In order to get a perfectly warm log house for permanent residence, it’s not enough to mount it correctly. It is also necessary to qualitatively fill all the cracks between the logs so that heat loss overcomes the house as little as possible. Not everyone knows how to properly caulk a log house, and therefore insulation work sometimes leads to the house being skewed (in the worst case) or simply rotting the wood and insulation (in the best case).

How to properly caulk moss log houses video and general recommendations on other types of insulation in our material below.

Materials for caulking a log house

Caulk wooden frame Can various materials. Good construction market today offers a wide selection from natural to synthetic and semi-synthetic. The most popular types are:

• Construction moss. May be called “sphagnum” or “cuckoo flax”. This type of insulation was used by architects back in ancient Rus'. The qualities of moss as insulation are priceless and undeniable. Sphagnum is highly resistant to moisture. It seems to get along with the tree if the latter is waterlogged and simply takes all the moisture into itself. In addition, moss is of no interest to birds, moths and other insects. This means that all the material for the caulking will remain in the place that the master will determine for it. Sphagnum moss and cuckoo flax moss do not burn, do not rot, and are an excellent natural antiseptic for wood for many years.

Important: you can buy building moss in any quantity at specialized sales points.

• Construction tow. This type of material also works well in tandem with wood when caulking walls. Tow is produced from the remains of flax and hemp grass. Tow is also a natural material that protects wood from moisture and cold.
• Jute fiber in the form of a tape - an improved natural type material for caulking walls. Jute is made from a shrub that belongs to the linden family. And linden, as you know, copes well with cold and moisture. Jute is able to somewhat moisten the log when it dries out excessively, but at the same time it does not take moisture from the tree when the humidity in the house is 80%. It is convenient to lay jute tape between the crowns, as well as stuff it into cracks when re-insulating the house.
• Lnovatin. Insulation is produced from flax fiber in the form of a wide tape. According to their own technical specifications Linen wool is similar to jute. Convenient for laying between crowns and for stretch caulking.
• Felt. Unsuitable type of insulation for wooden house. Felt is prone to rotting between logs and if excessive amounts of moisture get on the walls, the felt will not only lose its insulating properties, but will also damage the wood from the inside.

Tool for getting the job done

To properly caulk a log house, you need to use special tools. Otherwise, the insulation will lie superficially in the cracks, which will lead to the formation of cold bridges. Mostly professionals use special caulks made of steel or metal. The first one is better. You can also make wooden caulks from dense woods - beech, walnut, oak. It is desirable that the tool have a rubberized handle for ease of work.

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

The main type of caulking tools:

• Stacked caulk. It is a kind of flat chisel with a blade width of 10x0.6 cm. It is used for stuffing the seams between logs with insulation.
• Crooked caulk. The same chisel, but curved in shape. Used for caulking house corners and rounded cracks. The width of the blade in this case is half that of a type-setting caulk.
• Road caulk. It has a fork-shaped shape and is used for caulking cracks using the “stretching” method. The blade here has parameters of 170x15 mm. Depending on the width of the gap, you can use wide, medium or narrow caulk.
• The caulk is broken. It has a wedge-shaped blade 30-35 mm wide. This tool is used to widen narrow cracks and fill them with insulation.
• A mallet is used to assist all types of instruments. With this rubber mallet push the sealant into the cracks.

Technology of work execution

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

After the house settles and settles, new cracks will form. It is through them that heat loss will occur. In addition, the heat that leaves the house when in contact with wood and low temperatures on the street it will form perspiration (moisture). That, in turn, turns into frost, which will begin to destroy the log. That is why additional caulking of new cracks and packing of the protruding seal between the crowns is required.

The third caulking can be done after 2-3 years, when the house has completely settled down and all possible cracks will be open to the master.

Caulking methods

Stretch insulation

This method involves filling narrow cracks and gaps. It is good for caulking houses made of rounded logs, since the gaps here are minimal. At the same time, you should be careful with the caulking of such a log house. There is a risk of overstuffing the cracks, which will lead to distortion of the crowns, and therefore the walls.

So, “stretch” insulation is performed in this way:

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

Important: the quality of the caulk can be checked by pulling the remaining end of the insulation. If the material comes out of the gap freely, then the job was done incorrectly. If the insulation remains in the crack, then everything is done well.

Caulk “as a set”

This method is used to fill large gaps. Here you need to wind the insulation into a skein. Then loops are made from the resulting fiber and the cracks are stuffed with them. And first they caulk top part gap using a punching tool, and then hammer the loops into bottom part gap using a road builder tool. It is worth knowing that the thickness of the insulation loop should correspond to the thickness of the existing gap in the log house.

Important: when working with a mallet, it is worth remembering that there should be one hammer blow per blade width. Do not go too hard, otherwise there is a risk of overfilling the cracks, which will lead to the house being skewed.

There are also a number general requirements which should be observed when caulking a log house. By following them, you will be able to avoid serious mistakes in your work:

• So, you need to start re-caulking the house from the lower crowns, since when you fill the insulation into the cracks, the house will rise by 5-15 cm.
• It is necessary to fill the gaps alternately from the outside and from the inside of the house. That is, first they fill the gap lower crown from the outside, and then go inside the log house and fill the gaps of the same crown from the inside. This technology will help maintain the evenness of the walls of the house.
• It is best to use natural insulation materials for caulking. Synthetics block the wood's breathing.
• If moss is used for caulking, it should be treated with a special solution of soap and oil in a ratio of 200:500, mixed with a bucket of water.
• Insulation of the house should be carried out in dry weather at a temperature of +10-+20 degrees Celsius.
• In addition, not enough insulation is just as bad as too much insulation. It is worth strictly monitoring the amount of fiber in the loops so that their width matches the width of the gaps.

Remember, work done correctly is a guarantee of warm and cozy home even in severe frosts.

Log houses made of rounded logs have 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 the driving of insulating 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 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.

Artificial materials include:

1. Mineral wool, glass wool and other fibrous mineral wool insulation. They are environmentally friendly, but can still lead to the development of allergic reactions in 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 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 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 its 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. The appearance is also different; jute has a golden color, similar to the shade of wood. In interventional seams it looks beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.
3. Flax. It's more cheap material, but its properties are worse. He is afraid of constant contact with moisture, which can lead to rotting. Hue of this material is grey. 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 is made from jute and flax. These two materials together create excellent insulation, which includes their positive qualities. 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 a wooden house made from rounded logs, it is best to use natural materials. They complement the wooden material, improving rather than degrading its characteristics. If you have no experience working with insulating materials, and you can’t cope with caulk, you can use an alternative insulation method - 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 of weathering, moisture, and does not turn yellow under the influence of sun rays, mold fungi do not form on it.

Caulking the walls of a log house is a labor-intensive process that, if its technology is followed, will ensure the preservation of heat in the house in cold weather. Detailed analysis of the work sequence, the right choice The tools and materials presented in this article will help you insulate the seams with your own hands.

Tools

The main tools for caulking seams are spatulas (caulkers) and a mallet. The blades are made of wood or steel. The wood of the caulk should be softer than the material of the logs, otherwise marks will remain on the walls. Over time, the work surface wooden caulking becomes shaggy, then it is replaced with a new one.

Metal caulks are used for corner notches, where it is especially important to fill interior space bowls. Using a mallet, gently tapping the caulk, compact the insulation bead and push it inside the seam.

Material selection

To insulate and seal seams in log walls, natural materials (moss, jute, tow, etc.) and modern artificial polyurethane foam, polyethylene foam, mineral wool and other inter-crown insulation are used.

Sphagnum moss

Moss was preferred in the past to insulate the joints of logs. Sphagnum and cuckoo flax (red flax) were laid in the seams of the log house. Sphagnum moss was fluffed up and laid across the logs in several layers (5-10 cm) with an overhang of up to 5 cm from the seam. Cuckoo flax was placed along the crown and also in several layers (5-10 cm) with overlapping joints.

Before laying, the moss is wetted, and it dries in the wall structure. Absorbing moisture, moss quickly releases it and does not rot. Due to its natural qualities, it is a very good antiseptic, therefore it also protects wood from biocorrosion. Its disadvantages include the difficulty of uniformly creating a uniform thickness of the seam.

Jute rope

Jute fiber is made from the jute plant, which belongs to the linden family. Insulation for caulking made of jute is stronger, more durable and moderately hygroscopic. Even with high humidity premises, for example, in baths, jute absorbs no more than 20% of moisture.

Tow

Tow is tangled flax fiber. It is made from waste obtained by scuffing and crushing flax. It should not contain foreign impurities; a small amount of brome (the woody part of the stem) is allowed. Tow for caulking can only be used when it is dry, soft and without a putrefactive odor. The inter-crown seam of tow should be 0.8-1.2 cm.

Hemp

Previously, hemp was also used for caulking log houses. It was obtained by soaking hemp stems for a long time in running water(up to 2-3 years). It is distinguished by its fiber strength, resistance to decay and exposure to sunlight. Today, hemp products are also represented in the range of building materials.

Modern materials

The use of artificial materials for caulking seams is becoming increasingly widespread. These include mineral wool fiber, polyethylene foam, and inter-crown sealants. Their advantages are: bio- and moisture resistance, elasticity and vapor permeability, which is important for wood. Self-expanding sealing cords seal the seam almost perfectly.

Seam caulking technology

The entire process of caulking log walls can be divided into two stages. During the assembly of the log house, the first stage is carried out. The insulation is spread over the top of the mounted log. For the convenience of caulking, felt tape is used, the raw materials for which can be flax, jute, or hemp.

After installing the logs, the hanging ends of the seal are simply wrapped into their joints. Caulking of the seams of a log house is done in two ways: “stretched” and “set”. During construction log house The most commonly used method of compaction is “stretching”. To do this, the free edges of the insulation are rolled up with a roller, which is pressed into the seam. The width of the roller should be 1-2 cm.

In the case of loose fibrous insulation (moss, tow), when folding the roller, it is important to select adjacent hanging ends, constantly twisting them with the previous ones to obtain an even and durable seam.

“To set” the seam is usually sealed during the second caulking, which is done after the building has settled (after 1-2 years). Walls made of logs give rise to sediment due to compression of the insulation in the seams and shrinkage of the wood.

When the ends of the insulation are not enough to create a bead or the seams are too wide during the initial caulking, the “set” method is used. To do this, prepare a bundle in advance from the selected sealant; you can use a ready-made rope or rope of the required thickness. Loops are made into wide seams from the rope, which are driven into the space between the logs until the required compaction is achieved.

Work on caulking a log house always starts from the lower crown and is carried out along the entire perimeter of the seam. First, the outer side of the log joint is compacted, and then the inner side. You can move on to the next crown only when the entire previous one has been caulked.

The rope or roller is secured in the seam using caulk, which is used to tap first the top part of the insulation, then the bottom, and only then the middle. If necessary, use a mallet, hitting the end of the caulking handle with it.

When sealing the seams of a log house, it is necessary to constantly check the horizontalness of the logs and the verticality of the walls. A seemingly simple compaction process may well distort the situation individual parts house structures, move them from their original location or raise them.

Secondary caulk

Modern technologies for protecting the connection of logs in a log house provide for sealing the seam (warm seam). The advantage of this solution for seams in wooden houses are:

• plastic;
• durability;
• resistance to sunlight and environmental influences;
• high thermal insulation properties;
• vapor permeability;
• biostability.

The seams are sealed like re-caulking. Device technology " warm seam» mainly consists of the following steps:

1. Preparing the surface of the insulated seam. To do this, clean the logs at the work site from dust, dirt, and grease stains. The sealant may not adhere to walls coated with varnish, wax, or any oils. It is better to test the adhesion of the sealant to the treated surface of the log before starting work.
2. Installation of a sealing cord, for example, made of extruded polyethylene. It cannot be glued to the wall, it is simply inserted into the seam.
3. Applying sealant. Before starting to cover the cord and part of the logs with sealant wooden surface moisturize. Can be glued on both sides relative to the seam masking tape to ensure uniform coverage width. Depending on the packaging, the sealant is applied either with a spatula or with a mounting gun. The layer thickness is allowed to be at least 4 mm, but not more than 10 mm.
4. Seam formation. The seam is smoothed and formed using a suitable spatula within 15 minutes after applying the sealant. You can then remove the masking tapes. Excess substance is cleaned with a damp cloth or sponge.

Patience and thoroughness in performing caulking work will be fully justified by the durability of the structure and warm walls at home, so that you don’t have to seal the cracks later. Choice effective way Insulation of log seams and a sufficient amount of material for this will significantly reduce heating costs in cold weather.

Caulking a log house is a painstaking process that requires patience and great effort. Everything matters here: the tool, the quality of the material, the sequence of work. Without the appropriate experience, not everyone can caulk a log house correctly, so first you need to familiarize yourself with the technology, study caulking methods, and choose the right inter-crown insulation.

Caulking of a log house is carried out in two stages - immediately after construction and after some time, when shrinkage occurs. Primary (or rough) caulking can be carried out in two ways: with laying insulation during the process of assembling the walls or performing one-time work upon completion of construction.

1 way

Lay the bottom row of logs on the base.

Then the insulation is spread on top so that the ends of the material hang evenly on both sides. Next, lay the second crown, and again a layer of insulation. This is repeated until the very top of the log house. After all work on the construction of the log house is completed and the roof is installed, the protruding ends of the seal are driven into the gaps between the beams using caulking.

Method 2

Caulking begins after installation roofing system to the log house Insulation (preferably tape) is applied to the seam of the bottom row and, using a tool, is pushed into the gaps between the logs along the entire length, leaving hanging edges 5-7 cm wide. Then these edges are folded in, formed into a roller and hammered inside the seam. Repeat the procedure in the next row and so on until the top of the structure.

The second stage of caulking is carried out after shrinkage of the log house - after 1-2 years. The selected insulation is applied to the cracks between the crowns and driven tightly inside. You should always start work from the bottom row, and be sure to do it along the perimeter of the log house.

You cannot caulk one wall first, then the second, and so on. In addition, each row is caulked both from the outside and from the outside. inside to avoid distortions in the structure. The insulation raises the frame by 5-10 cm, and its uneven distribution contributes to the vertical deviation of the walls. In some cases, the log house is caulked for the third time - 5-6 years after construction. During this time, the wood completely shrinks and new gaps form.

There are two ways of caulking - “set” and “stretched”. The first is used to eliminate wide gaps between logs, the second is usually used during primary caulking, when the gaps are still narrow.

To work, you need tools - a set of caulking tools, a road worker and a mallet. As a rule, metal caulks are used, although many craftsmen make them themselves from hard rocks tree.

Name	Description	What is it used for?
	Flat metal or wooden spatula. Blade width 100 mm, thickness 5-6 mm	The main tool for filling gaps between crowns
	Flat chisel with a blade width of 50-60 mm and a thickness of up to 5 mm	Used to seal seams in corners and rounded areas of a log house
	Triangular shaped caulk with longitudinal groove along the blade. Width - 170 mm, thickness 8-15 mm	Tool for forming even beads from twisted strands of compaction
	Thick and narrow wedge up to 35 mm wide	Widens narrow gaps, making it easier to fill with insulation
	Wooden hammer	Used for filling the seal with wooden caulks

The caulking blades should not be sharp, otherwise when driving the material they will cut it. Pay special attention to the surface of the blades: if it is rough, the insulation fibers will cling and be pulled back out of the seams.

Caulking materials

The following materials are used as inter-crown insulation:

• red and white moss;
• tow;
• felt;
• jute;
• flax wool

Type of material	Description
	Ecologically pure material, which has antiseptic properties. At independent procurement raw materials, the cost of insulating a log house will be minimal. It is usually collected in late autumn, when there are no snails and fewer insects. Immediately after collection, the moss is sorted, lumps of earth and debris are removed, and slightly dried. There is no need to dry it too much, otherwise the stems will become too brittle and unusable. Purchased moss must be soaked before caulking to make installation easier. Pros: durability, low thermal conductivity, resistance to temperature changes, environmental friendliness, antimicrobial properties, low cost. Cons: difficult to find on the market, protection from birds is required, requires pre-treatment before installation
	Tow is suitable for the initial caulking of a log house and for sealing the crowns after shrinkage. It is made from flax fibers, and depending on their quality, it is divided into bale and roll (tape). Rolled fiber consists of shorter and stiffer fibers, which makes it difficult to stuff between the crowns. Tape tow is better in quality, softer and more convenient for caulking. Pros: has low thermal conductivity, does not electrify, is highly absorbent and dries quickly, has bactericidal properties. Disadvantages: labor-intensive installation, unaesthetic appearance of seams after caulking.
	Until recently, natural felt was widely used in the insulation of log houses. Now its composition is supplemented with synthetic and plant fibers, which significantly improve its individual properties. And yet, felt insulation without additives has a number of advantages: it has high vapor permeability, does not allow odors to pass through, provides good noise insulation, has low thermal conductivity, is easy to use, and is environmentally friendly. Cons: susceptible to rotting, easily damaged by moths
	Traditional insulation materials are increasingly being replaced by materials such as jute. It is available in the form of fibers, ropes of any thickness, and also in the form of tape. Tape jute is soft and pliable, compacts evenly, and is used for both primary and repeated caulking. It is more convenient to use jute fibers and ropes after shrinkage of the log house. Pros: it is durable, not damaged by moths and other insects, does not rot, and provides a favorable microclimate in the building. Cons: the material cakes quickly, short term services.

Prices for tow

Primary caulking “stretched”

The whole process is divided into two stages - laying insulation between the logs during the construction of a log house and the caulking itself. The insulation is laid after installation of each crown. If moss is used, it should be slightly damp.

Take a large bunch of moss and lay it in fibers across the log so that the ends of the fibers hang down on both sides by 5-7 cm. The next bunch lies close together.

The fibers must be evenly distributed over the surface, forming a layer of equal thickness. The wood should not show through the moss, so make the insulation layer thicker. It’s better to put in too much than not, because thin layer will not be able to effectively protect the seams from blowing.

If you use tape insulation, installation is much simpler and faster: the tape is rolled out along the crown and secured with the staples of a construction stapler. When the tape runs out, the new piece is overlapped by 5 cm so that there are no gaps at the joints. After the entire row around the perimeter is covered with insulation, the second crown is installed.

So, the log house has been erected, the roof has been installed, and the walls can be caulked.

The procedure for caulking and sealing cracks after shrinkage of a log house

It is more convenient if the insulation is tape, then forming a roller out of it is much faster. When twisting the material, it must be slightly stretched along the seam, which promotes greater compaction and uniform distribution of the insulation. Sometimes the thickness of the roller is not sufficient to fill the gap, then they take additional strands and wrap them in the hanging ends of the material. After this, the thickened roller is driven into the gap.

If during the construction process insulation was not laid between the logs, caulking is performed in the manner described above, only more material will be needed. It is necessary to apply it to the seams with the fibers across. The longitudinal arrangement of the fibers will not provide the required density; the material will not be able to be firmly fixed and will constantly crawl out of the grooves. When choosing a tape compactor, make sure that the width of the tape is several centimeters greater than the thickness of the log. Edges that are too short are difficult to tuck, and therefore the quality of caulking will be poor.

1. The edge of the tape is laid on the ground near the corner of the log house and retreated along the wall, unwinding the roll. You can’t pull the material, it should just lie there smooth strip on the ground. It is very important that the tape does not twist during the unwinding process. Having reached the second corner, the roll is also left lying, nothing is cut off yet.

   

2. Return to the beginning of the tape, take it by the edge and place it over the seam. Using a caulking blade, press the tape in the middle, leaving the edges to protrude by 5-7 cm. In this way, the entire inter-crown seam is passed.

   

   Insert insulation into the seam

3. Measure out another 25-30 cm of tape and only then cut it off the roll. This reserve will allow you to hammer the grooves more tightly without adding insulation.
4. Now, little by little, straightening and tucking the edges of the material, they begin to caulk the seam. The tape should completely disappear into the gap between the logs along with the reserve.

   

5. As a rule, one layer of tape is not enough for high-quality filling, so everything will have to be repeated two or even three more times.
6. The finished seam should protrude from the grooves no more than 3-4 mm and be of uniform thickness.

   

Prices for caulk

caulk

If the gaps between the crowns are very wide, caulking is used “in a set”. For these purposes, tow, hemp ropes or jute cords are used. Long strands are formed from tow and wound into a ball. Finished cords or ropes are also wound into balls for convenience.

Start from the edge of the lower crown:

• clear the gap, removing loose chips and debris;
• unwind a small amount of cord, fold it into loops and push it into the gap with caulk;
• seal the loops first in the upper part of the gap, then in the lower part;
• put another strand on top, this time without loops, and level it with a road worker.

Further along the seam, the strands are laid in one layer until the next gap. The more densely the voids are clogged, the better the insulation. Try not to leave hanging fibers: firstly, they spoil appearance walls, and secondly, the seal can be pulled away by birds. Having finished caulking the first row, they move on to the second, and everyone repeats in exactly the same way.

To make the log house decorative, you can hammer a jute cord along the entire length of the seams.

Caulking corners

The corners are caulked separately after the work on the walls is completed. It is also more convenient to use tape insulation here.

Since the seams between the logs at the corners have a semicircular shape, you will need a curved caulk.

Step 1. The tape is positioned vertically. Take it by the edge, apply it to the corner seam and press it inward with caulk. They step back down a little and drive the material into the gap again.

Step 2. As soon as the insulation has been secured a little, they begin to tuck the protruding edges and drive them deeper into the cracks.

Step 3. After filling and leveling the top seam, move on to the second. The material must be constantly straightened and stretched a little so that it lies more evenly.

This is how the entire corner is sequentially compacted. The seams should not protrude more than 5 mm, otherwise the appearance will be sloppy.

Video - How to caulk a corner of a log house

Caulking a log house with sealants

Caulking of log houses with special sealants, which are easy to apply, give the seams a very aesthetic appearance and reliably protect against blowing, is gaining popularity. If the log house is made of rounded logs or laminated veneer lumber, and jute is laid as insulation between the crowns, you can only use sealant and a rope made of foamed polyethylene. Sealing of seams is carried out no earlier than shrinkage of the log house occurs.

Step 1. The joints between the logs are cleaned of dust and clogged debris and wiped dry with a rag.

Step 2. A primer primer is applied along the perimeter of the seams using a brush or sprayer. If work is carried out in winter, the primer should be rubber-based, summer time- on the water.

Step 3. After the primer has dried, a rope of foamed polyethylene is inserted into the seams, the diameter of which is selected according to the width of the gap.

Step 4. Apply sealant. They use the composition in tubes, which is applied using mounting gun, in buckets and in the form of a tape. The last option is very easy to use: remove the tape from one side protective film, apply to the seam, press with your hand and roll with a roller.

Step 5. After sealing all inter-crown joints, remove the outer layer of film so that the sealant hardens. Finally, the joints are coated with colorless varnish or a tinting compound is applied, depending on the color of the sealant.

When applying the composition with a spatula or from a tube, the sealant should be smoothed and excess should be removed with a damp cloth.

If the logs for the log house were harvested by hand, more uneven gaps will form during shrinkage. Here, one sealant and a polyethylene cord will not be enough. In such cases, caulking is performed traditional way, after which the seams are sealed with sealant. After such treatment, there is no need for subsequent caulking.

Video - How to caulk a log house