Chinking is the process of creating a water and insect resistant barrier around a log home. Chinking is the practice of inserting small splinters to protect the inner layer of the log.
By inserting small splinters into your chinking, you are providing food for both aquatic and terrestrial insects. These bugs cannot be harmed by these tinysplinters, making your home more secure.
By adding small splinters, you are also giving yourself a wood preservative to use. These wood preservatives prevent drying out and cracking of your logs, which would negatively affect the structure’s integrity.
Log homes can be exciting to build. While there are many ways to build a log home, this article will focus on how to do chinking on a plain or plain-capped log. Both methods require using only two sets of tools: hands and power tools.
Contents:
Remove old chinking
Chinking is the term used to describe the material used to construct a log home’s exterior. It is a mixture of wood chips and plaster that is applied and adhered to create a durable chipping tool.
Chinking was one of the first things a builder learned as a rookie. Today, it is one of the more advanced jobs in building, so most new builders learn how to chalking on their own.
Prepare the surface
Before you begin working the chinking into your log, you must prepare the surface underneath the chips for dancing. Using a saw, cut a long, straight line down the middle of the chip.
This is where your dancer will place his foot to dance!
Now, using an angle blade saw, cut a rounded shape on top of the chip. This is where you will attach your painted flooring. You can then add decorations or fill in with natural soil and bark.
These steps can be done in stages, so you do not need to do it all in one shot.
Choose your chinking
When planing a log home, the first step is to determine what kind of lumber you have.
There are three main types of wood: Douglas-fir, cedar, and pine. Each has its own characteristics when it comes to wood quality and usage.
Douglas-fir is usually categorized as soft, light-colored. Cedar is darker in color and is more durable. Pine is probably the most famous wood we use in construction projects. It is strong and durable!
When planning your log home, you want to get enough pine chinking for your whole house! This is because some brands of pine are slightly different than others when it comes to thickness.
Some brands are slightly thinner than others so you may need more from them. You can buy some from Builder’s Planer Supply.
Mix your chinking
When laying down your log chinking, you must consider two things: where your log lintel and upper ceiling plate meet, and where the floor ends.
When placing the log lintel and upper ceiling plate together, it must be placed on the floor to create a solid base. From there, you can add the knee-high length of Dougstape® x 3® fence board to create the top of your log home.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about how to install chinking. There are two main ways to install chinking: continuous or intermittent. Which one you use depends on what type of layout you want.
Continuous chinking is when water does not escape from your logs and reservoir blocks are needed.
Apply the chinking
After you build your log home, the next step is to add on the chinking onto it. This is the process of adding on the flooring, ceiling materials, and other features to your log home.
In addition to creating aisles and room divisions, laying down the chinking allows for easy access to both inside and outside spaces. Plus, it adds more dimension to your space!
Many people hire contractors or do-it-yourselfers to lay down the chinking for you. You can also buy kits or just take some extra time and make your own. Check out online sites like Amazon or Google for sales and delivery times.
Laydown times can vary by many years, so check out your draft or doorway location to determine if there are enough sides in place to comfortably lay down the chinking.
Let it dry
Once the water has dried, your log is ready to be chinking. This process can be repeated as many times as you want, as long as you keep letting it dry.
Logs are generally built in two phases: the creation of the log framework and placement of the logs on that framework. In order for the logs to dry, you must use a fan to create airflow and gravity to pull away water which was inside of the logs.
To create an even more authentic experience, some people install small fans near the edge of the log to generate more airflow and gravity which will draw out more water. If you do this, be careful! You want not to overdo it with the fans, or they will take away too much authenticity.
Sand it down
When log homes are built, they are measured and sent for approval by their height. If your home is wider than what the state or property allows, you must reduce your height to meet the width restriction.
Sizing your home for siding is a great way to update it. While weathering the home is also a way to update it, siding can make it more noticeable as a piece of architecture.
Shingles are one of the best ways to update a roof. With some quick tips, they can become easy. Shingles can be cut in half and re- glued together for double the coverage. This way, you get twice the shingling on top of the roof and inside of the walls.
Another tip is to use thermal material on your roof. These are materials that heat well, such as paper or cloth insulation. Use these to limit heat flow within your roof structure.
Re-apply if needed
If you think your log has enough chinking on it, you can leave some more. If you think there is more, you can add more, take some off to make the log seem deeper.
Re-applying the chip is helpful if you are trying to create a water feature or want to add an additional layer of insulation. By putting in more chips, it helps retain heat better as well as adding another source of cooling.
If you keep adding chips until the log is heavy with water and/or feels insulated, then yes, this would be a good way to save money! Keeping an adequate chip count is key so that your cook does not uncover too many underneath when they heat the water for their irrigation purposes.
Making sure your log is insulated well can be tricky when there are lots of logs in your firewood rack.