Chinking Repair
Log Cabin Chinking Repair
When it comes to building, purchasing or maintaining a log cabin, you can’t go far without discussing log cabin chinking.
Chinking is the material that fits between the imperfect joints of logs to ensure a “seal” from external elements (e.g. rain, snow and sleet) whilst eliminating heat loss and air infiltration. In simple terms, chinking is the flexible sealant used during your log home’s construction or maintenance to seal joins between the logs, gaps, holes and checking.
Log Home Chinking today has replaced the traditional portland cement and daubing which historically was used on log homes over 200 years old. Since the origin of log cabins, chinking has long been a hallmark of these beautiful homes.
However, log cabin chinking today can be a complicated topic:
- Should you use cement based or synthetic chinking?
- How much does log cabin chinking cost?
- How can you make your own chinking (what’s the best chinking recipe)?
- What are the techniques and methods to apply chinking to a log home?
- What is caulking and is this different from chinking?
We need chinking for our log cabin to:
- Create a “seal” from external elements (e.g. rain, snow and sleet) whilst protecting the logs from pooling/standing water which could result in rotten logs.
- Eliminating heat loss and air infiltration to maximize your cabin’s energy rating by correctly insulating the cabin.
- Prevent against bug and insect infestation through tiny gaps in your log cabin’s wall.
Logs aren’t perfect.
Logs can twist, kink, cup and bow.
Changes in the environment, humidity, sun and shade exposure and geographic differences can cause logs to move as their moisture content changes.
Logs also have an uneven nature and structure.
Consequently, it’s near impossible to build a log cabin with logs that notch perfectly together without any gaps.
A build like this, would also be a bad thing.
As your log home settles and the logs expand and contract (due to the factors above), if there wasn’t a gap for the logs to move into it would cause further twisting and bowing of logs.
In short, chinking is the material that is placed between the logs of a log home.
Chinking is to logs as mortar is to bricks.
Chinking is a flexible material used to fill gaps where logs don’t meet completely. Essentially, chinking a log home will ensure logs that don’t fit together perfectly have a nice seal.
This “nice seal” is the best maintenance-free form of protection again moisture and air infiltration, insulation, and fire barriers for your log home.
Not all log cabins require chinking. Why?
It depends upon the notch used.
If the cabin has an air-tight notch (e.g Scandinavian Chinkless) it won’t require chinking.
All other forms of cabin notches will (e.g. dovetail, corner and butt and pass).
What Material is Chinking Made From?
Today, log home chinking refers to a flexible elastic sealant that resembles the appearance of the old portland cement which historically was used to seal logs together.
Prior to cement-based chinking; traditional chinking was made from a mixture of clay, sand, lime, silt, ash and dirt.
The inner layer was traditionally known as “daubing” and the out-layer more commonly known as “chinking”.
Chinking in summary should allow your cabin’s logs to breathe whilst also protecting your cabin from the external elements discussed earlier.
Types of Log Home Chinking
Today, we have two main schools of thought for chinking materials:
- Mortar Chinking
- Synthetic Chinking
Mortar chinking continues the traditional approach of chinking log homes and is mainly used for do-it-yourself log cabins (i.e. cabins built from scratch).
Synthetic chinking is made from either acrylic or petrochemical elastic compounds which have the ability to expand and contract with your logs.
Synthetic chinking is commonly water-based, however, a few are oil-based.
So, what are the major differences?
PRICE
Typically mortar chinking is 10% of the price of synthetic chinking. We will discuss this more in the price section later.
From experience, log cabin kits use synthetic chinking and self-build cabin owners use mortar chinking.
Whichever chinking you decide upon, it must have good elastic properties.
Understanding that your cabin will settle and planning for it with flexible chinking is important.
Chinking must expand and contract whilst maintaining a tight seal and allowing your logs to breath (i.e. not trapping moisture).
So, Mortar Chinking or Synthetic Chinking?
It depends.
If you are building from a log cabin kit home you probably will use synthetic chinking as the logs will need to settle in their new climate and environment.
If you are building a cabin from scratch then you will probably use a self-made mortar chinking; providing the logs have been felled locally and have properly dried out.
This is not a strict rule.
In reality when building your log cabin, you can choose from either material.
However, from experience, self-builders will use mortar to give a more authentic finish and save on cost.
What’s the Difference Between Caulking and Chinking?
You might have heard of the phrases caulking and chinking being used interchangeably, however there is a difference.
The main difference between caulking and chinking comes to their purpose.
Both are somewhat similar in material.
However, caulking is exclusively used for smaller logs (e.g. 6” or less in diameter) or for smaller gaps between logs.
Typically, if the span or depth between the logs is less than 1 inch then caulking should be used.
Caulking can also be used to fill checks (i.e. horizontal cracks) in logs too.
If the span or depth between the logs is greater than 1 inch then it’s time to use chinking.
Chinking is used on larger diameter logs too (e.g. 6” or more diameter) and is compatible with most notching techniques (e.g. traditional and dovetail).
Chinking can fill a span from 1 to 5 inches in width.
Caulking is often a smoother finish, whereas chinking is a much coarser textured finish.
Article originally published by: The Log Cabin Hub
