Chinking Services
Details
Overview
Chinking Repair & Replacement Services
If the chinking on your log home needs to be repaired or replaced, Log Masters Restorations would love to earn your business. We understand pricing is important to you, but the cost of chinking work varies widely depending on your specific situation.
Each log home property brings a unique set of challenges, and our restoration processes may vary depending on your home’s location and surroundings. The level of regular maintenance—or lack thereof—also figures into our assessment, as do the materials used to build your log home and its design. For more details, read our article, “What We Consider in a Log Home Restoration Estimate.”
Description
What Is Chinking?
Chinking and/or caulking is the sealant between your log home joinery that keeps drafts, bugs, and water out. Both chinking and caulking extend the life of your logs. Caulking of some type is almost always used on log homes, and chinking, which performs a similar function, is generally a design preference.
Historically speaking, chinking or “daubing” was necessary when building a log home and was often a yearly or seasonal chore. “Chink” usually consisted of hard materials like rock and wooden sticks covered by daubing, a soft material such as moss, hay, dung, and/or clay used to fill the remaining gaps. Used by all nations in some fashion, chinking protected inhabitants from driving winds and kept out vermin and rain.
The chinking we use today is a synthetic flexible sealant. Chink is textured to resemble mortar, and it comes in a variety of colors. Unlike mortar or concrete chink, which typically requires constant maintenance, synthetic chink stretches to keep a tight fit when your home contracts and expands through the seasons. Its flexibility will save you time and money while radiating that old-style charm. For wider log gaps, we’ll chink in between all log joints to ensure your home is sealed tight to withstand the most extreme weather conditions.
Chinking looks great on large round or beam-style log homes. It also helps conserve energy by reducing drafts and unwanted elements from entering your home so you’re not constantly adjusting the thermostat!
Uses
When Is Chinking Used?
- To replace mortar
- Part of the log home design
- To fill wide gaps on
- Logs made for chinking
- Hearth or beam style logs
- Flare bottom logs
- Customer preference
- On round logs
- To add timeless beauty
- To add character by breaking up the log stain
- To add a complementing color that accentuates the logs
Process Steps
Log Cabin Chinking
- Apply grip strip and backer rod or closed cell foam strip backer rod or closed cell foam strip in any gaps or voids and staple to secure.
- For wide gaps:
- Apply approximately a ⅜” -½” chinking bead onto foam strip in a vertical zig-zag pattern (rather than a horizontal straight line), which encourages minor voids or air bubbles to escape easily.
- This allows maximum even coverage when trowel or brush finish is needed.
- For small gaps:
- Apply ⅜” – ½” bead in a horizontal straight line pattern.
- Use a foam brush or trowel to smooth the desired finish.
Free Estimate
Does Your Log Home Need Chinking Work?
Over time, the chinking on your log home will likely start to show signs of normal wear. Cracks may be small and brittle or wide and long. But even the smallest cracks can lead to big problems. Removing and replacing your log home sealant not only improves the aesthetics, it also keeps your home draft-free and energy-efficient.
When and how we apply chink depends on your log home’s specific needs and the project’s scope. There are times when you should apply chink after staining, and in some cases, before. We’ll be expanding on this topic in a future blog post. Contact us directly for pricing details.
Chinking Application
Other Services
Learn About Our Other Services
Caulking
Caulking seals the gaps in your log home joinery and is commonly used for homes with smaller logs or around windows and doors.
Media Blasting
Log Masters Restorations uses a high-pressure media blaster that shoots recycled glass through a hose to remove paint and wood stain.
Chemical Stripping
Our finish remover reaches into wood pores to release paint or other film-building products and is then washed off to expose natural wood.
Sanding
Sanding is a must after chemical stripping and might be needed after media blasting or pressure washing to remove any problem areas.
Pressure Washing & Cleaning
Dirt and grime on logs can be tough to remove. Pressure washing is used to clean log homes and wash away chemical stripping agents.
Staining
Staining protects your log home from the environment. Our water-based stain and oil-penetrating stains come in a variety of colors.
Log Repair & Placement
Don’t ignore log rot! Our crews are trained to hunt down problem areas, cut them out, replace them with a new logs, and seal them tight.
Log Home Maintenance
Log Masters offers an array of routine maintenance services like sealing and preservation to keep your log home in good condition.
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