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Here at Bearfort Lodge I am tackling replacing chinking and fixing logs.

A quick review of Bearfort Lodge: Built over one hundred years ago in a butt and pass construction method (I believe to be the best method - although some will disagree).

Butt and Pass method alternates full natural logs. When a course of logs meets at a corner - the butt end of one log butts up against the adjacent log which passes beyond the corner. On the next course the adjacent log butts up against while the other passes beyond the corner as seen in this photo.

The space between the logs is filled with wool or some other insulation material - and then with mortar which can be seen from both the outside and inside. This mortar between the logs is the chinking.

There are those that use synthetic chinking instead of mortar.

They say that synthetic chinking has the following advantages: It is water proof — preventing water from getting between the logs. It remains flexible there by creating a seal that can expand and contract with weather conditions while maintaining a seal with the log.

If you must use synthetic chinking I would advise using it only for temporary repairs. The lodge is chinked with mortar which has remained in great shape. Mortar breathes. Mortar sheds water, mortar allows water absorbed by the log to expel. Synthetic chinking although it supposedly prevents water from getting into the space between logs also does not let water escape.

Moisture still gets between the logs — its a fact of life in a log home. should the log get wet — it happens - the wood absorbs the water and the water usually moves to the bottom of the log where it sweats through the chinked area. if you wave a water tight and water proof seal there — the water or moisture cannot escape which fosters not only rot log but as in the case here the mortar as well. In the photo to the right I’m actually able to peel back the synthetic chinking that someone applied over the original mortar chinking. The original mortar after having moisture sealed in for a period of time now crumbles in my hand like damp sand.

On the back side of the house there is an area that the previous owner had installed a small deck and stair improperly. Water would splash on the deck and onto the logs - noticing that the logs would get wet after a heavy rain, they applied a synthetic chinking material as a skim coat to the existing mortar to help seal out the moisture - bad move. It also sealed the moisture in.

As a result of sealing the moisture in two things happened:

1) the logs retain the moisture and begins to deteriorate providing a perfect environment for insects and

2) sealed moisture into the mortar chinking which over a period of time also rots.

I am removing the chinking - letting the logs air out and dry a bit. I am removing decayed wood and once dry I will use a two part resin to strengthen the wood then once stabilized I will use mortar as originally done to replace the chinking.

There are a couple of logs that I will have to repair as they have rotted out. In this case instead of completely removing the log I will be removing the face of the log digging out any rotted area, stabilizing the wood and replacing the face. — I will walk through the whole process. Only in absolute severe cases will I completely remove a log.

The deck and stairs will need to be rebuilt properly and I will be adding a small wood awning for further water control.

As I get to the point of re-chinking I will go more into depth on the differences between mortar chinking and synthetic chinking. Although I myself use mortar I will be as objective as possible as there are both pros and cons to real vs. synthetic.