using moss as insulation

Construction of a bathhouse at the initial stage requires from you not only high efficiency, but also responsibility in choosing the material. It is difficult to imagine a traditional Russian bathhouse without insulation.

Why, you ask? After all, it will be hot there even without it!

Log house insulated with moss.

Maybe you are right, but only in that the steam room is really a “hot” room. People have long used moss for baths, as it is the best natural material for insulation.

A wooden bathhouse, which is built with your own hands, needs this, and from natural types of material, so read the detailed description to make your final choice.

Construction moss is an effective insulation material for log houses

A finished log house requires timely insulation, so it is especially important to choose a high-quality and environmentally friendly material that will provide the building with proper air exchange.
There are two categories of insulation on the construction market - synthetic and natural.

Synthetic-based insulation materials are not particularly practical and safe to use, so they are not the best option for wooden buildings.

The right choice is construction moss for a log house. Natural insulation with high performance characteristics.

Selection and preparation

Moss has been used as insulation for a long time in the wooden construction of residential buildings and baths. This is a high-quality thermal insulation material that provides natural air exchange and insulation.

In addition, building moss is the most affordable insulation material in the price segment, which does not require special growing technology.

Two types of moss are used as the main inter-flower insulation material - sphagnum (white moss) and cuckoo flax (red moss).

Sphagnum

The scientific name for white moss is sphagnum. It grows in swampy, moist areas and in coniferous forests.

The plant has a long pile, is bright green on top and white on the bottom. Sphagnum is highly hygroscopic and has low strength, which does not prevent it from insulating wooden buildings.

A special feature of sphagnum is the absence of a powerful root system, which greatly simplifies the process of collecting it. The roots of the plant are small and not deep; when they die, they form peat fertilizer.

Excessive drying out leads to rapid thinning and reduction in volume of sphagnum. This negatively affects the caulking process and insulation in general. The thinner the moss and the smaller in volume, the more it needs to be used between the crowns of the bathhouse frame.

Kukushkin flax

Cuckoo flax or red moss, which is found in lower reaches, swamps or on the edges of forests, has slightly different properties. It is distinguished by tall and dense stems and large bright inflorescences.

Kukushkin flax has a bright red color and looks like flax.

Red moss differs from white moss in its increased density, elasticity and low hygroscopicity. Natural insulation that allows for high-quality insulation of various wooden buildings.

In some cases, construction tow is used, but it is less effective compared to natural moss. Experts assure that this is not the best option for insulating a building.

Tow does not ensure uniform filling of the grooves between the crowns, which leads to rapid wear and damage to the wooden structure. Often the laid tow is taken away by birds and mice to build nesting sites and create burrows. In addition, tow quickly gets wet and retains excess moisture for a long time, which leads to the formation of fungus and rotting of the wood.

Which natural insulation material should you prefer?

In order to determine which moss or tow is better for a bathhouse, it is necessary to consider and compare the characteristics of the representatives.

The advantages of moss are obvious: it does not rot, it is available and its price is low, however, the big disadvantage is that it dries out and subsequently begins to blow out of the cracks, so in areas where strong winds are normal, you will have to constantly caulk it.

When laying a log house, moss takes a lot of effort and a lot of time. Other modern materials make it possible to complete this work in a shorter period of time, so focus on the financial indicator and the allotted time spent on work.

Note! If the log house is built from wood that has been chopped with an axe, moss cannot be used. Give preference to jute or linen tow.

It must be remembered that some types of tow made from flax absorb moisture abundantly, which over time causes rotting.

However, they do have a common drawback - they are a favorite food for rodents and flying creatures (moths, birds), but moss is still less interesting for them.

Advantages of moss insulation

Natural moss, used as insulation for a log bathhouse, has a number of key advantages.

The most important performance characteristic of natural insulation is its effective control of high humidity that occurs between wooden beams. In this case, the insulation is able to quickly absorb excess moisture, preventing rotting and damage to the wooden structure.

The high content of natural phenolic resins in the stems of the plant makes this insulation a natural antiseptic that has a detrimental effect on fungi and microorganisms that destroy wood.

Natural materials for insulation

Moss is one of the traditional and most commonly used materials for insulating log buildings. This is a natural, environmentally friendly insulation that absorbs moisture, but does not rot, since it has antiseptic properties. The lichen acids included in its composition are capable of killing various types of bacteria - staphylococci, streptococci, tubercle bacilli and other pathogens.

Not just any moss can be used for insulation. The most suitable are the so-called cuckoo flax (red moss) and sphagnum moss (white moss). Both varieties perfectly prevent putrefactive processes and the formation of fungi, but laying sphagnum is a more labor-intensive and painstaking process, since this plant is quite fragile and crumbles a lot when dried. Unfortunately, over time, the moss dries out greatly, which makes it necessary to periodically carry out additional work to seal the cracks.

Procurement of raw materials before the main work

When using moss to insulate a log bathhouse, it is important to correctly collect and dry the raw materials. High-quality prepared raw materials allow you to quickly carry out caulking, as well as effectively influence wood pests and parasitic plants.

Harvesting and active drying of raw materials is carried out in the summer. Often, moss is harvested at the stage of installing the bathhouse frame before its shrinkage begins. Therefore, when carrying out caulking, the material must be dried as much as possible so as not to create obstacles to the process of shrinkage of the log house.

Sphagnum moss is harvested in warm sunny weather, which promotes rapid natural drying. It is resistant to sunlight, so loss of moisture does not affect its insulation characteristics. It is recommended to collect Kukushkin flax in cloudy weather, since such a plant is susceptible to active sun.

It is better to collect raw materials in a forest area under trees. Collected cuckoo flax is carefully laid out in a continuous ribbon on any base, and sphagnum - in small shocks or bunches. Drying directly depends on the degree of moisture of the raw material and can take 3–4 weeks.

Laying moss when assembling a log house

Assembling a log bathhouse and insulating it is a responsible process that requires attention and perseverance. Before starting work, the required amount of material must be prepared in advance.

The technology for laying moss on a log house depends on the type of raw material that was used.

When using sphagnum, the placement is carried out on logs in small bunches, previously fluffed by hand. The next bunch is laid out next to the previous one with an overlap to create a tight row. At the joints of logs, insulation is laid with a slight protrusion along the edge of 4 cm.

If cuckoo flax is used, then the laying on the logs is done with transverse ribbons, which are overlapped with each other. To obtain a denser layer, lightly fluff the material with your hands. When laying moss, logs are additionally treated with antiseptics, which provide the wood with the necessary protection in case of excessive humidity.

The consumption of insulation depends on the diameter and width of the beam. It is important that some of the moss hangs over the joints of the logs when caulking to seal the seams.

The thickness of the insulating layer must be at least 11 cm; subsequently, under the weight of the structure, the insulation will be compressed as much as possible. If there is not enough moss insulation, the seams will not be airtight, allowing excess cold to enter the room.

Insulating a bathhouse with natural mosses is an important stage in the process of external arrangement of a wooden structure, requiring a competent approach and skill.

Source

How to get moss on your own?

Collected moss.

If you want the insulation to be “homemade”, these instructions and assembly tips are for you:

Moss grows in the forest, so go there to collect it. The best time is when the snow melts.
Use bags for laying, however, do not compact the moss too much.
Choose clean places where the number of knots and cones is minimal, then the moss will be clean.
Choose a plant 15 - 20 cm long, it is less problematic when assembling.
Make about 25 bags (standard sizes).
After collecting the moss, do not lay, for example, a log house on top of it, it will begin to compact and an unpleasant odor is guaranteed.
When you arrive home, put the plant you collected in one place, in a “heap”. Choose a shady place so that it does not have time to dry out under the scorching sun.
Do not put off the work until later; over the long period of time the moss will become unusable; immediately upon arrival, begin assembling the frame and laying the moss.
Pour water over the collected material and fluff it up, this way it will be cleaned and the cones and twigs will fly out.

Note: When assembling moss, do not use additional tools; it is malleable, so you can easily handle it with your hands.

Selection and preparation

In addition, building moss is the most affordable insulation material in the price segment, which does not require special growing technology.

Two types of moss are used as the main inter-flower insulation material - sphagnum (white moss) and cuckoo flax (red moss).

Sphagnum

The scientific name for white moss is sphagnum. It grows in swampy, moist areas and in coniferous forests.

The plant has a long pile, is bright green on top and white on the bottom. Sphagnum is highly hygroscopic and has low strength, which does not prevent it from insulating wooden buildings.

Moss is the best insulation for hives and log cabins.

Some beekeepers believe that it is not at all necessary to insulate the hives for the winter. Therefore, the bees of such owners are left to spend the winter in the wild and are left to their own devices. Yes, it can and is possible to do this, but in regions with a warm and mild climate.

However, in regions with a predominance of negative temperatures in winter, it is still necessary to insulate the hives. Although it is no secret that bees themselves are able to maintain the required temperature in their home in winter, snuggling up to each other and generating heat, a beekeeper can help them maintain it.

Advantages of moss insulation

Natural moss, used as insulation for a log bathhouse, has a number of key advantages.

The high content of natural phenolic resins in the stems of the plant makes this insulation a natural antiseptic that has a detrimental effect on fungi and microorganisms that destroy wood.

What to consider when choosing a material?

The rules for choosing insulation are as follows:

interventional insulation must meet high safety standards and meet all quality standards;
it is best to choose a material with high elasticity, density, and durability;
the thermal insulation effect is achieved due to low thermal conductivity, but moisture and vapor resistance must be high;
the material must be resistant to mold, mildew, and harmful microorganisms;
UV and weather resistance is welcome.

How to properly insulate a log house, watch the video.

Using sphagnum moss to insulate a bathhouse

Since ancient times, moss and tow have been used as natural insulation for houses and baths. The advantages of using moss for a bathhouse are as follows: it is a natural antiseptic, is not susceptible to mold, mildew and other harmful microorganisms, is not susceptible to rotting and does not interfere with the natural ventilation of the bathhouse, in addition, it is moisture resistant and tolerates temperature changes well. In addition, this type of insulation is completely free, which makes it very attractive for people building a bathhouse. In addition, it can be used not only for insulating walls outside and inside a bathhouse, but also as insulation for floors and ceilings.

Technique for laying inter-crown sealant on a log

Let's look at how to properly use the material in your work.

Moss must be laid in the following way:

Remember! Dry moss does not allow itself to be manipulated, so pre-washing will allow the material to become more pliable.

Advice! Lift one end of the log and place it on the bowl, then lift the other end, about 50 - 60 cm higher from the place of laying, so as not to move the moss, and release it into the opposite bowl.

Tow is less problematic to work with, since the finished canvas does not require additional time for cleaning and even laying on the log.

Tape jute is especially convenient to use.

It differs only in the installation methods:

Attention! Crumpling the canvas is prohibited, as this leads to poor shrinkage and further damage to the wood.

Log caulking technology

Caulking is a stage in the construction process whereby gaps and crevices are filled with a special material to prevent the inside of a room from coming into contact with the outside environment.

Caulking of a stretched log house.

The goal of the work is to fill the visible cracks tightly, without gaps.

The caulking process goes like this.

Remember! One log needs to be compacted, both on one side and on the other.

Modern caulking tool.

After 12 months the process must be repeated.

Characteristics of moss and tow insulation

Moss

Moss is a natural, natural insulation material.

Characteristics: material of natural origin, which is used as insulation for log houses of wooden houses, baths, etc.

Kinds:

swamp;

Swamp moss.

red;

Red moss.

hog;

This is not suddenly fallen snow, but pine forest white moss.

sphagnum.

Sphagnum moss or sponge moss.

Properties:

natural antiseptic;
does not rot;
keeps warm;
does not interfere with natural ventilation;
moisture resistant;
withstands sudden changes in temperature;
does not lend itself to fungus and mold.

Tow

Tow is a coarse, short fiber from waste production of bast crops.

Tow.

Tow for a bath comes in the following types:

Construction is flax fiber with a length of 30–40 cm, produced mainly from hemp;

Construction tow

Linen tow is a type of tow similar to construction, but differs in the material used.

Linen tow.

Please note: flax tow has the lowest thermal conductivity. Out of 50% moisture, it absorbs only 8%, when the figure for other representatives is 13%.

Ribbon is linen ribbons of various widths.

Tape tow.

Note: the advantages remain with the tape type, since the longitudinal structure of the fiber is preserved during production, which allows you to manipulate the thickness and width of the compacted seam.

Linen felt is presented in the form of a canvas.

Linen felt.

Jute tow is an analogue of flax, made from the jute bush.

Jute tow.

General properties:

high environmental indicator;
water resistance;
thermal insulation;
sound insulation;
moisture resistance.

Sale of various types of moss

sells the most popular types of moss.
These are Sphagnum moss, Kukushkin flax moss, and Yagel - reindeer moss. You can buy these types of natural plants from our warehouse in the Moscow region. Wholesale sales – from 10 bags. As a rule, we do not engage in retail single sales. You can order and buy moss for insulating hives or for building a wooden frame by calling the numbers listed in the contacts section.

Do-it-yourself insulation

Mineral wool

Before starting insulation measures, it is necessary to properly prepare the surface. Preparation includes cleaning the wall from dirt, dismantling ventilation duct grilles, air conditioning, shutters, window slopes, and other protruding elements. Because if you leave a metal object under the sheathing, it may begin to corrode, rust will begin to build up, which over time may come out as a brown stain on the wall.

Mineral wool

If the walls have been plastered or painted, clean them; if there are areas that are contaminated with mold, treat everything with special solutions. After this, you can’t start work right away; wait until the surface is completely dry. If the house was wooden, treat everything with an antiseptic.

Don’t forget about your safety - we recommend doing everything in clothes that completely cover your body and using a respirator. If you choose the siding mounting method, it is the easiest and does not require perfectly aligned walls. It is necessary to prime the surface with a deeply penetrating primer using a paint brush.

The next step is marking for attaching the frame guides; this is done using wooden beams or metal profiles. The thickness of the timber depends on the thickness of the mineral wool. The distance at which the bars are packed corresponds to the size of the sheets of cotton wool.

In order to secure the guides, use dowels; the wool is laid from the floor upward, secured with disc-shaped dowels. If you have a brick wall, it is better to use a special glue, for example, Ceresit ST 190, and fix it on top with a dowel. It is very important to avoid gaps.

First, whole elements are laid, and then they move on to covering window and door slopes. The cracks are sealed with small pieces of material, fixed with masking tape.

Then we make reinforcement; to do this, apply glue to the heat-insulating surface and press the reinforcing mesh on top. And apply more glue on top of the reinforcing material, this will prevent deformation of the slabs and also protect against moisture.

Mineral wool reinforcement

And then we will consider the option for siding. In this case, we recommend making a ventilated facade for self-removal of condensate. To do this, a vapor barrier layer is laid on top of the mineral wool, fixation is done using staples, as well as a dowel with a large hat; to restore the insulation, these places are glued with tape.

Next, the profile is attached, and the siding is attached to it; do not forget that between the siding and the insulating pie there should be a gap of 6-7 cm for ventilation. If you decide to treat everything with plaster, there is a nuance in this method regarding the reinforcing mesh, it is necessary lay with an overlap of 10-12 cm.

This is done to ensure that there are no cracks in the plaster in the future. Then prime the wall; if it turns out to be uneven, you can apply a small layer of plaster, then, when the layer has dried, proceed to finishing the facade. Isover cotton wool has proven itself to be excellent for such work.

Styrofoam

For such work, EPPS material with a thickness of 50 mm to 200 mm is used, but 150 mm is most often used, although for houses in which permanent residence is not provided, less is suitable. So, first of all, clean the wall surface from previously made finishing, sheathing, remove nails, if there are cracks, fill them with foam. Do not start work on a wet surface, as this will lead to the growth of fungal spores.

Insulation from the attic

Almost all types of insulating materials are used to insulate the ceiling on the cold attic side. Bulk options, hard foam slabs, and soft cotton mats are in use.

Both industrial products and good old folk materials are used. The main advantages of the former include manufacturability. Their manufacturers have thought through and provided everything for the quick implementation of lightweight installation.

Folk remedies are much more difficult to install. It is not easy to collect them in the required volume, and even to deliver them to the place of work, which is most often done by hand in buckets. But they are much cheaper, better than industrial products, they coexist with wood and do not emit toxins harmful to us.

The installation of thermal insulation from the attic space requires periodic maintenance of the insulation system.

Bulk materials must be periodically loosened so that they dry better, the rest must be inspected and artificially dried, for example, with a hairdryer if necessary.

For inspection and maintenance, “paths” of two or three boards are constructed along the joists above the thermal insulation. If it is planned to pour the screed over heat-insulating boards and rigid mats, then the trajectory of the proposed path is laid out with a reinforcing mesh.

Use of mineral wool

The group of mineral wools includes glass wool, stone (i.e. basalt) wool and slag wool. In recent years, glass wool has been used less and less due to its ability to “dust” abundantly with small glassy particles, which are strictly prohibited from inhaling.

Working with glass wool is only allowed in a respirator and goggles. In addition, the smallest glass fibers are harmful to the skin.

Therefore, personal protective equipment should include overalls made of thick fabric with strong elastic bands on the legs and sleeves, and gloves are also a must.

Slag wool is not used for insulating ceilings in low-rise buildings due to its toxicity. What remains is basalt, also known as stone wool, produced from volcanic rocks. This is because it is not harmful to use and is easy to install.

The technology for installing thermal insulation with basalt wool is determined by the type of floor:

The wool is cut before installation. Cut it so that the piece is at least 2 cm wider and longer than the actual size of the cell.

Before installing in place, the cotton piece is slightly compressed so that after it straightens out in its proper place and covers the entire space. This prevents the formation of cold bridges.

Thermal insulation with polystyrene foam boards

Slab insulation is used mainly on reinforced concrete floors. It is difficult to choose the size for laying in the space between the joists. You have to cut, waste time, and often material when cutting incorrectly, and in general it’s difficult to do everything without gaps, and these are ways for heat loss.

In arranging an insulation complex for reinforced concrete floors, two types of slab thermal insulation are used:

Before installing slab thermal insulation on the cold attic side, the foundations must be repaired and leveled. The vapor barrier film is laid in the form of a pallet with sides curved onto the walls.

Lay the slabs freely. Placed in two layers with seams separated in the lower and upper tier. If Penoplex with a mounting chamfer is used, the seams do not need to be sealed; if polystyrene is used, then the seams and stacks are filled with sealant or mounting foam.

Screeding on slabs is most often carried out partially, only in the area where service paths are installed. It is either filled with a cement-sand mixture with a reinforcing mesh layer not exceeding 4 cm, or constructed from gypsum fiber sheets.

If the solution is poured, then waterproofing is laid over the insulation. Purely so that concrete milk does not seep into the insulation and affect its insulating qualities.

Arrangement with expanded clay gravel

The most famous backfill thermal insulation material is expanded clay. It is used both directly for insulation and to lighten insulating compounds and mixtures. Expanded clay is produced in the form of gravel ranging in size from 4 to 10 mm.

Expanded clay is made from environmentally friendly, easily sintered clay. The material is affordable, non-flammable, moisture-resistant, lightweight, which greatly facilitates delivery and filling. They pour it either into the space between the joists, or directly onto the reinforced concrete floor.

Before filling the expanded clay, the base is covered with a vapor barrier film, the edges of which, according to tradition, extend onto the walls. These peculiar sides should be 10-15 cm above the level of the gravel layer poured onto the ceiling.

It is not necessary to arrange maintenance paths on expanded clay. You can walk straight on the backfill. Periodically it needs to be turned with a rake so that all the artificial pebbles of the insulating layer can dry.

In addition to expanded clay, a wide range of folk fill-in insulation products are still used, attracting mainly owners of eco-houses as adherents of materials that are safe for themselves and the environment.

Bulk folk materials

Adherents of environmentally friendly construction methods have their own opinion, based on centuries of successful practice, regarding the options for thermal insulation of the ceiling.

They believe that it is correct and reasonable to insulate both the ceiling under a cold roof and the slopes using natural materials.

In terms of insulating qualities, natural options are certainly inferior to industrially produced insulation materials.

Is it possible, using modern tape insulation, to do without secondary caulking?

No you can not. Despite the high surface density and uniform thickness of the insulation layer along its entire length, when settling a house, linen and jute fabric still shrinks up to 5–6% in its height, which is 10–15 cm per floor. This means that the resulting cracks will have to be sealed. This can only be avoided in the case of a building made of laminated veneer lumber, and not at all because of the special properties of the insulation, but only because such buildings themselves are practically not susceptible to sedimentary processes and lose only 1–1.5 cm of height per two floors .

Floor with subfloor on stilts

The transfer of heat from the plank flooring to the ground can be slowed down by increasing the air gap and covering the ground with even a small layer of material that does not transfer heat well.

In this case, the floor is constructed in the same way as a floating one on a solid fill, but a rigid support is installed under each intersection of the joists. In modern construction, the implementation of such a system is undertaken by piles: screw or made using TISE technology.

At the same time, the ground in the building is significantly lowered, which is quite normal for an old, established log house without a foundation with logs in girth. In the more modern MZLF, exposing one face of the foundation is unacceptable - torsional and lateral loads arise, for which working reinforcement is almost never provided. Therefore, the floor joist system is installed in two levels: the first with beams in the spacer inside the tape, and the second with boards on the edge, on top of the tape and the log.

If it is not planned to warm up the subfloor by circulating room air, the top row of joists is covered with synthetic burlap, supported by slats stuffed onto the bottom row. The cells of the floor joists can contain insulation, including loose insulation. If necessary, increase its thickness by adding a counter-lattice.

To reduce the volume of soil removed and support the foundation, a blade one meter wide and 40–50 cm high is left underneath, but no closer than 20 cm to the back surface of the boards. Expanded clay or perlite mixed with lime, as well as more natural materials, can be used as a heat-cutting fill. For example, reeds, straw or moss, dried and sprinkled with dry sand, then laid over a layer of waterproofing.

Red moss for a log house

All about building red moss

1.Red moss – inter-crown insulation for log houses made from hand-cut logs

If you decide to build a house or a bathhouse from hand-cut logs, and in compliance with all traditional technologies, then you probably know that construction moss is used as an inter-crown insulation for the log house.

There is varied and conflicting information on the Internet regarding building moss. Different species of this marsh plant are discussed. Most often, two compete for the title of best: white and red moss. The first is called sphagnum, and the second is popularly called “cuckoo flax”. By the way, red moss is the only inter-crown insulation made from mosses that has received such an “honor” as to have its own colloquial name, unlike the others.

It so happened historically that the best building material for wooden houses grows in the north of our country - both wood and moss for insulation between the crowns of the log house. In the north, both red and white moss grow.

But only one of them is considered the best inter-crown insulation, reliable and “eternal” - red moss or “cuckoo flax”.

Preference is given to red moss in wooden architecture because of its exceptional properties, which have undergone centuries of testing and have proven themselves to be the best.

First of all, this is the “eternity” of red moss: it does not rot, does not decompose, and does not crumble over time. When dismantling dilapidated centuries-old huts, for example, even between the rotten crowns of a log house, the moss is preserved in its original form.

red moss or cuckoo flax

Unlike white, cuckoo flax does not crumble into powder over time, since it has a special, rigid structure. Red moss does not absorb moisture, and when it dries, it only becomes harder and more elastic. In appearance and to the touch, aged and dried red moss resembles the finest copper wire. It acquires a reddish-brownish tint and does not break or crumble in the hand. In contrast to white, which tends to swell with water, absorb and retain moisture 20-25 times greater than the plant’s own weight, and when dry, crumble into dust. This is due to the fact that sphagnum has special water-storing cells on the leaves and stems with transparent hollow holes in their structure, which quickly become saturated with water from dampness.

Therefore, the best carpenters in Russia - experienced masters of wooden architecture and bearers of the age-old traditions of this craftsmanship - categorically and unanimously declare that the best inter-crown insulation for log houses made from hand-cut logs is red moss or cuckoo flax.

But since sphagnum is more widespread and grows not only in the north of Russia, but also in warmer regions and spreads to the west, due to the shortage of such a unique insulation material as red moss, white moss is also used. For example, in Belarus, white moss is widespread in swamps, which is why it is used as insulation between the crowns of log houses - in the absence of better and higher quality red moss.

white moss or sphagnum

How white moss (sphagnum) grows in the forest

This is why the inexperienced man in the street is often sold on white moss instead of the unique and rarer red moss, they say, “it will do, anyway, many people build with white moss.”

But don’t be so gullible and don’t let yourself be deceived. Require builders to assemble the frame only with red moss. It grows in sufficient quantities in the northern regions of Russia and therefore it will not be difficult to find it.

2.Where does red moss grow?

As mentioned above, red moss grows in the northern forest regions of our country in damp and wetlands, and is less common in central Russia.

In the coniferous forests of the Kostroma region, it is found along with white moss and often grows next to it.

glade with red moss

Kukushkin flax often grows in the same place as the main building materials for log houses - pine and spruce. If these coniferous trees can be found in forest plots in drier places, then not far away, in the neighborhood, there are damp or marshy areas overgrown with moss. Therefore, in the old days, in the north, a tradition developed, simultaneously with timber harvesting, to also harvest inter-crown insulation for the future log house.

It is worth noting that along with the wide distribution of both white and red moss, builders still preferred red, because We have already well studied the properties of both the first and the second. Therefore, the white moss was simply ignored, and the red one growing nearby was stored for the future log house.

How red moss (cuckoo flax) grows in the forest

3.What does red moss look like: comparison in appearance with white

Red moss has a characteristic appearance, by which it is easy to distinguish it from others, including white moss.

Kukushkin flax is shaped like flax stems, and the seed pod at the end of the stem is somewhat similar to a bird, which is why it is popularly called “cuckushkin flax.” This plant was of great economic importance in the construction industry in Rus', which is why it was so popular.

A thin stalk of reddish-brown color of cuckoo flax has a length of 15 to 40 cm. The longer the moss stalk, the better - it is more convenient to work with it, placing it in the inter-crown grooves of the log house.

bunch of plucked red moss

At the very base, near the ground and up to almost half of its length, cuckoo flax has a reddish color, and further along the height it has a rich dark green color. The leaves on the stem that is closer to the sun are elongated and narrow in shape, and the closer to the ground, the less light falls on them, therefore, the greenery disappears, turning into a brown color, and the leaves resemble thorns or needles.

Frame floor system

When constructing a wooden house on a pile-grillage foundation, the option of an underground floor disappears by itself. What is required here is a system that can reliably lock the heat inside and allow the use of floor heating, at least under the influence of natural convection.

The problem is solved by installing a crown of logs on the foundation, built like a frame for a floating floor: with hemming and running. These logs play the role of a second grillage, but their cell size is smaller - about 100–120 cm versus 4–5 meters for concrete beams under load-bearing walls. When laying logs on top of the grillage, they are separated by several layers of waterproofing and a windproof membrane with good vapor permeability is stretched.

The next task is to attach the windbreak with slats to the bottom surface of the joists. Although you can get to the joists through the ventilation gap under the grillage, working in cramped conditions and in poor lighting is quite a challenge. Do not screw the strips with self-tapping screws, they will wrap the wind protection around themselves. Instead, use 10mm shingles and small rough nails.

The floor insulation has the same thickness as the logs of a wooden grillage. A low-density mineral filler is usually used here; in the classic version, these are several layers of rolled wool. To support heavier materials, the cell can be lined from the inside with a polymer mesh or wire can be wound onto press washers.

1 — wind protection trim strips; 2 - logs; 3 - wind protection; 4 - mineral insulation; 5 - vapor barrier; 6 - sandwich panel

If the thickness of the beams is from 120 mm, after laying the insulation, they can be covered with a vapor barrier, and then the floor can be laid with sandwich panels with a mineral or polymer core. The floor system can also be provided with logs made of boards on edge, if the thickness of the insulation is not enough based on the results of thermal engineering calculations.

Types of swamps in the Russian Federation and the world

A swamp is an area of land where there is excessive moisture in the ground from running or sewage water. On the surface of the soil there is an accumulation of organic substances due to a lack of oxygen (this may be undecomposed remains of plants, leaves, etc.), which are subsequently converted into valuable fuel - peat. Swamps are found in almost all continents of the earth. They are common in the Russian Federation, Arginine, Indonesia, Ukraine, USA, Brazil, Canada, Belarus. Moreover, they all differ from each other, because there are several varieties of swamps.

Varieties of swamps

Swamps differ in hydrological characteristics from many other existing bodies of water. But at the same time, it is impossible to draw a sharp boundary between a lake, a dry land and a swamp; their state changes smoothly. That is why there can be several definitions of the concept “swamp”. It can be compared to a lake with bound water or to land containing more than 90% moisture and less than 10% dry component.

All swamps in the Russian Federation and throughout the world, based on their nutrition and vegetation, can be divided into 3 main types:

Lowland swamps. Their nutrition (water-mineral) is provided by nearby groundwater, saturated with mineral salts. These swamps are located along the shores of lakes, in floodplains, etc. Lowland swamps are accompanied by rich vegetation, you can find alder, birch, reeds, green moss, broad-leaved cattail, etc.
Raised bogs. They feed on precipitation, and their water is highly acidic. Groundwater is located close to the surface of raised bogs. And their territories are inhabited by pines, larches, dwarf birches, sphagnum, blueberries, cranberries, and heather, which are content with meager mineral nutrition. But the peat layer can reach 3-4 meters thick, although the peat deposit grows slowly, about 1 mm per year. On the territory of Russia, the number of raised bogs is much greater than lowland and transitional ones.
Transitional swamps. Their diet is moderate. These swamps contain birch, larch, small shrubs, green moss, including sphagnum, which are abundantly moistened, but receive insufficient oxygen. This swamp is transitional between lowland and upland.

Swamps can also be forested, where the existing vegetation is dominated by trees, shrubs, grasses and mosses. Based on their relief, they can be divided into flat, convex and lumpy.

The largest swamp in the world

The largest swamp in the whole world is Vasyugan. It is located in the center of Siberia (covers the Tomsk, Novosibirsk and Omsk regions) and occupies an area of about 53,000 square meters. km. This swamp appeared more than 10,000 years ago, and over the years it has only grown. Initially, this territory contained about 19 swamps, which eventually merged into one body of water. Now there are about 800 lakes in it, a large number of streams and rivers originate from here.

In Siberia, the Vasyugan swamp is the main source of fresh water. It cleanses the atmosphere by absorbing toxic substances. It also preserves the natural environment; here you can find rare medicinal plants, endangered birds and animals. This swamp contains large reserves of peat; gas and oil fields have been successfully developed on its territory more than once.

Swamps are of interest to many geologists, ecologists, soil scientists, etc. They play a big role in the economy, ecology and climatic conditions of territories around the world. Swamp waters are equipped with natural organic substances and valuable peat deposits. They are mainly formed in the Northern Hemisphere, in forests due to waterlogging or overgrowing of water bodies, excess humidity, topography, lack of drainage, lowlands.

Bathroom floors

The biggest problem in a wooden house is the need to cast a preparatory screed. And if, to heat the floor, the accumulating screed is cast after installing a compensation layer on top of the subfloor with total waterproofing, then how to lower the floor in the bathroom by the required 50 mm?

This cannot be done without intervention in the floor system. In frame houses, the bathroom is located in a separate grillage cell, but it is cast solid, possibly with transverse ribs. The depth of the cell should be sufficient to lay the required amount of synthetic insulation, lay out the drainage system and, at least partially, rough plumbing.

Next comes the classic scheme of a frame floor with a screed: joists and flooring or SIP, waterproofing, pouring a cement-sand mixture or expanded clay concrete with lightweight reinforcement. A separate advantage of such a system is the ability to easily arrange a common floor drain.

1 - cranial block; 2 - boardwalk; 3 - lags; 4 - vapor barrier; 5 - insulation; 6 - OSB flooring; 7 - waterproofing; 8 - reinforced screed

The same principle applies to houses on strip foundations. If the walls of the bathroom are solid, at least a tape is poured under them, separating the insulated screed in the bathroom from the main floor system. If we are talking about prefabricated partitions, they are built on the subfloor, the end is covered with a board and the insulated screed is poured over the ground again.

Insulation of chimney penetration

When performing this type of insulation work, it is necessary to take into account that the surface of the chimney has a high degree of heat. For this reason, many experts recommend using either clay or cement. The main thing to remember is that there should be no gaps. All adjacent surfaces should be carefully sealed. Read the instructions on how to make a door to a bathhouse on this page.