not allow heat or cold to pass through. This material breathes and is hygroscopic. Appearance is also different, jute has golden color, similar to the shade of wood. In interventional seams it looks beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.
3. Linen. It's more cheap material, but its properties are worse. He is afraid of constant contact with moisture, which can lead to rotting. The shade of this material is gray. The density is not great, linen feels softer to the touch. It is advisable to use this insulating material for insulating houses built from dry wood; it is perfect for laminated veneer lumber.
4. Lnovatin. Good insulation made from jute and flax. These two materials together create excellent insulation, which includes their positive traits. Flax wool is resistant to external influences, with good density and the ability to restore its size. If the wooden material dries out, this insulation fills all the voids in the inter-crown space of the rounded log.

The caulking process is not easy. It’s better not to do it alone. The insulation material must begin to be hammered in from the lower inter-crown seams and gradually rise higher. Caulking needs to be done around the entire perimeter of the house at once, and not to first completely insulate one wall and then move on to another, otherwise the walls may squint or even slide off the fastening element, for example, a dowel.

For caulking wooden house It is best to use natural materials from rounded logs. They complement the wooden material, improving rather than degrading its characteristics. If you have no experience working with insulation materials, and you can’t handle caulking, you can use alternative method insulation – sealing.

Sealing of inter-crown seams

Sealing seams is easier and faster than caulking using sealants. It is easier to work with them than with insulating inter-crown materials. Neomid's sealed formulations have proven themselves well: Word Professional and Word Professional plus. These products are very similar to each other, but only the second sealant is more elastic and can be applied to surfaces with a large angle of inclination. Otherwise they are no different.

Neomid sealants have good adhesion and adhere perfectly to wooden material and excellent elasticity. Sealed compounds are applied using a construction gun. The sealed seam is not afraid atmospheric exposure, moisture, does not turn yellow under the influence of sunlight, and mold fungi do not form on it.

These types of houses are pleasant and cozy to live in. The smell of wood warms the soul; it awakens in the soul memories of childhood and the pleasant memories associated with it.
In order not to waste spiritual warmth and winter cold, the construction of a log house must be carried out in compliance with all technological subtleties. An important aspect This issue is wall insulation.

What determines the need to use caulking in the construction of log houses?

The task of caulking a wooden log house is to eliminate the gaps that have appeared between the logs. Caulk does wooden house warm, because neither in winter nor in autumn the walls can let the cold in. It is customary to call caulk also a material intended for filling cracks in logs.

In Russia caulk wooden log houses has been used for a long time. Most buildings in Russia were made of wood, and professional caulkers were always in demand. This attitude towards them was determined by the fact that, having professional skills, a real master corrected all the shortcomings associated with construction, including the distortion of the frame. There was a transfer of skill from father to son. Caulkers could form artels, and then, when performing work, they knew in advance that they would do it efficiently. Although it was possible to check in practice the quality of the caulkers’ work with the onset of cold weather.

Caulking with your own hands is considered difficult physical work. If you decide that you can handle this job on our own, - choose the right material for caulking and . The process technology must be strictly followed.

It is caulked when using a hammer - it weighs 300-400; chisels 20 mm. You will also need a rubber mallet and a caulking spatula.

It is best to carry out the initial caulking of the log house six months after it was assembled. Secondary caulking is carried out 1.5 years after construction - this time is enough for the house to shrink. If necessary, caulking is done a third time 5 years later.

IN wooden log house walls are compacted. There are 2 types of compaction. They are called “stretched” and “set”. The second method involves the fibers of the insulating material becoming strands and being wound into a ball. These strands will fill the cracks. As the width of the slot increases, the number of strands stuffed into the groove increases. Caulking “stretched” is done in separate strands. After the gap between the logs of the log house is filled, a roller is formed from the strands, which is then driven into the groove.

Materials for insulating log walls

In Russia, timber is insulated using the same methods as before. For insulation, tow, moss, linen ropes, felt, and hemp are used. The advantage of these materials over others is that they are environmentally friendly. Disadvantages include short service life and poor moisture absorption. Natural materials are a place for insects to accumulate, which is important for both the log house and the insulation.

If we consider modern materials, then jute insulation is considered popular among them, about this material written in our article about insulating a bathhouse. Jute fiber is delivered from India, Kazakhstan, and China. Jute has properties such as hygroscopicity and strength, which makes it noticeably different from others. Even if the air is 80% humid, jute remains dry to the touch and absorbs only 20% of moisture from the air.

If you are caulking a wooden house, you do not need to use jute felt. Felt consists, in addition to jute, of flax fiber. Jute felt is susceptible to rotting processes; it does not have the necessary strength; and even moths are not too fond of him.

There is another fairly popular material used for caulking, flax wool. The material is produced from flax waste remaining after processing the batch. Essentially, the material is pressed flax dust. Its characteristics are rigidity and strength.

Methods

Methods and materials for insulating wooden houses, relevant for Scandinavian countries and North America.

First it should be noted that in Scandinavia, and also in North America, it is customary to use polyethylene foam materials for wall insulation, in addition to the insulation materials already listed. They are made from polyethylene foam and mineral wool.

The construction of log houses in Scandinavian countries is carried out using more advanced technology than in Russia. The log house is cut here with the logs tightly adjacent to each other to ensure minimal gaps. Placed between logs mineral wool, the edges are processed using polyethylene foam cord.
In North America, the first settlers, building houses from logs, rubbed the crown joints with adobe and clay. In Russia, by the way, seams have never been rubbed down according to technology.

Grout for joints

Grouts for joints that exist today are divided into 2 types. In their manufacture can be used natural material- then it is clay, sand and cement; They are characterized by resistance to moisture and lack of elasticity. Inter-crown sealants have greater elasticity - they are made from polymer materials.

Today the market is saturated with a large number of different adobe mixtures and sealants that are used to insulate wooden houses; foreign and domestic manufacturers act as manufacturers.

Now you are more aware of the caulking process wooden buildings. If you still have the desire to carry out this process yourself, know that successful insulation of the walls of your bathhouse or wooden house will happen if you have patience.

1. When laying insulation between the logs, you need to leave a margin of 4-5 cm. Insulation laid in this way will be easier to caulk, and with this method the work will be of higher quality. If this is not done, the material will need to be placed in the grooves later, but this method may affect the thermal insulation in terms of its quality.
2. The house is being caulked from bottom to top, in a circle. Alternate insulation of walls is prohibited - this could cause the whole house to warp.
3. The first caulking should be carried out six months after the log house was erected. Thus, it will take its place, settle down, and it will be possible to see the shortcomings of the construction, which the caulking will subsequently eliminate.
4. If the caulking is carried out efficiently, the building may become 15 cm higher - this condition should be taken into account when re-caulking is carried out after 1.5 years, and during the initial construction of the building.

Several factors take part in determining the price of caulk. These include:

1. The parameters of the building are its height, length and width; in general, these indicators characterize the surface of the log house.
2. The number of crowns of a log house.
3. The material used for the construction of the timber is profiled, rough timber; chopped or rounded log.
4. Type of log joints in the corners.

After 5 years, when the final shrinkage of the building occurs, you will need to inspect the walls and caulk them again if you find new gaps.

Taking into account the labor intensity of the work - and each seam requires careful and patient processing - it is better to entrust this procedure to professionals, even if you have a great desire to save money on a procedure that requires such large quantity costs. We wish you successful construction and a warm home under any conditions!

Putting up a log house from a log or timber is not the whole task. It is also necessary to properly caulk this log house: to seal the gaps between the crowns and the cracks that form when the wood dries out. This is done so that the log house of the bathhouse loses as little heat as possible. The quality of the log house's assembly is determined by how the crowns are laid. It is important not only to cut out the bowls and grooves correctly, but also to lay inter-crown insulation between two rows of logs or beams.

The insulation is installed during the assembly stage of the log house

What it will be - moss, tow or jute - is up to you, but such a layer must be present. When building a log house, you need to lay insulation in two layers:

• on the lower crown so that the edges of the insulation protrude beyond the edges of the bowl by 3-5 cm, the width of the insulation, in general, is taken 5-10 cm more than the width of the bowl;
• Insulation is also placed in the bowl of the upper crown; its edges protrude beyond the bowl by 3-5 cm.

Please note that when using moss or tow, there is no need to “tap” the material. When tapped with a hammer or an ax butt, the moss fibers break and dents form on the wood, which are directed across the fibers. Such damage can lead, in the future, to the development of foci of rotting. It is enough to simply compact the fibers with the palm of your hand, leveling and probing the layer; if you come across large foreign objects (cones or sticks are often found in moss), simply remove them.

Laying moss when assembling a log house

When using tape insulation, you can fix it using a construction stapler - damage to the wood from the staples is minimal, and the material is held securely. It is advisable for two people to lay the “insulated” crowns so that they can take the log from both ends and lower it so as not to move the insulation.

• 1 How to caulk a log bathhouse
  • 1.1 Moss
  • 1.2 Jute
  • 1.3 Tow
• 2 When to caulk a bathhouse
• 3 How much tow do you need for a bathhouse?
• 4 Rules for caulking

How to caulk a log bathhouse

All materials for caulking can be divided into two main categories: natural (tow, hemp, moss, jute, etc.) and industrial sealants. Sealants are applied faster and easier to work with. Usually, to reduce the consumption of sealant, a cord is placed in the gap between the rims, and only then a sealant is applied on top of it, which, when wet, is leveled with a special spatula.

When caulking, it is not appropriate to have a spatula-scalpel at hand. The working part of the tool is made of hardened carbon steel

Synthetic sealants have a number of disadvantages:

• some of them do not tolerate exposure to ultraviolet radiation - when irradiated, they lose their properties, crumble and are blown away by the winds. The problem is solved by strengthening the strips that will cover the seams from ultraviolet radiation;
• Some sealants for log houses, when dry, form a monolith, which, when wood expands/contracts (depending on weather conditions), interferes with the process and contributes to the destruction of adjacent wood fibers. For this reason, it makes sense to use flexible sealants.

Elastic joint sealant for wood from EUROTEX

The video shows how to use Eurotex sealant.

As shown in the video above, you can use a regular tablespoon as a tool to level and remove excess sealant.

If you decide to use one of the sealants, carefully read the instructions and description, make sure that it is compatible with the type of wood from which the log house is built and can be used in your region ( temperature regime) and has necessary qualities.

The use of sealant is justified in the case when it is used to seal caulked cracks: after caulking the log house twice with tow, moss or jute, wait for the log house to completely shrink and acquire operational dimensions, after which a cord is laid in the seams, and then the sealant is applied.

Natural materials for caulking also have their advantages and disadvantages, in addition, each of them requires certain preparation.

The most proven material for caulking a bathhouse is moss. It has been used for centuries. Today, many other materials have appeared, but they have not surpassed moss in terms of characteristics. With new ones (especially tape materials) more convenient to work. This is undeniable, but the qualities of moss remained unattainable for them. Chief among them is the ability to resist bacteria and high resistance to rotting.

Not aesthetically pleasing, but practical

The moss is first dried and then wetted again before use. This restores elasticity to the stems. The soaked moss is laid out in an even layer so that its ends hang down on both sides of the log/beam. After completing the collection of the log house, too long stems of moss are trimmed, everything else is tucked in and tucked into the cracks of the log house - the initial caulking of the log house is performed. This is followed, after six months and after a year and a half, by repeated caulking.

Increasingly in construction wooden baths and jute is used in houses. And not just jute fibers, but roll material. Jute fiber has good characteristics: it has good heat-insulating properties, due to the large amount of lignin - a natural resin that serves as a binding element - it is practically not subject to rotting and has low hygroscopicity. Even at high humidity, jute remains dry to the touch.

Jute insulation can be of several types:

Tow is waste that is generated during the primary processing of natural fibers. For caulking log houses, tow made from jute, hemp and flax is used. The characteristics of the material and its quality depend on the source raw materials, the degree of purification of the fibers and their length. Construction tow is pressed into square blocks. To use when caulking a log house, a strip of material is pulled out from a common block, twisted into a rope and placed in the seam. Combed tow, which is sold in rolls, is more convenient to use.

Tow for a bath

It is inconvenient to work with such material: it is difficult to achieve a uniform layer when used as inter-crown insulation, and for caulking a log house, tow is excessively rigid, which is why it is almost impossible to achieve a dense filling of the seam the first time and you have to periodically re-caulk it. If the choice is between moss and jute tow, then we can definitely say that moss is better for a bath - it has the ability to inhibit the development of putrefactive bacteria and fungi.

When to caulk a bathhouse

The log house is assembled, when is the first time you can caulk a fresh log bathhouse? If the log house was assembled using moss or tow, then remnants of material of different lengths stick out between the crowns. In this case, you can perform the initial caulking immediately: trim the overly long fibers, tuck them inward and tuck them into the seams. There is no need to be zealous about this. This preliminary work, the purpose of which is to remove fibers. But this must be done following the rules of caulking. If the log house is assembled on tape insulation, nothing needs to be done.

Bath after initial caulking

The first “serious” caulking is carried out approximately six months after the collection of the log house. During this time, the logs/beams will lose most of the excess moisture, new cracks will appear, the crowns and corners will basically “sit” in place. At this time, the first caulking is carried out. After this process, you can install doors/windows.

A second caulk will be needed about a year after the first. A year and a half has passed since the construction of the log house, the log house has become stable. Now all seams and cracks are checked, all defects are eliminated. Depending on the material and quality of work, it may be necessary, in another five years, to caulk the seams again. But there have been cases (usually this is the result of the work of “shabashniks”) when caulking errors are corrected for several years in a row. Most often, this need arises if the log house was built without inter-crown insulation.

How much tow do you need for a bath?

Any natural material for caulking, it is compressed many times during installation and a large amount of it can fit into a log house, even with good interventional insulation. No one can say exactly how much tow is needed for a bathhouse: it also depends on what material the log house is assembled from and how the grooves are cut out in the logs. At manual chopping grooves, as a rule, more material is lost. Also, a sanded log requires more material compared to a rounded one. Less is required for a log house, but even here the amount of tow or moss that will be used to seal the cracks depends on the accuracy of the geometry of the beam and the depth/number of cracks that appear during drying.

Caulking rules

Caulking a log house is not a very difficult task, but it is long and tedious. Everything needs to be done thoroughly and slowly, so it takes a lot of time - it took 10 days to caulk a small 5*4 bathhouse (one worked for 7-8 hours).

The main thing is not to overdo it in the efforts made when hammering in the insulation, which can lead to the log house rising by 15 cm or more.

Rules for caulking a log house:

• You need to start from the bottom crown, moving along the entire perimeter, first from the outside of the building, then caulk the same crown from the inside. And only after that start processing the next crown.
• When caulking, pay special attention to the corners - these are often where the most significant gaps are located.
• During primary caulking, you first need to pick up the hanging material, bend it down and tuck it into the gap. The tool should be used as needed. Perform this operation on a section about a meter long, then move on to the next section.
• In the same area, use caulk and a wooden mallet (sometimes a hammer is used, but the mallet does not knock off your hands so much) to compact the material. You need to hit the caulk until the material begins to spring back. Then move on to the next section.
• After compaction, a gap formed. A piece of insulation is again placed in it. If it is tow, you need to roll it into a rope required thickness or tear off a piece required length from the tape. This piece is also hammered with caulk and a mallet until a springy effect appears. Repeat this operation until the gap is completely filled and move on to the next section.

Like every business, caulking requires certain skills. Since there will be more than one such procedure, you will eventually gain skills. As you gain experience, you will notice the mistakes that you made at the beginning of your activity - this will be your chance to eliminate them. Actually, it is not the gods who burn the pots, but it is possible to caulk a log house more or less efficiently even if you have no experience.