How To Choose the Best Chinking Material for Log Homes

What Is Chinking Made Of?

Chinking is typically made of a flexible sealant material that is specifically formulated for log homes. The exact composition can vary depending on the product and brand. However, modern chinking materials often consist of a synthetic polymer base, such as polyurethane or acrylic, mixed with additives for improved adhesion, flexibility and weather resistance. These additives may include fillers, binders, pigments and UV stabilizers. Some traditional chinking materials use mortar-based mixes, which typically involve a combination of sand, cement, lime, and water.

Chinking is available in tubes compatible with either large or small-sized calking guns for doing touch-up work and maintenance, or is available in bulk five-gallon buckets for the initial application. When bought in bulk, one five-gallon pail of chinking typically provides the following coverage:

• Half inch wide chinking joint by a quarter inch depth- 770 lineal feet
• One inch joint by half inch depth- 195 lineal feet
• One and a half inch joint by half inch depth- 125 lineal feet
• Two inch joint by half inch depth- 95 lineal feet
• Three inch joint by half inch depth- 65 lineal feet
• Four inch joint by half inch depth- 45 lineal feet

What is the Best Chinking Material for Log Homes?

The best chinking material for log homes depends on various factors such as climate, log size and personal preference. However, a good log cabin chinking material possesses several important qualities. These include:

• Durability: The chinking material should be able to withstand the elements, including temperature variations, UV exposure, and moisture, without cracking or deteriorating over time.
• Flexibility: Logs naturally expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. A good log home chinking material needs to be flexible enough to accommodate this movement without losing adhesion or integrity.
• Weather Resistance: It should provide effective protection against rain, snow, wind and other weather conditions, preventing water infiltration and maintaining a tight seal.
• Adhesion: The log cabin chinking material should adhere securely to both the logs and itself, ensuring a long-lasting and reliable seal.
• Aesthetics: A good chinking material should enhance the overall appearance of the log home, complementing its rustic charm while offering a clean and professional finish.
• Ease of Application: An ideal chinking material is easy to work with, allowing for smooth and efficient application. It should be user-friendly, whether applied by professionals or homeowners themselves.

By considering these qualities, you can choose a chinking material that meets the specific requirements of your log home. Feel free to consult our experts at Western Log Home Supply for further guidance on selecting the right chinking material.

Chinking Material Options From Western Log Home Supply

Western Log Home Supply offers a wide range of premium chinking material options. Our selection includes top-quality products designed to enhance the beauty and functionality of your log home. Some of our log home chinking material options include:

Log-Gevity Log Chinking

Log-Gevity chinking is compatible with all other Log-Gevity products and most other brands of log finishing products. It provides the elasticity needed for expansion and contraction as the weather changes throughout the year without allowing the movement to break the seal and require further maintenance.

Log-Gevity is easily tooled to provide the outward appearance you choose for the chinking in your home while providing a natural sandy appearance that traditional chinking materials have always had. To further match your home it is available in tan, grey, wood tone, antique white or buff color tones to assure you can whichever option best matches your home.

Triple Stretch Chinking

Triple Stretch Chinking is an environmentally friendly low VOC chinking that is non-toxic, and cleans up simply with water. It is known for its ease of application with great adhesion properties and a lifetime warranty.

As with any high-quality chinking, Triple Stretch is designed for situations that require extraordinary amounts of expansion and contraction with its highly flexible qualities. It is available in a wide range of light and dark grays, tans and browns to match any décor. It further provides the texture of a truly historic look to add to the visual appeal of your log home.

Log Builder: The Sealant Made for Log Structures

For over twenty years, Log Builder by Sashco has been an industry leader for chinking for log cabins. Manufactured to achieve superior elasticity, Log Builder creates a lasting tight seal between logs and absorbs their movement throughout the year and weatherproof your home. It is further recommended for cracks in individual logs if they happen to occur in your home. It also has an appropriate use of filling in and around wood siding or shingles.

Log Builder maintains a stylish appearance by not cracking or peeling away over time and with its availability in tan, dark brown or wood tones to suit the color scheme of your home. Although it uses a water base formula for easy clean up, it remains stable in its pre-application form through a freeze and thaw cycle to assure it is job site ready.

Log Jam Chinking

Another product provided by Sashco, Log Jam has set the industry standard for premium quality log home chinking material. Log Jam chinking is easy to tool and clean up with its water-based platform, yet is able to continue to perform after a cycle of freezing and thawing out both before and after application. Tested and proven to expand up to 250 percent of its original size, Log Jam is guaranteed not to tear or rip and requires premature maintenance steps.

Log Jam is textured to simulate the historic mortar used to fill log joints, but unlike mortar, it doesn’t heat up while curing and potentially melt synthetic woods. To complement the aesthetics of any log home, Log Jam is available in white white, mortar white or buff white; light gray and gray; and in the brown tones of tan or wood tone cedar. Log Jam is especially well known for its easy application procedure.