When one thinks of log homes they tend to think of men. Rugged men, strapping men, men of field and forest, strong and solid. Men take these timbers and toil to construct. Their brawn provides them the leverage and strength to hoist these heavy loads, cut, chop, heave and hoe. Men are good at these things there is little doubt however, when it comes to chinking it takes a woman’s touch.
It is often stated that men are better at those manly things like building and that women are better at refining the thing that the man built into a home. Well guys, I may touch a nerve but I must tell you – women are better at log home chinking than men. And here are five reasons why:
1) Patience: Let’s face it, woman generally have more patience than men. Women take their time chinking. They move along methodically taking extra care as they do to achieve correct function and uniformity. They know that this is not just for function but is also relative to the final appearance and presentation. Men tend to just concentrate on the function. Mind you, men still acknowledge presentation but will finish by saying “that looks OK”.
2) Finesse: Women have a certain inherent refinement and delicacy that results in stunning chinking lines. They take that extra step assuring that the line is clean and crisp. They generally have small hands and tend to use smaller tools with which they caress the chinking to its final form. Men tend to just want to get the job done and slap chinking in place, give it a swipe with the trowel and move on.
3) Attention to Detail: Women have a keen eye for what is out of place. Women tend to zero in on the details quickly and can spot an area that needs to be cleaned up immediately and make sure that it is resolved and clean. Men will generally, if they notice the same area, say “ahh that looks good enough or no one will notice that” and then move on to more chinking.
4) Conscientious Observation: While log home chinking women are keenly aware of their surroundings; the garden below, a dollop of errant chinking on a log, cleanliness of the work area for example. They don’t thoughtlessly tromp through the plantings in the garden in order to chink. They carefully prepare the site by tying back, covering or otherwise protecting the delicate plantings to avoid damage. They quickly clean up fallen chinking should they actually drop any in the first place. Men tend not to pay attention to such as after all, the plants will grow back – besides there is a cabin to chink.
5) Organizational Skills: Women tend to keep the work site well organized. Clean and safe. Tools are laid out in an orderly fashion and returned in place after use and returned clean. This same organized approach translates to the manner in which they approach the actual chinking. How can one accomplish a task properly if your space is not clean and orderly? Men tend to throw their tools in a general area and are fine with stepping over things to get at others.
If you have have any more reasons why women are better at log home chinking or building than men please share them below. If you think otherwise please share that as well.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
HEH HEH Thanks Johnny — I tip my hat to you your wife and Pam. Hope that sometime you can share photos of your work!
Totally Agree with the article… My wife and good friend Pam did a great job with the chinking of our place. This site is definitely going into my favorites!!