Do log homes need chinking?

Essentially, chinking a log home will ensure logs which 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.

What material is used for chinking log cabins?

Perma-Chink is a flexible, textured log home chinking that seals the open gaps between logs to eliminate heat loss and air infiltration. Even though it looks and feels like traditional mortar, it’s not. Perma-Chink is a pure acrylic that adheres to logs and stretches to maintain a tight seal by following log movement.

How long does chinking last on a log home?

Chinking on average lasts around 20 years if it was applied correctly using a backing rod. Chinking can last up to 40 years if maintained annually and not exposed to extreme weather conditions. The cost of chinking a log cabin yourself is between $3 and $6 per linear foot.

Can I use caulk instead of chinking?

The main difference between chinking and caulking is texture and elasticity. Caulking is more elastic than chinking and has no texture or very light texture; while chinking comes in various colors or textures. Due to higher elasticity caulking is a great option for using it in smaller joints (i.e. ¼” to 2” wide).

What do you put between logs on a log cabin?

Chinking is a synthetic sealant that is used to seal the joints of log homes. Chinking is textured like mortar and very flexible. Chinking can be used in place of caulk and is mostly used in the joints between logs.

What did pioneers use for chinking?

Chinking was often made of mud, clay, sand, mixed with water (or “spit” as some pioneer recipes called for), hog, goat or cow hair, corn cobs or husks, grass, hemp, or oakum (frayed rope), or even livestock manure or buffalo chips. (12) Shake shingles were often used to roof cabins.

What is modern chinking made of?

Chinking today is made of an acrylic elastic compound with special components that allow it to adhere to the logs and flex with the log movement. This new synthetic chinking is often called Elastomeric chinking and does not chip like cement mortar.

What do you put in between the logs of a log cabin?

How long does log chinking last?

On a conservative estimate, chinking lasts about 40-50 years. MYTH 3: Chinking does not need a backing rod. A correctly designed backing rod provides a non-adhering surface. That means the chinking should adhere only to the logs above and below the chinking joint, in two thin lines.

What happens if chinking freezes?

Some manufacturers offer tinting products that can give you even more creative color options. MYTH 2: Chinking can only be applied in weather that is 40 degrees or warmer. Chinking is a water-based polymer that can freeze before drying. Fortunately, some chinking materials are not affected by freezing.