Wisconsin log home repair and log cabin restoration in. The first step of caulking or chinking is applying backer rod. Lc5 log chinking is a highviscosity textured coating which has been specially formulated to serve as a chinking material to fill the spaces between the logs of a log home. While it may seem like an easy solution, we do not recommend filling the checks or cracks in the logs with caulk. Log home chinking weatherproof your log home by chinking or caulking to seal up gaps between the wood.
Log homes are difficult to build even for experienced builders. Chinking and log sealant faqs first, it is important to realize that the most. Not all but a few of them mostly because they were not cut perfectly square. And well explain a variety of ways to apply chinking. Whats involved in chinking your log home lets look at some common techniques and materials to use.
In other words, we have the knowhow to turn your ideas into your home. Oh yes, chinking materials have definitely evolved from primitive to impressive. The logs look brand new and the chinking has really made the homes exterior look inviting. There are many ways to make a solution, but two mixtures in particular offer the stability of commercial mixtures with the cost effectiveness of a homemade substance. Horizontal cracks running along the exterior walls of a log home are known as.
Chinking is the material that fills the gap between logs in a log home. You must first fill in any gaps in the mortar with a backing rod, so that the surface of the backing rod is level with that of the original chinking. Essentially, chinking a log home will ensure logs which dont fit together perfectly have a nice seal. Chinking in a traditional log cabin refers to the line of sealant used between the logs. It is virtually impossible to prevent logs from developing cracks and checks as they age and dry. These failures result in leaks and drafts around the log home, and another application of the lesser chinking material.
Weatherall triple stretch chinking is a uniquely formulated chinking manufactured specifically for use where exceptional elasticity is required, such as logs with greater moisture content, log or slab siding, log corners, or other dynamically moving log joints. Yesterdays mortarbased chinking compounds were inflexible and sometimes cracked as logs settled. Permachink chinking is a flexible, textured chinking that seals the open gaps between logs to eliminate heat loss and air infiltration. Although permachink systems pcs is the largest manufacturer of log home chinking and sealants, we make a complete line of quality wood care products. Cement makes excellent chinking, but it is not a caulking compound to fill vertical gaps in trimwork so less care and skill are required when building a log home if we know gaps and holes from hastily done work will be covered over with goopchink. This will allow for the elasticity to perform the way it should and eliminate cracking or pushing out. It offers a brief introduction to the different options. Im not a structural engineer, so cant speak to the structurability, but i have seen log checks for a few years now and those look completely normal for a log home, both size and location. Log cabin maintenance you can do yourself caulking cracks in your logs. With faux log siding, chinking is functionally unnecessary but aesthetically desirable.
Essentially, chinking a log home will ensure logs which dont fit. Chinking is perhaps the most critical part in constructing a log home. Carry on reading as we take you through the most effective guide to log home maintenance. Chinking is not necessary its just for visual appeal. The elasticity of chink paint smooth enables it to expand and contract with the sealant without cracking or peeling. It is susceptible to cracking as a result of freezethaw action. Our solid reputation has been built on 35 years of experience in custom log home design and construction. One of those is chinking, the insulating substance placed between the logs. Chinkpaint smooth is a highly elastomeric, nontextured, pure acrylic latex paint for renewing or changing the color of chinking. The log core will take you through a two part series. Commercial waterproofing suppliers sale adjustable rollers that control your depth and lighting fast.
Cracking logs on interior and exterior the log home. Sealing upward facing checks and cracks in log homes. As the warm weather begins, its the time of year when we start thinking about chinking our log homes. How to repair chinking on your log home video weatherall. In log homes, these cracks are called checks and they shouldnt be a source of. Trulog steel log siding incorporates the appearance of chinking lines in the design so that your. Permachink systems log home chinking, log stain and finish. The log cabin was birthplace and home for young abe lincoln, as well as other national figures, and assumed by many 19th century historians to be the very first type of house constructed by english colonists. Lightly spray the chinking with the water and alcohol mixture, and use your finger to smooth the chinking into the crack between the logs.
Sealant is intended for sealing joints and cracks between the beams of log houses, as well as for sealing other wooden structures. A good chinking job will leave your log home sealed against the elements, pests and drafts while maintaining the desired appearance of the log home. The bottom referred to is after the log is in place, so you need to have the future in mind. When properly applied, chinking drastically improves a homes energy efficiency by reducing heat loss where the logs meet. Caulking between logs and chimney the log home neighborhood. Learn how to use check mate 2 to seal checks and cracks in logs. It is not uncommon for log homes to develop a problem. Properly installed chink and caulk help to keep moisture and insects from invading your log home and it makes a big difference in the amount of energy loss from gaps between the logs and around doors and windows. Leaks, whether they are air or water leaks, are holes in the building what should be fixed. Published on august 20, 2014 log home chinking leroy walker so, its time for some chinking repair. We then conclude with the dos and donts of maintenance and some handy maintenance advice. Cracks in log home logs and other warnings woodweb. It is always best to perform the following steps when sealing checks with caulking or chinking starting, of. It is particularly popular with log home owners who want their home to have a historic look.
Our wisconsin log cabin restoration and log home repair experts can help assess any problems you may be facing with your beautiful wisconsin log home. Traditional log home chinking cant handle big shifts in the logs, so cracks form and the chinking fails. Understanding the idiosyncrasies of log homes cabin life. Follow this guide to chinking repair, removal, and reapplication, and learn how to perform log home maintenance that lasts. A properly built scandinavian chinkless style of log home will have no chinking at all thus the name scandinavian chinkless rather than scandinavian chinked. Chinking your log home log home store building supplies. Log siding choose durable steel log siding log home siding. Todays more flexible chinking which shifts with the logs can be applied over old cracked mortar. The history of chinking weatherall, log home finishing. In fact, chinking can boost the rvalue a measure of heat transfer of a chink joint to almost the rvalue at the logs center. As long as you use triple stretch log cabin chinking you wont have to be concerned with a leaky home again. Determining whether or not it is worth the expense of chinking your logs depends on if you use your log home as a cabin only in the summer or as a yearround, heated home. Log cabin maintenance you can do yourself caulking cracks in. Ive recently moved into a 10 yearold log home yellow pine dlogs with a twostory stone and mortar chimney running top to bottom on the sunny end of the house.
Custom timber log homes is a familyowned and operated business, located just south of knoxville, tn. As you weigh which of these products you need, be aware that the sealant you choose also must be compatible on a chemical level with the stain, preservative or other product you apply to your logs. The log home shoppe is an online extension of the woodworkers shoppes superior line of wood products and services. Oakum for log home building schroeder log home supply inc. It is required between log courses on homes that are designed with a horizontal gap between the logs. Chinking and caulking ask the log doctor questions answers. The old homestead had been neglected for over 40 years the house. We offer our customers an exciting assortment of log home decor and supplies that feature high quality and value at discounted prices within a secured shopping environment.
Unless they go through the entire log, they dont normally affect structurability. Homemade chinking is the process of creating your own cementlike solution to fill in cracks in a log home. While delivering the appearance of traditional mortar, permachink chinking is formulated as a pure acrylic to deliver lasting durability and elasticity for your log home. While natural properties of wood vary by species, the complete log home system including sealants, chinking, etc. In short, chinking is the material which is placed between the logs of a log home. We chink around each window and door, along gablesoffit lines, and around purlins and ridgepoles to completely seal each log home. Chinkpaints elasticity enables it to expand and contract with permachink or energy seal without cracking or peeling. Permachink chink paint permachink chinking log home. Chesapeake by brewster echo lake lodge chinking chestnut wood panel. Do not just passively lay the sealant into the check recesses, which will have a tendency to not let the caulk or chinking properly wet out. This kerf runs the length of the log and will absorb most of the cracking. Chinkpaints elasticity enables it to expand and contract with permachink or energy seal and other synthetic chinking products without cracking or peeling. Chink paint smooth smooth latex paint for log chinking.
As the logs dry out, checks and cracks will appear. The saddle notch, butt and pass, and dovetail or appalachian style will all have chinking. Essentially, chinking a log home will ensure logs which dont fit together perfectly have a. It dries to form a tough, durable and decorative coating which effectively seals the space between the logs. Whether its a new home or an antique, log homes need to be sealed and protected. Log cabin chinking repair made easy mother earth news. This material makes it easy to complete the facelift process for your log home. Chinking is a flexible material used to fill gaps where logs dont meet completely. The preservation and repair of historic log buildings.
Whether a home needs chinking depends on the log profile or building system you choose. Weatherall triple stretch chinking twin creeks log home. I recently built myself a log cabin from white oak. Sealant can be perfectly combined with the wood and has good. This video is provided courtesy of the weatherall company. Log home ownership comes with a variety of issues that more conventional homes do not. Log home maintenance issues sometimes need to be resolved by experts. Oakum or jute, has been used in log building for more than a hundred years and works well as a filler because it is pliable, a good insulator, resists decay, and repels insects and rodents. Chinkpaint renew the color of your log home chinking. For more information on chinking and caulking your log home click here. Log home chinking and caulking sealing log homes high. When restoring an older home, chinkpaint can save time and money by eliminating the need to mask off the chinking before staining. All of our log home caulking and chinking products are formulated with premium acrylic latex.
In days of old, virtually any material that could be found was used as chinking to fill the. Butch, and i moved to our very own log home on 40 acres in the southern oregon woods. Ideal sealant depth is 12 of the joint width, but no less than 14. New checks will appear each year due to the nature of the logs. There is no chinking between the logs, only a bead of caulk. Heres a concise history of the chinking tradition, and some discussion of the best. I built a 6x4 cedar log cabin and where the logs butt there is the odd crack. For checks that are about 14 and larger in width which are large enough to accept round backer rod, they can be effectively sealed with such products as log builder caulking, or, for a more textured appearance, log jam chinking. It is important to seal up any upward facing checks that would be expected to hold water or for insects to make their home.
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