You know, the funny thing is that it often takes no more effort, and cost no more money, to do the job right the first time.

But, it sure costs a heck of a lot more to do it wrong, and then undo what was done wrong, and then repair the damage created by doing it wrong, and then in finally doing it right.

I REALLY don’t like coming in behind others and fixing their messes. Chinking is my least favorite part of building a cabin, but it’s crucial in building an attractive cabin that will last for centuries. I only undertake repairs like this for the love of the cabins… I hate to see them lost.

Originally posted 2015-07-17 14:56:25.

Originally posted 2015-07-17 14:44:44.

The builder who put this cabin up made two major mistakes in caring for these logs. His intention was good, but his experience was lacking.

First he installed the chinking so that the top of the chink joints were flush with the log above it, instead of recessing it, and thus creating a drip edge for water to run down the house instead of finding its way behind the chinking and then rotting the logs.

The builder’s second mistake was in painting all the logs with a clear sealer, which was unnecessary, and which gave these historic logs a “plastic look” changing their patina from antique grey to god-awful orange. This plastic coating did not aid in protecting the logs but rather hid the damage that was occurring under the surface from the faulty chinking.

Originally posted 2015-07-17 14:20:15.

The greatest number of requests that I get for our service is for chinking. Most of these requests are to remove and replace improperly applied chinking done by others.

Here I am in this photo inspecting a beautiful oak cabin that was originally built in Pennsylvania in the mid-1800’s and moved to this site in northern Virginia about twenty years ago.

Originally posted 2015-07-17 14:05:12.

Here’s the cabin’s “powder room”.

Maybe, since this cabin often serves as a hunting cabin for men I should refer to it as a “gunpowder room”.

Originally posted 2015-07-16 13:19:36.

Once completed the cabin begins to blend into the landscape.

Trees will soon be planted.

The owner will let the siding turn naturally grey. The only feature on the exterior that will ever need attention will be the wood windows. A coat of paint every six years or so.

The copper roof no longer sparkles like a new penny. I guess we all go through a snappy youthful period in our lives but it quickly fades. Thankfully there is much to appreciate with maturity.

It will be a different world two hundred years from now… I and everyone else alive will be gone, but I believe this home will still be standing to witness that time and will still be enjoyed by the unnamed decedents of the current owner.

Maybe, one of them will discover my initials written on the back of a piece of paneling.

Originally posted 2015-07-14 13:37:51.

At this point in the construction, with the chinking finished and the siding going up, we could easily start to imagine what the finished cabin would look like.

Originally posted 2015-07-12 14:10:29.

With the copper roof installed our attention quickly turned to the in installation of the windows and then the chinking of the exterior of the cabin. We would soon have the house closed-in from the weather.

Originally posted 2015-07-12 13:53:39.

Isn’t it nice, on those days when you could use an extra hand, that someone just floats in to help you out?

Originally posted 2015-07-09 13:54:22.

The logs are now all set in place.

The crew begins work on the prep work so that we can install a roof over the cabin.

Originally posted 2015-07-08 14:07:14.