When building a house, it is very important to lay the timber correctly. Everything here is quite simple, you just need to carefully follow a certain technology.

When building a log house, it is very important to lay the timber correctly and evenly, so that in the future the walls of the house will be perfectly smooth.

You also need to accurately carry out calculations, with the help of which the walls will be perfectly smooth, and, of course, purchase all the materials and tools necessary for laying the beams.

Quality materials to get the job done

To lay the timber you will need:

• bars;
• roofing felt;
• stekloizol;
• metal dowels;
• nails;
• staples;
• rule;
• bitumen mastic;
• hydraulic level;
• antiseptic;
• polyurethane foam.

Before laying the timber, be sure to lay 2-3 layers of waterproofing, then a lining. After this, you will need to lay 1 more layer of waterproofing.

First you must waterproof the base.

To do this, you will need to lay roofing material 2 times and glass insulation 1 time. Just keep in mind that the width of the laid layers should be 20 cm greater than the width of the foundation.

To waterproof the base of the log house, use glass insulation.

When you lay the beams, make sure that they touch tightly. Also, don't leave any voids in the walls. As a rule, the bars are fastened together with metal dowels. And with the help of a mallet they are finished off. If the bend on the block is very small, then it must be laid down with an even part.

Please note that sometimes additional staples or nails are required to connect the bottom beams. Place them every two items.

Before installing waterproofing on a roofing felt base, check that its upper plane is horizontal. To properly check levelness, you will need a hydraulic level. The differences should not be more than 1 cm throughout the entire base. If the differences are large, then you will need to level the plane using a solution.

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Checking the design for durability

Before installing the log house, check whether the structure is durable. Next, lay out the material, the thickness of which is 12-14 cm. Just apply an antiseptic to them in advance. After this, place the beams on the exposed slats. Thanks to the slats, the base will not come into contact with the crown. This is how you can increase the lifespan of wood. And the gap between the timber and the base will need to be filled with polyurethane foam.

After this, you can check the evenness of the surfaces. You need to understand that if the first crown is uneven, the walls will turn out crooked. Once you have eliminated all the unevenness, move on to the next step - fill the gap with foam.

When you take the tools to the site, prepare the bars. Worth buying high quality products, without darkening and with a minimum number of knots. When choosing timber, pay attention to the cut of annual rings: purchase products that high density rings Using this method, laying the timber will be of better quality.

Be sure to apply bitumen mastic and treatment to the purchased tree. This is how the mixture is well absorbed into the bars. This needs to be done a couple of times. The ends do not need to be processed; with their help, moisture will be removed from the wood. If you treat the log house with high quality, it will last as long as possible.

In addition, in certain situations the first crown is not attached to the base - the building will turn out to be very heavy and will stand well on the base without anchors.

For many years, builders have been experimenting in search of a technologically advanced way to connect logs in a log house with a minimum of cracks. The log should sit “saddle” on a log perpendicular to the wall. To do this, it is necessary to build walls with a shift of half the diameter of the log. Therefore, a log (from a log sawn lengthwise in half) is placed at the base, which is secured to the foundation with anchors. The bench is separated from the subfloor by two layers of dense, closed-cell polyethylene foam, each 6 mm thick. Polyethylene foam serves as both wind protection and waterproofing.

Use of polyurethane foam in construction and repair

Among the considerable number of tools in demand in everyday life Almost every homeowner has an inexpensive and simple tool - a spray foam gun.

Is it possible to do without it?

In principle, yes. The reader probably knows that there are cans of polyurethane foam for household use. In this case, the use of polyurethane foam is possible without the use of mounting gun. But my personal experience of working with such cylinders (installation seam in the photo on the left), as well as subsequent experience in performing work with a mounting gun (installation seam in the photo on the right) gave me the following thoughts:
1. Using polyurethane foam without a gun, even when performing work infrequently but quite regularly, is “more expensive” in terms of money, quality and time.
For example, when performing the work shown in the photo on the left, I used three household cylinders (door frame width 300 mm). At the same time, it is very difficult to ensure uniformity of the assembly seam and subsequent quality. The photo on the right shows the construction seam obtained when a foam gun was used. Assembly seam It turned out to be of better quality; one cylinder was enough to do the job.

2. Taking into account the price ratio (currently) for mounting guns and mounting foam, the issue from the point of view of cost savings is also in favor of using a mounting gun, since the gun will pay for itself after using three or four cylinders of mounting foam.
So, the only thing left to do is to choose and buy a mounting gun from the countless variety that are on the shelves, and at the same time not make a mistake with the purchase. But at first it's very brief information for those who have not used this tool.
Note: this information is provided for the correct perception of the text material in the article. Basic structural elements mounting gun (and their purpose) are shown in the figure below.

foam gun photo

Considering that the pistol usually comes with instructions, the information presented above will be sufficient to read and understand the article.

Cover or “panel”?

Often, purchasing a plot with log house, the new owners are in a hurry to cover it with bricks. This strengthens the structure and makes it more solid. However, many people often make the same mistake. Without calculating that the severity of stone walls is not intended for the foundation of a wooden structure (which may not exist underneath at all!), you run the risk of significant shrinkage in the foreseeable future, which may result in cracks in the walls of the house. This also happens because it “breathes,” which means its walls can “walk” due to temperature changes in different seasons of the year. This is especially noticeable where the transition from season to season is very sharp. Subsequently, for the same reasons described above, it will be unsafe to try to build on a brick second floor.

To avoid similar problems, consult with specialists, carry out all reconnaissance activities before restructuring. By the way, cosmetic cladding of a house can be done without resorting to brick, but using modern panel materials. Plastic exterior panels are much lighter than brick, look nice, and protect your home well from rain and snow. In addition, covering a house with panels is incomparably cheaper and faster than with bricks. The main thing is to lay it between the house and the sheets of panels air cushion: panels are attached to the sheathing, which is made on the outside wooden wall. By the way, in the case of a brick lining of a wooden house, an air gap is needed, which, meanwhile, is done differently.

Insulation of a wooden house

The opportunity to buy on credit has significantly expanded the number of owners wooden houses. A wooden house is warm, cozy, beautiful, but besides good properties, the tree is susceptible to drying out, pest damage, and cracking. Therefore, over time it is necessary to carry out insulation work.

You need to start insulation with a thorough external inspection. It is necessary to identify all the cracks and holes from which the cold air, and then seal them. Particular attention should be paid to the corners - this is where damage is most likely to occur.
You can use polyurethane foam or polyurethane sealants if you have a house made of laminated veneer lumber - this material has passed the necessary heat treatment, not subject to drying out. If this is a log house, then this wooden house is constantly in “movement”. Therefore, literally in six months the foam will collapse and the work will have to be done again.

The most reliable and proven method for eliminating cracks in a wooden house is caulking. Our grandfathers used this method. For caulking, it is best to use tow and finish with hemp rope.

Proponents of environmental solutions can use dry swamp moss– an excellent material for sealing cracks and crevices. The only problem will be to assemble required quantity moss if the amount of work is large. For houses made of logs, it is necessary to use inter-crown insulation, which is felt, linen or jute tow. For a house made of timber, the thickness of the insulation can be 10-15 mm, and for a house made of timber it should be up to 25 mm.

The next step will be to insulate the ceiling. It is to the ceiling that the air heated by the stove or radiators rushes. There it cools and falls along the walls to the floor. Good decision The ceiling is insulated using polystyrene foam. You can also use mineral wool.

When choosing a material, it should be taken into account that in addition to insulation, the material will block the passage of moisture through the ceiling, so the use of foil material is not recommended - this will lead to the formation of condensation on the ceiling and disrupt the natural atmosphere inside the house, which can lead to fungi. Any waterproofing should be placed under the thermal insulation layer, and not vice versa.

When insulating walls special attention need to look at the windows. It blows especially often from junctions window frame with a wall. It is recommended to caulk the outside or use polymer sealants. If the windows are wooden, then periodic painting not only refreshes appearance, but also gives additional tightness to the window.

It is better to use double-glazed windows. Glass must be placed in a frame, on silicone sealant. This will guarantee that cold air will not blow from the window in winter. Great solution – plastic windows. This is the only way to achieve complete tightness.

If serious insulation of the house is required, then insulating materials are used ( mineral wool, slabs of basalt fiber, etc.), decorated on top with finishing materials.

Sometimes a log house is covered with bricks, if the foundation allows. But in this case, all the beauty of a wooden house is lost. Best option- construction glass veranda. This will create a buffer zone of air while maintaining natural beauty tree.

Insulating your home should not be put off until the winter. It's better to carry out all the necessary renovation work in the summer, and in the cold season just enjoy the coziness and comfort of your home.

Sealing and insulation of the crowns of a wooden house.

Despite large number modern building materials, many prefer to use wood for individual construction. Wooden houses undoubtedly have their advantages: reasonable price, environmental friendliness, beautiful appearance. But there are also disadvantages. Wood becomes very deformed when exposed to moisture, dries out and cracks. Constant movements of the foundation, which occur at any time of the year, also lead to an increase in the size of the seams between the crowns of a wooden house. Ultimately, the wooden structures of the house lose their tightness and begin to let cold air and moisture inside. The problem can only be solved with the help of a professional wood sealant. Some people mistakenly believe that foam, putty, or any sealant can be used to seal wooden structures. In fact, selecting a sealant for wood is a rather serious task.

Wood sealant must have high elasticity. Polyurethane foam does not have this property; therefore, with subsequent deformation of wooden structures, they will not be able to provide sufficient tightness.

Silicone, polyurethane, thiokol, butyl rubber sealants and mastics do not have good adhesion to wood. They do not have the required degree of deformability and, moreover, do not match the color of wood well. Additionally, many of these sealants cannot be used indoors.

Accordingly, the ideal sealant for wood is an acrylic sealant with high degree deformability. Of the sealants presented in our company’s assortment, acrylic sealants for wood Atacamast 125 and Rustil-acrylic for wood are best suited for this work. These sealants have high deformability and excellent adhesion to wood. If you need to repair cracks in wooden structures at home, or to fill the joints between the wall of a wooden house and a window block, door frame, and so on, then our wood sealant is the ideal solution.

Now let's move on to the issue of insulation and sealing of the crown joints of a wooden house from the outside. Let us immediately note that it is better to carry out this work after the initial shrinkage of the house, that is, on next year, after laying the walls of the house. Before using wood sealant, you need to fill the gaps between the logs with insulation. For these purposes, a Vilaterm or Izodom tourniquet of the required cross-section and diameter is best suited. It performs several important functions at once.
First, it is a filler that reduces the consumption of wood sealant.
Secondly, the tourniquet improves the thermal insulation of the inter-crown seam.
Thirdly, a bundle made of foam material acts as an anti-adhesive gasket, which ensures that the wood sealant adheres to only two points - on the edges of adjacent logs.

Sealants Atacamast 125 and Rustil-acrylic for wood do not stick to the sealing gasket, because has adhesion only to wood. Therefore, if you fill the seam between the crowns with a Vilaterm (Izodom) type harness, then the layer of sealant will be, as it were, stretched across sealing gasket and secured at the edges to the logs. Why is this necessary? Because without such insulation, wood sealant penetrates into the gap and sticks to inner surface logs This effect is called: three-point adhesion. If the logs become deformed, then the sealant that fills everything interior space seam, it will simply come off one of the logs and all your work will be useless.

It should also be noted that before starting work, the seams should be cleaned of dust, varnish, and old paint; it is also better to lightly sand them. It is better to carry out work at moderately warm air temperatures (about +20°C). In very hot weather, the surface should be slightly moistened. To ensure that the seam is even, use construction tape.

Let's sum it up! The main tasks that our technology for sealing a wooden house solves:

Elimination of seam leaks.
Protection from negative destruction of harmful insects.
Durability. Serves for 20 years.
Elimination of re-caulking.
Preventing birds from pulling away the insulation.
Beauty and aesthetics.
Reduces heat loss.
Keeps your home environmentally friendly.

Thus, with one shot you kill 8 birds with one stone. A tube of sealant costs 310 rubles 900 grams, it is enough for about 15 m.p.

Features in the construction of wooden houses

Requires a different approach than stone. There should be practically no rigid fastenings in it so that all elements wooden log house had the opportunity to shift relative to each other during the process of shrinkage or swelling of the log. When designing a wooden house, you need to take into account the diameter and length of the log that will be used. A rounded log extends no more than 6 m, which imposes some restrictions on the layout. If you need a room large sizes, then you have to make a false joint of the log, the so-called cross, which extends 20 cm from the wall. But, in principle, this method allows you to make quite large rooms. Compensation gaps in a wooden house are also taken into account at the design stage. When designing, you need to be tied to modules specific to wooden house construction, - 1.1 m and 1.2 m (module industrial buildings– 6 m).

Based on the module, all buildings are calculated. The minimum thickness of external walls in a wooden house for our climatic conditions is 18 cm, but it is better to make 20 or 24 cm, depending on the type and type. The calculation of loads in the project must be carried out with the utmost care, otherwise the joists will play and the floor will creak. Shrinkage of logs in a wooden house occurs not only in the transverse, but also in the longitudinal direction. Transverse shrinkage is compensated by shrinkage of the log house, but in the process of longitudinal shrinkage, the ends of the logs at the places where they join diverge, and cracks form between them over time. Therefore, such places in a wooden house must be designed in place of the cuts so that they are covered with a thermal lock. Dowels and a tongue-and-groove connection do not solve the problem, because during the shrinkage process gaps are formed, which, after assembling the log house, you can no longer get close to in order to further seal them. Not to mention how they spoil the facade of a wooden house visible joints logs

Layout: bigger is better than smaller. A wooden house on paper and on the site does not always look the same. You may like a wooden house in a catalog of projects, but when it is built, the customer says that this is not what he wanted. For example, a 9 m2 kitchen in the project seems quite spacious. And when the house is built, it turns out that there is no place to turn around - such a kitchen is little larger than those that exist; in city apartments it is recommended to make kitchens of 15-20 m2. It is also advisable to provide three bedrooms in a wooden house - two for the owners and one guest. Optimal area wooden house for a family of four - 150 m2, it makes no sense to do less. Others, starting to build a wooden house, easily take on the role of the demiurge of their native monastery and begin to create. In 90% of cases, some changes are made to the project during construction.

At the same time, redesigning a project must be done wisely. Sometimes doing it the way the client wants is dangerous for the structure of a wooden house or directly contradicts Building codes and rules. If, despite admonitions, the future homeowner insists on his own, construction company, as a rule, makes concessions, but at the same time relieves itself of responsibility for possible negative consequences and takes a receipt from the client. Only a competent architect will help you avoid design mistakes. Of course, his services are not cheap, but main problem not even in this, but in finding one. Especially for a wooden house.

Many companies can only sketch a sketch of a house based on the wishes of the customer. Then it is transferred to a specialized design company - it makes all the calculations and develops a detailed design according to which a wooden house can be built. Less capricious in this regard (at home Canadian technology). Even if mistakes were made during their design (or there was simply a desire to change something), they can be corrected during construction: the wall can be unscrewed, moved to another location and reassembled.

Two words about the foundation Most common mistake when laying the foundation of a wooden house, its design does not coincide with the design of the log house according to the project. In general, a wooden house is not very fancy in terms of foundations, since it is almost 2 times lighter than a brick one. Now many people are building a wooden house not even on strip foundation, and on a columnar one - along the perimeter of the future building (at the main points where the load occurs), pipes are dug into the ground and concreted and a house is placed on them. This can significantly reduce the cost of construction. Shrinkage, shrinkage, shrinkage To provide for shrinkage is the most important duty and the first sign of a competent architect.

It's no secret that shrinkage in a wooden house natural humidity happens for two reasons. The first is drying of the logs (shrinkage 5-8% depending on the initial humidity). For example, a log with a diameter of 240 mm may lose 10-20 mm by the end of shrinkage. The second is the collapse of logs under the weight of the load and the opening of cracks (up to 2%). Thus, the total shrinkage amount is 6-10%, sometimes up to 15%. Type of raw materials Shrinkage Raw up to 7% (i.e. for every meter - 7 cm of shrinkage) Glued laminated timber 1% Visible shrinkage in a wooden house occurs during the first two years. Each floor will shrink by 10-20 cm. For example, if you built walls 3 m high, then in a year they will become 2.8 m.

And the shrinkage, invisible to the eye, will continue for another 10 years, but it will be quite insignificant. Therefore, when constructing openings in a wooden house for windows and doors, it is necessary to provide a margin, otherwise, when the house shrinks, the door or window will simply be “crushed”, the frame may warp, even to the point that the glass will break. If in the corners of a wooden house the logs are joined “into a cup”, then at the notches of the cups it is also necessary to allow for shrinkage. If this is not done, then when the logs dry out, they will “hang” and gaps will form between them.
By the way, SNiPs allow the use of wood with a moisture content of no more than 25%, whereas in practice it is often wooden houses built from raw logs with a moisture content of 30-40%. In wooden houses made from solid wood, a device is necessary seat, gap, in window and doorways- from 6 to 10 cm. The building sits on these 6-10 cm. For laminated veneer lumber, these gaps are 3-4 cm. Glued laminated timber shrinks during the process of gradual loading; by the time the wooden house is finally installed, it is completely shrinked.

Wooden houses are alive, whether from fresh sawn timber or from laminated veneer lumber. A solid wood house, having finally dried and settled after 3 years, having a humidity of 18%, constantly gives and takes away moisture from 3 to 5% depending on the climatic zone you are as protected by the walls. "Interior decoration in a wooden house cannot be done in damp weather (especially in winter and autumn). The tree will definitely take 3-4% of moisture from environment, and when they turn it on in a wooden house, cracks will appear.

In addition, a wooden house must stand: a box with a roof (but without windows so that it can be ventilated) must stand for six months to a year, then with windows for another six months. In total, you can move in only after 2 years." Tricks on the terrace Throughout the entire period of shrinkage, a wooden house needs to be "tightened." It's good if the builders made consoles and expansion joints - then once a year the owner himself can take the key and tighten it or call specialists from the company that built the wooden house, workers from hired teams usually do not make these compensators, which leads to negative consequences. Vertical structures(pillars, columns) - another vulnerable spot in a wooden house during shrinkage. A terrace is often built in a wooden house, supported, of course, by pillars.

These pillars must be drilled with special anchor bolts with a power reserve of up to 10 cm, which must be tightened during the shrinkage process in a wooden house. Without this, there is a high probability that the roof will simply slide to the side. The same goes for columns inside a wooden house. If you install pillars without compensators, it will turn out that one half of the wooden house has collapsed, and the second is blocked by the pillar. And the wooden house will become skewed. The crews that built it are usually out of range by this time.

This is usually followed by a call to specialists from construction company(and they are reluctant to respond, since they have enough clients of their own who need to be “twisted” in time). As a result, due to the negligence of unscrupulous workers, a prejudice arises that a wooden house is bad. Do no harm... with metal In Rus' they have always built only wood with wood. If vertical elements were needed to fasten logs, so-called dowels were used - thick wooden nails. To date, nothing better has been invented than them. If a wooden house is assembled by non-professionals, they can knock down logs iron fittings. The moisture contained in the air and in the log house is quite enough for the metal to begin to rust (especially since the humidity at the bottom of the wall is greater than at the top).

In turn, this will cause rotting of the wood, especially the first 2-3 crowns. Therefore, it is better to drill the first crown of a wooden frame to the foundation with a stainless thread, and then use dowels. Or make the first 2-3 crowns from larch - it is so resistant to moisture that it is even used in shipbuilding. True, it is not cheap: there is very little of it in Ukraine and it is mainly imported from Russia. fasten wooden beam it is possible to connect to the foundation using galvanized ferrous metal. In wood, which shrinks less, you can use metal ties. You cannot use them in a wooden house made of rounded logs; you can only add them as individual elements. It is also not recommended to connect logs in a wooden house on one cut along the entire height of the wall in more than three crowns. In this place, the floors may sag over time.

IN the right log house all logs must be connected in checkerboard pattern, intertwined like vines in a wicker basket. Only in this case will a wooden house begin to shrink evenly and be as strong and durable as possible. Nagel - it is necessary! The structure of a wooden frame is held in place by oak dowels, a hole is drilled in the log for them, and the dowels are driven into 3 logs. This makes it possible for the wood not to wander. Some people mess around and hammer in nails; when drying, it turns out that the logs “hang” like a kebab on a skewer. Connecting logs using dowels is a labor-intensive process, so workers sometimes don’t insert them at all. Improper fastening of the dowels can also cause the wall to sag (bend outward). And no polyurethane foam!

Wood is 100% natural material. The insulation materials placed between the logs in the log house should be the same. This could be flax, tow, moss (although it is more common in Russia, but is practically not used in Ukraine). As a last resort - padding polyester: it is a neutral material. But, under no circumstances should you blow foam between the logs - who needs an environmentally friendly wooden house with added chemicals?

Window cases In any wooden house, gaps are needed between load-bearing structures and enclosing structures. For example, walls, windows, doors cannot fit closely, otherwise they will simply be torn. If a wooden house is being built from solid wood, as soon as a window or doorway is cut down, it is necessary to make guides in it. A groove is made at the vertical end, 35 mm wide, into which guides are inserted - metal pipe. The window or door frame. They compensate for possible provocations of the log.

In practice, it turns out that cutting a window in a wooden house is a task that not everyone can do. When installing corner connections make many mistakes if grooves and locks are cut on the spot. Therefore, it is better that they are made at the factory. Windows are installed in a wooden house often using technology designed for brick houses: put it on a rigid mount, blow it with foam, cover it with a platband - and everything is in order.

This is a grave mistake, even if the windows are metal-plastic. "Application polyethylene film on top of insulation in the windows of a wooden house is unacceptable, since it does not allow air to penetrate. Instead, mineral insulation should be inserted into the gap between the frame and the window opening, and then covered with special paper, and then a casing is installed. Today few people use it, but it must be demanded. And under no circumstances should you use polyurethane foam.

Due to the growing popularity wood construction sealing seams between logs is becoming an urgent repair task. The methods for solving it are quite diverse; both historical methods of sealing and the use of new insulating materials deserve attention.

Renaissance of wooden architecture in modern construction

Throughout the 20th century, the architecture of private houses rapidly mastered various building materials to return to the time-tested traditional tree in the new millennium. Houses made of solid timber, buildings made of solid logs and rounded beams are not a tribute to fashion - they have solid operational advantages:

• Wood is a natural and “warm” material. In terms of environmental qualities and beneficial effects on the well-being of all residents, wooden houses simply have no competitors. It is pleasant and comfortable to be inside such a building, especially if the house is built from softwood logs;
• Impeccable aesthetics and durability. A well-built log frame will last no less than a permanent stone structure, but will look unique and recognizable, unlike standard brick and concrete “boxes”;
• When constructing wooden houses, the external and interior decoration are laid immediately, even at the stage of wall construction. This allows you to save significant money and effort on subsequent repairs.. You don't have to perform finishing a house with metal siding from the outside, wallpaper it from the inside and plaster the facade;
• The naturalness of the wood contributes to the elasticity of the joints; the mandatory sealing of cracks between the beams should not violate this quality. A certain elasticity of the logs and joints themselves allows the entire house to withstand strong temperature changes and ground fluctuations - buildings made of bricks and stone are more likely to develop cracks;
• IN cosmetic repairs a wooden house needs less than others. Maintaining it in an attractive condition can hardly be called repair. The biggest problem may be sealing cracks in logs– but they occur rarely and can be completely eliminated on your own. Investments in laying tiles, construction suspended ceilings, decorating the premises with plasterboard and other expensive repair “pleasures” does not require a house made of logs;
• Wooden walls, even if they are made from the most massive beams, will be thinner than brick and stone ones with comparable durability and strength. This ensures a gain in the internal living space, of which there is never a lot.

Naturally, buildings made of wood have their drawbacks, otherwise they would have long ago displaced all other building materials into the dustbin of history. Firstly, log houses have a significant cost. We can say that savings on subsequent repairs are included in the estimate capital construction. Secondly, you cannot build such a house on your own - you need a proven company with a qualified staff of designers and craftsmen. Thirdly, radically change the design interior spaces And exterior finishing it won’t work, it will still have a “woody” orientation.

In addition, any wooden houses need sealing of cracks. Without such a procedure, drafts will appear in them, residents will begin to get sick, bills for the use of thermal energy will reach sky-high heights, comfort and coziness will collapse from the heavenly horizons below a narrow baseboard. How and with what to seal the seams between logs depends on the requirements for reliability, durability and the desired aesthetics of the joints between logs and beams.

Sealing seams between logs - traditional sealing options

Oddly enough, the time-tested methods of sealing joints in wooden houses remain optimal in our time. Our ancestors did not face the question of how to seal the cracks in a log house, because the correct answer grew in most forests and copses. This answer is called "natural moss". It perfectly protects joints and seams not only from wind penetration, but also from dampness. Another thing is that finding a sufficient amount of natural moss is not easy, and the sealing itself will be labor-intensive. When using natural natural materials To seal the gaps between the timber and the logs, a very high packing density is required.

It is checked with a sharp shoe awl - this tool should enter compressed moss or tow with almost the same force as into a massive log.

Tow for insulating joints in wood can be purchased at hardware store. The purchase must be made in large quantities at once, because... even a narrow gap can “absorb” a large amount of tow. Natural moss does not need additional means of reinforcement - tow can be soaked in a liquid, flowing solution of cement or gypsum. Natural hemp provides high-quality protection for the joints between logs, and it looks attractive in appearance.

However, the cost of this material is quite high, especially considering the amount of work involved in the joint finishing of an entire wooden structure. Natural caulk for wood is optimal without additional impregnation. In this case, it can be supplemented with the following layers in a month or a year or two. Tow soaked in plaster or cement often crumbles and falls out of the cracks, and the work has to be redone. Tow, hemp and moss are driven into the seams using a set of long chisels, with different widths and the sharpness of the blade. The deeper the installation, the sharper and thinner the chisel blade used.

How to seal cracks in a log house - the possibilities of modern sealants

The main benefit of sealing joints in wood using modern sealing compounds is the speed of work. With the help of spray nozzles, the entire process can be completed in a few hours, while with tow or moss you will have to work for several days. Required condition the use of synthetic sealants is a complete shrinkage of the house - and this occurs only 8-12 months after the completion of capital construction.

Whatever sealing compound you choose, it will fly out of the new cracks within a month or two. It turns out that synthetic sealing is only possible if the house is uninhabited - you won’t endure drafts and frost inside it for a whole year, right? Sealing seams between logs is categorically incompatible with polyurethane foam and silicone and polyurethane sealants. They are destroyed under the influence sun rays and do not prevent wood rotting.

Combining them with natural moss, hemp and tow is also prohibited; such a “hybrid” compound has unacceptably low strength. Synthetic sealant for joints and cracks between logs should be elastic, similar in consistency to glass putty. It is better to select the right brand in accordance with the type of wood and according to the recommendations of the company that built your house. If the builders advise natural caulk- alas, you will have to come to terms with this and take up the labor-intensive procedure of protecting your home.

If you manage to find the optimal synthetic sealant for wooden buildings, then you must use it complete with mounting tape. By gluing the logs/beams on the sides of the gap, you can effectively protect the wood from unnecessary sealing. Excess applied sealant is removed immediately with a rag, without waiting for it to harden into monolithic beads.

Laborant 13-03-2014 16:40

Is this really kosher?
I see they are building everything, and not only for sale, but also for themselves, obviously.
Maybe I've always been wrong?

John892 13-03-2014 16:57

The guys who came up with polyurethane foam, at a lecture at the institute where I studied, talked about the 8 years that the foam lasts, then it needs to be cleaned and re-foamed. If you have a little patience, it’s better to caulk it.

Lesnik 61 13-03-2014 17:07

quote: at the institute where I studied, they talked about the 8 years that foam lives,

Something tells me that in 8 years, you will have to choose with an axe, what will settle under the foam, will it help, this is the second question.

Comrade Beria 13-03-2014 17:24

They say that foam lasts longer, but it must be protected from ultraviolet radiation and moisture. Yes, and you need to foam on a cleaned and moistened surface.

goga-313 13-03-2014 18:56

Here I am, foaming. The house is playing, and because... If the foam is hard, cracks will appear. IMHO.
But I'm still happy. It was impossible to caulk the log house, it was old
and initially poorly cut down (on one linear meter the gaps were from 3-4 cm to 0 cm)
And he was already seated.

goga-313 13-03-2014 18:58

Winston7 13-03-2014 19:13

foam is destroyed by ultraviolet light. and very quickly at that. 2-3 months and rubbish.

and it seemed like the norm, I was withdrawing cash from the early 2000s, the foam was alive.

Laborant 13-03-2014 19:14

The house is playing, and because... If the foam is hard, cracks will appear.

What if you build from scratch? What's stopping you from doing it right? To live by ourselves.

KM 13-03-2014 22:32

quote: Originally posted by goga-313:

Yes, I heard that there is a special elastic foam, but it is expensive and I have not seen it.

Eat special composition, but it’s not just expensive, it’s insanely expensive. Yes, and they promote it in such a way that analogies immediately arise with all sorts of superfoods for weight loss.

Andrey60 14-03-2014 01:23

There is an interventional sealant, but I personally don’t want it. But I’ll throw this in: what’s better for caulking, jute or flax?

Mak Dak 14-03-2014 11:07

Andrey60 14-03-2014 13:27
It turns out that there is no difference, except for the color. And if you close it with a cord, then nothing at all. Thank you.

John892 14-03-2014 15:53

quote: Originally posted by Mak Dak:

brick and cement rule, much more reliable and durable. And the miser pays twice

Throw in accepted. I would never build my house out of brick because I am stingy.

Rusich 14-03-2014 20:49

foam? Isothiocyanate??
The enemy's house.

Mower_man 14-03-2014 22:01

Isothiocyanate

Rusich 14-03-2014 22:23

Wow, bugger.
There are no synthetics in my house.

Gasar 15-03-2014 09:29

quote: There are no synthetics in my house.

If the house is not in the taiga wilderness, your health will not notice this.
Yes, it is also important not to move more than 10 km from home from birth to death.

quote: But I’ll throw this in: what’s better for caulking, jute or flax?

IMHO, it doesn't matter.

Mower_man 15-03-2014 10:11

quote: Originally posted by Rusich:
Wow, bugger.
There are no synthetics in my house.

***cyanates - sounds scary, but there is one problem with it, it is completely consumed during the polymerization reaction...)))

Laborant 15-03-2014 14:45

quote: Originally posted by Andrey60:

But I’ll throw this in: what’s better for caulking, jute or flax?

I remembered! Moss!

Lesnik 61 15-03-2014 14:56

I still need to get it, it’s easier for me, I built a bathhouse, drove 300 meters, kicked as much as necessary and moved on, not everyone is so lucky. And not all moss suits.

Andrey60 15-03-2014 15:45

The bathhouse was built on moss, which does not exclude caulking at all.

Lesnik 61 15-03-2014 16:12

quote: which does not exclude caulking at all.

When the birds were tearing out the moss, I pierced it with an ordinary hemp rope.

Steelyard 15-03-2014 21:29

so right away during assembly, some kind of mineral wool was laid between the logs

Abar 16-03-2014 08:35

In reality, if the foam is protected from UV, then it won’t do anything for long for many years, in the light it doesn’t completely turn into dust, it becomes fragile, crumbles but holds tightly enough...

cadmium 29-04-2014 14:33

In the USA and Canada, cracks between logs are traditionally covered with lime or cement mortar. Sometimes a strip is laid along the logs metal mesh. It has stood for centuries. There is also a simpler structure of the log house. The logs are laid through one. On two transverse ones, two longitudinal ones, on them again two transverse ones, etc. It turns out to be a log house cage. The gaps there are generally huge, but they are also filled with lime or cement. It stands rooted to the spot. In fact, this is not savagery and not from laziness. Mechanical processing of logs is minimal, they can be of any kind, and filling the gaps of a frame made of logs or timber with lime, clay, and earth has been a tradition in the West since the times of European half-timbered construction.

dim99 29-04-2014 16:20

In the USA and Canada, cracks between logs are traditionally sealed with lime or cement mortar.
==============
We also saw this... houses are 50-60 years old and even without a foundation... with the lower crowns on the ground

rufei 29-04-2014 17:27

quote: Originally posted by dim99:

We also saw this... houses are 50-60 years old and even without a foundation... with the lower crowns on the ground

We put them on boulders, they last at least 50 years.

theorist 29-04-2014 21:02

quote: Originally posted by Bezmen:
I once saw a wooden house in a completely low-budget village
so right away during assembly, some kind of mineral wool was laid between the logs

There is a certain non-woven substance in the form of a thick rag. Trade name: Dornit. Initially it was intended to strengthen weak soils, but then Norot adapted to stick it into any crack - from insulation in houses to filters in wells. This is where timber houses were assembled at the end of the USSR. Its properties are similar to moss - it is breathable, does not rot, and does not emit anything offensive.

handmade 29-04-2014 21:20

I'll follow the topic.

unname22 30-04-2014 09:47

foam is a terrible thing, while everything is fine you don’t even think about it, but if God forbid there is a fire, you will remain there.
When burned, the foam decomposes into very unpleasant substances.

baochka 30-04-2014 10:46

1. moss
2. jute
3. tow
Everything else is from the evil one.

I myself saw how they lay the timber on: felt, thin polystyrene foam, isover, foam, on something gray-brown-crimson (the builders themselves found it difficult to answer).
Foam (and other things) does not breathe. As a result, the tree begins to rot, etc.

Abar 02-05-2014 10:30

quote: but if God forbid there is a fire, you will remain there.

There is a special non-flammable foam - I foamed the joints of the floor next to the stove.

andre 08-05-2014 18:17

quote: Trade name - Dornit. Initially it was intended to strengthen weak soils, but then Norot adapted to stick it into any crack - from insulation in houses to filters in wells. This is where timber houses were assembled at the end of the USSR. Its properties are similar to moss - it is breathable, does not rot, and does not emit anything offensive.

Dornit is still shit - the logs around it rot 100 times faster than usual - they didn’t have time to install the log house, they cut out openings for the windows, and where the Dornit is, the logs are already blue.

vulcan1600 25-05-2014 11:36

It can be even worse.

Straight from lunch...

andre 25-05-2014 16:01

quote: It can be even worse.
They just brought the dornite, and already the whole brigade is blue.
Straight from lunch...

What is the connection with Dornit? Or did you join the brigade?

ICEberg1981 25-05-2014 19:48

heresy
the very meaning of timber is lost

Andrewblake 25-05-2014 22:02

Moss (sphagnum) has bactericidal properties and prevents rotting.
Is it possible to lay logs with jute, and not to pierce a ready-made log house?

Mitro 28-05-2014 06:31

The wood will rot under the foam, and eventually it will die in 3-5 years (it will delaminate, crack, crumble). You'll have to foam it again.
Moss can crumble, and tow can be a bit of a pain to lay down. When building my house I used jute - quickly, efficiently and practically. But you still need to caulk)))). The rest is nonsense and heresy. If the house is wooden, I don’t think it’s worth engaging in perversion and inventing something. Everything has already been invented before us.

How to lay timber on the foundation when building a house, bathhouse or other building from it? There are various options fastening. An important point is the waterproofing of the base. Protection from water is needed to prevent the lower crowns from rotting. If the differences in the foundation level exceed 1 cm, then the supporting surface must first be leveled. Compliance with technology installation work allows you to get a high-quality result - a durable structure.

Methods of fastening the beams of the first row

The lower crown of timber for a log house or frame-panel structure requires replacement most often, so the installation is carried out in such a way that repairs can be easily carried out.

The following materials are used to connect the beams to the foundation:

• hairpins;
• pins.

It happens that builders do not attach the first crown of timber to the base. Due to the significant weight of the structure, they believe that the erected structure will not move.

The studs are laid when the base is poured with concrete. At the same time, their height reserve is taken such that the first row of timber can be tightened using nuts without problems. To secure the lumber, holes are drilled in it for studs.

Pins are reinforcing pins. They are also embedded in the foundation slab or tape at the concreting stage, in order to then lay the beams.

On screw piles with U-shaped or plate heads, the crowns located below can also be changed if they use up their resource.

Anchored, rigid fastening does not allow the structure to be repaired in the future.

To fix laid beams to each other, they are also used metal corners, staples, nails (including wooden ones). These fasteners are used in conjunction with groove joining.

Base insulation

Before laying the first crown, the upper foundation surface is leveled even if there is a centimeter deviation of its level from the horizontal plane. After in mandatory lay down waterproofing material.

The upper surface of the base must be without slope, drops, and perfectly leveled. They check it with laser or water, or building level. Leveling is often performed with cement-sand mortar. It can also be used to close a gap if there is one between the lower crown and the foundation surface. IN lately For these purposes they are mainly used construction foam. After hardening, its excess is cut off with a knife. At the end of the work, the sealed area is covered with a decorative strip or ebb.

As a moisture-proofing coating, roofing felt is often used simultaneously with glass insulation. The materials are laid on the base so that they protrude beyond its edges by approximately 0.25 m. It is recommended to make a waterproofing coating of two layers. Boards are placed between them. In the corners, roofing felt or other material used is overlapped.

The first crown must be placed on top of the waterproofing. This is due to the fact that capillary moisture reaches the lumber from the soil through the monolithic base. The wood quickly rots and the building requires repairs.

Preparatory stage

The preliminary stage before laying the first crown of timber on the foundation is to prepare the material and tools.

Everything you need for the job is presented in the table below.

Wooden products must meet the following criteria:

• be free from knots and also free from jagged edges;
• the surface of the beam must be flat;
• For work you need to use lumber from the heartwood of trees, which does not give off a blue tint.

For timber house height strip base above the ground surface should be at least half a meter. Additional construction is often done with bricks.

The material for row 1 can be treated with waste oil, and the rest with antiseptic compounds.

Before starting construction, it is recommended to check all lumber for minor defects by marking these sides. They will place the timber up or down. The sides with bulges should be lateral.

The beams should be processed carefully so as not to miss any area. Otherwise, it will serve as a source of spread of the putrefactive process. The quality of the selected material is of paramount importance in ensuring the durability of the building.

Technology for laying timber on various types of foundations

The timber is laid on the foundation with or without securing it. If structural elements are joined to locks, then if dismantling is necessary, the entire dismantling process becomes much more complicated.

The joining of beams in the corners is carried out in the following basic ways:

• in half a tree with a tenon, when on one beam the upper half is cut off (the length of the width of the lumber being joined), and on the other - the lower half;
• into the paw, while the cut out connecting parts of the logs are connected without including their end parts.

The latter option has received the greatest practical distribution. The photo below shows, in addition to the main ones, rarely encountered methods of connecting beams without and with residue.

The sequence of actions showing how to correctly lay timber on a strip or slab base is as follows:

• determine the evenness of the tape or slab;
• if necessary, level their surfaces;
• choose the optimal method of joining lumber;
• With a smaller diameter than the studs used, holes are drilled in the beams;
• anchors are concreted;
• lay the lower crowns;
• fix them with nuts, having previously placed washers under them;
• use nails to connect the corners of the structure;
• check the level of the laid row;
• Use a plane to cut off any irregularities.

If, when pouring the base, fastenings were provided for bottom beam, embedded in concrete, this greatly facilitates the whole process, speeding it up. In this case, the studs are inserted into the not yet hardened solution a third of their length every 50 cm. The minimum number of bolts (fasteners) for each crown should be two. The lumber is pre-prepared by drilling holes required diameter with the required step. Do not tighten the nuts too much to avoid distortion.

To secure the crowns to the piles, caps (for example, U-shaped) are mounted, which have holes on the sides for fastenings. The supports are first coated with roofing felt (2-3 layers). The beams are mounted in grooves, connecting in the chosen way in the corners. They are connected to the supports using pins or screws.

If the heights of the piles differ slightly, then timber is cut out in the required places.

The technology of overhead installation involves the absence of fastening of lumber to the base. The entire installation process is carried out similarly to the option involving rigid fixation, only without the use of fasteners.

The crowns must be connected at an angle of 90 degrees. Otherwise there will be problems with the further construction of the building. If you follow the technology, checking the geometry of the structure being built, then the likelihood of deformation of the building will be minimized over time.

The installation process of the first row of timber is shown in the video below.

Various methods of laying the first crown of timber on the base have their supporters and opponents. There is no clear opinion on this issue. Most experts recommend that the first row be secured because of the possibility of foundation movement. The rigid mount will take over the movements. Only under heavy loads can the harness move, tearing out the anchor. Reliable fastening will give stability to the constructed structure.