For the owner of a wooden house: choosing a sealant for sealing joints

Any wooden structure shrinks over time. This is a completely irreversible process. In this case, the tree itself inevitably becomes deformed, creating significant gaps between logs or several bars. How to fix the problem? Only a sealant for a wooden house can cope with such cracks.

• Sealant for a wooden house: what should it be?
• Types and form of release
• Silicone based
• Made from polyurethane
• Bituminous
• Acrylic based
• Which sealant to choose for a wooden house?
• Popular types
• Instructions for sealing seams between logs
• Preparing the surface
• Application process
• Sealing cracks in a wooden house
• Why do you need to seal log houses?
• “Warm seam” application technology: how is it?
• Recommendations from the experts

In addition to deformation, wooden houses https://www.terem-pro.ru/catalog/ekskluzivnye-doma/ are susceptible to mold formation. And due to contact with moisture in the form of fog and exposure to precipitation, the walls, roof and other wooden parts of the structure rot. Neglect of such houses ultimately leads to their complete destruction.

Interventional sealant fills the seams. The new “liquid caulking” technique is used by craftsmen. To seal wooden houses, this article discusses:

• types of sealants, rules for their use;
• effective formulations from well-known brands;
• instructions for sealing seams.

Sealant for a wooden house: what should it be?

There are many sealants for working with wood on the world market. Sealing seams in a wooden house is done with compounds based on different types of polymers.

A universal sealant is used to seal exterior and interior woodwork. However, there are also specialty products that can only be used indoors or outdoors.

Wood sealants are divided into types according to composition, characteristics and properties. Many serious demands are placed on them. Of these, the most important factors are:

1. Elasticity. The frozen material must both stretch and compress equally well with the wood, without forming cracks.
2. Density. The sealed cracks should not let cold air into the house. At the same time, the composition must retain heat.
3. Strength. No deformation or loss of properties under the influence of ultraviolet radiation and other negative external factors.

What is included in low quality sealants?

Low-grade solutions contain vinegar essence and solvents. The disadvantage of such solvents is that they destroy lignin (a polymer of natural origin, a product of biosynthesis) and cellulose. It is cellulose and lignin that are responsible for the surface layer of wood and its strength.

After application and drying, wood sealant may peel off over time (craftsmen often find that the strips completely fall off the frame and the seams have to be re-sealed).

Solvent and vinegar essence are often found not only in silicone pastes, but also in other sealants. The safest option is acrylic mixtures.

Hybrid and polyurethane materials are not cheap, but often do not live up to expectations.

But this does not mean that sealants at a low price are better - if you are offered a product at a reduced cost, this should alert you.

Types and form of release

If you are the owner of a wooden house, then crown sealant should be on hand just like first aid medications in your home medicine cabinet. In total, four types of such compositions are determined, each of which has certain characteristics.

On the shelves of hardware stores, such products are sold in different packages. For example, timber sealant is found in small tubes and buckets.

Naturally, the volume of goods depends on the production standards of each brand. To work effectively, you need to understand the types of sealants for a log house based on the main active ingredient.

Silicone based

Silicone sealant for interior woodwork is positioned as a multi-purpose product. Needed for effective finishing of house walls. The period of direct operation without the slightest loss of original characteristics is approximately forty years. Advantages:

• has fairly high elasticity;
• silicone wood sealant interacts with different types of wood, penetrating into the very structure of the material;
• withstands direct ultraviolet radiation;
• heat-resistant, therefore retains its properties at temperatures from -50 to +150 degrees Celsius.

Silicone-based compounds are moisture resistant. Due to this, they can even seal internal seams in bathhouses. Dampness is not a problem for such products. Therefore, the owner of the bathhouse will be calm about those areas that often come into contact with water.

Such products have some disadvantages. For example, they cannot be painted. However, manufacturers have solved this problem by producing such products with different pigments to choose from.

Made from polyurethane

Polyurethane wood sealant can be used to seal the joints of logs and boards in wooden buildings. Copes well with high humidity and has high adhesion to wood of various species. It withstands the influence of chemicals, exposure to ultraviolet radiation and critical temperature conditions.

However, you can only use polyurethane sealant for log houses on the outside of the house. After all, the product contains a toxic component, the vapors of which can cause harm to health.

Allergy sufferers need to be especially careful. Use respiratory protection to prevent poisoning.

Bituminous

Bitumen sealant for sealing joints in a wooden house is attractive due to its moisture tolerance. The composition of the product includes bitumen mixtures and rubber. These components guarantee moisture resistance upon contact with water, without even minimally dissolving in it.

These products are often used in the dampest places (basements, baths, saunas) and for finishing wooden roofs. However, bitumen log sealant is rarely used to seal wall seams. It is usually used when processing ends, since it is easy to eliminate microcracks.

Acrylic based

Acrylic joint sealant has many advantages over all other types:

1. Good compatibility with most types of wood.
2. High plasticity. Positioned as the most flexible wood sealant.
3. Moisture resistance. The material does not allow water to pass through and performs well at low and high temperatures.
4. Coating safety. Prevents the formation of mold. This effect is achieved due to fungicides in the composition of the product.
5. Color stability. The color of the material will not change at all even under ultraviolet radiation.
6. Painting in any color. Wood is easy to plaster.
7. Ease of operation. The material is characterized by easy application.

You can work with such a product only at a temperature of at least +10 degrees Celsius. External sealing of a wooden house is carried out in dry weather.

Video description

How to seal large cracks in a log is shown in this video:
The use of sealant depends on the form of release. If it is a thick paste in plastic buckets, it is applied with a spatula. It is more convenient to work with the product packaged in tubes with a spout. They are inserted into a special syringe and squeezed into the cracks.

A sealant for exterior use must have very high elasticity and frost resistance in order to absorb the narrowing and expansion of cracks due to changes in humidity and air temperature.

Natural materials

When choosing how to repair cracks in wood, many experienced craftsmen prefer traditional natural materials - tow, moss, jute. The fact is that polymer-based gap fillers sooner or later begin to lag behind the walls of the recess, crack, and crumble. Since they do not allow moisture to pass through, they prevent it from evaporating from the wood when it gets wet from precipitation, creating ideal conditions for the growth of fungus in the depths of the cracks. That is, they begin to have the opposite effect.

It is much safer to caulk large and deep cracks, like seams between logs. Tow or moss are excellent natural heat insulators that are easily embedded in cracks and reliably fill them, expanding and contracting as the free space changes.

Caulk seams and cracks with tow Source winterhouse.ru

Before use, the moss is first soaked briefly in water, then wrung out and rolled out with a roller on a flat surface. Lay it down damp. As it dries, it expands, gains volume and tightly fills all voids.

Which sealant to choose for a wooden house?

Interventional sealant for processing wooden log houses must be chosen wisely. We recommend purchasing special formulations. Only with them you will carry out effective sealing.

We recommend that you study forums on the Internet to find out which sealant is best to use for a wooden house. At them, craftsmen actively share their experience on the use of products for sealing wooden buildings.

Why do you need mastic?

When used correctly, these compounds help protect wood from swelling and deformation and create a reliable protective layer that:

• preserves natural color and makes it brighter;
• emphasizes the natural pattern of the fibers;
• reliably protects the wooden surface from dust and moisture.

Mastic saturates the wood with protective substances, making it resistant to moisture and giving it antiseptic properties. Wooden log houses treated with a special mastic can withstand wintering well, without fear of frost or snowfall. These compounds protect fibers, and regular treatment helps increase the service life of buildings for many years.

Popular types

Interventional sealant is made by both Russian and European manufacturers. Among all brands, the following are popular:

• Perma-Chink . Acrylic sealant that copes with sealing wide seams. The most elastic among other compounds. Interacts with different types of wood. Completely immune to ultraviolet radiation, low and high temperatures. The downside is the excessively high price.
• Energy-Seal . Helps cope with cracks up to 2.5 centimeters wide. It is characterized by a stable color. Not afraid of ultraviolet radiation. Can be used even in the worst weather.
• Remmers Acryl 100 . Sealant for seams up to 5 centimeters wide. It has good adhesion and is not afraid of prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. This product can withstand use for up to 25 years. The manufacturer produces the product in a line of 11 shades.
• Wepost Wood . Slovenian product with very high elasticity. Withstands more compression and expansion than most competitive products. This product can be used at low and high temperatures.
• Domestic production . Usually made on an acrylic base. Can be used in a variety of climatic zones. Available in four shades. They can create neat seams.

This list of wood sealants is not complete. In construction hypermarkets there are many more products that will satisfy expectations and suit the price range.

Features of hot solutions

They have deep penetrating ability and durability. This mastic can protect wood even from damp soil and constant humidity, and therefore is used for treating basement floors, pillars and floor joists.

To apply such a mastic, it is necessary to heat it to a temperature of about 180 degrees Celsius. The process of using hot compounds is associated with health risks, since severe burns can occur.

Using a gas burner to impregnate wood with mastic

Instructions for sealing seams between logs

Log sealant can only be used according to the instructions. However, there are also basic rules.

These recommendations will be useful when interacting with any subtype of such sealant. Let's study in more detail the algorithm of actions to carry out durable sealing of a wooden house with your own hands.

Preparing the surface

If the log house is relatively new, then preparing it before work will be short and simple. The seams must be thoroughly wiped from dust. With a building that has already been put into operation, you will have to work harder.

1. The outside walls must be treated with protective agents. Since the adhesion of sealant with such compounds will be poor, we recommend removing its top layer. The easiest way to work the base is with a grinder with an emery attachment. By the way, it is not at all necessary to sand untreated walls.
2. If you notice pockets of rot or mold, they will need to be eliminated. To do this, treat the infected areas with an antifungal agent.
3. Only after this do we fill the defects and imperfections found at the seams between the materials with inter-crown sealant.

Application process

If you have no experience in such matters, we recommend applying wood joint sealant to the horizontal seams between the crowns of the log houses. After this, move on to the joints at the corners of the connection.

Sealing seams in a wooden house is done according to the following principle:

• Wipe the area to be treated with a damp cloth. It must not be allowed to get wet, otherwise the material will not adhere to the wet wood.
• We install the tube in the gun and cut off the nose of the tip at approximately an angle of 45 degrees. The diameter of the hole made should not be more than 5 millimeters. If you are working with the compound in a bucket, then place the gun vertically to the hole in the lid. Then, holding the plate, pull the piston up.
• We put sealant into the gun. We install the tip between the logs and hold it parallel to the seam. The composition must be squeezed out smoothly, and the layer thickness should be approximately 6 millimeters.
• We dip a narrow spatula and iron the sealed seam, very carefully pressing it to the surface. Using the same spatula, we remove all excess material, trying to make an almost invisible layer.
• The color will appear only after 4-10 days. For 4 days after applying the sealant, the walls should not be wetted so that the seams have time to completely strengthen.

Sealing cracks in a wooden house

Interventional sealant is an indispensable tool for working with cracks on wooden surfaces. To seal the cracks correctly, follow these steps one by one:

1. We clean the crack from the debris accumulated in it.
2. We glue masking tape around the perimeter so that the sealant has a smooth edge.
3. We place the cord in the crack and seal it. We try to press it in about one centimeter.
4. Pour evenly into the cracks. Remove all residues with a wet spatula.
5. Carefully remove the tape. Let the crack dry.

Floor design

A typical floor structure includes several layers:

1. underlying layer (for floors on the ground);
2. waterproofing;
3. screed;
4. leveling layer or finishing screed;
5. fine coating.

The final floor covering can be made from various types of materials;

1. concrete;
2. tiles or porcelain stoneware;
3. linoleum or PVC tiles;
4. bulk polymer materials;
5. laminate;
6. piece or panel parquet;
7. parquet board;
8. wooden edged board.

Why do you need to seal log houses?

Sealant for wooden houses solves many problems that often arise in wooden houses. Consider the effect of weather on wooden structures.

The formation of cracks or insufficient sealing of log houses leads to the destruction of the tree. Due to contact with precipitation in the form of showers, fog, and increased levels of moisture in the air, mold appears, which provokes rotting. This negatively affects the service life of the building.

Sealant for log houses protects walls from blowing. This is an additional advantage during the cold season of the year.

Making your own mastic

If you don’t want to use ready-made mastic for one reason or another, you can make it yourself. To do this you will need the following components:

• wax (carnauba or beeswax) - 4 parts by mass;
• rosin (pine or gum) - 1 wt. share;
• turpentine (gum) - 2 wt. shares.

Strictly follow the indicated proportions. First you need to grate the wax and mix it with crushed rosin. Then this mixture is melted in a water bath (you need to stir it systematically).

Next comes the most dangerous part. Turpentine is very flammable. It must be heated in a container with hot water and avoid exposure to open flames. Heated turpentine is added to the prepared mixture of wax and rosin and mixed thoroughly.

At the last stage, the resulting mass is poured into a container. It cools and thickens, after which it can be used for application to wooden surfaces. Using mastic, you don’t have to worry about the condition of the wood: the coatings will be protected from abrasions, dirt and the appearance of unwanted microorganisms.

“Warm seam” application technology: how is it?

Warm joint wood sealant is applied using the same technology. This can only be done with a special pistol.

Using this technology, insulation and cord are placed under the sealant. With it, you will ensure effective sealing that will last for decades.

Recommendations from the experts

When buying sealant for a wooden house in Moscow, consider the principle of its application. Carefully study the main characteristics of the composition. The approximate sequence of all work will depend on them.

Do not trust untested products from unknown manufacturers. Their quality is rarely high. The market is replete with Chinese counterfeits. Therefore, be careful when purchasing, not losing sight of any embarrassing little detail.

We recommend watching a video on how to properly work with sealants for log houses. Here are some important recommendations for effectively filling joints in a wooden house:

Do you know another way of working from personal experience? Share it in the comments to the article to help other readers choose the most effective one.

A few more words about Terma-Chink sealant and sealing cord

The “warm seam” insulation technology has been very popular for decades. And year after year it proves its effectiveness. The secret is in the correct selection of materials, the experience of workers and the use of the right components. Of course, the main thing is to choose the right sealant. But if your choice is Terma-Chink or Accent 136 , there is nothing to worry about. It will help protect the log seams from blowing, get rid of cracks, and ensure the absence of “cold bridges.” In addition, the composition will significantly improve the thermal insulation properties of wood and the entire house, giving it a beautiful and aesthetic appearance.