Wall Insulation
Logspan offers a wall insulation system for timber buildings that can be incorporated into the original log cabin build or fitted retrospectively. However we can understand that you may wish take on this task yourself if you feel wall insulation is necessary and you have the ability to do it.
With this in mind, before you embark on such a task you should read the following information on log cabin design.
Sliding brackets
Wood swells and shrinks in response to changes in the relative humidity of the air around it, expanding and contracting with seasonal changes in temperature and humidity. So in the winter months timber will expand and in the summer months it will contract.
Log cabins are designed to allow individual logs to expand and contract, and these seasonal changes happen even if the wood was kiln dried. As each and every log changes in its height there will be an accumulative rise or fall in the overall height of the wall. The movement from minimum height to maximum height can be quite considerable.
If you were to fix studding directly to the outer wall for the purpose of creating a cavity and then cladding internally, the studding would restrict the natural movement in the log wall and this would result in loose logs and gaps appearing in the wall between the logs which could allow moisture to penetrate into the insulation void.
It is therefore essential that any studding is attached to the walls with a sliding bracket system or similar method that does not restrict the log walls natural movement.
Also, if the roof is attached to the outer log wall, and the outer log wall contacts, then the roof will lower relative to the floor. Any inner wall must be designed to allow adequate clearance for the ceiling to lower without bottoming out on the top of the inner wall. If it did then it might cause the roof to become detached from its outer wall, or it may prevent the top log of the outer wall from staying in close contact with its lower neighbour and therefore create a gap in the wall and hence the previously mentioned risk of moisture ingress.
Our Runner/Guide Sliding Bracket System
All windows and doors should not create a rigid link from the inner wall to the outer wall. They must allow the two walls to move independently of each other.
A properly designed cavity wall insulation system will also incorporate a damp proof membrane, a vapour control barrier and an air gap.
We also have an information page detailing Floor and Roof Insulation
