Wooden house construction has a very long tradition and is as popular today as it was many centuries ago. However, in order for a wooden house to be a durable and reliable home for its owners, it must be carefully prepared for long service. Even with perfect processing, cracks, dents and gaps remain in the wood, and the main enemy of a log house is leaky seams between the logs. During the shrinkage process, the wood is deformed, which leads to an even greater increase in gaps through which wind, cold and moisture enter the house. The traditional way to get rid of cracks is to caulk the log house natural materials. Today there are also other methods, one of them is sealing the seams of a log house using technology warm seam.
Insulation of seams in log house must be done, because when constructing a log house, no matter how well the construction works, there are still “cold bridges” between the logs. If you leave everything as it is, the cracks will continue to widen. The process is especially intense during the first few years after completion of construction, when the wooden structure shrinks significantly.
Sealing seams in a wooden house allows you to:
- significantly insulate the building,
- rid the house of drafts,
- create optimal mode humidity
- increase the room temperature,
- reduce your heating costs.
What is sealing a log house using the “warm seam” technology?
Warm seam – modern technique, which is used for different types wooden buildings. It is used for rounded logs, for bathhouses, and houses made of timber. The technology is insulation wooden house special sealing materials. The main material is joint sealant, which is used to seal the joints between logs and cracks in the wood itself.
For insulation wooden log house use sealants on acrylic base, which provide effective moisture and heat insulation. They can be used to seal sedimentary seams. Acrylic sealants tolerate both low and high temperatures, so they are used to seal cracks in the bathhouse. The most in demand today are American sealants that have high quality indicators.
When is the right time to seal? Sealing of seams in a log house is carried out no earlier than a year and a half after its construction. By this time, the structure will have settled sufficiently, and construction defects will appear that can be eliminated as a result of the work. It is advisable to do both external and internal sealing. External work is carried out only during the warm period at positive temperatures.
Sealing of crown joints with sealant in a wooden house is carried out in several stages. Before treatment, the surface is carefully prepared: cleaned of dirt, debris, and knots are removed. If there is old peeling paint, it is removed and these areas are sanded. The better the wood is prepared, the better the sealant will adhere to the surface of the log.
The next stage is polishing the frame. If the insulation of seams is carried out in a newly built log building or in timber house, then the entire surface is sanded. In the case of sealing an old log house, only the blued areas of wood are cleaned and sanded.
An important part of the work is priming wooden surface. The primer must be applied in two layers. First, an antiseptic is applied, then a primer is applied to degrease the areas where the insulation will be installed. The material is rubbed into the joints between the logs using a coarse brush.
Sealing is necessary not only to waterproof the house, but to protect it from wind and cold. Therefore, before the log house is sealed with sealant, the inter-crown joints are caulked. Caulking of seams and casing is done using natural materials: jute, tow, linen old technology. But most often, a special polyethylene cord with a diameter of 6 to 80 mm is used to seal the joints, which serves as additional thermal insulation for the house and also saves sealant.
The last stage is applying sealant; for this, a mounting gun with nozzles is used. The sealant is applied in an even layer to the inter-crown joints, previously sealed with a cord. Then it is smoothed well and the finishing grout is carried out. The sealant is produced different colors, so it’s easy to match it to the shade of the wood. Subsequently, finishing is done on top of the insulation. decorative materials: with a tourniquet, rope or rope.
Insulating a wooden house with sealant has become widespread today due to its undoubted advantages, among which are:
- high speed of insulation, subject to professional performance of the work;
- absence of dust, dirt and noise during installation;
- the material is not of interest to insects, rodents and birds, fungus and mold do not form on it;
- a warm seam is made once, its service life is about 50 years;
- The sealant withstands high and low temperatures well and is not afraid of moisture and dampness;
- The material is resistant to both mechanical stress and aggressive chemicals.
However, this insulation method has some disadvantages that also need to be mentioned:
- high cost of material;
- artificial insulation is used;
- a warm seam on a rounded log outdoors can only be done in above-zero and dry weather;
- For complete drying, the sealant requires from twenty days to a month.
What difficulties can you encounter when working independently?
Application technology for wooden houses and warm-seam log houses, at first glance, seems simple. Actually that's enough hard work, the quality of which largely depends on the knowledge and experience of the master. When faced with sealing for the first time, unprepared people will probably experience many problems, which begin already at the very first stage. It is very important to choose the right sealant and tool for the job, to choose right size cord.
Particular attention should be paid to surface preparation; if it is done poorly, it can negate the entire further work. Laying insulation and applying sealant also causes difficulty. Both must be done very carefully. It is necessary to strictly adhere to the technology; any violation can lead to undesirable consequences.
Log house sealing services
The Master Srubov company offers professional services for sealing wooden houses using the warm seam method. Our company has everything you need for high-quality execution work - qualified craftsmen who are fluent in this technique, a sufficient supply of knowledge and experience, necessary tool and readiness to start work at any time convenient for you.
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We use only certified sealants; their price will be minimal for you, since we work directly with manufacturers. We apply loyal pricing policy, which provides various discounts for regular customers. You can contact us using the coordinates on the page.
A wooden house has many advantages: it is environmentally friendly, beautiful, and durable. But they also have one important drawback: over time, during the shrinkage process, cracks begin to form in the walls, opening the way for drafts and cold air.
The traditional way to combat them is caulk, but this method is unreliable and short-lived. Sealing of seams in a wooden house can be carried out with modern compounds that carefully close any seams and cracks.
Materials for sealing seams
Sealing the seams of a wooden house with caulk is unprofitable for several reasons: natural insulation materials are short-lived, as they are taken away by rodents and birds; in addition, moss, jute, flax fiber, etc. should be laid immediately during construction. If this has not been done, it is easier to disassemble the frame and reassemble it with insulation than to achieve effective caulking.
Effective sealing of cracks in a wooden house and joints between logs can be carried out for both new and old buildings.
The material for this work is acrylic rubber sealant - it is environmentally safe and has a number of other important advantages:
Sealing a house made of rounded logs is also used to eliminate cracks. If the logs were received over time various damages, they can be eliminated: sealant treatment will increase the durability of the building. You can purchase sealant yourself and create a “warm seam” with your own hands, or you can contact one of the many specialized companies.
How to seal seams
Sealing the seams of a wooden house is not a difficult job, but it requires patience and good skills in working with construction tools. The insulation process technology includes the following steps:
- The seams of the old house are cleaned of caulking residues. They must be smooth and relatively clean; the presence of cracks in the logs and the condition of the joints must also be assessed.
- In the presence of large gaps they contain a sealing cord made of polyurethane. It allows you to completely fill the opening, while saving sealant.
Such a cord builds straight line, along which the sealing compound will lie smoothly, and with its help you can make the work faster and more efficient. The cord will also allow the logs to freely expand and contract during temperature fluctuations, without damaging the sealant layer.
- The sealant according to the “warm seam” system is applied using mounting gun. The layer is carefully trimmed with a spatula, Special attention in this case you need to turn to the corners.
- To level the corners, the sealant seam is moistened with a sprayer, after which the seal is applied with a brush.
- It is necessary to walk over the logs with a damp cloth to remove any stray drops of sealant, various defects and unevenness. Give the composition time to completely harden, after which the house will acquire reliable protection from cold and drafts. Final sealing will be completed only after 20 days according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
Treatment must be carried out for all cracks whose thickness exceeds 6 mm. Restoring the logs will prevent further deterioration of the wood and help increase the longevity of the building.
Decorative features of sealant
Acrylic rubber sealant is not only effective, but also completely aesthetic option home protection. Insulation with moss does not look very nice, so supporters of new solutions prefer a more modern option.
The sealant is available in a wide range color scheme, it can be represented in all shades of white beige, brown colors. This makes it possible to select correct solution for any wood, and the building will take on a finished look.
Sealing will carefully highlight the contours of the logs, which will give interesting view interior. In this case, the logs will be connected very smoothly, in addition, the sealant, unlike materials for caulking, only protrudes slightly beyond the seam. Finishing a building with such compositions is widely practiced in Scandinavian countries with harsh climates, which confirms its effectiveness.
Sealing using the “warm seam” system will reduce heating costs for many seasons. Treatment with such a composition greatly increases the energy efficiency of the house, since precious heat will not escape through the cracks of the house to the street.
This sealant is not cheap, but the treatment of the building will be truly durable. The procedure does not take much time, after it log walls can be finished in any way using a wide variety of materials.
A wooden house fully deserves the honorary title of an ideal residential property. After all, wood is called the best natural building material, which is able to create an optimal indoor microclimate, as well as provide comfortable temperature and humidity values. And today, the vast majority of our compatriots who are planning to acquire a country home give their preference to wooden buildings.
Having decent functional characteristics, wood is nevertheless subject to deformation, which can negatively affect the tightness of the inter-crown space. As a result, the living space is regularly blown by all winds, and its owners try to find effective method for sealing the notorious roof joints and insulating the home.
Traditional method of insulation: pros and cons
For a long time the best option The so-called “caulk” was considered insulation. This method involves sealing cracks and gaps between logs using thermal insulation materials- felt, tow, hemp, flax-jute fiber or even moss. This process is considered quite labor-intensive and is performed in several stages. The materials used for caulking vary high stability to fluctuations in humidity and air temperature, effectively absorb excess moisture, and are also resistant to rotting processes. For example, moss is characterized by excellent antimicrobial properties and high environmental friendliness.
In addition, sealing a wooden house with this traditional way in most cases provides a decent aesthetic result. Log walls with flax-jute “layers” look quite organic, creating an overall harmonious image wooden building in the Russian spirit. However, all the positive characteristics of caulking appear only if there is a qualified approach to solving insulation problems. That is, you cannot do without the services of professionals.
“Warm seam” - sealing without disadvantages
No matter how strong today's people's desire for authenticity may be, the effectiveness modern technologies forces you to pay close attention. Thus, traditional caulking has been replaced by a more effective method of insulating wooden houses - sealing using the “Warm Seam” method. More and more owners country houses make a choice in favor of this technology, appreciating its positive properties. In order not to be unfounded, let's try to compare functionality traditional caulking and progressive sealing on a number of the most important points.
What is the price?
Many new owners of wooden country houses are primarily concerned with the material side of the issue: they already had to spend a lot, and then they also need to think about insulation! On this point, at first glance, caulk has an advantage. But this is nothing more than a misconception: a single application of sealant (once is enough) costs at least twice cheaper step-by-step insulation flax jute fiber. In addition, the responsibility and labor intensity of the caulking process involves more high cost this service is performed by craftsmen.
How long will it last?
The material benefit from using a sealing compound is also due to its durability. A seam applied on only one side of an insulated wall can last for several decades without the slightest loss of its functional properties. As for the operational life of the caulk, it is much more modest - about 5 years. To avoid partial loss of the sealing properties of such insulation, it is necessary to regularly update it.
How safe is it?
The next aspect of comparison is safety for human health. Of course, natural materials initially seem to be a better choice. But if natural insulation is exposed to regular external factors- moisture and temperature fluctuations (which is an axiom in our climate), then it will quickly turn into fertile soil for the proliferation of harmful microorganisms. Among all natural materials Perhaps only moss is not subject to a similar fate.
In addition, natural insulation is of considerable interest in the eyes of birds building their nests. And if there are a lot of birds in your region, then moss with hemp is clearly a disastrous choice. The seam of the polymer sealant, in turn, does not freeze, does not get wet, does not turn into mold colonies over time, and does not contain particles harmful to health.
What about functionality?
One of the unpleasant nuances that the owner of a wooden house may encounter is partial deformation of the logs. The result of such wood instability is a change in the size of the inter-crown cracks, which leads to the notorious drafts and other unpleasant consequences.
Wood sealant “Warm seam” can become the basis for the thermal insulation protection of a building. Undoubtedly, there are other ways, but this one is the most convenient. If you have started to think about insulating your home, then you should resort to this technology. When making a comparison with the traditional system of thermal insulation of inter-crown gaps, which uses hemp, jute or flax batting insulation, it is worth noting that filling cracks in the inter-crown space with sealant increases the thermal resistance of the walls and reduces heat loss. If we are talking about natural insulation, then they are able to let cold air inside, which significantly reduces the thermal resistance of log walls.
Consumer reviews about the effect
Warm joint wood sealant has many advantages. According to users, with its help you can achieve a comfortable indoor microclimate. Such thermal insulation makes the temperature and humidity conditions optimal, while saving energy, because there is no heat leakage from the inter-crown gaps. House heating costs are minimal.
Owners of private wooden houses say that after thermal insulation work using the described technology, drafts disappear, log walls are not blown through in cold and damp weather. You can count on the material not being damaged by biological organisms. The gaps are sealed as much as possible, mold no longer forms in them, and insects do not penetrate inside.
If you use Warm Joint Wood Sealant, you can save money. According to buyers, they no longer have to invest additionally, which is required for periodic caulking. Among other things, you will end up with quite attractive walls, the joints of which will match the shade of the wood.
Reviews about the advantages of “Warm seam” over caulk
Previously, the insulation of wooden houses was quite often carried out using the caulking method; today this technology is being replaced by a system called “Warm seam”. The latter technique has many advantages. For example, caulking walls is quite labor-intensive, and it must begin no earlier than a year after completion of construction. According to the owners of private houses, this cannot be called convenient. Among other things, the caulking process will need to be repeated regularly, since flax and moss are pulled away by birds, and the seams also increase due to shrinkage. Modern consumers emphasize that appearance the log house after completion of the caulking stage cannot be called attractive. Over time, the walls completely lose their aesthetic appearance.
Reviews on the characteristics of sealants for performing work using the “Warm seam” technology
Wood sealant “Warm seam” is chosen by customers because it has many advantages. According to home craftsmen, these compositions are not at all afraid of temperature changes; they do not appear or develop on their surface. harmful microorganisms, as well as mold. As practice shows, the described sealants are not affected by sun rays, and over time they do not lose their original color. According to buyers, sealants have high level adhesion to wood, they are characterized by elasticity, which is especially evident when the inter-crown gaps are compressed. This allows you to complete these works and forget about them forever. You can apply “Warm Seam” sealant for wood, which has only the most positive reviews, at any time of the year. At the same time, residents will not experience inconvenience such as dust, odor or noise. The house can continue to be used. Using acrylic compositions, you can hide some and after completion of the work the house will gain an aesthetic appearance.
With the use of acrylic sealants, the master has the opportunity to carry out work both outside and inside the building. According to users, the use of these compositions makes it possible to create original interior. This is also due to the fact that sealants of different shades can be found on sale. For example, in the product range you can find beige, cream, as well as white and brown shades. The “Warm Seam” sealant can be made on an acrylic rubber base; it can be used to seal seams not only in wooden houses, but also in other places. After drying, this composition can be sanded several times, as well as subsequent painting.
Why else is it worth insulating a wooden house using the “Warm seam” technology?
If you decide to choose “Warm Seam” sealant for thermal insulation work, it is recommended to read reviews about it before going to the store. This will allow you to understand that acrylic compounds can even prevent the processes of wood rotting; they will not let dampness into the house. According to users, using these compositions can be accomplished in the shortest possible time. After applying this technique, there is no need to additionally seal the crown seams, as well as eliminate cold bridges.
Features of using Neomid sealant
Wood sealant “Warm seam” “Neomid” has gained popularity among consumers; its use requires compliance with certain rules. For example, before final application it is necessary to caulk the seams, for which jute or linen tow is used. Then, using a spatula, a sealant is applied to the surface, which makes it possible to insulate the resulting gaps using a combined method.
Many people choose a wooden house because of its high environmental friendliness, durability, external beauty and dozens of other advantages that are difficult to argue with. But for such a house to become truly warm and cozy, it needs proper insulation made using properly selected materials. Inter-crown insulation using natural roll materials- not the only option: insulating a wooden house with sealant is no less effective. What are its features and advantages?
Types of sealants for home insulation
Sealant is a waterproof multi-component material that is designed to seal cracks between logs, as well as cracks that may form in the wood after shrinkage. Today it is not difficult to purchase a sealant for insulating a wooden house, since it is offered in the widest variety, but the home owner is faced with the problem of choice: which sealant is best for a wooden house, and what are the main differences between modern products?
The main types of sealing compounds today are:
- Acrylic sealant for a wooden house is the most common solution, since acrylic-based compounds have a whole range of useful performance characteristics. This is a waterproof connection that can last for many years, as it is not destroyed by temperature changes and precipitation. Acrylic sealants are used in both internal and external insulation; they are safe for humans and do not emit volatile compounds into the air.
They also have one more pole - great opportunities deformation. When shrinking, the distance between the logs may change, but the sealant will withstand any fluctuations and will not allow new cracks to form.
- Another common solution is silicone sealant for a wooden house: the insulation will last a long time and will be completely safe and durable. Silicone sealants may contain bactericidal components: they not only protect the house from moisture, but also prevent rotting. They can also be used for interior works thanks to the absence unpleasant odor And environmental safety, such sealing of seams will serve for a very long time.
- Third variety - bitumen sealants for wooden houses. Compositions based on bitumen and polyurethane can only be used for outdoor work; most often they are used for wooden roof. Their main advantage is their high water resistance; they will remain impenetrable to moisture for many years.
Sealants are selected depending on the specific conditions of use: silicone compounds are used not only for seams, but also to eliminate cracks in logs or beams, in repairs wooden furniture. This is a truly universal solution that will always be in demand.
Treatment of a wooden house with sealant is carried out after completion of shrinkage, this period is at least a year from the date of construction. During this time, the wood will dry and the logs will take their final places. Only after this, work on caulking and eliminating cracks between them will be effective. If the gaps and cracks are too large, the sealant is used together with a bundle of insulating material: it fills the gap, and after that it is tightly sealed with sealant.
How is sealant treatment carried out?
Choosing a one-component acrylic sealant for wooden house construction, you can begin to treat the building and improve its energy efficiency. When selecting suitable remedy It is important to pay attention to its color: today you can find on sale compositions that match the color of certain types of wood: for example, for linden and pine you can use a lighter sealant than for other types of wood. If you have to repair an old house, darkened over time, you can, on the contrary, choose darker compositions.
The sequence of insulation work is as follows:
- When repairing an old building, old decayed insulation is removed from the cracks, and the seams must be cleaned of dust and accumulated debris. It is advisable to cover the logs with construction tape so that later you can remove it, leaving a clean surface of the wood.
- A polyurethane strand or other material is placed in the seam insulation materials. The cord can be additionally secured with a construction stapler.
- The container with sealant is placed in a special gun, after which it is necessary to process the seam, while ensuring that the seam is as tight as possible without the formation of bubbles.
- The sealant is leveled with a spatula, and its remains are removed from the walls. To successfully complete the treatment, it is better to moisten the spatula with water, this will simplify the work. After this, the tape is removed, and the logs will remain neat and clean.
This treatment can be carried out independently without much difficulty: modern sealants are quite convenient and easy to use. After the composition has dried, the house will receive insulated seams, closed from blowing and moisture penetration. This will not only increase protection from the cold, but also increase the durability of the structure: the walls will not begin to rot, and they will be provided with many years of service.