Insulation between the beams. Which inter-crown insulation is best for a house made of timber? Reviews of flax insulation from the manufacturer "Flax-Jute Company"

Traditionally, in the wooden construction of bathhouses or residential buildings used interventional insulation for sealing joints in walls.

The main purpose of the material is to insulate the log structure and improve the performance characteristics of the wood.

Most insulation materials contain natural components, however, some materials may contain artificial filling, which is absolutely not suitable for wooden buildings.

Why is insulation needed?

Intercrown insulation is universal material, therefore it is widely used for houses and baths made of rounded, profiled or logs. In this case, the density of the insulation can be about 750 g/sq.m. with a thickness of up to 11 mm.

To reduce heat loss, the insulation is laid in one layer. It is important to remember that when using uneven or under-dried timber, the insulation is laid in several layers.

The insulation promotes timely vapor and heat insulation wooden structure, high-quality air exchange in rooms.

Performance characteristics

High-quality insulation, which is laid between the crowns of logs or beams, must meet high standards of quality and safety of use. Therefore, the main performance characteristics of the material include:

High elasticity and density, maintaining properties throughout the entire period of operation. Thanks to its elasticity, the insulation is able to take the desired shape, and its density is able to fill existing gaps between the crowns.
Low thermal conductivity for effective protection walls from heat loss.
High moisture and vapor permeability.
Resistance to mold, fungi and harmful microorganisms that arise when exposed to increased moisture and heat.
Resistant to ultraviolet exposure and adverse weather conditions.

Types of interventional insulation

The modern construction market offers large selection natural insulation materials.

The most common options are felt, jute, moss, linen and combined.

Manufacturers also offer wear-resistant synthetic insulating materials - penofol, mineral wool, polystyrene foam boards, silicone sealants.

Without a doubt, they have higher performance characteristics in comparison with natural analogues, but not suitable for.

Felt (sheep's wool)

A natural material for insulation, which in its performance properties is superior to tape insulation made from plant fibers.

Felt is a worthy option for buildings made of profiled timber. It is simply irreplaceable for insulating residential buildings and baths, although it is not cheap.

During the production process, the felt seal is carefully treated with special fire-retardant compounds, as a result of which it absorbs moisture well and quickly releases it when heated.

It is resistant to mold and mildew and does not cake during use.

Felt is suitable for insulating walls and partitions of log houses and bathhouses.

Jute material is a modern representative tape insulation, which has a dense and uniform structure. Jute is an expensive material, unlike flax, but it is of higher quality.

A distinctive characteristic of jute is its high hygroscopicity.

Jute inter-crown insulation is made from annual tropical plants of the mallow family, which grow in hot countries. Plants contain about 25% lingin - a natural resin that has high antiseptic properties.

Jute has a lot of advantages that set it apart from its main competitors:

Environmental friendliness and safety;
Good thermal conductivity;
Resistance to rotting and fungal attack;
Durability and practicality;
Easy installation;
Attractive appearance.

Disadvantages include susceptibility to caking and high cost.

Walls insulated with jute tape do not require additional decorative finishing, and the seams are smooth and tight.

Jute is represented by the following varieties: jute tow, jute felt and jute flax.

Tow has solid and long fibers. Used for .
Felt is characterized by increased fragility and stiffness of the fibers. Used to seal door and window openings.
Jute flax is a mixture of flax and jute fibers. It is characterized by high wear resistance and elasticity. Suitable for caulking walls and partitions.

Moss

Currently, moss remains an accessible and cheap option for insulating crowns in houses and bathhouses made of logs or timber. Moss is natural thermal insulation material, which has unique performance characteristics:

Environmentally friendly;
Vapor tightness;
Resistant to creasing and deformation;
Antiseptic properties.

Moss absorbs quickly excess moisture and provides good air exchange. It is recommended to use sphagnum (white moss) and cuckoo flax (red moss) as inter-crown insulation.

The most durable and wear-resistant is red moss, which differs high content antiseptic components and resistance to high moisture.

White moss has high thermal insulation properties and reliably protects wood from fungal infections.

Despite the obvious advantages, moss also has some disadvantages - low fire resistance and difficulty in installation.

Flax

Linen materials for insulation have been used for quite a long time. Linen is hypoallergenic, provides good air exchange, does not create static charges, and is resistant to mold on the walls. Interventional insulation of this type has:

High elasticity and softness of fibers;
Long service life;
Low thermal conductivity coefficient;
Resistant to UV radiation, microorganisms and mold;
Affordable price.

Currently, manufacturers offer two types of linen insulation - tow and flax wool.

Tow

It is characterized by low cost and complexity of installation. Inter-crown insulation for timber is highly hygroscopic and prone to rotting, so it is more advisable to use it to seal window and door openings.

When using tow, caulking is carried out twice - in the first year after construction is completed, and in the second year - after the building has settled.

Lnovatin

A material that is made from flax fibers using special equipment.

To give strength, the finished fabric is stitched with threads. Linen batting is affordable and easy to install. This is good economical option, which is suitable for insulating houses and baths.

Often used after complete shrinkage of the structure.

Combined insulation materials

They have unique operational properties the material from which they are made.

Flax in combined materials increases elasticity and practicality, jute increases resistance to creasing and caking.

The special structure of combined insulation materials meets the needs of the building material, taking into account climatic conditions in which it is used.

What insulation is suitable for a bath?

Beginners often ask themselves the question: what insulation to choose for the walls of a bathhouse?

The best representatives are insulation materials made of moss, jute and flax, as well as their derivatives. They are successfully used for caulking wooden houses and baths.

To understand which is the best insulation for a bathhouse, you should pay attention to the main characteristic of the material – density.

For timber structures, insulation with a thickness of 4 mm and a density of 350–450 g/sq.m. is used.

For steam rooms made from rounded logs, products with a thickness of 5 mm and a density of at least 600 g/sq.m. are better suited.

For houses with 2–3 floors combined with a bathhouse, material with a thickness of 9–11 mm and a density of up to 750 g/sq.m is used.

To choose a quality sealant, you need to know what type of wood is used to build the log house.

For baths made of timber and rounded logs, you can choose materials up to 10 mm thick - jute felt, flax felt, combined option with jute and flax.

For the bath chopped type It is better to choose insulation materials up to 15 mm thick - felt made of jute and flax, tow in ribbons and bales made of flax or jute, moss.

Methods for sealing inter-crown gaps

Regardless of what type of material was chosen for insulating a wooden structure, installation work is carried out in several available ways:

No bends;
With a bend on one side;
With a bend on both sides.

Laying insulation without using bends is different high quality execution of fit and small technological gaps.

The material is laid out around the perimeter of the log house on the base, and the next element is laid on top. Fixation is performed with a construction stapler.

For buildings made of timber, the installation method with a one-sided bend is used. To do this, take a compactor whose width is twice the width of the log. The strip is mounted with a one-sided bend on the lock. WITH outside The walls are additionally installed with a rope made of jute or flax.

Installation of insulation with a double-sided bend is carried out for buildings made of wild logs, fire monitors or rounded logs.

Often, such building materials are characterized by uneven dimensions at different ends.

The inter-crown insulation for the timber is fixed using a stapler, while the strips are folded in half and shifted in width. This allows for correct installation between different sized ends. In addition, this method prevents complete shrinkage of the wood.

Choice best option insulation for a house or bathhouse depends on many factors that experienced craftsmen taken into account at the beginning of construction.

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 various insulation materials, which are used in the construction of houses made of timber, and we will 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, which sharply loses its properties. thermal insulation properties when wet or under strong pressure. No less important characteristic– ability to absorb and evaporate moisture. After all 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 lower crowns maximum. Then summer comes, the timber is exposed to the heat and sun rays loses moisture and dries out, causing gaps to 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 the only way 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.

Which interventional insulation to choose + Video

When starting to choose insulation, first of all calculate required quantity 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 with 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 amount and thickness of insulation, find out the cost of various materials in stores, then calculate the price of the entire volume and think about whether you can afford such expenses. When installed correctly, any of the materials described above will provide excellent insulation for a house made of timber, so there is not much difference between them.

Careful insulation of inter-crown joints and sealing of seams can increase the thermal resistance of log walls made of rectangular or profiled timber by 10% - 12% and by 15% - 20% for walls made of cylindrical logs. However, not only thermal insulation is important, but also a number of other functions that the insulation must perform. About how various materials presented on the construction market cope with the task, as well as a special approach to insulation wooden baths- is discussed in this review.

Requirements for an ideal interventional heat insulator for a log bathhouse

In addition to the maximum possible coefficient thermal resistance interventional insulation for a bath should:

Have moderate vapor permeability. The temperature and humidity in the steam room fluctuate intensely.

The ability of a heat insulator to accumulate and evaporate moisture should be comparable to that of wood. Only then will it be possible to avoid condensation of liquid between the crowns, which contributes to the development of bacterial and fungal flora.
Demonstrate volume recovery after removal of the load. For a log house in which a steam room is installed, it is doubly important to compensate for the cyclic change in the gaps between the beams. After all, here except natural shrinkage and changing seasons, wood is subject to extreme moisture fluctuations that cause logs to expand and contract. Only inter-crown insulation with good residual elasticity is capable of filling gaps of varying sizes.
Contain antiseptics and/or other substances that resist the formation of mold and rot.
Be distinguished by biological resistance and stability of properties. That is, to be “uninteresting” for birds and insects, and also not to become brittle and lose integrity under the influence of temperature, humidity and solar radiation.
Be moderate in price and easy to use. You don’t expect to spend 30% or 40% of the budget of the entire building on purchasing insulation for inter-crown joints, do you?
Harmonize with the aesthetics of the log house.
Be an environmentally friendly material.

Insulation and sealing

The material that is laid between beams or logs during the construction of a log house works to reduce heat transfer.

The individual elements that are used to seal the joints from the outside after construction are not so much thermal insulators as sealants. They perform the function of wind and moisture protection, reduce convection heat transfer and, if possible, decorate the exterior and interior. Sometimes it makes sense to use different materials for insulation and sealing.

The main thermal insulators used: pros and cons

The origin of the word “caulk” is associated with hemp, from which hemp and twine for sealing cracks were made hundreds of years ago. Products based on this plant are still produced in separate factories. non-woven fabrics. But sphagnum moss and “cuckoo flax”, which were once the most popular sealants in Russian wooden architecture, are now perceived as exotic. We will limit ourselves to considering what is present on the shelves of construction supermarkets and specialty stores.

Rolled flax insulation

Inter-crown linen seal

This inter-crown insulation is made from flax fibers using needle-punched technology. We can order any strip width from 3 to 40 cm in increments of 0.5 cm. The thickness at a density of 700 g/m² is 8 - 10 mm.

Linen wool (as this thermal insulator is also called) is one of the best means on residual elasticity, heat saving, environmental friendliness, aesthetic properties. In addition, flax fiber tape at the moment- the most inexpensive way to efficiently caulk a chopped bathhouse. Rolled flax is easy to use. The strip is laid in the groove of the crown and adjusted with staples. The log can then be mounted. Wind is not a hindrance to installation.

Among the disadvantages of flax, it is not the best biostability. Birds happily take it out of the cracks to build nests. Some insects also live in this material.

Rolled jute insulation and jute-linen materials

Jute inter-crown seal

Thermal insulation made from jute is a coarse, homogeneous non-woven fabric produced using the same technology as the insulation made from flax. Jute inter-crown insulation is a durable and relatively rigid tape, which, in addition to good heat-protective and hydrophobic properties, is distinguished by the presence of 20% lignin in its composition. Lignin is a resin similar in properties to resins coniferous species tree. Thanks to its presence, jute exhibits both positive and negative qualities.

Inter-crown insulation made of jute has pronounced antiseptic properties. Birds are indifferent to it, and insects are repelled by the smell of lignin. The only thing in which jute is inferior to its flax counterparts is residual elasticity. This material cakes and forms when high blood pressure layers close in density to natural wood.

Jute rolled fabric It is produced in strips with a width of 10 to 20 cm. With a density of 700 g/m², its thickness is 4 - 6 mm, and the cost is approximately the same as the price of linen.

Trying to combine the advantages of two types of plant fibers and compensate for their disadvantages, manufacturers of non-woven fabrics began to produce combined materials. It is assumed that the jute component provides them with strength, antiseptic action and biological resistance, and the flax component provides elasticity.

Rolled insulation made from artificial fibers

Synthetic inter-crown insulation

The Scandinavians have developed and are promoting several types of inter-crown non-woven tapes based on synthetics - polyester, padding polyester and other fibers. According to experts, these materials can displace natural linen and jute insulation from the wooden construction sector, which uses well-dried raw materials. This includes, for example, laminated veneer lumber produced in Norway and Sweden.

Wood with natural (average) and high level humidity reacts to contact with synthetics quite capriciously: with the formation of non-evaporating internal condensate films and the formation of mold.

Ropes and ropes made from natural fibers

The wall sealed with rope looks elegant

Ropes for sealing joints, made of jute or flax, have all the advantages and disadvantages of these materials. On the street side, preference should be given to jute seals. Linen cords are sometimes used for aesthetic reasons, when light gray is more suitable for an interior or exterior ensemble than brownish-gray jute.

Wool felt

Sheep wool felt passes special treatment and goes into the production of thermal insulation plates for wooden construction. In almost all respects, processed wool is superior to inter-crown insulation materials of plant origin. Except for one indicator - price. The price tag for special wool felt is quite impressive. For this reason, the material is practically not used in the construction of baths.

Sealing pastes

Many types of acrylic, silicone, latex and rubber compounds are produced under the general hyperbrand “ warm seam" Some of these sealants are intended for thermal insulation of crowns over a sample area. Others are made to make sealing joints. And all of them are characterized by increased adhesion to wood.

For chopped baths sealants are not suitable due to their zero vapor permeability. But for residential log houses they are used with great success.

Rational combinations of insulation

The combination of linen insulation with jute rope seals has proven itself well. In this option, it is possible to compensate for the low biostability of flax, while maintaining its elasticity. IN in some cases(in the steam room there is no covering of logs with clapboard and other materials) it is permissible to seal the seams on the street side with rubber or latex paste, using jute tape as an inter-crown heat insulator.

External interventional sealing of the bath

Resume

And yet, does it exist? universal solution for most chopped baths? interventional insulation for timber: which one to choose without going into the analysis of details? If you trust the experience of builders specializing in the construction of wooden spa areas, then in functional terms it makes sense to limit yourself to jute tape, and use sealing ropes more as a decoration. The selected option works well for profiled and rectangular timber, regardless of the structure of the building and the initial moisture content of the material.

However, it is necessary to define exceptions to general rule: a universal solution is not suitable for log houses with high blood pressure to the inter-crown contact zone. These include baths made of rounded logs of small diameter, as well as two-story buildings.

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 on a subconscious level lives in everyone. A wooden house allows this desire to be realized as much as possible. More precisely, to 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, in addition to the risk of allergic reactions is reduced to almost zero.

But the desire to become the owner of a wooden house, and to do it in the most as soon as possible, often ends in disappointment. Since many construction teams that promise “quick 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 unnecessary hassle associated with construction, delve into certain subtleties worth it, 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 uninhabitable.
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 along 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 were built precisely with the help of 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.

What moss is in large quantities easy to find 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 - 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, one must observe “ golden mean", otherwise the birds will become permanent 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 for 5-50 rubles. per linear meter.

Inter-crown insulation tape tow

Having everything you need good insulation qualities 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 windows and doorways, 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 consists of fibers 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.

And jute also has a pleasant golden color, which 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:

jute felt;
flax jute (flax-jute);
jute tow.

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

Jute felt. Contains at least 90% jute. Often this 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 a different one, 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 omit such a disadvantage of this insulation option as high price, That sheep wool with every right to be placed in a leading position regarding 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 they 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. On construction language this is called the 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 they are so famous for wooden buildings. 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 popular in many types construction work(same mineral wool), for a wooden house can also be disastrous. 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.

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.

Interventional sealant: for what purpose is it used?

When erecting log houses, you need to ensure 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. Ideal option so that the insulation material lasts 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 seal must be resistant to the formation of microorganisms, causing diseases or rotting;
resistance to external influences. 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

In the old days, wooden houses were insulated with felt, moss or tow, which proved to be the best side. These materials are still used today.

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 special tool. And after the frame shrinks (about a year), it is necessary to carry out an inspection: cut off the excess, and insert where there is not enough.

Linen wool for insulation of crowns

The thermal conductivity coefficient of the seal is 0.034 W.

According to the production method, materials are divided into two types:

carded;
additionally stitched or needle-punched.

Flax is the basis of two types of sealant:

ribbon flax tow;
linen felt.

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

good hygroscopicity;
ease of installation. Since strip material is easier to install;
environmental friendliness. None hazardous substances not 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.

Is natural insulation, known for a long time. The thermal conductivity coefficient of tow is 0.047 W. This insulation is supplied in bales.

Advantages of tow:

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

Materials of this type are divided into three types:

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.

Advantages of the material:

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

Today, many developers prefer new, synthetic materials. But with such seals, wooden houses will not be able to “breathe” and it will be necessary to build a ventilation system.

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

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.