Chinking is the mortar-like material used between the logs that stops air, insects and moisture from infiltrating your log home or place of business. With the help of a backer rod, it also helps conserve energy and insulate your home. With a wide variety of types and color available, chinking is often used as a design feature, with colors chosen to contrast or compliment the wood and create a desired look.
In pioneer days, wide bands of chinking (usually clay mixed with straw) was used in between log courses to keep weather out. The downside of that style of chinking was that it hardened to a point where it was non-elastic, and ended up pulling away from logs and cracks, leaving gaps and allowing water and insects free access.
Thankfully, modern chinking products is far more technologically advanced, offering unsurpassed performance. Today chinking is made of an acrylic, elastic compound that adheres to the logs and can stretch and contract as logs settle and move seasonally. It can be used for new construction and can be applied to restoration projects to seal gaps and ensure that the homes are sealed soundly for many more years. Today’s chinking remains soft and pliable for years after being applied and it very rarely fails.
When it comes to chinking log homes, the job must be done correctly in order for the structure’s log joints to be properly sealed. Even for someone with construction experience who wants to do it themselves, it takes the right supplies and correct application methods to ensure reliable results. Our log home maintenance, repair and restoration experts at ProLog Restorations Inc have decades of experience applying, reapplying, re-chinking or fixing chinking on log homes, log cabins and log structures throughout California and Idaho. If you feel that your home’s chinking needs some work, we are happy to provide advice and services to make sure the job is done correctly.
To learn more about our log home chinking services, request a free quote, or meet with one of our Restoration Specialists, give us a call at 877-477-6564