Chinking: A Lost Art

Over the past year, I have been blessed with the task of chinking a beautiful log home. The history and technique of building such a structure has always fascinated me. Of course I jumped at the opportunity to be involved in the process.

What is chinking?

Chinking is a flexible sealant that is put between the logs, to help insulate the home. Early log home builders made chinking out of materials that were available. Clay, mud, sand, straw, and even animal droppings, were commonly used to seal cracks in log homes.

Today, chinking is made synthetically using cement, acrylic, and elastic materials. Its basically high strength caulking, formulated for wood surfaces.

Having no prior experience, I spent some time watching instructional videos. I also took a brief lesson from a local chinking supply store. After a few quick tips from the professionals, I picked up on the technique rather quickly. It's a very fluid and intuitive art form that not many people get the chance to learn.

Here is some of the work I've done so far. The logs are made of white pine, and were harvested in Northern Minnesota. I have yet to start on the outside of the structure. Its a very tedious process, but I'm 3/4 of the way done with the inside walls. Enjoy!

Source for chinking definition : https://www.weatherall.com/blogs/log-home-blog/the-history-of-chinking