Chinking a log home is actually an easy thing to do. 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 portland cement, three (3) parts masonry sand, and one half (1/2) part 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.
11 responses so far ↓
1 Bearfort Lodge // Nov 25, 2006 at 3:45 pm
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…
2 Paul Polk // Nov 26, 2006 at 7:24 am
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
3 Wilson // Dec 27, 2006 at 10:42 am
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
4 Bearfort Lodge // Jan 4, 2007 at 7:14 pm
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…
5 Tom XXXX // Jun 8, 2007 at 6:38 pm
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)
6 Bearfort // Jun 8, 2007 at 8:46 pm
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
7 Bearfort Lodge // Aug 22, 2007 at 1:18 pm
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…
8 phiMAG » Log Cabin Chinking - Purity and the Art of the Line // Feb 21, 2008 at 10:08 am
[...] of form and function and the importance of presentation of the final product. Interestingly his chinking recipe which he deems as the perfect formula based on his research is a material mixed with a ratio 1:2:3. [...]
9 William Smith // Apr 15, 2008 at 9:28 am
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
10 Carrel Sanders // Jul 10, 2008 at 8:09 pm
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
11 Shelly // Jul 22, 2008 at 9:10 pm
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!
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