Repairing Guides

how to repair log chinking

by Xander Runte Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Instructions:

  • Load your chinking gun with chinking material. Use a half-inch nozzle.
  • With slow and even pressure, apply chinking material wherever it has pulled away from the logs.
  • Be careful to apply the chinking material in a modest, even layer. You want to make sure you’re adding enough material to bond to the log, but you ...
  • Use a paper towel to remove any excess chinking material that may gather around the area.
  • Lightly spray the chinking with the water and alcohol mixture, and use your finger to smooth the chinking into the crack between the logs.

It's easier to make a repair using a tube of chinking or a bulk loading gun than it is to scoop some out of a pail. Put a bead of chinking along the tear, making sure that you have good contact with the torn chinking and the wood. Once it's applied, you can press it into place with a tool or your finger.

Full Answer

Is it possible to repair chinking in a log home?

Since not all chinking products are created equal, however, choosing an inferior material can demand repair and replacement down the road. Follow this guide to chinking repair, removal, and reapplication, and learn how to perform log home maintenance that lasts.

How do you use a chinking gun on logs?

Load your chinking gun with chinking material. Use a half-inch nozzle. With slow and even pressure, apply chinking material wherever it has pulled away from the logs. Be careful to apply the chinking material in a modest, even layer. You want to make sure you’re adding enough material to bond to the log, but you don’t want a lot of excess build-up.

How long does chinking last on a log cabin?

Log Cabin Chinking Repair and Maintenance Chinking should last for between 20-30 years, providing it has been applied using a correct technique with backing rods. The only way this can accelerate is if the cabin has experienced hot temperatures or lots of exposure to rain.

What is chinking repair and how is it done?

When we speak of chinking repair, typically we are referring to older cement paste chinking, as most modem synthetic chinking isn’t 30 years old. The most common form of chinking maintenance is for sealing smaller gaps, splits or cracks in the logs. These defects are known in the industry as “checking”.

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How do I fix my log cabin chinking?

0:482:56How to Repair Your Log Home, Interior Chininking DetailingYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo I'm just gonna go over how you repair it it's very simple I use my Albion gun I use a half inchMoreSo I'm just gonna go over how you repair it it's very simple I use my Albion gun I use a half inch nozzle on it. And I just quickly go over the surface make sure that material gets in. There.

Can you use caulking for chinking?

Log Jam and Chinker's Edge are both excellent chinking products. “Caulking” is a similar material to “chinking”, but usually has no texture or a very light texture. Caulking also generally has more elasticity than chinking products. Because of this, caulking works better in smaller joints (i.e. ¼” to 2” wide).

What can I use for chinking?

Chinking used to be made using a mixture of clay, lime, silt, sand, ash, and dirt. This mixture used to vary depending on what was available in the region. Old mixtures were not made of elastic and would pull away from the logs.

Can you use grout for chinking?

Chinking using a grout bag. Another low cost method is to use a grout bag or cake decorating bag to apply the chinking. Just make sure that you pay extra attention; sometimes the nozzle of the grout bag can get to wide for the tight spots.

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 should I use to fill cracks in log cabin?

Apply a good quality, siliconized latex caulk (not pure silicon) into the check, bringing it out close, but not even with the surface of the log. Skim off the excess caulking with your finger or a putty knife, making sure the caulking makes a strong, consistent contact with the top and bottom of the crack.

What do Barnwood Builders use for chinking?

Up until the early 1980's many log cabins had mortar chinking installed. Today, the majority of chink used is made of a synthetic mixture....Homemade (mortar) chinking recipes.Cement and Sand1 Part Pre-Dyed Cement 1 Part Fine SandCement, Sand, and Lime6 Part Sand 2 Part Portland Cement 1 Part Lime2 more rows•Jan 20, 2021

Can you use cement for chinking?

4:3312:08Handmade House TV #32 "Cement Chinking vs Goop Chink!" - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd that's that is true that that men who work on log cabins uh if you want to put cement chinkingMoreAnd that's that is true that that men who work on log cabins uh if you want to put cement chinking in there you you've got to get a wheelbarrow out you got to throw some sand in it and you got to mix

What was chinking originally made of?

Traditional chinking was made of clay, mud, sand, and other common resources, with an inner layer sealed by a mortar-based "daubing" on the outside. A finish layer preserved it and kept it adhered to the home.

How do you seal between logs?

5:1112:32How To Caulk a Log Home Part 2: Applying Caulk - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMake sure we get that sealed. Completely. And the tooling process is just to go back with the foamMoreMake sure we get that sealed. Completely. And the tooling process is just to go back with the foam brushes. This could be tooled out with the trowel some people even do it with their fingers. And you

What is the best chinking material?

Since 1981, Perma-Chink Log Home Sealant has proven itself on thousands of chinked and chinkless style homes to become the most widely applied chinking in the world. It's simply the best log home chinking by every measure: longevity, appearance, performance and ease of application.

How do you caulk between logs?

4:5312:32How To Caulk a Log Home Part 2: Applying Caulk - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMake sure we get that sealed. Completely. And the tooling process is just to go back with the foamMoreMake sure we get that sealed. Completely. And the tooling process is just to go back with the foam brushes. This could be tooled out with the trowel some people even do it with their fingers.

Is there a stainable caulk?

Stainable and paintable caulks are designed specifically to hold paint or stain. Using a regular caulk will not provide a good finish.

Is chinking waterproof?

So bottom line, cement-based chinking materials can be used, but never without waterproofing additives!

How to get chinking out of logs?

Use a paper towel to remove any excess chinking material that may gather around the area. Lightly spray the chinking with the water and alcohol mixture, and use your finger to smooth the chinking into the crack between the logs.

Do you need to chink a log home?

Owning a log home requires occasional maintenance — especially with your log home’s chinking. You can save yourself time and money on repeated maintenance by using proper troweling technique when you’re chinking, and by not using too much water or alcohol in the solution so it bonds properly to the wood. However, sometimes your chinking pulls away ...

What to use to fill gaps in a kitchen?

A small putty knife — or even a kitchen spatula — would work as well, though, depending on the size of the gaps. Whatever tool you choose, insert the chinking into the cracks as far as need be. Then, if there's still a hole to fill, apply more of the compound and smooth the surface with the flat of the blade.

Can you use salt to chink a cast iron stove?

By the way, although Grandpa Madson's formula should always contain salt when it's being used for chinking, the recipe — sans salt — produces a "glue" that will cement any cracks you may have in your cast-iron stove. Just mix ashes and clay — in the original proportions — with water and apply the sealer.

Chinking Repair - Removal

Just because old chinking might be deteriorating, it doesn’t mean it has to be completely eliminated. Advanced chinking products can be applied over existing chinking but you need to make sure the new chink joint is wider than the existing chinking. This will offer optimal adhesion on clean, bare surfaces.

Chinking Repair - Applying the Chinking

There are several tools that can be used for chink application: 1) a bulk chink gun and 2) applicator bags. When using the bulk chink gun, the follow plate is placed in the open pail which will prevent any cleaning of the gun after each load. Applying chinking material is very easy via the gun.

What is chinking in log cabins?

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.

What type of chinking do you use for a log cabin?

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.

What is chinking made of?

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.

How wide is a chinking log?

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.

What is a backer rod?

A backer-rod, or homemade substitute, provides a “bond breaker” which provides a surface the chinking won’t adhere to. A backer-rod allows the chinking to only adhere to 2 surfaces (i.e. the top and bottom log) providing more elasticity and movement in 2 dimensions as opposed to 3.

What is caulking used for?

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.

Why do logs move?

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.

Rips and Tears

Occasionally rips and tears form in Perma-Chink®, especially in new homes that have been constructed with fairly green wood. Most of the time these tears appear on the top edge of the chink joint.

Blisters

There are several causes of blisters forming in uncured chinking. The first is whenever chinking is applied in hot, direct sunlight. The surface quickly skins over, preventing the water vapor from escaping from the underlying material.

How to Repair Large Voids in Logs

Neglected log homes occasionally develop sections of logs that have medium or deep pockets of decayed wood that is either very soft, or loose and crumbly. If caught early enough, the pocket may be only a few inches across, but if the decay has been active for a while the pocket may extend a couple of feet or more along the length of the log.

Repairing Large Voids

Step 1: Dig as much loose, friable wood fibers as you can out of the void or decayed zone.

How to seal a check with caulking?

It is always best to perform the following steps when sealing checks with caulking or chinking (starting, of course, with appropriate weather!): 1) Make sure there is no standing water in the checks to begin with ( otherwise, there is a great risk of rot and premature sealant failure. Either remove the standing water or let it evaporate away.

How long does it take for a log to dry out?

It is also important to realize that for approximately the first 1-2 years – especially if the logs are relatively green to begin with – that the initial checks will continue to open up as the logs dry out.

What is the most worrisome check?

First, it is important to realize that the most worrisome checks are those on the upper curvature of the logs – making them the most prone to collecting moisture, fungi spores, dirt and other contamination. Larger checks on the lower curvature – while not prone to collecting moisture – can still lead to air infiltration into ...

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