29 06, 2019

What is the best chinking material?

2019-06-29T09:54:40+00:00

Every time that I write a post, or create a video, on “How I Chink a Log Cabin” my inbox will quickly fill-up with emails telling me about how wrong I am in using cement for chinking, and then go on to inform me of the wonders of synthetic chinking (it seems there is only one… it moves).

I thought that I might create a video pointing out how well cement chinking works (and looks)… and, point out some of the downsides in using synthetic chinking products.

I further thought that perhaps if I didn’t use any of the brand names of those “goopy products”… and, if I made my presentation a bit on the fun side… that all those “faux cement enthusiasts” wouldn’t get all uptight about my favorite material for chinking.

Can’t we all just get along? 🙂

Now as you watch this episode you will quickly agree discover that I am no comedian… but I must admit that I did have a good time making this video (as you will plainly see in the last minute of the video 🙂  Hey, it is ok to talk about cabins and have a good time doing it, don’t you agree?

Even though this video is lighthearted there are some really good points made in it… One is that you should seriously consider  what material you will use when it comes time to chink your log cabin… keep in mind that I’m not trying to sell you anything here on HandmadeHouses.com. We don’t sell cement!  I’m just passing on to you my experience with chinking log cabins over the course of decades and in seeing (and often re-chinking) the work of hundreds of others that was installed incorrectly.

With regard to synthetic chinking… many of it’s problems are revealed before it is ever applied to a log cabin…

1. It’s expensive… often ten times as much, or more.

and…

2. It looks fake… just like those plastic rocks that some folks will put in their yards.

Would you buy a plastic rock if it cost ten times as much as a real one?

I didn’t think so.

I just don’t get the desire to purchase something that tries to look like something else… whether it is plastic rocks, vinyl siding, or tofu bacon… if one builds a house of wood and of stone… a home that has been lovingly hand-crafted of such wonderful natural materials as these… why would anyone then coat about a fourth of their home in plastic?

And then, there is the durability issue…

My goal in building a home has always been to build one that will last for centuries…. at minimum… I believe that any house should be in great shape once a mortgage is paid off… and not be a home in need of major repairs.

If a person has to make mortgage payments for a large part of their life, then at that wonderful moment when they are finally free of that burden they should have something to be proud of… and durable.

It seems that so many modern building products are designed to fail… Take for instance the number-one form of roofing here in the US… asphalt shingles. It comes with a 20-year guarantee… whereas a copper roof should last 150 years. One roof will need to be replaced once it’s finally paid for, the other will be problem-free for our grandchildren… and their grandchildren.

So, when it comes time to chink our cabins… consider how long will cement last? what has your experience been with this product?

In many of my videos I show cabins that I chinked 30+ years ago. In every case it’s holding up, and looking good, with no problems. (I’ve never seen synthetic chinking of the same age on any cabin).

If you haven’t noticed there is an imbalance in information with regard to chinking choices…

The synthetic chinking industry is full of advertising brochures and a sales-force to promote their product…

The cement industry on the other has little interest in telling people that they ought to chink log cabins with their product. The use of cement for chinking is minuscule in comparison to the other uses of cement. Those in this industry are likely unaware of this particular use of their product.

It seems that so many basic “down-home” things in life are overlooked… like cement chinking… because so few step forward to share their knowledge and experience.

My grandmother (bless her soul) would dry her beans by hanging them on a string. My wife does hers using a high-dollar dehydrator… one that I see advertised in many magazines. The string industry just doesn’t do as good of job with marketing their string to folks who like to put away a little food for the winter. lol… likely for the same reason the cement industry isn’t pouring thousands into advertising in the small log-chinking market.

Now to be fair there are some advantages I see to synthetic chinking, but I feel overall these products pale in comparison to “plain old cement”…. here are a few that I can think of…

1) A person can open the bucket and go to work applying it… no mixing needed. (and they get a nice bucket when they are done)… so there is less physical work involved.

2) Synthetic chinking can be considered “wide caulking”. In the building trade the work of a sloppy carpenter can be made functional and more attractive with the aid of a good painter and his caulk gun. Cement makes excellent chinking, but it is not a caulking compound to fill vertical gaps in trim-work… so less care and skill are required when building a log home if we know gaps and holes from hastily done work will be covered over with GoopChink.

3) Contractors and log cabin supply companies earn their living by marking up the price of their materials to the homeowner. It’s a common business practice… 15% of $300 worth of cement is $45…. 15% of $3000 of GoopChink is $450 … so, a much bigger paycheck can be had at the end of the week.

4) In the first few years after synthetic chinking has been applied, while it is fresh, new, and sticky… while the home is under warranty… Goop Chink can be applied improperly and still do it’s job of keeping water out (but only for a while… eventually there will be problems). Whereas improperly installed cement chinking will let you know it was done wrong within days…. so there is less of a chance of receiving a call to come fix something during that mandatory one-year warranty that most home-builders must provide if synthetic chinking is used. Score one for the contractor!

Now am I saying those who use synthetic chinking are bad people and…

1) are trying to do less work?

2) or, are less skilled?

3) or, want to make more money?

4) or, don’t want to do free warranty work for clients a few months after the project ends?

Well, of course not… not at all… but… we do have to acknowledge that the motives to do so are there.

Again, let me repeat… there are a few log builders out there that I highly respect… one’s that use synthetic chinking… exactly why they use it… I don’t know.

For me though, in choosing between the two options, it all comes down to the fact that on each home that I build I try to do my best to build that home as well as I can…

I keep in mind two things…

I ask myself first… what is the most attractive option that I can use?

I like things to be attractive… it’s a weakness of mine…  no matter what… for instance, I married the prettiest girl that I had ever seen. 🙂

Cement chinking looks great, plastic chinking (that is supposed to look like cement) does not.

And secondly…. what is proven to be the most durable and long lasting? … (that pretty girl I married has only gotten better… and durable? well… 34 years later she still puts up with me. 🙂

Synthetic chinking has been around for well over 30 years now… has anyone ever seen an image of a log cabin with 30 year old synthetic chinking on it? I haven’t. If you have one please send it to me.

To wrap all this up… if I get the same answer to both of these questions… attractive? and, proven durable?… then I’ve likely found what I will go with… other considerations often seem minor in comparison.

Originally posted 2017-07-16 13:31:05.

What is the best chinking material?2019-06-29T09:54:40+00:00
29 06, 2019

Chinking… from then, to now

2019-06-29T09:47:32+00:00

IMG_1287

Here is an example of primitive chinking.
In the early days of this country chinking, or “daubing”, would have had to be frequently repaired or replaced.
When lime became available chinking would become more durable and pleasing to the eye.
Later, cement would prove to be the best material… low cost, attractive, effective, and long lasting.

And then, man invented an expensive, synthetic, toxic, petroleum-derived product that was designed to look like cement as much as possible. This manufactured goo is messy to install and clean up after, and it’s durability is unproven (plastic products don’t have the best record of holding up under direct sunlight)  But people buy it… why? 1) there are salesmen and businesses that promote it (for profit) 2) there are brochures touting the benefits of it (whose going to produce a brochure or sales team for cement chinking?) and 3) it’s human nature to assume that the latest product… the most expensive choice… is the best choice.

Originally posted 2016-03-20 15:23:18.

Chinking… from then, to now2019-06-29T09:47:32+00:00
29 06, 2019

Good workmanship vs bad

2019-06-29T09:45:09+00:00

IMG_1474

I’ve seen this many times before.

Here we have a gorgeous antique cabin.

Don’t we all just love that massive stone chimney?

Aren’t we all impressed with the visual impact that such a prominent feature adds to this home?

Once again, being bold has paid off.

The simple beauty of this cabin draws us in to look closer and it is upon that close inspection that we notice the messy chinking that has been applied between the logs of this vintage structure.

But for some unknown reason, this awful mess is only on one side of the door and on the logs above it. The rest of the cabin looks beautiful. The chinking has been applied correctly to the right side of the front door and around the end of the cabin, all the way to the chimney.

It’s heartbreaking to see that such poor care was given to a major part of this historic cabin. At first it’s somewhat confusing as to why half the cabin would look so bad, and yet the other half appear to have been lovingly cared for.

If I had to guess, based upon years of experience, I would say that this cabin’s owners hired someone to chink the cabin and that after a day of him working on the home he was “removed”, and then later someone who knew what they were doing… someone with skill… someone who worked with care…  was brought in to finish up the rest of work.

Were there any lessons learned here by the owners? Probably… you know, the ones we all know so well, but sometimes fail to remember or to practice…

“Never hire the lowest bidder.”

“Hire the best, leave the rest.”

“You get what you pay for.”

“Good work is rarely appreciated, but bad work is always seen.”

“It’s cheaper to do it right the first time, than it is to do it twice.”

 

 

Originally posted 2015-12-14 13:48:40.

Good workmanship vs bad2019-06-29T09:45:09+00:00
29 06, 2019

Almost ready to chink

2019-06-29T09:44:14+00:00

IMG_1871

The logs are in place. The window is set and ready to trim. And then it’s time to chink!

Originally posted 2015-11-25 14:45:11.

Almost ready to chink2019-06-29T09:44:14+00:00
29 06, 2019

Good colors, and new chinking

2019-06-29T09:41:28+00:00

IMG_1445

When choosing accent colors on a cabin you can’t go wrong in picking historic shades like we see here.
This cabin is very attractive and it’s obvious that it has experienced a recent restoration.
Unfortunately, the chinking was done improperly and as a result this cabin will be in need of major restoration (log replacements and re-chinked) in less than 10 years.

image14

Here is a good example of properly installed chinking… notice how the chinking is recessed a bit from the faces of the logs allowing water to run off and not get behind the chinking and rot the logs. The folks that restored this cabin did however fall short with their modern finish treatment of the gable ends, and with the protruding window trim.

 

Originally posted 2015-10-02 11:20:10.

Good colors, and new chinking2019-06-29T09:41:28+00:00
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