Inter-crown insulation for timber. Inter-crown insulation for timber: subtleties of choice

There are inter-crown joints and cracks in all wooden buildings; this factor becomes a disadvantage only if the construction is not treated with due attention. When using high-quality building materials and observing construction rules, the size of through inter-crown cracks in a log house does not exceed 2-3 mm; when using profiled timber, there should be no through cracks.

Sealing the roof joints and cracks with insulation is called caulking the seams. The complexity of this operation and cost consumables much lower than the cost of constructing a log house, this circumstance should not become a reason for neglecting the insulation of the log house. If you caulk the walls incorrectly or choose low-quality material, you can ruin everything done: the house will be blown out and lose heat, moisture may accumulate between the crowns, fungus will appear and microorganisms will multiply. The house will be cold in winter, humid in summer, the facade will turn black and lose its attractiveness. Living in such a house will be uncomfortable.

Inter-crown cracks are formed naturally, their size depends on the quality of the building material and the method of laying the crowns. As shrinkage occurs, the cracks between the rims open and cracks appear. A beam with excessive moisture can twist with a screw; in this case, the gap between the crowns can be 10-15 mm. The main mistakes when cutting a log house are:

• In corner locks, the crowns are excessively fixed and prevent shrinkage,
• Incorrectly done trim on windows and doors,
• Errors in choosing the size of dowels (dowels), the diameter should be 2-3 mm smaller than the mounting hole, which ensures free mixing of rows during shrinkage,
• Using metal fasteners, the wood squeezes out metal staples and nails, resulting in unevenness.

The qualifications of the builders play an important role; if you hire a team of self-trained builders from Central Asia, through inter-crown cracks can also appear in a log house made of profiled timber.

Intercrown insulation must meet a number of requirements:

• Reliably caulk inter-crown joints and cracks, prevent the penetration of outside air into the building,
• Compensate for processes associated with natural changes in the geometry of lumber. Throughout its entire service life, a wooden structure “breathes”, the dimensions of the 150x150 timber may vary by 1-3 mm depending on the season and weather,
• Absorb atmospheric moisture flowing between the crowns,
• To ensure internal temperature and humidity balance, the material must have low vapor barrier properties.

In addition to the listed properties, the insulation must be environmentally friendly and have a service life commensurate with the service life of the structure.

Overview of thermal insulation material

Natural insulation materials meet all of the above requirements; attempts to develop a synthetic material with similar qualities have so far been unsuccessful. Insulation is produced in the form of tow, natural felt, batting and rope (rope). The base used is flax and jute fibers, sheep wool and peat moss.

1. Flax fiber occupies a leading position in the market of natural insulation materials, the fibers are obtained from the stems of the plant of the same name, the stems are crumpled and fluffed on scattering machines, dust and broken fibers are removed by combing, and they are calcined to protect against microorganisms. The fibers are up to 300 mm long, are soft and elastic, and do not split. Linen material is used in the form of loose and strip tow, flax wool, braided rope (rope). The flax fiber cakes, and for several years after completion of construction, the inter-crown cracks must be windowed periodically.
2. Jute, exported from South Asian countries, is superior to flax fiber in terms of price and quality. The fibers have a length of up to 500 mm, are rigid, do not break or cake. Used in the form of tape tow, batting and felt. Hard fibers create air microchambers, which are an attractive environment for insects and microorganisms.
3. The material “flax-jute” consists of flax and jute fibers in various proportions, jute fibers create the frame, and flax fibers fill the resulting cavities. It is produced in the form of batting and felt; according to experts, it is the best inter-crown insulation for buildings made of timber.
4. Felt from sheep wool made from recycling waste, the material is elastic, the fibers straighten out after laying and evenly fill all free space. The material is environmentally friendly and absorbs excess moisture well. Wool is a breeding ground for moths; this deficiency is countered by treatment with mineral salts.
5. Peat moss is the most accessible and cheapest material; it comes to the retail chain in bunches; its consistency resembles cotton wool; you can prepare the moss yourself. The material is a natural antiseptic. Moss is placed between the crowns with a reserve; the edges of the material protrude from the cracks, which gives the facade an unpresentable appearance.

For centuries, hemp - hemp fibers - has been considered the traditional inter-crown insulation in Russia; due to restrictions on the cultivation of hemp, hemp tow is produced in small batches.

Insulation for a house made of edged timber

Linen and jute tow, batting and peat moss are used as inter-crown insulation for houses made of edged logs.

Moss is used to insulate baths and auxiliary buildings. For a residential building would be better suited the material is made of flax or jute, strips of batting or tape tow are laid between the crowns, corners and irregularities are caulked with tow. After shrinkage of the log house, additional “finishing” caulking of the seams is carried out from the outside and inside.

When asked which material is better, experts don’t have consensus. Jute fibers are more elastic, and linen fibers are soft and elastic; it is better to use flax as tow. When building from edged timber with roughly processed layers, it is recommended to use jute batting; for planed timber, linen insulation is recommended.

The best solution when choosing inter-crown insulation may be flax-jute batting; when constructing from three-edged timber or timber-laft, the inter-crown seams are additionally caulked with linen rope with a diameter of 20 mm.

Interventional insulation for profiled timber

Houses made of profiled timber do not require caulking of the crown joints with tow; for insulation, a material with a tape width that follows the shape of the groove is used; in addition, this layer acts as a sealant. Manufacturers produce inter-crown insulation for the profile of any timber; the thickness and width of the material depend on the shape of the profile and the standard size of the timber. When purchasing corrugated timber for building a house, they immediately purchase a set of inter-crown insulation. Insulation is placed in the profile of blanks from house kits in industrial conditions.

Natural felt made from jute, sheep wool or “flax-jute” is used as insulation for profiled timber. After erecting a log house or assembling a house kit, to eliminate flaws, selective “finishing” caulking of the seams is carried out with flax tow.

Do-it-yourself finishing caulk

After the log house has been subjected to shrinkage, finishing caulking is carried out at home. During the shrinkage process, the previously laid layer of insulation is deformed, voids can form in the inter-crown cracks, and vertical cracks can form in the corners of the frame. The operation is performed from the outside and inside. Caulk – labor-intensive process, requiring diligence and attention, the main tool is a wide wooden chisel or rubber mallet. To avoid damaging the integrity of the fibers, it is better to blunt the chisel. The operation begins with the lower crown along the entire perimeter, after caulking of the first crown is completed, they move on to the second, etc.

If you become more familiar with the features of choosing insulation for timber houses, then you will be able to understand that they are radically different from the requirements that apply to other types of thermal insulation, for example, roll or slab. Many novice builders wonder what an inter-crown seal is.

Rules for choosing an interventional seal

Intercrown insulation must be selected taking into account the properties of the material that underlies it. Wood is characterized by some features that are not inherent in artificial materials such as brick, concrete and gas silicate. For example, wood has low thermal conductivity, which makes houses made from it warm. In such buildings, optimal temperature conditions are maintained at any time of the year.

A special feature of wooden houses is their optimal microclimate, because wood is capable of releasing and absorbing moisture. If the indoor humidity is quite low, then wood releases it, while during the rainy season it is able to absorb water from the air, maintaining a comfortable microclimate. One of the important advantages of wood is its ability for natural ventilation. It is provided by the porous structure of the material.

Wood is characteristic high index redistribution of heat, this has a positive effect on the productivity of the heating system inside the house. This is expressed in the fact that heat from one zone quickly spreads across the entire area. Taking into account the listed characteristics of wood, it can be noted that inter-crown insulation must have certain features, among them:

• high density;
• elasticity;
• minimal thermal conductivity;
• vapor conductivity similar to timber;
• mechanical strength;
• durability;
• environmental friendliness.

As for elasticity, it should be sufficient for the insulation to be evenly distributed at the joints and irregularities. When selecting a material based on thermal conductivity, it is necessary to pay attention to those options that have the lowest level. The ideal seal will be one whose thermal conductivity is similar to that of a wooden beam.

What qualities should insulation have?

In addition, inter-crown insulation must have vapor conductivity, which will not interfere with maintaining a certain microclimate inside the house. The sealant should not lose its thermal insulation properties when exposed to moisture. A desirable prey for birds is sheep's wool insulation. This also includes linen insulation; birds take it out to build their nests. That is why it is important to consider that thermal insulation must have high mechanical strength. We must not forget about durability. The service life of thermal insulation under normal conditions of use should reach 25 years.

Reviews about the inter-crown sealant "TechnoNIKOL"

When choosing an interventional sealant, you can pay attention to mineral wool TechnoNIKOL, however, this issue still causes serious controversy today. There are ardent opponents of this technology. They argue their objections by saying that TechnoNIKOL compresses almost 100% between the rims. This may indicate that mineral wool, when compacted to its maximum, loses its thermal insulation properties. However, to this day, Technonikol acts as one of the most popular interventional insulation materials.

According to consumers, this material has many advantages. Among them are:

• fire resistance;
• elasticity;
• ease of installation;
• uniform filling of cracks;
• good vapor permeability;
• mechanical strength;
• long service life.

Why choose TechnoNIKOL

This inter-crown insulation for timber has excellent fire resistance; it belongs to the G1 flammability class, which is very popular with consumers, because this indicates that the seal is non-flammable. Buyers are also attracted by the ease of installation, since any work can be carried out House master can independently, without resorting to expensive outside help.

Reviews of jute insulation from the manufacturer Ecoservice

Quite often, jute inter-crown insulation is used to seal logs in the construction of wooden houses. Ecoservice is one of the manufacturers of this material. Consumers choose its products because they are natural and therefore environmentally safe. With this insulation you can provide a high thermal insulation level.

The material has the form of a tape of a special structure, thanks to this, according to buyers, the insulation is convenient to install, and the work can be carried out in the shortest possible time. According to the manufacturer, this material is most often used in buildings that have strict requirements for reliable thermal insulation. Inter-crown jute insulation from the Ecoservice company, according to buyers, has many advantages, namely:

• the ability to select jute to fit the required grooves thanks to the cutting feature;
• ease of installation;
• the ability to create a healthy microclimate thanks to the naturalness of the material.

You can find another type of jute on sale - superjute. It consists of jute bonded under the influence of a temperature of 180 ° C. This material, according to buyers, has higher noise insulation, water removal and heat insulation properties, this is true when compared with conventional inter-crown insulation. Such processing and structure make it possible to obtain a strong and fluffy material with which you can fill all the grooves.

Intercrown jute insulation is treated with a special solution during the production process, which eliminates mold and rot, so the material can be laid even on damp surfaces.

Reviews about PSUL insulation from the company "GIT"

Not so popular, but no less high quality, is the PSUL insulation, which is manufactured by the GIT company. It has the form of a tape, which is made of polyurethane foam and an acrylic mixture that promotes elasticity and higher strength. Buyers who purchased this material from the above-mentioned manufacturer, they note that the inter-crown insulation after installation increases in size, therefore it fills all the irregularities and joints.

To simplify installation, it is necessary to apply an adhesive composition to the PSUL, which prevents the material from sliding on the surface. If you still can’t decide which inter-crown insulation to choose, then you should pay attention to PSUL. It is, according to buyers, very durable. If you operate it under normal conditions, its service life will be 20 years. During this time, the material will not lose its technical characteristics.

Reviews of flax insulation from the manufacturer "Flax-Jute Company"

Linen interventional insulation, reviews of which you can read below, is today one of the most popular in the construction of wooden houses. The Flax-Jute Company produces such a seal. Consumers claim that the products of this company are inexpensive, and their thermal conductivity is only 0.037 W/μ, which is quite good. It should be noted that low cost is a feature that compensates for the complexity of installation.

The problematic nature of insulation using this material is expressed in the difficulty of uniformly distributing the sealant in the log house, which helps slow down the pace of construction. Consumers are advised to choose flax tape insulation if you set a goal to insulate a log house. However, users emphasize that this option will be somewhat more expensive compared to regular tow. But the difference in cost is offset by simplification of installation.

Reviews of sheep wool seal from the Klimalan company

If you need inter-crown insulation, which one is better to choose, you must decide before visiting the store. One of them is sheep wool insulation from the Klimalan company. Consumers choose it less often because high cost, however, the price is justified by excellent performance characteristics, because the material is durable and resistant to moisture.

Buyers also like this inter-crown insulation for logs from the manufacturer “Klimalan” because sheep wool does an excellent job of regulating indoor humidity; this characteristic is similar to wood. If you are looking for a seal for a log sauna, then you simply cannot find a better material than sheep wool.

Reviews about "Izover"

If you decide to purchase inter-crown insulation for timber, which one to choose, you need to decide before visiting the building materials department. Sometimes to carry out similar works"Isover" is used, in Lately he became very popular. The ability to remove and receive moisture from this sealant is almost the same as that of some other inter-crown insulation, but it does not burn, does not rot, does not need to be caulked, and over time it does not crumble.

Consumers emphasize that the sealed finish helps to cope with the problem of unpleasant dust. Many people prefer Izover for the following reasons:

• easy to use;
• birds don't like it;
• does not burn;
• does not rot;
• does not require additional caulking;
• compresses well;
• leaves no gaps.

However, if you are still deciding which inter-crown insulation for timber to choose so that it is environmentally friendly, you should abandon Izover, because it is not very natural, and when ruptured it emits allergic caustic dust. In addition, according to consumers, it accumulates moisture quite quickly.

But you may come across the opinion of some builders that Izover is better suited than other insulation materials when building a wooden house. This recommendation may be due to ease of installation. “Isover” is easy to cut, simply rolls out onto the log, and the cost of time and effort is reduced.

Reviews of polyurethane foam from the manufacturer PENOSIL

Quite often recently, polyurethane foam has been used as an interventional sealant. If, after considering all its characteristics, you also decide to take advantage of this experience, then you should turn your attention to the manufacturer PENOSIL. According to consumers, this company produces a material that has many positive features. This:

• quick installation;
• excellent sealing of corners;
• good adhesion;
• rapid hardening;
• no need for caulking;
• fire safety.

Due to its high adhesive ability, polyurethane foam provides strong bonding of the elements to each other. You don’t have to worry about the walls being skewed, since the material doesn’t twist when drying. According to consumers, it is possible to seal corners with polyurethane foam better than if tow or moss were used. However, despite all the advantages, this inter-crown seal does not please with quality indicators, including:

• elasticity;
• cold tolerance;
• UV resistance;
• environmental friendliness.

Conclusion

It is worth noting that the inter-crown seal is a general concept. This includes materials put into the crown joints of log houses. Most of these seals are based on jute and linen, but today some manufacturers supplement them with artificial filling. But it should be noted that such options are not entirely suitable for baths.

How to choose inter-crown insulation for timber? Reviews about manufacturers

Intercrown insulation must be selected taking into account the properties of the material that underlies it. Wood is characterized by some features that are not inherent in artificial materials such as brick, concrete and gas silicate. For example, wood has low thermal conductivity, which makes houses made from it warm.

Interventional sealant: for what purpose is it used?

There are certain requirements for sealing material for wooden structures, namely:

The best inter-crown seals for wooden buildings are:

• jute felt tape;
• long-fiber moss.

Use of natural materials

Moss for insulating crowns

The undoubted advantages include the fact that it:

• perfectly absorbs liquid.
• natural antiseptic.

• carded;
• additionally stitched or needle-punched.

Flax is the basis of two types of sealant:

The advantages of flax wool as inter-vents insulation are:

• good hygroscopicity;
• efficiency;

The disadvantages include:

• “eats” moths.

Tow for insulating crowns

• low cost.

The disadvantages of tow are:

• difficulties in installation;
• flammability.

• jute tow. It contains exclusively combed jute;
• flax jute felt. The proportions of flax and jute are 50 to 50;
• jute felt. In addition to jute, the composition contains flax.

• durability;
• environmental friendliness;
• different roll widths;
• hydroscopicity.

The disadvantage of this material is the cost, but at the same time it corresponds to the quality.

Mineral wool

On the one hand, this material has many positive qualities, for example:

• fire resistance;
• not subject to rotting;
• easy to use;

But there are also huge disadvantages:

Polyurethane foam

This material is valued for the following qualities:

• good adhesion;
• quick installation;
• simplicity of the caulking process;
• no toxins.

But in the role of foam as an interventional insulation, disadvantages immediately appear:

• not entirely environmentally friendly;
• not elastic.

However, polyurethane foam can be used as additional insulation, on top of natural seals.

Materials not suitable for compaction

1. sealants based on mineral and synthetic bases- glass wool, mineral wool;
2. sealants whose pores are open or closed- polyurethane foam, polyurethane foam, silicone sealant and others.

Do-it-yourself installation of interventional insulation

As a rule, installation of inter-crown insulation is carried out in the same way, regardless of the material chosen for these purposes. The main condition is that the work must be carried out in warm weather.

How to choose interventional insulation for timber - tips and recommendations

No construction of wooden structures can be done without inter-crown insulation. This is a special heat-insulating gasket, the task of which is to insulate the seams and openings of wooden walls.

In a wooden house built from timber or logs, an amazing atmosphere is always created, which has a beneficial effect on the psychological and physical state of the residents, and this is due to the properties natural wood. So that such a home is warm, and it is not blown out by strong winds and does not freeze in winter period, its walls need to be well insulated by choosing the appropriate material for this process.

Which inter-crown insulation for timber should you choose in order to achieve all your goals at once? This question arises for everyone who has started building a log house for a house. Since log buildings have been built for centuries, only natural materials have always been used to insulate such walls. This tradition has passed on to the present day, although today a considerable number of artificial heat insulators are produced - they have not been able to fully replace the natural ones that were traditionally used by builders.

If the construction of a log house is entrusted to a construction team, then it would be useful to keep the entire work process under control and independently select and purchase all the necessary auxiliary materials, including inter-crown insulation. Otherwise, you may end up with poor-quality work, which sometimes simply cannot be corrected without a complete overhaul of the entire frame.

For what purposes is interventional insulation used?

To understand how important it is to choose the right and high-quality insulation, you need to fully understand why it is needed when building a wooden log house.

Interventional insulation performs several important functions at once

Inter-crown insulation is required:

• To preserve and enhance all the thermal insulation qualities of wood, as well as to maximize the service life of the building.
• To avoid the penetration of moisture between logs or beams, with the subsequent emergence and development of mold or mildew, nests of unwanted insects in the house.
• To ensure vapor permeability, since wood is a breathable material and responds to increased humidity and temperature changes. Therefore, inter-crown insulation is mounted not only between beams or logs, but also around window frames and door frames.

In the presence of correctly selected and installed insulation, a residential building acquires the following qualities necessary for it:

Low thermal conductivity, since the walls will not have cold bridges;

Resistance to strong winds, because the walls become windproof;

Balanced balance of moisture absorption and moisture evaporation.

As you can see, this seemingly insignificant element at first glance has a serious impact on both the quality and overall durability of the building.

Which insulation for crowns to choose?

Previously, when constructing wooden log houses, waste materials produced at home from various plants were used for insulation. The main one was flax, the fibers of which are a good “breathable” heat insulator. As you know, fabric was made from flax, and the rough parts of the plant unsuitable for it were turned into insulation for the walls of the house.

In addition to flax, moss was used to seal the joints of logs, which could be found in large quantities in the forest and in swamps.

Another popular insulation used to close gaps between logs is felt, which was made from sheep's wool, compressed and then cut into strips of the desired width and thickness.

These materials are in perfect harmony with wood, so the hut insulated with them served without any problems. additional repairs many decades.

Today in specialized stores you can find many different artificially produced materials that manufacturers offer instead of traditional ones. They have more low price than natural insulation materials, which is why many owners who are inexperienced in construction purchase them, not knowing the consequences of such use. Such materials include polystyrene foam, mineral wool, silicone sealants or penofol. Modern artificial insulation materials, of course, have their advantages, and in some cases you simply cannot do without them, but they are absolutely not suitable for laying between the crowns of logs or beams.

Natural interventional insulation

Linen wool for insulation of crowns

As can be understood from the name of the insulation, it is made from flax; it is also often called linen felt. It remains popular today, as it meets all the requirements necessary for interventional insulation:

• This is an environmentally friendly natural material, so it does not cause allergies even in people with a predisposition to it.
• Today flax wool is made not from flax waste, but from purified raw materials, therefore, thanks to its components, the insulation is able to create a microclimate that is favorable for the health of residents.
• This insulation ensures uniform compaction over the entire width and length of the crown.
• It perfectly blocks wind flows.
• Linen wool does not attract dust and does not fray on its own.
• The material is able to adequately respond to fluctuations in humidity - it either accumulates or releases excess moisture, thereby maintaining an optimal balance.
• Linen wool is a breathable, vapor-permeable material.
• It provides a high level of thermal insulation and sound insulation due to its good adhesion to the wood.
• This insulation is very easy to install.

Linen batting is a non-woven material made by pressing and cut into strips of a certain width, which can vary from 8.5 to 200 mm. The thickness of the material is 5 ÷ 7 mm, the length of the strip in a roll is usually 2000 mm.

If the insulation does not have the required density, then it is laid in two or three layers, securing the logs to the crown with staples.

Temporary fixation of insulation with stapler staples

The edges of the insulation should not extend beyond the crown, otherwise, after installing the logs, they will have to be hammered into the cracks. It is recommended to think through this point in advance and carefully bend and secure the edges inside when laying the next crown.

How to properly lay tape inter-crown insulation

You need to know that when using flax wool, it is recommended to cover the joints of the logs after installation with a decorative cord made of jute so that the seams look aesthetically pleasing, and this will lead to additional costs.

Flax wool also has negative sides:

It can become a breeding ground for various insects, such as moths, wood borers, bedbugs and others;

Birds happily use this material to build nests, plucking pieces of it from the gaps between logs, which leads to mandatory repairs, in which the seams need to be stuffed with insulation again.

Therefore, when using flax wool, you need to coat the beams or logs very well with an antiseptic before laying it.

Moss as inter-crown insulation

Insulation such as moss has been used for laying between crowns since ancient times. They have not abandoned its use today, since it is still considered the most reliable and affordable material.

Since ancient times, moss has been used as insulation for log houses.

In regions where log buildings were traditional, moss grew almost everywhere, which is why it was the only insulating material for inter-crown sealing. Houses insulated with moss served for decades without repair, and even when they were dismantled after many years of use, one could notice that the logs were kept in perfect condition and were suitable for constructing a log house in another place.

Moss protects log houses from rotting and damage

In total, there are about 300 different types of moss, but only two of them, called “sphagnum” and “cuckoo flax,” are suitable for insulating wooden log houses. These representatives of the flora contain a large amount of antiseptic substances that resist putrefactive processes well. Penetrating into the wood, flavonoids disinfect its fibers, thereby preventing them from decomposing.

A log harvested with moss has an amazing aroma of the forest, which creates a special microclimate in it. Since the material is environmentally friendly and non-allergenic, it is safe for humans. In addition, many people suffering from asthma, lung diseases, dermatitis and other ailments feel significant relief while in such a house.

Moss is especially suitable for insulating walls made of hand-processed logs, since they do not have perfectly even crowns. In this case, the moss can be laid unevenly - in some places a thicker layer, in others a very thin layer, which is difficult to do using tape material.

• Sphagnum moss is a low-growing plant with soft, small, light green leaves and long, fibrous roots. This type of moss has more antiseptic components than cuckoo flax, so herbalists used it to treat non-healing wounds, as it works on a par with the well-known brilliant green or iodine.

The optimal choice for insulation is sphagnum moss

How this type of moss differs as insulation high density and elasticity. It perfectly maintains the moisture balance of wood and does not respond to temperature changes. In addition, sphagnum is not afraid of ultraviolet radiation, does not dry out from it and does not lose all its heat-insulating properties.

Sphagnum grows in damp swampy areas or forest thickets. It covers the soil with a soft carpet, and it is quite simple to collect, but it is recommended to carry out this activity in sunny, dry weather. After collection, the moss is piled in small bunches to dry for a short time. Drying time takes one to two weeks, depending on the moisture content of the raw materials, and this, in turn, will depend on the place and time of collection of the plants.

Laying sphagnum on crowns is quite complicated and not as convenient as when using ready-made tapes of other insulation materials. But this approach is most effective for thermal insulation and protecting the log house from various negative natural influences.

• Kukushkin flax is a hard, long-fiber, brown-colored moss. When dry, it acquires a reddish tint. You can find this plant the same way as any moss - in a damp, swampy area or in the thicket of a forest. If cuckoo flax is collected for use as insulation, then it is better to look for it in the forest, since there it is not so saturated with moisture.

This is what a growing cuckoo flax looks like

Unlike sphagnum, cuckoo flax is recommended to be collected in cloudy weather, so it will better preserve its qualities. After collection, this type of moss is laid to dry in long strips, which, after drying, can be laid on the crowns of logs. It should be remembered that cuckoo flax is not dried thoroughly, since when laying it must have a certain percentage of moisture. If the raw material accidentally dries out, then it needs to be slightly moistened during installation. However, cuckoo flax is often laid even when freshly harvested.

Collected cuckoo flax

The process of inter-crown compaction is carried out in 4 ÷ 5 layers, each of them being laid perpendicular to the previous one. When laying logs on the insulation, the material should be held, as this process requires care. Upon completion of the work, the moss left hanging outside must be caulked into the joints of the logs using a chisel.

Laying out moss when installing a log house

Kukushkin flax has good density and does not crumble when dried. It is not subject to putrefactive processes, is not afraid of high humidity and retains all its insulating qualities for the entire period of its operation.

This insulation also has its drawbacks, which should be taken into account when choosing it - low fire resistance, as well as heterogeneity and friability of the material, which makes it difficult to install. In addition, it is one of the favorite food for birds. To protect the insulation from birds, it must be tucked well into the seams between the logs and covered with jute rope on top.

Jute insulation

One more effective insulation Inter-crown joints are jute, made from a tropical annual plant of the linden family of the same name, the fibers of which have a high percentage of lignin content. This is the name of a unique resin, which is an excellent natural antiseptic that can protect not only the insulation itself, but also the material of the timber or logs.

Preparation of jute raw materials

Thanks to this component, jute material is resistant to moisture, which means it is not susceptible to putrefactive processes. It is not taken away by birds or damaged by rodents, which is also very important for high-quality insulation of a residential building.

Jute insulation in our time is often produced in the form of a tape with a width of 100, 120, 150 and 200 mm, and a thickness of about 15 mm. The density of material of this thickness is 400 ÷ 450 g/m². The insulation tapes are rolled into rolls of 2000 mm.

Roll of jute tape insulation

In addition, ropes are made from jute, which are also used to decorate the inter-crown seams of log or timber frame houses.

Jute has a golden hue that harmonizes perfectly with the color of the fibers of any type of wood.

However, paradoxically, the disadvantage of pure jute insulation is its main advantage - very often an excess of lignin contributes to the gluing of its fibers, causing the material to lose its plasticity and become rough and rigid. Therefore, jute is combined with flax fibers, which are also used to insulate crowns.

So, several combined options are produced:

Linen jute (jute-flax);

• Linen jute is made from flax and jute fibers. Their ratio may be different for each individual manufacturer, therefore the characteristics of the insulation may vary somewhat.

Proportions of 1:1 are considered ideal, since the resulting material combines the elasticity and softness of flax, as well as the rigidity and strength of jute. Flax fibers are located inside the tape, and jute acts as a protective layer - the result is a durable and plastic insulation.

Therefore, the combined material is considered the optimal insulation material, especially for objects that are problematic in terms of high humidity, such as saunas and Russian baths.

• Jute felt is also made from flax and jute, but in a ratio of 10% to 90%. In this embodiment, the two components are mixed together. Linen dilutes the rigidity of jute and prevents its fibers from sticking together, which has a beneficial effect on the insulating and antiseptic qualities of the material.

Like any tape insulation, jute is easy to install. The main thing is to choose the right ribbon width for the crown.

Rolling jute insulation along the crown

The tape is rolled out on the crown, and if overhangs form, they need to be folded and stapled using a stapler. Experts advise choosing the width of the tape slightly larger than the size of the crown, and making bends during installation - this process will give a neat appearance and the necessary thickening to the insulating layer.

Insulation - tow

Tow is made from different materials - it can be flax or hemp, and consists of processed fibers from these plants. These fibers are sometimes pressed into strips and are also used to insulate crowns, having good thermal insulation properties.

Tow is a long-known, but, alas, not the best insulation material.

Despite the good insulation properties and affordable price, tow has not become such a popular material for insulating crowns. One of the reasons for this lack of demand can be called the great love of birds for this insulation. Its fibers are easily separated from the total mass, so birds willingly take advantage of this when building nests in the spring.

After such raids, the seams have to be repaired annually. If this material is used, it is recommended to cover it from the outside with jute rope.

It should be noted that tow is more hygroscopic than other insulation materials - it absorbs moisture and is susceptible to rotting. It is advisable to use it indoors with normal humidity, therefore it is more often used to insulate window and door openings if the windows and doors are made of wood.

From the above we can conclude that any tow is not the best choice for insulating crowns.

Sheep wool (felt)

Sheep wool has long been used as insulation, especially in those countries where sheep breeding is developed. Over time, such insulation began to be produced on an industrial scale and exported throughout the world.

Natural felt made from sheep wool is an excellent material for insulating a log house.

This material is made from raw materials purified and treated against insects by mixing and combining wool and felt fibers into one sheet.

The insulation is produced in thicknesses from 12 to 18 mm, widths from 90 to 200 mm and has very high heat-insulating and sound-proofing properties.

• Thanks to its elastic and springy structure, the insulation fills the entire inter-crown space, leaving no cold bridges. When the walls shrink or the gaps between the logs expand, it is able to shrink and straighten.
• Natural felt does not cake or compact over time, and therefore does not lose its original qualities.
• Sheep wool perfectly accumulates moisture, promoting good vapor permeability of seams, therefore it is not affected by fungal formations and does not rot.

The only drawback of this material can be considered high price, since mainly only imported samples are on sale.

Artificial insulation

Manufacturers also offer artificial insulation for inter-crown insulation. Some of them, more or less suitable for this process, are also worth considering.

Manufacturers of "PolyTerm" characterize it as environmentally friendly heat insulating material, since it is made from 100% polyester fiber. Its production technology was developed in Finland, where it has been successfully used in harsh subpolar climatic conditions for a long time.

Insulation of a log house with "PolyTerm"

"PolyTherm" is widely used as inter-crown insulation for residential buildings, for saunas and baths.

The positive qualities of the material include the following:

• This material is “breathable”, which means it will harmonize well with the structure of the wood. “PolyTherm” is not hygroscopic and has the ability to repel moisture, so when using it, you don’t have to worry about additional sealing work.
• The insulation has vapor-permeable properties, that is, it does not interfere with the natural exchange of gases and vapors.
• Thanks to the mentioned advantages, the insulation tape does not create a favorable environment for the development of microflora. Unlike natural materials, PolyTerm is unattractive to birds and various insects.
• The material is elastic and resilient, so when the walls shrink or the wood dries out, it straightens out and fills the resulting space.
• "PolyTerm" has high fire resistance.
• Its most important quality is its low thermal conductivity coefficient.
• The material does not contain harmful phenol-formaldehyde compounds.
• The chemical composition of the fibers does not cause allergic reactions in the body.

Manufacturers claim that “PolyTerm” may well not only replace natural materials in inter-crown insulation, but even perform their function at a higher level.

Latex sealant

For insulation wooden buildings Sealants made on various bases are also used. One of them is “Consil”, which is intended specifically for inter-crown insulation and sealing natural cracks in logs or beams caused by drying out of the wood.

Cans and tubes of latex sealant "Consil"

“Consil” is a one-component sealant made on a latex basis and used for external and internal work related to wood.

Sealing the joints of a log frame with sealant, ...

• Latex sealant allows you to normalize the humidity and temperature conditions, which are comfortable for living inside a log structure.

... or grooves in a log house made of profiled timber

• This material perfectly restrains wind flows, so the walls become windproof and there will never be drafts in the house.
• Thanks to the sealant, there is absolutely no heat leakage, so it is retained in the house, which can significantly reduce heating costs.
• Seams sealed with "Consil" do not require periodic repairs - caulking, which must be carried out periodically if natural tape insulation is used.
• The sealant ensures reliable closure of roof gaps and cracks from the penetration of various insects into the house.
• The insulation is produced in a variety of colors, so you can always choose the right option for a specific type of wood.

This is what the diagram of a poorly insulated log house looks like. It shows what problems can arise with the wood of the logs, as well as how serious heat leaks will occur from the room.

Schematically - what it leads to poor quality insulation log house

Since a poorly sealed roof gap is not protected from atmospheric influences, the risk of dampness and mold, insects, wind and sounds from outside entering the house, as well as cold in winter and hot air in summer increases.

When insulating, be sure to seal any cracks that have formed.

If the roof gaps and cracks in the logs are sealed reliably, the house can be considered protected from all the problems mentioned. The heat generated by heating devices remains completely inside the house, and street cold or heat will have no bridges to penetrate inside.

Application of the sealant is quite simple, since it has aggressive adhesion to wooden surfaces, literally soaking in them. Good adhesion of materials is maintained throughout the entire life of the building, since “consil” is not affected by low and high temperatures.

The sealant remains elastic and is able to change size and shape many times, under the influence of expansion and drying of wood or shrinkage of walls.

It is impossible not to mention the moisture resistance of this material. After hardening, it is not exposed to atmospheric precipitation, does not allow water to pass through and is not washed out of the gaps by it. In addition, the sealant is resistant not only to temperature changes, but also to the ultraviolet component of sunlight.

Based on the results of tests carried out on the effect of the sealant on various temperatures, an aqueous environment, ultraviolet radiation and deformation by 50%, manufacturers predicted the service life of the material - it is 30 years or more.

The nuances of laying inter-crown insulation

Whatever insulation for the crowns is chosen, its installation follows the same pattern. Naturally, it is much easier to secure the tape material than to lay out moss or tow, but both works are carried out according to the same principle.

• The tape insulation is rolled out on the surface of the laid log and fixed with staples. If the insulation is wider than required, its edges are wrapped and also secured with staples.
• If the edges of the insulation were not folded inward before laying the next log on top of it, then after completion of the work, this excess is driven into the cracks using a chisel. This process is called primary caulking.
• Secondary caulking is carried out a year later, after the walls have shrinked.
• When using moss or tow for insulation, the material is carefully laid out on the crown, in a layer of 10 ÷ 15 mm, pressing it to the base.

Laying out a layer of moss

• After laying the insulation on top of the logs, the fibers hanging down on the sides (usually an allowance of approximately 50 mm in each direction) is also tucked into the gaps between the logs using the same chisel.
• Sometimes insulation is combined using tape insulation, which is rolled out over a beam or placed in a special groove, and a sealing jute cord is laid along its edges. After installing the top log, the gap between the logs on the street side is filled with sealant. The gap between the logs on the inside of the wall can be carefully caulked with one of the natural materials.

Caulking of intercoronal seams from the inside

Now, knowing the characteristics of most of the materials used for insulating crowns, you can study them well, compare the price level in the region of residence or the possibility of independent procurement, and, in the end, settle on the most optimal option. All that remains is to correctly carry out the insulation process yourself or check the conscientiousness of the builders’ work to ensure that the material is laid correctly.

Interventional insulation for timber: which one to choose - useful tips

Which inter-crown insulation for timber should I choose to create a comfortable microclimate in the house? There are several types, natural and artificial.

Interventional insulation for timber: which one to choose?

Tips for choosing inter-crown insulation for timber

When building a wooden house from timber, the timber must be intact, even, and free of cracks. For indoor living only in summer, a material of medium thickness is suitable; when used throughout the year, thicker material is suitable. However, the durability of the building depends not only on the quality and thickness of the wood. Inter-crown insulation for timber is no less important. This material will provide the room with heat, extend the life of the wood, and can also save the consumer money. What kind of insulation to choose for laying between the crowns of a building is discussed in detail below.

In winter, the average daily air temperature always drops below zero. The warmer seasons are also characterized by frosts, especially at night. Therefore, the key requirement for interventional insulation is to provide reliable protection from the cold.

This quality is a complex indicator that combines:

• density (closing gaps 100%);
• elasticity (the previously mentioned condition must be met even after the house shrinks);
• low thermal conductivity coefficient (about the same as timber; the lower the insulation value, the better the heat is retained);
• absorption and rapid release of moisture in the event of precipitation (to maintain normal humidity inside and protect walls from rotting or destruction);
• resistance to external mechanical influences (damage from rodents, birds, taking away the insulation for nests, insects);
• durability (the ability to perform its functions for as long as possible without deterioration);
• environmental cleanliness (the absence of impurities harmful to human health that cause illness or allergies);
• antibacterial properties (resistance to harmful microorganisms).

Almost any inter-crown insulation for timber that a consumer encounters in a hardware store, to one degree or another, meets the above stated requirements. However, choosing the best one for your benefit will not be easy. To make the task easier, it is worth familiarizing yourself with two large groups of materials for cladding wooden buildings between tiers.

Types of interventional insulation

All existing materials for laying between beams, houses are divided into two large groups:

1. Made from artificial components;
2. Made from natural fibers.

• mineral wool (basalt, glass, slag);
• expanded polystyrene;
• foamed polyurethane foam;
• various sealants;
• foam rubber

No matter how low the thermal conductivity of the listed materials is, they are not used as inter-crown insulation. For example, mineral wool or foam rubber, compressing under the weight of the timber, becomes compacted and prevents the normal circulation of air and liquid. Also, the inter-crown space, insulated with these materials, when negative temperatures It is easily blown, and the room freezes.

The situation is different with moisture-proof insulation (polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam, sealant) - liquid vapors condense at the joints, causing premature destruction of wooden walls. Of course, you can close the seams tightly, eliminating blowing, but what is the use of this if another problem appears?

Most often, it appears when laying the so-called “warm seam”, when foam tape is applied to the horizontal plane of the beam, then the seams (on both sides) are caulked with a polyethylene cord of some thickness, and then acrylic sealant is applied.

The consumer's expectations are only partly met - air and moisture do not get inside the house, but the foam rubber will absorb moisture from the beams and will not be able to dry. Moisture at the joint will inevitably lead to gradual rotting of the wood. Summarizing the option with artificial insulation, we can say one thing - they do not allow the walls of the house to fully breathe, which is exactly necessary for buildings made of timber.

Natural materials are more preferable, with the exception of wool and cotton. The latter quickly absorb moisture, dry slowly, and are of genuine interest to insectoids. In order for a wooden beam to fully demonstrate its positive properties, it is better to choose insulation made from natural fibers. The most popular are jute (in the form of a ribbon), flax, and moss. They have a low thermal conductivity coefficient, prevent pests, and quickly release moisture after absorption. The above materials differ in their characteristics from each other, so it is worth considering each of them in detail.

Features of jute and jute tape

The southern plant of the linden family ranks first in its popularity among inter-crown insulation materials. The qualities of the material are:

• excellent hygroscopicity (moisture absorption);
• similarity in properties to wood;
• strength;
• composition (20% - lignin; polymer responsible for moisture resistance);
• uniformity and ease of installation (jute is usually sold in the form of strips unwound along the tier of the house/bath);
• economical (no need to apply two layers of material).

Usually applied in one layer, but to increase thermal insulation characteristics It is permissible to bend the tape in half (doubling the insulation). Jute has a light golden or grayish tint, so it looks perfect between tiers. However, the insulation should not be strictly gray - this indicates the presence of linen impurities added by the manufacturer for the sake of its own savings. The grayer and softer the jute in question, the more flax it contains and the worse it will restore its shape after getting wet. You should not buy gray insulation.

Insulation materials containing flax

The properties of insulation are reminiscent of jute, but at the same time they are cheaper. Linen felt, also called Eurolene, is a material produced by the needle-punched method. When pierced with a sharp object, the fibers of the plant become tangled, further strengthening the structure.

Linen batting is obtained in a slightly different way - needle-stitching, so it is not as dense as previously described. Both materials are not attractive to birds, insects and rodents, although they are made from natural materials. It is used extremely rarely as an inter-crown insulation for timber and is not recommended by experts.

Types of moss used during work

Insulation for timber containing moss is in demand among representatives of the “old school”. The most popular are cuckoo flax, sphagnum and red moss.

Material is laid in large quantities. All knots, cones and other debris are first removed, then it is generously moistened (it will be easier to compress). With use, the moss will not rot, since the plant appeared in an environment with high humidity. Since it is placed on the tier in large quantities, it is much easier to caulk in the future. The use of natural material will ensure good natural air ventilation.

Sphagnum, cuckoo flax and red moss have a number of disadvantages. For example, this is their fragility when completely dry and excessive shrinkage; Because of this, the insulation layer has to be renewed periodically. Another disadvantage is the difficulty in installation; either a beginner will have to tinker with moss for a long time, or pay money to more experienced builders.

The result of considering popular inter-crown insulation for timber will be the conclusion: jute and moss are the best materials for thermal insulation of a building. The first one is a little more expensive, but easier to install; the second is cheaper, but working with it is more painstaking. It is advisable to give preference to one of these insulation materials.

The cost of a heat insulator for crowns is about 1/50 of the price of the entire building. Incorrect choice insulation will increase the cost of heat conservation significantly. Save wisely, do not skimp on natural, high-quality material and do not pay attention to attractive synthetic analogues. Jute and moss are what will save you during the cold season.

Interventional insulation for timber – which one to choose?

Wooden beams are an excellent building material. It is lightweight, absorbs and releases moisture, and its thermal conductivity is several times lower than that of brick, concrete or stone. The only serious drawback of this material is the change in size during the drying process. Therefore, the dimensions of both the timber itself and the house made from it are constantly changing. In winter and autumn, the timber increases, absorbing atmospheric moisture, in spring and summer it decreases, because during the drying process the moisture evaporates. Because of this, gaps appear between the crowns, which increase heat loss in the house, and this negatively affects the microclimate of the rooms and increases heating costs. In this article we will talk about the various insulation materials that are used in the construction of houses made of timber, and also give recommendations on choosing the most suitable one for specific conditions.

Requirements for interventional insulation

In wooden houses, including those built from timber, it is necessary to use only organic insulation. This is due to their characteristics, the main ones of which are:

• the ability to absorb and release moisture without increasing thermal conductivity;
• resistance to high humidity;
• flexibility and elasticity;
• UV resistance;
• inapplicability for the construction of bird nests and burrows of various small animals.

One of the main requirements for insulation is the ability to retain its properties even after getting wet, because during rain, the insulation absorbs a certain amount of moisture. Therefore, mineral wool is not used as insulation, since it sharply loses its thermal insulation properties when wet or strongly compressed. No less important characteristic– ability to absorb and evaporate moisture. After all, a wooden wall absorbs moisture both from rain and from the room, so wooden houses with normal ventilation are never damp or too dry. If the insulation absorbs well, but does not release moisture well, then the timber will begin to rot, which is why the house will soon begin to collapse. Therefore, modern synthetic insulation cannot be used when building a house made of timber. They absorb water well, but do not evaporate it well, which is why the timber at the point of contact with the insulation will constantly become damp. In such conditions, the appearance of rot and fungi is only a matter of time.

Important characteristics of insulation are flexibility and elasticity. When a house is being built, the pressure on the insulation of the lower crowns is maximum. Then summer comes, the timber, under the influence of heat and sunlight, loses moisture and dries out, which is why gaps appear between the crowns. If the insulation is not elastic enough, it will remain crumpled and compressed, as a result of which the joint between the crowns will become a source of cold. Therefore, a house with unsuitable insulation often has to be caulked, because this is the only way to avoid drafts in winter. An important factor influencing the choice of material is its demand among birds and various rodents, which can use it to create or decorate nests and burrows. Therefore, for use as inter-crown insulation, it is necessary to use only those materials that will not be attacked by birds and rodents. Otherwise, they will pick out the insulation from the walls, which will lead to an increase in their thermal conductivity and the appearance of cold bridges in winter.

What kinds of inter-crown insulation are there - jute, flax

Most often, the following materials are used as inter-crown insulation:

• jute;
• flax wool;
• felt.

When starting to choose insulation, first of all calculate the required amount of material. To insulate profiled or laminated timber, the insulation consumption is 200–400 grams per square meter of total insulated area. For sawn and planed timber, the consumption is 300–500 grams per square meter. For timber natural humidity insulation consumption is 350–600 grams per square meter. After this, it is necessary to determine the thickness of the insulation. For dry profiled and laminated timber optimal thickness is 3 mm. For sawn and planed timber, the optimal insulation thickness is 4–5 mm. For timber with natural humidity, the thickness of the insulation should be from 6 to 10 mm. This is due to humidity and the shape of the timber. Having determined the quantity and thickness of insulation, find out the cost in stores various materials, then calculate the price of the entire volume and think about whether you can afford such expenses. At correct installation any of the materials described above will provide excellent insulation for a house made of timber, so there is not much difference between them.

How to choose interventional insulation for timber - tips and recommendations

No construction of wooden structures can be done without inter-crown insulation. This is a special heat-insulating gasket, the task of which is to insulate the seams and openings of wooden walls.

When erecting log houses, you need to make sure that there are minimal gaps between the logs. If they end up remaining, they need to be insulated to prevent cold from getting inside.

Otherwise, a wooden house will very soon become uninhabitable, since it breathes, and therefore there are constant changes in humidity inside. To ensure steam and thermal insulation of such a structure, it is necessary to use inter-crown insulation.

There are certain requirements for sealing material for wooden structures, namely:

• environmental friendliness. That is, the material must be safe for nature;
• elasticity and density. The purpose of the material is to tightly close the inter-crown cracks so that they do not appear after some time, that is, after the structure shrinks;
• durability. The ideal option is for the insulation material to last the entire period;
• low thermal conductivity. This indicator should be close to the thermal conductivity of the timber. Thanks to this, heat loss from the house will be minimal;
• antibacterial properties. The sealant must be resistant to the formation of microorganisms that cause disease or decay;
• resistance to external influence. First of all, this means resistance to atmospheric influences (precipitation, temperature changes). Secondly, the insulation should not attract birds that carry caulking to their nests and bugs that like to settle in wooden walls;
• the ability to absorb/give off moisture, similar to wood. This is necessary to maintain optimal humidity in the home.

The best inter-crown seals for wooden buildings are:

• jute felt tape;
• linen, jute tow or hemp;
• long-fiber moss.

Each of the listed materials is perfect for sealing seams. They all have similar characteristics, but each has its own characteristics, which can be both advantages and disadvantages.

Use of natural materials

Moss for insulating crowns

The fibers of the plant reach 30 cm in length. The thermal conductivity coefficient of the material is 0.04 W.

The undoubted advantages include the fact that it:

• does not attract insects, but birds carry it;
• not subject to rotting from moisture;
• perfectly absorbs liquid.
• natural antiseptic.

Its disadvantages are the following:

• This material does not have the elasticity that a seal needs;
• has extremely low fire retardant properties;
• It is quite difficult to achieve uniform styling with this material.

Important! Not just any moss can serve as insulation. You can only use “cuckoo flax”, white peat and red.

When laying moss, a fringe must remain outside. It then needs to be pushed into the cracks using a special tool. And after the log house shrinks (about a year), it is necessary to carry out an audit: cut off the excess, and insert where there is not enough.

Linen wool for insulation of crowns

Flax is the basis of two types of sealant:

The advantages of flax wool as inter-vents insulation are:

• good hygroscopicity;
• ease of installation. Since strip material is easier to install;
• environmental friendliness. No hazardous substances are present;
• excellent sound insulation properties;
• efficiency;
• resistance to fungus.

The disadvantages include:

• flax tow is produced in standard width;
• Additional caulking may be required;
• “eats” moths.

Important! When purchasing linen wool, you need to pay special attention to its structure: there should not be any inclusions of a different color in the material, and there should be no threads or fibers sticking out. If they are, then the insulation is of poor quality and fragile.nt goes here

Tow for insulating crowns

It is a natural insulation material that has been known for a long time. The thermal conductivity coefficient of tow is 0.047 W. This insulation is supplied in bales.

• absorbs moisture and dries quickly;
• it is possible to form bundles of the required size;
• low cost.

The disadvantages of tow are:

• re-caulking is required;
• difficulties in installation;
• flammability.

Important! Materials such as tow and moss are only suitable for sealing the inter-crown space of log houses. These insulation materials are not suitable for timber.

Jute for insulating timber crowns

• ease of installation, as the insulation simply rolls out;
• durability;
• no re-caulking required;
• environmental friendliness;
• different roll widths;
• hydroscopicity.

The disadvantage of this material is the cost, but at the same time it corresponds to the quality.

Synthetic inter-crown insulation

And if the synthetic insulation turns out to be of poor quality, then fungal spores and mold may soon appear.

Mineral wool

This material cannot play the role of insulation for a log house, and all because its threads practically do not absorb moisture. And the liquid that is absorbed does not evaporate. In addition, mineral wool allows heat to pass through.

On the one hand, this material has many positive qualities, for example:

• fire resistance;
• not subject to rotting;
• easy to use;
• squeezes well and so on.

But there are also huge disadvantages:

Polyurethane foam

This material is valued for the following qualities:

• good adhesion;
• quick installation;
• simplicity of the caulking process;
• no toxins.

But in the role of foam as an interventional insulation, disadvantages immediately appear:

• does not tolerate frost well - may crumble;
• cannot tolerate prolonged exposure to sunlight - turns to stone;
• not entirely environmentally friendly;
• not elastic.

However, polyurethane foam can be used as additional insulation, on top of natural sealants.

Materials not suitable for compaction

Do-it-yourself installation of interventional insulation

As a rule, installation of inter-crown insulation is carried out in the same way, regardless of the material chosen for these purposes. The main condition is that the work must be carried out in warm weather.

To begin with, the material is laid out around the perimeter of the log house, and a log is placed on top of it. To fix the insulation (so that it does not slip), you can use a stapler.

When laying insulation between the crowns, you need to make sure that it sticks out from the logs by a few centimeters.

After the frame is raised, the excess is caulked. After shrinkage of the log house occurs (in a year to a year and a half), it is necessary to re-caulk it.

If the log house is made of rounded logs, then the best insulation will become jute or flax, for a log house you can use any natural insulation. It is better not to use synthetic insulation for timber.

Inter-crown insulation for timber: subtleties of choice

In the depths of their souls, everyone dreams of a house made of logs. Even those who don't admit it. After all, people are children of nature, so the desire to periodically touch it subconscious level lives in everyone. And a wooden house allows this desire to be realized as much as possible. More precisely, combine modern comfort with naturalness and naturalness. The article will discuss the choice of inter-crown insulation for timber.

It can be said about wood that, as a building material, it makes the indoor climate almost ideal for living. In such a house it is warm and fresh at the same time; it is not afraid of strong winds and scorching heat. In short, an ideal balance of oxygen and moisture is formed inside the room, and the risk of allergic reactions is reduced to almost zero.

But the desire to become the owner of a wooden house, and to do so in the shortest possible time, often ends in disappointment. Since many construction teams that promise “fast and high-quality” log work end up delivering low-quality work, which, unfortunately, is sometimes simply not possible to correct. No matter how great the desire to get rid of the unnecessary hassle associated with construction, it is worth delving into certain subtleties, even if the builders have proven themselves well on other projects. And one of these subtleties is the choice of inter-crown insulation.

Why do you need interventional insulation?

• In order for all of the above advantages of wooden buildings to be relevant, it is not enough to select high-quality wood.
• It doesn’t matter whether it’s a log house or timber, but if, when building a house, you don’t lay a layer of insulation between them, the structure may not only lose certain qualities, but also simply become unsuitable for habitation.
• After all, a wooden house can be called an organism that moves and breathes. These metamorphoses occur due to the fact that the level of humidity in it is constantly subject to changes. It changes due to natural and human factors inside the house, plus the wood itself actively releases moisture.
• And it is the interventional insulation that provides ideal vapor barrier during such metamorphoses. It is laid not only between logs, but also around the perimeter of window and door openings, and is also used to insulate the roof.

It is after installing the insulation that the house becomes the owner of such qualities as:

• resistance to blowing (gaps are simply eliminated);
• low thermal conductivity (heat does not escape);
• excellent vapor and moisture permeability (properly releases and absorbs moisture).

As a result, the wooden structure pleases more than one generation of its owners.

Interventional insulation which one to choose

Already in the very phrase “wooden house” there is something very warm, traditional and reminiscent of antiquity.

• Accordingly, the inter-crown insulation used here is sometimes very extraordinary. For example, moss, flax (linen wool), felt (sheep's wool), jute, tow.

• Of course, unscrupulous builders also offer such types of insulation as polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, acrylic and silicone sealants, mineral wool, and rubber. That is, synthetic, artificially produced materials.
• Perhaps they are good in many situations, but it is not recommended to choose them for insulating a wooden house. Why - will be said later.
• But regarding those listed above natural options we can say that it is thanks to their properties that the wooden structure will begin to “breathe”.

Intercrown insulation moss

• As surprising as it may sound, moss to this day remains the most reliable, popular and affordable inter-crown insulation. Since ancient times, wooden houses have been built using this layer.
• Perhaps it was the fact that moss grew almost everywhere that contributed to such an active spread of wooden buildings. Such houses served faithfully for decades, and if dismantled, the logs were preserved in almost perfect condition, and therefore they could be used to build a house in a new place.

• The fact that moss is easily found in large quantities in forests and near swamps affects its ability to give and absorb moisture. And it fully possesses this quality, providing a wooden house with excellent and most natural ventilation.
• But not just any moss can be used as inter-crown insulation. Two types are suitable for it:
  1. peat (white) moss or, as it is also called, sphagnum;
  2. green (deciduous) moss, also known as cuckoo flax.
• Of course, like all building materials, moss also has certain disadvantages, namely: fairly low fire resistance, not very good ductility, as well as the fact that it is one of the favorite bird treats.
• Taking this into account, moss should not be laid dry (then it becomes brittle), but not wet either. Wet is the best option, and in the case of cuckoo flax, it must also be fresh. It should be laid very evenly, across the logs, leaving some hanging over the sides. Here, too, the “golden mean” must be observed, otherwise the birds will become regular guests.

Inter-crown insulation flax wool

• It is also called linen felt and Euro-linen. Perhaps now it is even more popular than moss, because... more convenient to install, and at the same time affordable and has all the qualities necessary for interventional insulation.
• It is made from flax fibers, previously completely purified, and is a kind of fabric.

• Linen is absolutely environmentally friendly, non-allergic, but, of course, it has certain disadvantages, or rather, there is only one. It comes in only a few sizes. This, of course, does not mean that such a popular insulation cannot be used for a house of a certain cubic capacity. But this often complicates installation.
• Depending on the width of the tape, you can buy inter-crown insulation flax wool at a price of 5-50 rubles. per linear meter.

Inter-crown insulation tape tow

• Possessing all the qualities necessary for good insulation and at the same time a relatively low price, tow has not become the most popular material.
• This is due to the fact that, despite all the tricks, she is building material not only for people, but also for birds. They eagerly use tow to make nests, so during the construction of a house they literally fly into it.

• In addition, tow is more susceptible to rotting than any other material.
• But, given its positive qualities, it is reasonable to use tow as insulation in window and door openings, on balconies and loggias. Of course, if we are talking about natural wood.
• It should be taken into account that tow as insulation is divided into 2 types: jute and linen. The first is the cheapest, dense and quite tough. The second one is a little more expensive, but it is also softer, which means that it shrinks to the desired level faster.
• The following conclusion can be drawn: tow ranks last in the range of inter-crown insulation materials. Its main advantage is its low cost.

Jute interventional insulation

• The best inter-crown insulation can be called a material such as jute. It is actively displacing the aforementioned flax and hemp (as hemp fibers are called) from the market, which are quite problematic to grow.
• Jute insulation is made from fibers of an exotic plant from the linden family - jute. Jute differs from flax and hemp in its high content of lignin, a unique resin that is a real natural antiseptic. Lignin protects not only the insulation itself from rotting, but also the wood adjacent to it.

• Jute also has a pleasant golden color that harmonizes perfectly with any shade of wood.
• In addition, jute is available on the construction market in a wide variety of sizes (supplied in rolls), which makes it possible to install it on any cubic size without any problems.
• But the main advantage of jute often develops into a disadvantage: if there is an excess of lignin, the fabric becomes quite rigid and rough, and therefore can stick together.

It can be found in three types:

The last option has already been mentioned, the other two have the following qualities.

• Jute felt. Contains at least 90% jute. Often such material becomes too rigid and therefore uneven when laid. Moreover, it can crumble. To avoid all this, conscientious manufacturers add flax to jute felt, which significantly softens all the shortcomings. The composition should contain approximately 10% flax. Those. 100% jute felt should not be used as roof insulation, even with all its visual appeal.
• Flax-jute. Here the ratio of flax and jute is radically different. Each manufacturer has something different, and as a result, the characteristics of such insulation are somewhat different.

The ideal combination is 50%X50%. This interventional insulation combines everything best qualities its constituent materials: the strength and rigidity of jute, the softness and plasticity of flax. Linen is inside the canvas, while jute seems to protect it from all sides. The result is great option: very durable and resistant. It is this kind of insulation that makes the most sense to use not only when building a house, but when constructing such “problematic” objects in terms of humidity as baths and saunas.

On average, the price of inter-crown insulation for jute beams is 140-250 rubles/20 m.

Sheep wool as inter-crown insulation

• If we ignore the disadvantage of this insulation option, such as the high price, then sheep’s wool can rightfully be placed in a leading position in terms of quality indicators.
• So far, only imported insulation is available on the market. And this is not surprising, because if moss as insulation is an original Slavic invention, then wool has long been used for these purposes in North America and Europe, where it was first noticed that its thermal insulation qualities are very similar to wood. Although, in comparison with it, it gives off moisture worse, while absorbing it well.

• This drawback was eliminated by the manufacturers thanks to a specially developed composition. We also successfully combated the risk of fungi and all kinds of insects in the wool.
• The result is an excellent interventional insulation that not only surpasses all others in terms of technical indicators, but also has a very useful property– it not only perfectly insulates the house, but also serves as an excellent sealant.

Correct installation of inter-crown insulation

• Despite the apparent complexity of the process, the installation of insulation occurs almost according to the same scheme, regardless of which material was chosen.
• First, a layer of insulation is placed on the log by rolling it along its entire length, and the next log is laid on top, which will fix it. For secure fastening, you can use a furniture stapler.

• In no case should the insulation be rolled into a thin rope; on the contrary, its edges should hang down to the sides by at least 5 cm after it is pinched by the logs. This excess will need to be pushed deeper using a chisel. In construction language this is called primary caulking.
• After a year, when the structure has given the necessary shrinkage, this process must be repeated.

Synthetic inter-crown insulation

The fact that a wooden house implies the use of natural inter-crown insulation was mentioned above. But many doubt: perhaps new technologies make it possible to use synthetic materials? After all, filling cracks with sealant, for example, is much easier and faster than fiddling with moss. And the cost of such work will be lower.

• Of course it is. But synthetic insulation does not give that “living house” effect that wooden buildings are so famous for. If it is insulated using materials that do not have pores (polyurethane and similar), the house will simply “suffocate” under the protective film.
• Porous synthetic insulation, so in demand in many types of construction work (the same mineral wool), can also be destructive for a wooden house. The fact is that, absorbing moisture, they do not change their size, as required by wood. As a result, cracks are guaranteed, which, in turn, leads to many other problems.

In short, when choosing inter-crown insulation, the choice should be made exclusively on natural materials.

Interventional insulation for timber: which one to choose?

Tips for choosing inter-crown insulation for timber When building a wooden house from timber, the latter must be intact, even, and free of cracks. For indoor living only in summer a mat is suitable…

I will tell you in a nutshell how to properly lay jute insulation, since if you do it incorrectly, then even the highest quality option does not guarantee good thermal insulation. The whole process is shown in the diagram, and below each point is described in more detail:

This is what the workflow looks like - the instructions are simple and clear

• First of all, you need to clean the surface of the crown, which will be insulated from debris and shavings. If there are protruding elements and other defects on the surface that may prevent the elements from fitting tightly, then they must be eliminated;
• Next, the insulation is rolled out; it must be taken with a reserve; the protruding pieces can later be removed without any problems. Try to place the ribbon exactly along the crown, without displacements, folds or omissions of some areas;

If you are building a structure from timber, then the width of the jute tape should be equal to the width of the groove

• To prevent the tape from slipping or getting lost later, it is necessary to fix it. To do this, the easiest way is to use a construction stapler, with its help you will quickly and securely fix the jute in the desired position;

The stapler allows you to securely and very quickly fasten the insulation

• Next, the next row of logs or beams is laid, after which the work is repeated and so on until the box is completely ready;
• If the structure requires caulking, then it must be done after completion of installation work.. This procedure is repeated after several years, as the structure will shrink; this is the only way to ensure the best quality of insulation.

Caulking allows for the best insulation of joints

Requirements for interventional insulation

In wooden houses, including those built from timber, it is necessary to use only organic insulation. This is due to their characteristics, the main ones of which are:

• the ability to absorb and release moisture without increasing thermal conductivity;
• resistance to high humidity;
• flexibility and elasticity;
• UV resistance;
• inapplicability for the construction of bird nests and burrows of various small animals.

One of the main requirements for insulation is the ability to retain its properties even after getting wet, because during rain, the insulation absorbs a certain amount of moisture. Therefore, mineral wool is not used as insulation, since it sharply loses its thermal insulation properties when wet or strongly compressed. An equally important characteristic is the ability to absorb and evaporate moisture. After all, a wooden wall absorbs moisture both from rain and from the room, so wooden houses with normal ventilation are never damp or too dry. If the insulation absorbs well, but does not release moisture well, then the timber will begin to rot, which is why the house will soon begin to collapse. Therefore, modern synthetic insulation cannot be used for... They absorb water well, but do not evaporate it well, which is why the timber at the point of contact with the insulation will constantly become damp. In such conditions, the appearance of rot and fungi is only a matter of time.

Important characteristics of insulation are flexibility and elasticity. When a house is being built, the pressure on the insulation of the lower crowns is maximum. Then summer comes, the timber, under the influence of heat and sunlight, loses moisture and dries out, which is why gaps appear between the crowns. If the insulation is not elastic enough, it will remain crumpled and compressed, as a result of which the joint between the crowns will become a source of cold. Therefore, a house with unsuitable insulation often has to be caulked, because this is the only way to avoid drafts in winter. An important factor influencing the choice of material is its demand among birds and various rodents, which can use it to create or decorate nests and burrows. Therefore, for use as inter-crown insulation, it is necessary to use only those materials that will not be attacked by birds and rodents. Otherwise, they will pick out the insulation from the walls, which will lead to an increase in their thermal conductivity and the appearance of cold bridges in winter.

Selection principles

What properties should inter-crown insulation have to insulate joints?

1. Must be resistant to water and moisture, which can fall on it as a result of precipitation. The material must protect the timber from mold and mildew and their consequences, rotting, as well as insects. Some of the best and at the same time popular materials in this direction are flax and jute. Due to the natural resin lingina included in their composition, jute and flax do their job perfectly.
2. Fire hazard. Although a wooden structure is a priori more susceptible to the fire element, choosing the appropriate material for it can complicate the situation. But here everything is as usual, natural ones burn better, synthetic ones burn poorly or don’t burn at all. Most at risk. To increase their fire resistance, the tapes are impregnated with fire retardants. However, this is not a panacea, but only a slight improvement in their fire-resistant properties.
3. Life time. The heat insulator is installed during the construction stage, which means it will be difficult to replace it during operation. Therefore, it is best to choose a material that, in an ideal situation, will be comparable in service life to that of the wooden house itself.
4. Should not be of interest to birds. One of the problems for owners of wooden buildings is the attack of birds on the insulation between the beams. They use the material to build their homes. Most of all they like flax and moss. When using these materials, you need to regularly check the condition of the seams and seal the resulting gaps.
5. Quite dense, with moderate thickness. In most cases, insulation with a thickness of 8 to 10 millimeters is sufficient, provided that its density is 700 grams per square centimeter. The following indicators of the ratio of thickness and density can be considered acceptable:
   1. 5 mm - 400 grams per square centimeter;
   2. 6-10 mm - 600 grams per square centimeter;
   3. 10-15 mm - 800 grams per square centimeter.
6. Shape of the material. At the construction stage, tape insulation is used. It is convenient to roll it out directly onto the deck and secure it with a construction stapler. Materials in the form of tow are used for caulking (laying cracks) between the crowns.
7. Good thermal resistance. In fact, this is one of the most important indicators. In our case, natural materials cope better with the task of preserving heat.
8. No harm to health. Most thermal insulators used today comply with this rule. However, there are (usually cheap) materials that contain and emit substances harmful to humans. For example, when Izover is damaged, allergic dust is released.
9. Elasticity and compensation properties. Wood has the ability to shrink and expand. The inter-crown insulation must be able to compensate for changes in the distance between the crowns. To do this, it must be both dense and elastic.
10. Material width. This indicator is directly related to the climatic conditions of the region in which it will be used. If the average temperature does not exceed -20 degrees, a tape 10 mm wide is enough, at -30 you need 12, and if it’s -40 outside, all 14 centimeters. For beauty, it is important that the tape is not visible from under the log, so it is good to purchase a product that is 5 mm narrower than the groove of the log. If this material is to be used for caulking, you need to purchase 10-15 percent more of the area of ​​the groove in which it will be laid.

Having dealt with the main principles, we can pay a little attention to three specific samples made from natural and synthetic materials and determine which inter-crown insulation is better.

What kind of interventional material is produced on jute fiber?

Jute insulation is currently produced in three different types. It’s just that each company can call them differently and add different components to the composition.

1. Jute tow in the form of a ribbon.
2. Jute felt.
3. Combined jute with various impurities.

Jute tow is made from 100% jute fiber. It is soaked, scratched and passed through special machines released in the form of a tape. The material has a lower density, but there are no foreign impurities in it. Moreover, processing jute fiber in this way does not tear the fibers, as in the production of felt. It is convenient for them to caulk houses or bathhouses made of timber, since the softness of tow is almost like flax. The main characteristics of jute tow in tape: width 15 and 25 cm, length 80-150 m, density 80 g/m or 550 g/m. (ThermoJute).

Jute felt resembles regular wool felt, but is stiffer and denser. Reviews about it are mostly positive. It is made by felting wet small jute fibers. It has a high density and is quite rigid. It is good for use between crowns. Caulking is difficult for them to do. Various manufacturers are cunning and use only 90% jute in the production of jute felt, the rest are various additives (linen, flax rags processed into small fibers, etc.) The disadvantage of felt is that it sheds, since it is quite hard. This leads to brittleness of the insulation but softens its texture.

A mixed version, when flax or other ingredients are added to jute. This type was specially developed for several reasons:

1. Reduce production costs.
2. Help a buyer who cannot decide which is better: flax or jute.

The mixed insulation has a pleasant texture and at the same time is quite strong, since soft flax fills the spaces between the hard jute fibers (LenoJute).

A separate group includes jute insulation combined with synthetic fibers. It holds its shape well, but at the same time loses its environmental friendliness. And the worst thing is that sellers often pass off such material as natural jute, hence the bad customer reviews.

Features of virgin jute

- the smell of hay, grass. The aroma of wood (lignin), which is always present in the virgin fiber. And lignin itself is the aromatic component of wood. Lignin is one of the main components responsible for the vanilla aroma of old books. Lignin, like wood cellulose, decomposes over time due to oxidation and produces a pleasant aroma.

— The canvas is permeated with the finest hairs. The structure and weave are visible. The length of the fibers in the fabric is from 10 mm and above, as jute tape is used in production, the continuous length of the fibers reaches 2.5 m. During production, fiber is chopped into particles no less than 10 mm long

-the color of the fabric is not uniform, as the fiber can come in both dark brown and golden brown, even albino jute exists. The color of the input raw materials depends on the degree of irrigation, weather conditions of the year. The less water there was, the darker the color of the jute.

-small sticks and particles of stems are absent in the jute, as it is pre-combed. There is also no fire. The length of the fiber reaches 2.5 meters.

- the density of the fabric is constant, the error is permissible 10%.

-If you wrinkle the primary jute fabric, you will hear a characteristic crunch.

- the edges are smooth.

- the canvas resembles FELT FELT boots

Special offer for dealers and wholesalers.

Available from warehouse in St. Petersburg natural inter-crown insulation made from 100% virgin jute fiber, BTD brand. Width 120cm. 20m per roll

Thickness 6mm-300-350g/m2-36.0 rub/m2 with VAT. The container includes 24000m2. 1m3 takes 15,476 rolls 120cm wide

Thickness 8mm-450-500g/m2-47.0 rub/m2 with VAT. The container includes 21000m2 .1m3 occupies 12,566 rolls with a width of 120cm

Features of laying laminated laminated timber with jute insulation

The profile itself with a longitudinal groove is most likely a “Finnish type of profile”; it has a longitudinal groove not so that the inter-crown connection can be insulated with a tape seal, but in order to achieve a more uniform and denser joint between the outer side tenons/grooves , located on mating bars.

Wood is not metal, and even laminated laminated timber, which at first glance has very smooth milled surfaces, is not guaranteed against any changes in the structure of the wood during further use. For example, let’s take two beams with a “German profile type” (comb). The conjugation of this type of profile occurs over the entire area of ​​the comb. Suppose that when laying one on top of the other, two knots meet at one point. Due to the fact that the direction of the fibers in the knots does not coincide with the direction of the fibers in the timber, when the humidity changes, especially when the timber dries out, the knots can protrude from the planes of the two mating beams, and in this place a gap may appear between the crowns. The “Finnish type” profile reduces this likelihood, because in the area of ​​the longitudinal groove, the mating beams do not touch each other. In addition, with a decrease in the area of ​​mating surfaces with the same mass of timber, the force of pressing the tenon against the groove (kg/cm2) increases.

And in this case, the tape seal plays the role of filling the void to prevent free convection of air inside this groove - nothing more. And the lower the density of the seal, the less it will conduct heat, therefore, using a seal with a thickness greater than the thickness (height) of the groove not only makes no sense, but is even harmful. If you additionally seal the seams, the quality of the seams will improve.

Criteria for choosing jute insulation

• For laminated veneer lumber, in order not to disturb its strict geometry, you should take a thin tape (3-4 mm) with a density of up to 400 g/m2.
• Flax-jute is optimal for profiled timber.
• For rounded logs, which create a lot of pressure on the inter-crown material, a heat insulator with a thickness of about 6 millimeters and a high density of about 550 grams per square meter is suitable.
• If you plan to insulate a building made of low-quality wood with uneven surfaces, then buy jute tape based on installation in two layers.
• If you will cover wooden walls in the future decorative layer paints or plaster, then you can choose inexpensive jute tow.
• The color of high-quality jute should be golden, and the smell should be pleasant and natural, without chemical impurities.
• The material should not contain threads of a different shade or quality. Otherwise, this is evidence that the insulation was made from recycled materials and will not last long.
• High-quality jute has fibers that are easily separated from each other because they are not treated with any chemicals.
• It is recommended to choose jute tape with a fiber length of less than three centimeters so that they do not attract birds.

The main types of interventional insulation

• Jute insulators. Produced from fibers of the exotic plant of the same name using needle-punched technology. It differs from other natural materials in the presence of a large amount of lignin - a natural resin that protects wood from rotting. It has a beautiful golden color. The insulator is available in several types, but only two options are suitable as inter-crown insulation - flax jute and jute tow. In the first case, the material is made from jute and flax in various proportions. Each manufacturer uses its own proportions, so the properties of inter-crown insulation made of jute are always different. It must be remembered that a tape with a large percentage of jute is rigid, so it is difficult to create a uniform layer of coating on the log. The optimal combination is the same amount of jute and flax. In this case, it acquires the best qualities of both products - the strength and rigidity of jute, the softness and plasticity of flax. Linen is inside the canvas, jute seems to protect it from all sides. It turns out ideal remedy for eliminating cracks, strong and durable.
• Inter-crown insulation tow made of jute. Used for caulking finished walls. To soften it, add a little flax tow. TO negative qualities refers to poor resistance to rotting.
• Linen interventional insulation. It is made using the same technology as jute. It goes on sale in rolls or loose form, in bags. It has characteristics similar to jute. Disadvantages include high cost and flammability.
• Inter-crown insulation made of sheep wool. The quality indicators of the material are very high, it surpasses all known heat insulators. It can be called an ideal option for eliminating gaps. On Russian market Wool insulators are rarely seen, they are widely used in countries North America and Europe. They absorb moisture well, so at the manufacturing stage they are impregnated with special agents.
• Intercrown insulation made of moss. This is an ancient material for filling gaps between logs, which is still popular among builders. For insulation, two types of plants are used - white moss or cuckoo flax. They are distinguished by their ability to quickly absorb and release moisture. If all requirements are met, the laying technologies keep the decks in perfect condition for a long time.
• Polytherm. Synthetic inter-crown insulation, specially designed for installation between beams. It embodies all the best qualities of artificial materials. It has high restoreability, long service life, and resistance to any weather conditions. But this seemingly ideal technology has disadvantages - high cost and low vapor permeability.
• Mineral wool. The insulator threads have practically zero moisture absorption; the liquid is retained by the tension of the threads and does not disappear anywhere. The insulator allows heat to pass through and cannot prevent dew from forming on the wall.
• Izover. If the canvas is strongly compressed by logs, heat transfer is worse than that of other material, but in a free state it copes with its functional responsibilities normally. Does not burn and does not deteriorate for a long time. If the joints are not closed after installation protective coating, turns into a sponge that absorbs moisture well.
• Polyurethane foam. Popular due to ease of application. It has good adhesion, with the help of which the logs are firmly glued. However, in winter it crumbles, and in summer it is destroyed under the influence of ultraviolet rays. The seal has proven itself well in combination with other options for sealing gaps between beams.

Main types of jute insulation

• Jute tow. The material is 100 percent combed jute, without any impurities. During the production of this insulation, the fibers are combed but not torn. Thanks to this technology, the heat insulator retains its best properties. Tow is used both for sealing joints and for caulking. It is ideal for insulating baths and saunas, as it is more resistant to moisture than other types. The disadvantage of the material is its low rigidity and density, so jute tow is not suitable for insulating residential buildings in harsh winters.
• Jute felt. This material consists of approximately 90% jute and 10% linen. The latter is used as a binder, since torn jute fabric is quite brittle. The result is dense and hard felt, which can be used to qualitatively fill the inter-crown space. This is a more durable material than tow and retains heat better.
• Flax-jute. The composition of this insulation is mixed in half of jute and flax. In this case, jute acts as a rigid frame, and flax acts as a soft filler. Flax-jute is practically not subject to rotting and is very durable.

- musty odor, putrid odor, foreign synthetic and chemical odors. The smell of tobacco, tea, coffee, chocolate, nutty. The smell of old bags. The smell of paint.

- when broken, the fabric crumbles

-the material is not cut evenly, at the beginning the roller starts with a width of 12cm, in the middle 15cm, at the end 20cm.

- the length of the fibers is less than 10 mm, the raw materials are chopped into a small fraction, as used bags are used.

-if you mash it, you will not hear the characteristic crunch.

- the color of the canvas is always red, because homogeneous raw materials are always used - used jute bags, and they are always the same shade.

- there are small and large inclusions in the form of fires and sticks. This means that flax has been added to the recycled jute raw material.

- on sale, the density of the fabric varies with a large error, namely, 5mm non-woven can be determined by weighing as 300g/m2 and 200g/m2. With a thickness of 10 mm you will find densities of 300 g/m2 and 350 g/m2 and 500 g/m2, and this will all be in the same batch. Those errors can be up to 100% of the declared density.

- the edges of the web tape are uneven, sometimes loosened.

1. Some argue that jute insulation protects the inter-crown space better than moss or tow. However, it actually depends on the quality of the raw materials. Often, in the domestic market, recyclable materials are used. It’s not just crushed flax that is added to jute, but also sacks, ropes and other processed materials that have been worn into dust. Ribbons made from such raw materials may cost less, but when choosing between jute of this quality and natural flax, it is better to choose the latter.
2. Jute is not susceptible to bird attack. Yes, if its fibers are short - 30-50 mm. And the same can be said about flax and tow. But, if the fibers are longer and can be suitable for birds to build them, be sure that they will be pulled apart.
3. Can jute be called the most environmentally friendly insulation? The same can be said for flax and hemp. But, provided that all three are made from 100% primary and natural raw materials. Unfortunately, during the production process, jute material is often subjected to not only mechanical, but also chemical influences.

Mineral and synthetic

IN modern construction For insulation of walls, ceilings, floors, roofs, many materials are used in the form of mats, blocks, rolls, aerosols, etc. They have excellent thermal protection and moisture resistance, but are completely unsuitable for use in wooden housing construction.

The main reason is a complete non-compliance with the requirements for vapor permeability. Insulation materials based on glass wool and basalt mineral raw materials are compressed under the weight of the crowns. The air is squeezed out from the space between the fibers and an impenetrable barrier is formed for water vapor contained in the air and in the wood itself. In addition to the deterioration of the microclimate of the home, excess moisture condenses at the border of wood and insulation and gradually destroys the wall mass. In winter, places where moisture accumulates freeze and the process of structural destruction accelerates.

There is no ventilation in porous polymer materials. Expanded polystyrene, foamed polyethylene, rigid mounting foams, sealants and their combinations cannot be used as inter-crown insulation. In addition to wasted money, you can end up with a home that is uninhabitable and loses its strength.

Combined insulation materials

Interventional insulation combined type are made from a mixture of jute and flax or jute and felt. The fiber ratio can be 50/50, 70/30 or 80/20, with materials containing a large amount of jute being considered the highest quality. Insulation materials with the addition of large amounts of flax are prone to rotting and have low (compared to jute) heat-saving characteristics.

Lnovatin

Lnovatin

Linen wadding is a non-woven material produced in a factory using needle-punched machines. The flax fiber is combed well, folded into several layers and the fibers are mixed together with special needles. In addition, there is a quilted version of this material, which is stitched with cotton or polyester threads. Linen wadding is less dense, that is, it has fairly low thermal insulation properties. Stitching the material with threads also does not add quality characteristics to it, since cotton rots quickly. If you plan to use flax wool for insulation of wooden log houses, you should choose a material with a density of at least 500 g/m2.

Intercrown linen insulation

Felt made of jute and linen

Insulation made from a combination of jute and flax is a more reliable material, since due to the presence of jute fibers it is hygroscopic and resistant to negative factors. It can consist exclusively of flax (the so-called Euroflax), and also contain a certain percentage of jute.

The fiber ratio can be 50/50 or 90/10: materials with a high jute content have excellent performance characteristics, but at the same time they are quite stiff and crumbly. Flax additives bind fibers well and give them elasticity. The quality of felt is largely determined by its appearance: the material must be homogeneous, dense, without lint or broken threads.

How to choose natural and combined insulation materials?

To reduce the cost of the material, some manufacturers fluff the fibers, which significantly reduces its density. In order not to pay money for air, when purchasing inter-crown insulation, you need to take into account its main characteristics (length, width, weight), based on which the required density is calculated. It is directly proportional to the weight of the material (measured in grams) and inversely proportional to the width and length (meters). The obtained value is compared with that indicated on the packaging: with a thickness of 5 mm it should be about 400 g/m2, with a thickness of 8-10 mm - 600 g/m2, 15 mm - 800 g/m2. You should not save on purchasing insulation with good characteristics, since it is the most weak point wooden frame.

Lnovatin

Depending on the manufacturing technology, it may be called differently. Refers to quilted fabric (made using the needle-stitching method).

• Good hygroscopicity;
• Easy to install;
• Prevents fungal activity;
• Good sound insulator;
• Environmental friendliness;
• Economical;
• Almost no re-caulking is required.

• The moth "chicks".

Carefully! When purchasing this product, pay attention to the structure. If you notice very short fibers, trimmings of thread, twine and inclusions of other colors, you know that the material contains recycled products

For example, recycled bags, rags, etc. This is not entirely good. Such insulation will be fragile. And besides, it is unknown under what conditions the processed products were used.

Types of material

Now let’s look at the form in which jute insulation is produced; there are four main options that can be found on sale at the moment. Each of them has its own characteristics and requires detailed consideration.

Jute tow

A traditional solution that has been used for a very long time and has a number of undeniable advantages:

• Most often, the material consists of 100% natural raw materials, which makes it environmentally friendly and safe. The labeling always indicates that the products are completely natural and have no chemical additives;
• The price of the product is quite affordable, since the tape has a density of 350 g. per meter 150 mm wide and 20 m long will cost about 145 rubles. If you need a density of 550 g, then the cost will increase to 190 rubles;

Jute tow - a traditional solution for insulation

• When producing tow, jute fiber is simply combed and not torn, as in the production of felt. Thanks to this, the material spreads much less and has greater tensile strength;
• The insulation can be used both for inter-crown insulation and for subsequent caulking of seams; for this, pieces of the required size are simply torn off from the tape.

For caulking, it is more advisable to purchase tow not in strips, but in bales, so it will cost less - about 100 rubles per kilogram.

Tow in bales is noticeably cheaper

Jute felt

A more modern solution that has its own characteristics:

• Externally, the tape looks much more attractive than tow. It is smoother and has a uniform thickness. This option is easier for developers to use - these are my observations;

The smooth edges of the felt make it easy to lay and attach

• In order to bind the fibers together, about 10-15% flax is added to the material; pure jute is too stiff and cannot provide uniform thickness and proper surface density. Without flax, the fibers will fray very much, so choose felt that respects the above ratio of materials;
• The cost of this material is about 200 rubles per roll 150 mm wide and 20 meters long with a thickness of 5 mm. The surface density must be at least 500 grams to ensure high-quality thermal insulation of the seams.

Flax-jute

An interesting insulation material that is used quite often, as it incorporates the main features of these two materials. Let's look at the main features of this product group:

• Most often, the ratio of components in the material is 50 to 50 percent, it can deviate in any direction, but no more than 10%. According to my observations, the best qualities are precisely those options in which the volume of one of the components does not exceed 60%;

Len-jute insulation can be easily distinguished from ordinary flax by its golden color

• Combining the rigidity of jute fibers with their high lignin content and the softness and strength of flax fibers produces a reliable material that is much less susceptible to creasing;
• The cost of this option is noticeably higher than that of the two types of products described above. For a roll 150 mm wide, 6-7 mm thick and 50 m long you will have to pay about 750 rubles.
  On my own behalf, I would like to note that for those who do not have experience in constructing log houses, it is better to use this particular material, since it is more unpretentious in installation and small flaws will not deteriorate the quality of thermal insulation.

Long flax fibers serve as filler, and jute is a kind of insulation frame

ThermoJUTE

This material was developed by the Flax-Jute Company and is an improved solution to the conventional material, which has a number of features:

• The insulation is made from virgin jute fiber of the highest quality. For reliability, 15% bicomponent fibers are added to it, which determine the unique properties of the material;

The material is produced in modern convenient packaging

• Thermal bonding technology is used in production: at a certain temperature, bicomponent fibers melt and very securely bond the jute together. This results in a very elastic material that holds its shape well and does not cake for a long period of time;

Thermally bonded jute perfectly seals inter-crown joints

• The cost of this option is quite affordable - a roll 100 meters long and 8-10 mm thick (compresses to 3 mm under load) and 150 mm wide will cost you about 1050-1150 rubles.

How much does insulation material cost?

The price for the interventional type is little different in all cities. It depends on several factors:

1. Manufacturer (Imported insulation is more expensive than domestic, but if you take our high-quality one from a well-known manufacturer, it will be no worse).
2. Composition (jute is more expensive than linen, mixed with a large percentage of jute is more expensive, the most expensive wool is made from sheep's wool).
3. Well-known brands are more expensive than unpromoted ones.
4. Purchase volume (a large batch of insulation has a price lower by 10-20%).
5. Buy online or in a large hardware store (Buying online is cheaper, since the entrepreneur will not have to overpay for renting space, sellers, etc.)
6. The size and density of the tape (the wider, the higher the price).

Let's consider the price of various types of material:

View	price, rub.
Retail	Wholesale for the amount of 50,000 rubles.
For 1 piece	For 1 kg	For 1 piece	For 1 kg
Jute tape up to 15 cm wide, length from 40 m (4 kg in tape)	450	100	380	80
Jute tape up to 15 cm wide, 50 m long (5 kg in tape)	580	100	500	80
Jute tape up to 15 cm wide, length from 150 m (14 kg in tape)	1650	100	1300	80
Linen ribbon up to 15 cm wide, 40 m long	250	60	200	40
Linen ribbon up to 15 cm wide, 50 m long	330	60	270	40
Combined insulation 50% jute and 50% linen, width up to 15 cm and length from 40 m	350	80	280	60
Combined insulation 30% jute and 70% linen, width up to 15 cm, length up to 40 m	280	90	320	100

You can buy inter-crown insulation for timber at any nearby hardware store. You should not purchase materials at small construction markets. There are a lot of fakes out there. So you can buy full synthetics or semi-synthetics under the guise of jute. It will not justify its quality characteristics, and the price will be unjustifiably high.

The main thing when choosing is to take one that wrinkles minimally and will last as long as possible. And if you follow all the rules of installation, the walls of a house made of timber will be warm and will reliably protect your family in winter.

Advantages and disadvantages of inter-crown insulation

The best interventional insulation materials have the following properties:

1. The materials are elastic and fill all the gaps that appear between the decks during operation.
2. The products are produced in the form of strips with the same thickness along the entire length.
3. If the strip is laid with high quality, caulking is not required at the wall assembly stage.
4. The insulation looks good in a wooden frame.
5. A healthy microclimate is maintained in the house.
6. The product does not rot, insects do not live in it.
7. The samples are fixed with logs and do not erode.
8. Many insulators contain a large percentage of lignin, which protects walls from rotting.
9. The material is produced in strips of various sizes, which allows you to select the optimal samples for each joint.
10. Inter-crown insulation provides acceptable vapor barrier during humidity fluctuations.
11. The insulator retains its positive qualities at any time of the year.

Old timers

There are materials that were used for our purpose in ancient times, since a wooden structure in Rus' is not at all a novelty. Let's see which interventional insulation is better.

Moss

There are several hundred varieties of moss, but only two of them are used in construction. These are sphagnum moss and cuckoo flax. The first one is white, and the second one is red.

Sphagnum moss has very high insulating properties. Compared to its brother, it has more light color. It contains antiseptic substances. It owes its use not only in construction, but also in medicine to the latter.

Sphagnum moss

Flax can be harvested by hand, but since this is a northern plant, it is not available in all regions. There are organizations that sell moss briquettes for construction.

After collection, the moss needs to dry. However, the rash process does not last long - 1-2 weeks. Buying sphagnum in construction company, you receive a ready-to-use product. However, completely dry moss is never used for insulation. After laying on the beam and pressing down with the upper crown, the moss should release juice containing all the same notorious antiseptic substances, which in the future will protect the lower frame from rotting and insects.

The moss is placed on the crowns in large piles, which are pressed down by the next log. If you put a small amount, cracks and even through holes may form after drying. It is necessary to make an overlap on the walls. In this case, you can caulk the timber after it dries.

• Buildings insulated with moss have a special aroma. People suffering from asthma feel relief in such buildings.
• Moss is hygroscopic - it absorbs moisture and leaves the log dry. Natural, vapor-permeable material does not harm, but rather creates a microclimate in the house.
• The disadvantage of moss is the difficulty of laying when installing the timber, as well as the interest from birds. These creatures also prefer to use natural rather than synthetic materials for their nests.

Lnovatin

The material in the form of a ribbon is made from natural linen. After this, it undergoes processing on a needle machine, which increases natural properties of this material.

Industrial flax, which serves as the basis for the production of this material, is grown on special “dry” soils. Flax contains 4 main components:

• Cellulose;
• Water;
• Wax;
• Lingin.

The latter, in turn, connects ordinary, fragile substances into one whole, wear-resistant structure. Linen wool is one of the most durable natural insulation materials.

Disadvantages of jute insulation

1. Relative fragility. Since jute is a completely natural material, its service life is short. And if wood can be coated with protective compounds, then the insulation will have to be changed from time to time.
2. Reduced thermal insulation properties when wet. Although jute is difficult to wet, if it absorbs moisture, its thermal conductivity increases sharply. It takes a very long time to dry. For the same reason, it cannot be installed in wet weather.
3. The need for caulking. To prevent cold air from blowing through and entering the room, the building must be additionally caulked.

New generation insulation materials

Modern insulation materials are reliable and high-quality materials that have all the positive properties of natural fibers, but with the disadvantages characteristic of flax, jute, wool, etc. they don't have. The only drawback of such materials is the fairly high cost, as well as the fact that they have not yet stood the test of time.

ThermoJUTE and thermoLEN

ThermoJUTE

Materials called thermoJUTE and thermoLEN are made from jute or flax fibers with the addition of fusible biocomponents. Under the influence of heat, they melt and firmly bind natural fibers together. Thanks to this, they keep their shape and compress well, and also retain heat well, do not accumulate moisture and do not allow the proliferation of harmful microorganisms. Laying thermo-JUTE and thermo-FLAX does not require additional insulation (caulking) of the walls after complete shrinkage of the building.

ThermoLEN. Density 20 kg/m3

Holofiber

Holofiber is a modern polyester material, which is a springy fiber. It “adapts” well to wood, which, like any natural building material, constantly changes shape and volume. This is especially true when building houses from non-profiled timber without grooves - in this case the logs do not fit tightly together, so even after several procedures for insulation and caulking, cracks may appear in them. Holofiber ensures a tight fit of the logs, eliminating the need for repeated caulking. In addition, such insulation does not retain moisture and is not susceptible to negative factors.

Holofiber

Holofiber nonwoven material

Materials unsuitable for insulation

Option #1 - mineral wool

Ordinary mineral wool also cannot serve as a heat insulator for timber in any way - its threads have moisture absorption close to zero. All the moisture in this material is retained by the tension of the fibers and does not disappear anywhere. In addition, this material allows heat to pass through and even creates a dew point when lighting a bath. And yet, unscrupulous builders sometimes manage to use it.

Option #2 - isover

As for Izover, which has recently become incredibly popular, in those places between the rims where there is no gap, it is compressed almost 100%, and here its heat transfer is somewhat less than that of other material under the same conditions. But in the gaps, Izover is a little fluffy and copes quite well with its functions as a heat insulator. On the other hand, Izover’s ability to absorb and remove moisture is almost the same as that of many other inter-crown insulation materials, but this material does not burn, does not rot, does not need to be caulked, and over time it does not crumble like dust. Unpleasant dust can be eliminated with a sealed finish.

So, let's summarize. This is what Izover is preferred by many as an interventional insulation:

• Doesn't burn, doesn't rot;
• Convenient to use;
• It compresses well and leaves no gaps;
• Birds don't like it;
• Does not require additional caulking.

But this fashionable material also has a significant drawback: it is not very environmentally friendly, and when slightly torn, it emits caustic and allergic dust. It also quickly accumulates moisture... And many lazy builders convince future owners of bathhouses to use this inter-crown insulation - after all, it’s much easier for them to work: it cuts easily, just rolling out over the log, construction goes quickly and costs are less. That is why, despite advertising from neighbors, not many people want to install Izover in the walls of bathhouses - especially those who saw it in use: even with dry timber, the insulation turned out to be 2/3 wet.

Also, similar synthetic materials often serve as a dangerous source of phenol. So, let’s conclude: mineral wool in a compressed state does not remove moisture at all, and Izover, if not covered with a vapor barrier, completely turns into a sponge. The decision is yours.

Option #3 - polyurethane foam

Polyurethane foam is also used as inter-crown insulation. It is valued for the following properties:

• Fast technological installation.
• Good adhesion, thanks to which the timber sticks tightly together. When drying, it will not twist, and the steam room will not warp.
• Foam seals corners in a log house much better than moss or tow.
• Hardened one-component foam is not flammable and does not emit toxins, which, however, multi-component foam cannot boast of.
• The process of caulking after foaming is quite simple.

But with all its advantages, foam as an interventional insulation does not please with the following qualities:

• It is not elastic, which is why microcracks may appear over time (and wood, like any living material, can slightly change its volume).
• In winter it does not tolerate the cold well - it crumbles.
• Less resistant to ultraviolet radiation. Over time, it turns to stone and discolors from the sun.
• Not environmentally friendly enough.

And, let us note that polyurethane foam is used relatively little today as inter-crown insulation, and therefore many other negative consequences of such insulation are not yet known. But the foam itself is also used as inter-crown insulation in the following alternative:

• Option #1. The beams are laid half a meter apart, and after construction is completed they are foamed. This way it supposedly dries faster, and then the remaining wide gap can be foamed. Fast, airtight and no caulking required. From the inside of the bathhouse, the cracks are caulked with linen rope.
• Option #2. Before using the foam, allow the bathhouse to sit completely on the tow. After all, the settlement of the building occurs due to the shrinkage of the timber itself - and this is at least a year and a half. After that, a 5-centimeter gap is punched in the tow and the groove is foamed, and finally, the seams are protected with sealant.

As for the choice of foam brand, “Macroflex Pro” is so far most suitable for this purpose. In a word, there is a lot of material, and, as they say, as many people as there are so many opinions. There are also bathhouse owners who built their steam rooms ten years ago and are quite satisfied with Izover as a sealant. They claim that after rains the timber will be wet in place of the insulation, regardless of the type of insulation: it is moss or a modern material. And the main advantages become the decisive factor: it is cheap and easy to build.

It’s just important not to take the cheapest Izover (also called Chinese) - you can really get poisoned from it.

The most used insulation materials

We will not consider individual manufacturers; we will give a comparative table of the most common inter-crown insulation materials.

Name	Brief characteristics	approximate cost
Linen batting (linen batting)	Density 350–400 g/m2, width 100 mm, 150 mm and 200 mm, thickness 20 mm. Material for universal use.	Depending on the width, 90, 120 and 155 rubles.
Juvatin	Density 300–350 g/m2 or 500–550 g/m2, width 100–200 mm, thickness 20 mm. High-density material is used to insulate buildings in the northern regions of our country.	110–360 rub.
Linen tow ribbon	Flax fiber combed in special equipment is polarized in the longitudinal direction. The material is pre-cleaned from plant residues, which improves its performance. Sold in rolls of various lengths.	85 rub. per package weighing 5 kg.
Jute ribbon	The raw material is pre-combed on a carding unit, and impurities are simultaneously removed. The tape inhibits the development of microflora, does not rot, and has high heat conservation rates.	160 rub. per package weighing 5 kilograms.
Flax tow in bales	Traditional material makes it possible to independently regulate the thickness of the inter-crown insulation depending on the existing cracks and the technology of assembling the log house. Installation requires some skill.	72 rub. per bale weighing 10 kg.
Jute tow in bales	The jute fiber is specially fluffed and combed. In addition to heat-protective properties, it has pronounced antiseptic properties and is a material of universal use.	160 rub. per bale weighing 10 kg.
Tow resin tape	Flax fiber is impregnated with special antiseptics, thereby increasing resistance to moisture. Recommended for use in rooms with high relative humidity. Disadvantage - shrinkage reaches 6%, which requires repeated caulking.	90 rub./kg
Resin bale tow	Combed and pre-cleaned fiber is impregnated with petroleum products. The mass fraction of impregnation can reach 40%, which completely eliminates the possibility of putrefactive processes. Disadvantage - high natural shrinkage requires additional work during insulation of the log house.	95 RUR/kg
Frayed flax for sanitary ware	Obtained after special processing of natural flax, it is used both for insulation of buildings and during plumbing work. Due to the high cost, it is rarely used as insulation for log crowns.	190 rub./kg

Cost of thermal insulation

It depends on the length, width, thickness and density of the roll. Flax-jute is cheaper than insulation made from natural material due to its mixing with flax. If prices are suspiciously low, then most likely most of it consists of waste and unnatural components.

Price table for insulation made of jute and flax-jute:

Name	Thickness, mm	Density, g/m2	Width, mm	Price per 1 m (linear), rubles	Number of m per roll	Price for 1 roll, rubles
Jute	5	340-360	100	7	20	140
120	8	160
150	10	200
200	13	260
8	520-550	100	9	180
120	11	220
150	14	280
200	18	360
10	600-620	100	11	220
120	14	280
150	17	340
200	22	440
15	720-750	100	14	10	140
150	21	210
200	28	280
Flax-jute (50/50)	6-7	500	80	8	50	400
100	10	500
120	12	600
140	13	650
170	17	25	425
200	20	500

Pros and consPositive properties of jute insulation material:

1. does not absorb dust;

2. has a golden hue that does not stand out against the background of wood, and smooth edges;

3. insulates evenly along the entire length;

4. draws moisture from logs, does not accumulate it and dries quickly;

5. does not lose its properties throughout the entire service life;

6. durable, resilient and elastic;

7. resistant to fungi, mold and rot, due to the lignin content;

8. simple installation and convenient transportation;

9. economical consumption, does not fall out under the influence of wind;

10. environmentally friendly material, safe for both humans and the environment;

11. quickly decomposes in the soil, has no odor (if it smells of tobacco, coffee, rot, therefore the product is made from waste).

In addition to all this, it is easy to cut it or make holes in it, this does not cause tears. It is precisely because of its ability to quickly remove moisture that jute is an ideal insulation for a bathhouse. There are only a few disadvantages: it burns, and the structure is stiffer compared to other types, for example, flax. But even during combustion, this insulation is safe for the environment. All positive and negative properties relate only to the highest quality material.

Insulation technology

The jute insulation tape is rolled out along the entire length of the log and secured with a construction stapler with staples at the same pitch (0.5-1 m), the main thing is that it does not protrude beyond the joint, otherwise moisture will enter. Then the second beam is laid, the excess is cut off or bent inside the frame. Upon completion, additional caulking is carried out; for this, many experts recommend buying jute rope. It will protect all joints with inter-crown insulation from moisture getting inside and will not allow mold to grow.

Under no circumstances should you work with jute material during rain, only in dry weather, otherwise severe shrinkage will occur and the joints will not be hermetically sealed. Drilling a hole for a dowel in jute thermal insulation is best done manually, so its integrity will not be compromised. But even if you drill through it, it will not wrap around the drill due to its fine-fiber structure. If the logs are damp, chopped or uneven, then no matter how much the jute insulation costs, it is recommended to lay it in 2 layers

It is very important to choose the right density, since under strong pressure it sticks together. Therefore, the heavier the log, the denser it should be

There are several ways to install interventional insulation:

• without bending (ordinary logs, laminated veneer lumber);
• one edge is laid under the other (planed beams);
• both edges are bent (rounded or chopped logs).

According to its characteristics, jute is as similar as possible to wood, so rooms insulated with it will have a healthy microclimate. This type of insulation is especially recommended for baths due to the lignin content in it, due to which it has waterproof properties. Moreover, synthetic analogues can release harmful substances when heated, or the joints between the crowns will become leaky. Pests (moths), including mice, do not grow in jute, since they cannot tolerate the smell of lignin. Many companies use jute insulation in construction rather than hemp or flax, as it has a longer service life. In addition, correct and uniform laying does not spoil the appearance of the building, and also significantly saves time.

What kind of inter-crown insulation are there - jute, flax

Most often, the following materials are used as inter-crown insulation:

• jute;
• flax wool;
• felt.

1. Jute- a natural material that is made by grinding jute wood, due to which a lot of natural resins are retained in the material. The jute is then treated with special substances that protect it from mold, rot and fire. Then this mass is used to make the material of the required width and thickness, after which it is rolled into rolls. The main advantages of jute are its relatively low cost, resistance to mold and rot, and low thermal conductivity. Disadvantages are low elasticity and the tendency of this material to stick together due to the large amount of resins.
2. Linen- a natural material made from the plant of the same name. The stems of the plant are crushed, dried, beaten into sheets and treated with protective substances. This material has better elasticity than jute and is similar to the latter in all other characteristics. At the same time, the price of flax is slightly lower. There are two options for this insulation - Eurofelt and tow. Tow has greater elasticity, but attracts birds and rodents. Therefore, the most popular flax insulation is Eurofelt.
3. Moss- a natural material that can be collected independently in the required quantities. Two types of moss can be used as insulation - sphagnum and cuckoo flax. These species can be found in very wet areas of forest, near rivers, lakes and swamps. Moss not only effectively absorbs and releases moisture, but also transports oxygen from the street to the room. In its elasticity it is superior to any other natural materials, but its appearance does not always allow it to be used for insulating crowns. After all, what is good for a log house is not always suitable for a log house.
4. Lnovatin- a material made from flax and jute fibers. It combines the best features of these materials, but is not cheap.
5. Felt- the most expensive of insulation, but also the most effective. It easily absorbs and releases moisture, has good elasticity, is not afraid of ultraviolet radiation and is not susceptible to mold or rot.

Price

Once you have decided what jute is, you can visit the store to purchase insulation to insulate your home. If the roll is 20 meters long and its width is 15 centimeters, then you will have to pay 150 rubles for one unit of goods. If the width is increased to 20 centimeters, then the consumer will pay 190 rubles for 1 roll. If you wish, you can buy jute batting, the width of which varies from 80 to 160 centimeters. If a roll is 50 meters long and its width is 15 centimeters, then the consumer will pay 600 rubles for one unit of product. If you are interested in the question of what jute is, then you can get acquainted with its appearance in more detail by looking at the photos presented in the article. This will allow you to recognize the material when you visit the store.

Function defines qualities

The inter-crown insulation must have the necessary properties.

Sufficient density and elasticity are necessary to eliminate the formation of cracks during the operation of the house. It should not crumple from vertical load and fill the resulting voids.

Low thermal conductivity is needed to protect against heat loss. The ability to absorb excess moisture from the air and release water when there is a lack of it is one of the advantages of wood. The inter-crown insulation must also be vapor permeable so as not to reduce the comfortable qualities of the wood. Hence the increased requirements for environmental friendliness. The release of insulation or allergens will negate the beneficial effects of the natural environment of a wooden house on the human body. The creation of an environment for the development of harmful microorganisms is also excluded.

Durability and efficiency are closely related. The need to frequently replace insulation and repair seams will lead to unnecessary costs when operating the house. Only high-quality material can not change its physical and mechanical properties and chemical composition for decades. Biostability is important, that is, the inter-crown insulation should not rot or become moldy, and should not become food for birds, rodents, moths, etc.

By the way, recently (on the eve of the New Year) a fellow colleague of mine bought flax-jute fabric from the Winter House company. He liked the conversation with the consultant (in his words, he understands issues of wooden house construction very well) and the price of the product was quite reasonable. This is not an advertisement - just a consultation, which is always useful. For residents of Moscow and Moscow region I recommend this company. Moreover, the company is specialized and has been on the construction market for several years.

Well, perhaps he said everything he wanted. If it was informative, then do not miss the release of new information. Do you have friends who are building a bathhouse or a house? Recommend the article to them.

Good luck and warm, well-caulked walls. Bye!

Wisdom Quote: This is how men are made: they can resist the smartest arguments and cannot resist a single glance (Bazzak).

Advantages of jute

Indeed, we note that working with this type of insulation is easy and pleasant. It is soft, does not prick, does not scratch your hands, rolls out quickly and lies flat. Actually, I did all the work on laying the jute myself, without any special training.

Based on the results, I would like to say that for 6 years now, the insulation has reliably retained heat in my wooden house. This not only helps create comfort, but also saves a lot of money. cash on heating. At the same time, during installation and after it, I didn’t even have to, because the density that jute - flax shows is simply fantastic.

Is insulation always needed?

In this matter, everything depends on the profile of the timber, the following options are possible:

• with one spike;
• with 2 spikes;
• chamfered;
• Finnish profile is an ideal option for thick inter-crown insulation;
• German profile - also known as a comb.

With the first 3 types, everything is clear - the spikes are needed to ensure that the beams do not move relative to each other during construction. The spikes are wide enough and do not interfere with the installation of insulation.

As for which inter-crown insulation to choose for Finnish profile timber, material of any thickness will do.

This type of profile is convenient in that slight deformation of the beams is acceptable, and in general, the requirements for the profile geometry are not as high as, for example, with a comb.

Profile types

The German profile was initially developed in order to abandon inter-crown insulation during construction. According to the authors’ idea, this can be achieved by making the surfaces of the beams in the form of a comb with a large number of spikes. During construction, the tenons fit into the grooves of another crown and the beams are tightly fixed.

Due to the number of spikes, there will be no cold bridge at the junction of the beams, which means insulation is not needed. In practice, builders often play it safe and still install the thinnest insulation available.

Here it is important not to make a mistake with the thickness of the material; if it is too thick, the beams will “walk”. That is, the tenons simply will not fit into the reciprocal grooves and the structure will no longer have the required rigidity

It is impossible to lay thick insulation on the comb

The comb is also inconvenient because it places increased demands on the geometry of the beam. The slightest distortion of the studs/their swelling due to high humidity and assembly will not be possible.

In the case of intermediate beam profiles, medium thickness insulation is usually used. To make installation easier, it can be cut into strips and laid not over the entire width of the beam, but only across horizontal sections grooves

In the photo - jute insulation is cut into thin strips

How to lay interventional material

Installation of tape inter-crown insulation is easy to do, even with your own hands. For this you will need:

1. Furniture or construction stapler.
2. Tape insulation.

When laying, insulation tape is rolled out onto each link and secured with a construction stapler in several places. The main thing is that it does not slip when laying the next beam.

In a house made of profiled or laminated timber, there is a special groove in the material where it is convenient to place the tape. You should not attach the insulation with various adhesives. They are all unnatural and will ruin the environmental friendliness of the house.

If moss or tow is chosen as insulation, then they are carefully laid out on the timber in as even a layer as possible. The main thing is that it completely fills the inter-crown space and at the same time does not interfere with the shrinkage of the timber.

When laying insulation, a number of conditions must be observed:

1. The material can only be laid in dry seasons.
2. Before laying, the timber must be dried and cleaned of dirt.
3. The insulation must be dry and in sealed packaging.
4. You should not lay too thick a layer of insulation; it will not allow the timber to sit well in place, especially if the house is made of laminated veneer lumber.

Most negative reviews are related to non-compliance with installation technology. Reviews of poor quality are mainly related to semi-synthetics and flax, which wrinkles a lot.

Avatherm

Material synthetic production. Created on the basis of polyesters and has Finnish roots. Three significant advantages over natural insulation:

• Life time. Manufacturers claim that the service life of the material reaches 200 years, and this is more than enough for a wooden structure.
• Lack of interest in birds. Only natural insulators are suitable for birds.
• Avatherm is a fire-resistant material, which is of particular importance when constructing a wooden structure.

The seal is available in the form of strips of different lengths and widths. Thickness options available: 8.15 and 20 mm. The width can be 100-200 mm. "Avaterm" is sold in rolls 10-20 meters long, depending on the thickness. Options are also available for laminated timber.

The price of the material is also quite reasonable.

Conclusion

In order to insulate the building, during the construction process you will only need to roll out the rolls along the crowns of the log house. This indicates that working with this thermal insulation is extremely simple. Among other things, you can increase the soundproofing properties of the entire building, since the insulation has noise-absorbing characteristics. If there is a need to drill into a wall that was previously insulated with jute, the material will not wrap around the drill, which is very important for experienced builders. Jute insulation, as mentioned above, is capable of absorbing moisture, but after that it dries without losing its original properties

This is very important, since analogue options quite often form when wet. If you use jute tape, you will get rid of the need for double caulking; this also indicates efficiency.

In a wooden house built from timber or logs, an amazing atmosphere is always created, which has a beneficial effect on the psychological and physical state of the residents, and this is due to the properties of natural wood. In order for such a home to be warm, and not be blown out by strong winds and not freeze in winter, its walls must be well insulated, choosing the appropriate material for this process.

Which inter-crown insulation for timber should you choose in order to achieve all your goals at once? This question arises for everyone who has started building a log house for a house. Since log buildings have been built for centuries, only natural materials have always been used to insulate such walls. This tradition has passed on to the present day, although today a considerable number of artificial heat insulators are produced - they have not been able to fully replace the natural ones that were traditionally used by builders.

If the construction of a log house is entrusted to a construction team, then it would be useful to keep the entire work process under control and independently select and purchase all the necessary auxiliary materials, including inter-crown insulation. Otherwise, you may end up with poor-quality work, which sometimes simply cannot be corrected without a complete overhaul of the entire frame.

For what purposes is interventional insulation used?

To understand how important it is to choose the right and high-quality insulation, you need to fully understand why it is needed when building a wooden log house.

Inter-crown insulation is required:

• To preserve and enhance all the thermal insulation qualities of wood, as well as to maximize the life of the building.
• To avoid the penetration of moisture between logs or beams, with the subsequent emergence and development of mold or mildew, nests of unwanted insects in the house.
• To provide steam-permeable abilities, since wood is a breathable material and reacts to increased humidity and temperature changes. Therefore, inter-crown insulation is mounted not only between beams or logs, but also around window frames and door frames.

In the presence of correctly selected and installed insulation, a residential building acquires the following qualities necessary for it:

- low thermal conductivity, since the walls will not have cold bridges;

- resistance to strong winds, because the walls become windproof;

- balance balance moisture absorption and moisture evaporation.

As you can see, this seemingly insignificant element at first glance has a serious impact on both the quality and overall durability of the building.

Which insulation for crowns to choose?

Previously, when constructing wooden log houses, waste materials produced at home from various plants were used for insulation. The main one was flax, the fibers of which are a good “breathable” heat insulator. As you know, fabric was made from flax, and the rough parts of the plant unsuitable for it were turned into insulation for the walls of the house.

In addition to flax, moss was used to seal the joints of logs, which could be found in large quantities in the forest and in swamps.

Another popular insulation used to close gaps between logs is felt, which was made from sheep's wool by pressing it and then cutting it into strips of the desired width and thickness.

These materials are in perfect harmony with wood, so the hut insulated with them served without additional repairs for many decades.

Today in specialized stores you can find many different artificially produced materials that manufacturers offer instead of traditional ones. They have a lower price than natural insulation, so many owners who are inexperienced in construction purchase them, not knowing the consequences of such use. Such materials include polystyrene foam, mineral wool, silicone sealants or penofol. Modern artificial insulation materials, of course, have their advantages, and in some cases you simply cannot do without them, but they are absolutely not suitable for laying between the crowns of logs or beams.

Video: a brief overview of inter-crown insulation

Natural interventional insulation

Linen wool for insulation of crowns

As can be understood from the name of the insulation, it is made from flax; it is also often called linen felt. It remains popular today, as it meets all the requirements necessary for interventional insulation:

• This is an environmentally friendly natural material, so it does not cause allergies even in people with a predisposition to it.
• Today flax wool is made not from flax waste, but from purified raw materials, therefore, thanks to its components, the insulation is able to create a microclimate that is favorable for the health of residents.
• This insulation ensures uniform compaction over the entire width and length of the crown.
• It perfectly blocks wind flows.
• Linen wool does not attract dust and does not fray on its own.
• The material is able to adequately respond to fluctuations in humidity - it either accumulates or releases excess moisture, thereby maintaining the most optimal balance.
• Linen wool is breathable vapor permeable material.
• It provides a high level of thermal insulation and sound insulation due to its good adhesion to the wood.
• This insulation is very easy to install.

Linen wadding is a non-woven material made by pressing and cut into strips of a certain width, which can vary from 8.5 to 200 mm. The thickness of the material is 5 ÷ 7 mm, the length of the strip in a roll is usually 2000 mm.

If the insulation does not have the required density, then it is laid in two or three layers, securing the logs to the crown with staples.

The edges of the insulation should not extend beyond the crown, otherwise, after installing the logs, they will have to be hammered into the cracks. It is recommended to think through this point in advance and carefully bend and secure the edges inside when laying the next crown.

You need to know that when using flax batting, it is recommended to cover the joints of the logs after installation with a decorative cord made of jute so that the seams look aesthetically pleasing, and this will lead to additional costs.

Flax wool also has negative sides:

- it can become a breeding ground for various insects, such as moths, wood borers, bedbugs and others;

- birds happily use this material to build nests, plucking out pieces of it from the gaps between logs, which leads to mandatory repairs, in which the seams need to be filled with insulation again.

Therefore, when using flax wool, you need to coat the beams or logs very well with an antiseptic before laying it.

Moss as inter-crown insulation

Insulation such as moss has been used for laying between crowns since ancient times. They have not abandoned its use today, since it is still considered the most reliable and affordable material.

In regions where log buildings were traditional, moss grew almost everywhere, which is why it was the only insulating material for inter-crown sealing. Houses insulated with moss served for decades without repair, and even when they were dismantled after many years of use, one could notice that the logs were kept in perfect condition and were suitable for constructing a log house in another place.

In total, there are about 300 different types of moss, but only two of them, called “sphagnum” and “cuckoo flax,” are suitable for insulating wooden log houses. These representatives of the flora contain a large amount of antiseptic substances that resist putrefactive processes well. Penetrating into the wood, flavonoids disinfect its fibers, thereby preventing them from decomposing.

Prices for interventional insulation

Intercrown insulation

A log harvested with moss has an amazing aroma of the forest, which creates a special microclimate in it. Since the material is environmentally friendly and non-allergenic, it is safe for humans. In addition, many people suffering from asthma, lung diseases, dermatitis and other ailments feel significant relief while in such a house.

Moss is especially well suited for insulating walls made of manually processed logs, since they do not have ideal evenness of the crowns. In this case, the moss can be laid unevenly - in some places a thicker layer, in others a very thin layer, which is difficult to do using tape material.

• Sphagnum moss is a low-growing plant with soft, small, light green leaves and long, fibrous roots. This type of moss has more antiseptic ingredients than cuckoo flax, so herbalists used it to treat non-healing wounds, as it works on a par with the well-known brilliant green or iodine.

The optimal choice for insulation is sphagnum moss

As an insulation material, this type of moss is distinguished by its high density and elasticity. It perfectly maintains the moisture balance of wood and does not respond to temperature changes. In addition, sphagnum is not afraid of ultraviolet radiation, does not dry out from it and does not lose all its heat-insulating properties.

Sphagnum grows in damp swampy areas or forest thickets. It covers the soil with a soft carpet, and it is quite simple to collect, but it is recommended to carry out this activity in sunny, dry weather. After collection, the moss is piled in small bunches to dry for a short time. Drying time takes one to two weeks, depending on the moisture content of the raw materials, and this, in turn, will depend on the place and time of collection of the plants.

Laying sphagnum on crowns is quite complicated and not as convenient as when using ready-made tapes of other insulation materials. But this approach is most effective for thermal insulation and protecting the log house from various negative natural influences.

• Kukushkin flax is a hard, long-fiber, brown-colored moss. When dry, it acquires a reddish tint. You can find this plant the same way as any moss - in a damp, swampy area or in the thicket of a forest. If cuckoo flax is collected for use as insulation, then it is better to look for it in the forest, since there it is not so saturated with moisture.

Unlike sphagnum, cuckoo flax is recommended to be collected in cloudy weather, so it will better preserve its qualities. After collection, this type of moss is laid to dry in long strips, which, after drying, can be laid on the crowns of logs. It should be remembered that cuckoo flax is not dried thoroughly, since when laying it must have a certain percentage of moisture. If the raw material accidentally dries out, then it needs to be slightly moistened during installation. However, cuckoo flax is often laid even when freshly harvested.

The process of inter-crown compaction is carried out in 4 ÷ 5 layers, and each of them is laid perpendicular to the previous one. When laying logs on the insulation, the material should be held, as this process requires care. Upon completion of the work, the moss left hanging outside must be caulked into the joints of the logs using a chisel.

Kukushkin flax has good density and does not crumble when dried. It is not subject to putrefactive processes, is not afraid of high humidity and retains all its insulating qualities for the entire period of its operation.

This insulation also has its drawbacks, which should be taken into account when choosing it - low fire resistance, as well as heterogeneity and friability of the material, which makes it difficult to install. In addition, it is one of the favorite food for birds. To protect the insulation from birds, it must be tucked well into the seams between the logs, and covered with jute rope on top.

Jute insulation

Another effective insulation for crown joints is jute, made from a tropical annual plant of the linden family of the same name, the fibers of which have a high percentage of lignin content. This is the name of a unique resin, which is an excellent natural antiseptic that can protect not only the insulation itself, but also m material of timber or logs.

Thanks to this component, jute material is resistant to moisture, which means it is not susceptible to putrefactive processes. It is not taken away by birds or damaged by rodents, which is also very important for high-quality insulation of a residential building.

Jute insulation in our time is often produced in the form of a tape with a width of 100, 120, 150 and 200 mm, and a thickness of about 15 mm. The density of material of this thickness is 400 ÷ 450 g/m². The insulation tapes are rolled into rolls of 2000 mm.

In addition, ropes are made from jute, which are also used to decorate the inter-crown seams of log or timber frame houses.

Jute has a golden hue that harmonizes perfectly with the color of the fibers of any type of wood.

However, paradoxically, the disadvantage of pure jute insulation is its main advantage - very often an excess of lignin contributes to the gluing of its fibers, causing the material to lose its plasticity and become rough and rigid. Therefore, jute is combined with flax fibers, which are also used to insulate crowns.

So, several combined options are produced:

- flax jute ( jute flax);

- jute felt.

• Linen jute is made from flax and jute fibers. Their ratio may be different for each individual manufacturer, therefore the characteristics of the insulation may vary somewhat.

Proportions of 1:1 are considered ideal, since the resulting material combines the elasticity and softness of flax, as well as the rigidity and strength of jute. Flax fibers are located inside the tape, and jute acts as a protective layer - the result is a durable and plastic insulation.

Therefore, the combined material is considered the optimal insulation material, especially for objects that are problematic in terms of high humidity, such as saunas and Russian baths.

• Jute felt is also made from flax and jute, but in a ratio of 10% to 90%. In this embodiment, the two components are mixed together. Linen dilutes the rigidity of jute and prevents its fibers from sticking together, which has a beneficial effect on the insulating and antiseptic qualities of the material.

Like any tape insulation, jute is easy to install. The main thing is to choose the right ribbon width for the crown.

The tape is rolled out on the crown, and if overhangs form, they need to be folded and stapled using a stapler. Experts advise choosing the width of the tape slightly larger than the size of the crown, and making bends during installation - this process will give a neat appearance and the necessary thickening to the insulating layer.

Insulation - tow

Tow is made from different materials - it can be flax or hemp, and consists of processed fibers from these plants. These fibers are sometimes pressed into strips and are also used to insulate crowns, having good thermal insulation properties.

Tow is a long-known, but, alas, not the best insulation material.

Despite its good insulating properties and affordable price, tow has not become such a popular material for insulating crowns. One of the reasons for this lack of demand can be called the great love of birds for this insulation. Its fibers are easily separated from the total mass, so birds willingly take advantage of this when building nests in the spring.

After such raids, the seams have to be repaired annually. If this material is used, it is recommended to cover it from the outside with jute rope.

It should be noted that tow is more hygroscopic than other insulation materials - it absorbs moisture and is susceptible to rotting. It is advisable to use it indoors with normal humidity, so it is more often used to insulate window and door openings if the windows and doors are made of wood.

From the above we can conclude that any tow is not the best choice for insulating crowns.

Sheep wool (felt)

Sheep wool has long been used as insulation, especially in those countries where sheep breeding is developed. Over time, such insulation began to be produced on an industrial scale and exported throughout the world.

Natural felt made from sheep wool is an excellent material for insulating a log house.

This material is made from raw materials purified and treated against insects by mixing and combining wool and felt fibers into one sheet.

The insulation is produced in thicknesses from 12 to 18 mm, widths from 90 to 200 mm and has very high heat-insulating and sound-proofing properties.

• Thanks to its elastic and springy structure, the insulation fills the entire inter-crown space, leaving no cold bridges. When walls shrink or gaps between logs expand, it is able to shrink and straighten.
• Natural felt does not cake or compact over time, and therefore does not lose its original qualities.
• Sheep wool perfectly accumulates moisture, promoting good vapor permeability of seams, therefore it is not affected by fungal formations and does not rot.

The only drawback of this material can be considered its high price, since mainly only imported samples are on sale.

Artificial insulation

Manufacturers also offer artificial insulation for inter-crown insulation. Some of them, more or less suitable for this process, are also worth considering.

« PolyTerm »

Manufacturers of "PolyTherm" characterize it as an environmentally friendly heat-insulating material, since it is made from 100% polyester fiber. Its production technology was developed in Finland, where it has been successfully used in harsh subpolar climatic conditions for a long time.

Insulation of a log house with "PolyTerm"

"PolyTherm" is widely used as inter-crown insulation for residential buildings, for saunas and baths.

The positive qualities of the material include the following:

• This material is “breathable”, which means it will harmonize well with the structure of the wood. “PolyTherm” is not hygroscopic and has the ability to repel moisture, so when using it, you don’t have to worry about additional sealing work.
• The insulation has vapor permeable properties, that is, it does not interfere with the natural exchange of gases and vapors.
• Thanks to the mentioned advantages, the insulation tape does not create a favorable environment for the development of microflora. Unlike natural materials, PolyTerm is unattractive to birds and various insects.
• The material is elastic and resilient, so when the walls shrink or the wood dries out, it straightens out and fills the resulting space.
• "PolyTerm" has high fire resistance.
• Its most important quality is its low thermal conductivity coefficient.
• The material does not contain harmful phenol-formaldehyde compounds.
• The chemical composition of the fibers does not cause allergic reactions in the body.

Roll "PolyTerma"

Manufacturers claim that “PolyTerm” may well not only replace natural materials for inter-crown insulation, but even perform their function at a higher level.

Video: “Holofiber” is a representative of synthetic inter-crown insulation for a house made of timber.

Latex sealant

To insulate wooden buildings, sealants made on various bases are also used. One of them is “Consil”, which is intended specifically for inter-crown insulation and sealing natural cracks in logs or beams caused by drying out of the wood.

Cans and tubes of latex sealant "Consil"

“Consil” is a one-component sealant made on a latex basis and used for external and internal work related to wood.

Sealing the joints of a log frame with sealant, ...

• Latex sealant allows you to normalize the humidity and temperature conditions, which are comfortable for living inside a log structure.

... or grooves in a log house made of profiled timber

• This material perfectly restrains wind flows, so the walls become windproof and there will never be drafts in the house.
• Thanks to the sealant, there is absolutely no heat leakage, so it is retained in the house, which can significantly reduce heating costs.
• Seams sealed with Consil do not require periodic repair - caulking, which has to be carried out periodically if natural tape insulation is used.
• The sealant ensures reliable closure of roof gaps and cracks from the penetration of various insects into the house.
• The insulation is produced in a variety of colors, so you can always choose the right option for a specific type of wood.

This is what the diagram of a poorly insulated log house looks like. It is shown what problems can arise with the wood of logs, as well as how serious heat leaks will occur from the room.

Schematically - what poor-quality insulation of a log house leads to

Since a poorly sealed roof gap is not protected from atmospheric influences, the risk of dampness and mold, insects, wind and sounds from outside entering the house, as well as cold in winter and hot air in summer increases.

If there are gaps between the crowns and cracks on the logs sealed reliably, the house can be considered protected from all the mentioned problems. The heat generated by heating devices remains completely inside the house, and street cold or heat will have no bridges to penetrate inside.

Application of the sealant is quite simple, since it has aggressive adhesion to wooden surfaces, literally being absorbed into them. Good adhesion of materials is maintained throughout the entire operation of the building, since “consil” is not affected by low and high temperatures.

The sealant remains elastic and is able to change size and shape many times, under the influence of expansion and drying of wood or shrinkage of walls.

It is impossible not to mention the moisture resistance of this material. After hardening it is not exposed to precipitation, does not allow water to pass through and is not washed out her from the gaps. In addition, the sealant is resistant not only to temperature changes, but also to the ultraviolet component of sunlight.

Based on the results of tests carried out on the effect of the sealant on various temperatures, an aqueous environment, ultraviolet radiation and deformation by 50%, manufacturers predicted the service life of the material - it is 30 years or more.

The nuances of laying inter-crown insulation

Whatever insulation for the crowns is chosen, its installation follows the same pattern. Naturally, it is much easier to secure the tape material than to lay out moss or tow, but both works are carried out according to the same principle.

• The tape insulation is rolled out on the surface of the laid log and fixed with staples. If the insulation is wider than required, its edges are wrapped and also secured with staples.
• If the edges of the insulation were not folded inward before laying the next log on top of it, then after completion of the work, this excess is driven into the cracks using a chisel. This process is called primary caulking.
• Secondary caulking is carried out a year later, after the walls have shrinked.
• When using moss or tow for insulation, the material is carefully laid out on the crown, in a layer of 10 ÷ 15 mm, pressing it to the base.

• After laying the insulation on top of the logs, the fibers hanging on the sides (usually an allowance of about 50 mm in each direction) are also tucked into the gaps between the logs using the same chisel.
• Sometimes insulation is combined using tape insulation, which is rolled out over a beam or placed in a special groove, and a sealing jute cord is laid along its edges. After installing the top log, the gap between the logs on the street side is filled with sealant. The gap between the logs on the inside of the wall can be carefully caulked with one of the natural materials.

Now, knowing the characteristics of most of the materials used for insulating crowns, you can study them well, compare the price level in the region of residence or the possibility of independent procurement, and, in the end, settle on onthe most optimal option. All that remains is to correctly carry out the insulation process yourself or check the conscientiousness of the builders’ work to ensure that the material is laid correctly.

You may be interested in information about the insulation and technical characteristics

Evgeniy AfanasyevChief Editor

Author of the publication 03.09.2015

Return