How to properly insulate a log house outside

Insulating a log house from the outside is a forced measure. With a standard wall thickness of 200 mm, buildings will freeze in winter, and the use of additional heating devices will be too expensive. It is much more profitable to invest in the thermal insulation of a building once and forget about the cold and space utility bills forever. Warming a house from a bar outside is a fairly simple procedure that you can do yourself. To achieve the desired result, you should familiarize yourself with the types of heaters, the technologies for their application and choose the right way to solve the problem with the cold.

The advantages of insulating a log house from the outside

To make the right decision on how to insulate a log house, you should consider the pros and cons of indoor and outdoor options.

In an effort to preserve the beauty and representativeness of the facades of their wooden houses, many decorate them from the inside. There are few advantages in this - external aesthetics and ease of work. The disadvantages are much more significant than the advantages - the narrowing of the usable space and the destruction of wood from dampness.

Insulating a house from a bar outside has the following advantages:

• The dew point is located on the outside of the building. The tree is not exposed to dampness and temperature changes. This helps to extend the life of the property.
• Protecting the building from the effects of destructive weather factors, which include precipitation, ultraviolet radiation, insects, animals and microorganisms.
• Stable conditions. Due to the presence of an external insulating barrier, the wood maintains a constant temperature and humidity. This prevents deformation of the material and the formation of cracks in it.
• Conservation of usable space. There is no need to move or take out furniture, temporarily relocate and carry out labor-intensive general cleaning.
• The ability to provide high-quality ventilation of the room, subject to the correct choice of insulation materials.

External thermal insulation ensures comfortable living of people in the building at any time of the year, regardless of the weather conditions.

What needs to be considered when insulating walls

When planning to insulate a log cottage, it is necessary to take into account a number of nuances that are inherent in the material from which the walls are erected. This will help avoid mistakes that can be costly for the property owner.

The following features should be taken into account:

• Houses erected from massive timber give a noticeable shrinkage within 2-3 years after construction. It is necessary to wait until the end of this process. Glued laminated timber practically does not change its dimensions.
• Before starting work, you need to carefully inspect the wood for mechanical damage and foci of decay. The affected areas should be removed, holes and cracks should be caulked with jute, tow or linen.
• Since after finishing the access to the timber from the street side will be closed, it is necessary to prepare it for conservation. The material is abundantly impregnated with an antiseptic, which will protect the walls from microorganisms and insects.
• Installation is best done in dry weather when the wood contains a minimum amount of moisture.Otherwise, when it dries, the timber will lead, and the insulation will get wet.

It is necessary to think over the way of insulation in advance so that the house can breathe after finishing finishing. This is the main advantage of wooden structures.

DIY insulation options

Thermal insulation technology is determined by the choice of material. Depending on its ventilation characteristics, a decision is made to create a particular system, methods of its installation and decoration. There are options for pasting, spraying and creating a vertical surface with an air gap. Each of them has its own characteristics that need to be considered when planning.

Hinged ventilated facade

This design allows you to protect the wood from external factors, while leaving the moisture free to leave the room. The system is a heat-insulating shield mounted a few centimeters from the wall.

The ventilated facade is assembled in the following sequence:

1. Manufacturing of a vertical bar frame with a height of 50 mm. A horizontal visor is made from the top of the board. This part is designed to protect the gap from precipitation. The wood is pretreated with an antiseptic.
2. Sheathing of the structure with vapor barrier fabric. Slack should be made up to 10 mm per section so that the fabric does not tear when it cools and shrinks.
3. Creation of lathing for insulation. For foam, the width is set to 100 cm, and for mineral wool - 10-15 mm narrower than the slab.
4. Laying heat-insulating material in the crate. Polystyrene is inserted and immediately fixed with polyurethane foam. Cotton slabs are placed in a spacer and held in place by elasticity.
5. Installation of windproof film. Also done with a little slack.

The final stage is the external finishing of the structure. For this, metal and polymer panels, waterproof plywood or boards are used. The created cake will protect the house from the sun's rays, winter cold and summer heat.

Polyurethane spraying

It is a good insulation, lightweight and durable. It should be borne in mind that for finishing a wooden house you need to use polyurethane foam with open voids. This type of material conducts steam well and provides natural ventilation of the building. If you use polyurethane foam with a closed cellular structure, then it will hermetically seal the wood, which will lead to the appearance of a thermos effect in the house.

Polyurethane insulation is carried out according to the following method:

1. The wall is covered with a vapor-permeable membrane fabric.
2. At a distance of 80-100 cm, boards treated with an antiseptic are attached to the wall in a vertical orientation. Their width is selected based on 2 cm more than the planned foam layer. Given the low thermal conductivity of polyurethane foam, 5-8 cm of insulation is enough.
3. The mixture is being prepared. Both compositions are mixed alternately, then they are drained into one tank, to which a hose with a spray bottle is connected.
4. Hard-to-reach places are processed - every corner, holes, openings. Then the foam is applied from bottom to top, evenly distributed over the space of the frame. The layer thickness should not exceed 50 mm.
5. The next layer is applied if necessary. This can be done only after the previous one has completely dried.
6. Cutting sags protruding beyond the level of the battens. This operation can be done with a two-handed saw or with a long cutter with a thin and sharp blade.
7. Installation of a membrane type windproof film.

After the surface of the insulation is leveled, it must be sheathed with one of the finishing materials that do not transmit ultraviolet radiation.

Foam insulation

Polyfoam is produced in the form of plates 100x100 cm, 5 cm and 10 cm thick. The material has high insulating characteristics, ease and simplicity of installation.The downside is that this insulation and its analogues - penoplex and isoplat - practically do not conduct air. When glued directly to the walls in a building, natural air exchange is disturbed. Therefore, it is advisable to make such a decision in the event that the ventilation of the building no longer works due to the sealed interior decoration.

Warming is carried out in the following sequence:

1. The layout of the plates is drawn up, the markings are applied.
2. A wooden strip or metal profile is fixed to the base.
3. The adhesive is mixed. Plates are applied pointwise to provide a ventilation gap.
4. The fastening of the plates begins from one of the corners. Each subsequent row is glued with an offset of half the board.
5. Fixing the foam with self-tapping screws with wide caps at 5 points.
6. Pasting the surface with a mounting mesh.
7. Application of plaster to the insulation.

If ventilation materials have been used, the surface is covered with paint with similar properties.

Mineral wool insulation

Mineral wool has excellent insulating properties, lightness and durability. But along with gas permeability, stone, slag and glass materials absorb moisture well. This feature must be taken into account during installation.

Insulation is carried out in the following order:

1. The bearing surfaces are upholstered with vapor-permeable fabric.
2. A wooden or steel frame is made.
3. Plates are inserted into the frame end-to-end, with a small seal.
4. The remaining slots are filled with polyurethane foam.
5. A windproof film is stretched over the frame.
6. The crate is being made. For this, wooden slats or steel profiles are used.
7. Finishing is in progress.

Another option for insulation is gluing the boards directly to the wall. After that, a steel or plastic mesh is attached to them, plaster and paint are applied.

Insulation for siding

Insulation for siding involves the manufacture of a frame that matches the parameters of panels and component parts. In addition, the dimensions of the materials used in the work are taken into account. The slats are fastened in such a way that hard slabs fit butt between them, and soft slabs with compressive force. Depending on the composition of the filler, a decision is made to use a vapor-permeable and windproof fabric. All structures with a frame - ventilated, sprayed and pasted over - can be finished with siding.

Finishing wall cladding

The finish must be strong enough to withstand mechanical stress, contact with biological organisms, ultraviolet radiation, temperature and humidity changes for a long time.

The following materials are used for cladding:

• block house;
• lining;
• plastic panels;
• vinyl siding;
• metal slats;
• engineering board.

The choice of finishing is determined by financial capabilities, landscaping of the yard and the aesthetic priorities of the property owner.