Chinking a log home is actually easier than you might think. Granted it is time consuming and more certainly work than kicking back and enjoying an iced tea while relaxing or spending time doing something more enjoyable. Think of it like icing a cake.
As you may have read in one of my earlier posts, I am not a fan of pre-made synthetic chinking or synthetic chinking of any kind. I make my own chinking with a simple mix of portland cement, sand and lime.
Before adding water I tend to mix all the ingredients together in my trough – you don’t have to as its just a quirky thing I do.
The consistency that I’m trying to achieve is like that of thick peanut butter. I want to be able to mix just enough water to it so that when I form a ball of the mix with my hands — it holds.
For the recipe, I measure by the shovel: one (1) part white portland cement, three (3) parts masonry sand, and (4) parts masonry lime.
I use basic tools — nothing special – a 3″ rectangular trowel and a mortar board – just a flat piece of board on which to place the mortar. I place an amount that is comfortable to me on the mortar board – hold it up to the gap between the logs at the chinking line and using the trowel push/press the mortar into the space. I make sure that I get in and around the nails that I placed in an earlier step and using a smooth swipe or two I give the freshly chinked spot a smooth finish making sure that it is sealed both to the top and bottom log.
I use a fair amount of chinking. Ideally my chink lines are about 2 inches wide although this of course depends on the curvature of the logs above and below. Sometimes lines are wider sometimes thinner – the variation is determined by the shape of the logs. I dont mind the variation – after all it does add character and highlights the natural shape of the log.
Remember, in my earlier posts I had described the loose insertion of insulation and then placing of the nails. Since the nails hold the chinking in place and strengthen the bond make sure that you get the mix back behind the nails so that they can do their part and dont forget to cover the nail heads.
If you are chinking an entire structure I recommend that you start at the back of the house or in a less-seen area until you get the hang of it. — Don’t start at the front door where your chinking work will be highly scrutinized.
Does it matter if your chink line is convex, concave, vertically straight or not in relation to the log? — No not really as that is more of a personal preference – whichever you choose – just be consistent.
If I am touching-up, skim coating older chinking or filling gaps in chinking then I use enough water to make it the same consistency of toothpaste or thereabouts. I have even used a pastry bag or masonry bag to apply it to gaps or cracks.
Once the mixture cures it will turn a light gray. I clean the mortar off the log with a wire brush.
If I have repaired an area or replaced a section of chinking then my fresh chinking will no doubt look different than the area of chinking that still exists. In this case, since I would rather that every thing look uniform, I will make the same mix as I used to chink but this time I will add enough water to achieve a consistency similar to that of house 
paint and using a brush simply paint it on. But I do not do this step until all the areas I have chinked are thoroughly cured.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
there’s a reason that hand hewen logs can last so long.Slack lime chinking creates a natural suction with the log allowing it to breath. Many of the portland/masonary approaches tend to hold mositure. check the website
Bill,
I appreciate the advice you offer on your site and find the info very helpful. I am getting ready to chink my house and did a trial run w/ your recipe and a couple feather boards. It began to crack w/ in a couple hours. Do you have any advice or ideas as to what may have gone wrong?
Thank you!
Jon
I’m glad to have found this website. We will attempt re-chinking beginning tomorrow using this recipe on the cabin my dad built 30 years ago. I distinctly remember applying the mortar as an 8-10 year-old and it will be fun to get our own kids involved. I have no idea how much goes how far, though, so we’ll see….
Thanks!
I built a small log cabin 30 years ago and used prepackaged masonary mortar but added 1/3 elmers wood glue with 2/3 water. That chinking is showing signs of fatigue. Twelve years ago I added a room and used the same technique, but with better skills (my kids were 11, 12, &14 years old on the first cabin.)
I’m now completing a larger lodge, using 12″ butt eastern red cedar, whilch has gaps up to 2″. I plan on using your formula but adding fiberglass and using no backer rods. But, chinking both sides of the same log at the same time to get continuous adhesion. Will I be going wrong. I now have plenty of skilled help within the family.
Thank you very much for the info and tips that you provide. They are very helpful.
I’ve read your recipe and article and the comments that followed. But now I’m a bit confused. My hand hewn cabin has never been chinked (1983 construction). I’m going to chink it next year. I like your cement, sand, lime recipe. But I saw a comment that suggested that their’s cracked badly after a few years, as the attempted advertiser suggested. The gaps between my logs are 4-5 inches and there is a wire mesh/plaster outside layer in the gaps. I’m thinking that I should insulate (blue foam board) between the gaps behind the outside layer, then apply some sort of chinking on the inside. Your recipe for the chinking is certainly the least expensive and I’m leaning that way. But a couple of the comments in this section have me a bit confused. Can you help clarify? What approach would you recommend for buttoning this cabin up?
Thank you so much.
I am getting ready to move into a friends cabin just outside of Flagstaff AZ the cabin was built in the 70,s it is going to need a lot of restoration The chinking is cracking and falling out and the logs are cracking and rotting under the surface . I really like the cabin and want to fix it up . My friend has had the cabin for 20+ years andhe has been disabled for the last 10 years he is moving to OK and I want to purchase the property . I guess I could use some advice . Thank You
Hi, Glad to know others are out there trying to rechink their cabins. Ours is pre -1800, 2 story building, but was moved 11 years ago then rechinked with a cement-type mortar and is cracking and leaking everywhere. It’s incredibly breezy in the cabin and water also leaks into the walls into the inside of the cabin. Our estimated cost to rechink with “perma-chink”, a synthetic chinking material plus insulation is, $13,000+. The cabin is approx. 18 feet by 22 feet. We are waiting until at least next year… Nice to know I might be able to use some less expensive mortar, though currently I detest the inflexible kind. Thanks for the ideas!
We completed a log cabin & I need to know how much portland cement,sand,masonry lime at a 1/3/.5 ratio it will take to do about 600 linear feet with an average gap of 2 inches?Thank you,CAS
I find your website very informative, I will be starting a job here in Lancaster County PA very soon that requires removing and replacing the chinking on the interior of a 1700s log home. Like you, I am also a purest that uses the materials that have weathered time. I do have a question about the mortar mixture. Since cement was not used until the late 1800s would you recommend a pure lime putty and sand mortar or maybe 1 part white cement, 3 parts lime putty and 3 parts sand. I don’t mind using a little white cement but I think I really need to make the lime putty my main material. Thanks for any help.
Bill
Moving and Restoring a Hand Hewn Log Home
Paul, as addressed in the previous post, is tackling a major rebuilding and restoration of an outstanding hand hewn log home that he disassembled and moved from Pennsylvania to his property in West Virginia. Disassembling a log home is a long laborious…
Well Tom — I can appreciate your comment however – 90% of the chinking here at the lodge was first done when the place was built somewhere between 1895 and 1901. The chinking has remained in great shape and is still solid and mostly crack free after over 100 years. The areas of chinking that I have had to redo are areas in which the previous owner used synthetic chinking over the original chinking and the synthetic chinking trapped the moisture.
And another thing – you say the “worst thing about chinking that has concrete mixtures is that it eventually cracks…. etc”
If you do get cracks you simply make a mixture to the thickness of housepaint and paint it on with a brush – cracks sealed. This is also way less expensive than $150. per 5 gallon pail of synthetic chinking. Should synthetic chinking fail you may find yourself on a costly venture of removing and completely re-chinking sections at substantial cost.
I can appreciate your sales pitch effort though.
I am a log home builder but I concentrate on log home restoration – and work on fixing the messes created after such things as synthetic chinking are applied.
Synthetic chinking will not last a lifetime as you suggest. I have seen case after case on numerous log homes where the synthetic chinking has trapped moisture behind and then completely failed and pulled away from the logs from freeze thaw or the heat of day within just a few years of its application – and sometimes less. The rotted mess created behind them is ugly and devastating. Synthetic chinking does not breathe period.
In addition there are very simple ways in which I can alter the color of the home made chinking material using simple powered or liquid dyes for cement providing me a great deal more control over the tint that I want to create. Synthetic chinking comes in standard set colors which cannot be altered.
So we will have to agree to disagree on this one.
This site is here partly to show the restoration that had gone on here at the lodge as well as provide tips and alternatives to costly commercial efforts and to help those out there restoring log homes not trying a sales pitch and creating more of a problem down the road.
If you wanted to place an AD for your services – please contact me and we can discuss rates otherwise crypted advertising addresses as you have placed will be altered.
Thanks
The worst thing about chinking that has concrete mixtures in them is that they eventually crack and you have to fix them or replace them. There is nothing wrong with synthetic chinking and it will last a life-time. You can also buy it in
different colors to enhance the looks of your cabin. You can contact me for more information because I’ve been a professional chinker in North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Indiana, and Illinois at xxxxxxxxxxxxx at bellsouth. net (address edited by Bearfort – contact me if you’d like to purchase advertising – The comment area is for opinions, comments, suggestions and questions to the site and readers on the subject of logs home restoration – not for advertising)
Can Chinking be Colored?
A reader recently asked if the chinking recipe provided on previous posts could be tinted or colored. Yes. Here is an excerpt from his email: I am restoring an old log cabin in WV and have gaps several inches wide (4-5 inches). I am going to use a stai…
I am restoring a log cabin on my farm… very old, certainly pre-Civil War.
I have found your recipe for chinking, but I need to know whether I should specify a particular Portland Cement…or whether any Portland will do….
Thanks for you help… Wilson
I am restoring an old log cabin in WV and have gaps several inches wide (4-5 inches). I am going to use a stainless mesh as used for stucco as my backing. My question concerns coloring. If I want to color my chinking per your method of using cement, what color agent would you suggest?
Thanks, Paul
Simulating a Chinked Log Wall
I get a lot of emails from readers asking questions about chinking. Recently a reader emailed me with regard to a project that he is planning. Using 1×10 boards with about a 2 space in between he wants to create a log like wall with chinking between th…
{ 1 trackback }