What Is Chinking Made Of? This And More Questions Answered!
There is nothing more peaceful and calming than to own a nice log cabin in the woods. The natural beauty and the simplicity of the lifestyle in a log cabin help you unwind after a hard and tiring day. However, a log cabin can soon turn to be a setback due to howling sound that is produced when the wind passes through the cracks in the walls. But not anymore! In this article, we will talk about what is chinking made of and how chinking can help you in getting rid of irritating noises.
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What Is Chinking?
Chinking is a process of closing the holes and gaps in the walls of the log cabin. The holes are caused due to the uneven shape and structure of the logs which are used in building wood homes.
But today, the wooden boards used in building wooden houses are scribed when cut by hand. The logs are cut in such a way that the upper board matches the contours on the board below it, making it a tight and gapless fit. In these cases, the process of chinking is done not to prevent the sound of the wind, but to provide an aesthetic value to the home.
What Is Chinking Made Of?
So what is the mortar paste for chinking made up of? Historically, chinking was made with a mix of sand, lime, clay, mud or whatever was available and could serve the purpose. But today, there are many alternatives and readymade options available. Today, chinking is made with the help of an acrylic compound which has the ability to expand and contract depending on the gap in the wooden board.
Chinking has always been a hallmark of a handcrafted log for ages. If you have a milled log home, you can decide to add a layer of chink to give it a more aesthetic appearance.
Is Readymade Chinking Available?
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Today chinking is an easy and readymade product which is available on most leading stores. Most modern chinking is designed to have the looks and feel of mortar but has a more elastic effect. It is possible to get the caulk for your log home with the help of a caulking gun. It helps you create a clean and tight look to your log cabin. This helps you to seal any type of gaps or holes in the wall.
Applying chinking on your floor
Applying chinking to close the holes in your log cabin might seem like an easy and carefree task. It is better said than done. Applying chinking can be frustrating and time-consuming. But this doesn’t mean that it is impossible.
There are various chinking recipes available in the market which can be made using the basic components like cement, lime, and sand. You can also use ash, silt, and clay to provide an aesthetic touch to the building.
Most common and easy recipe for chinking is to mix 1 part of Portland cement, ½ part masonry lime and 3 parts of masonry sand. Add water and mix the mixture till it becomes the consistency of cookie dough.
There are also many other recipes that are designed to replicate the chinking material used to chink the walls in older times.
Benefits Of Using Homemade Chinking
Like we have talked about earlier, it is possible to get chinking directly from the market. But it is always better to chink your log cabin with the help of a homemade caulk. One of the biggest advantages of homemade chinking is that it is more cost efficient.
You can save a considerable amount of money if you buy the raw materials and mix it yourself. Another advantage of homemade chinking is that it can be applied year round.
Wrapping Up
Chinking might have been useful and effective in closing the gaps and holes in the wall of a log cabin. But with the introduction of scribed logs, this process has lost much of its need and importance. However, it still has a lot of applications as handmade log cabins. It is also used to improve the looks and authenticity of log cabins.
So many different processes and recipes are used in the process of chinking. It is thus important to make sure that you choose the correct recipe and method for building your home.
If you have any questions and or doubts on the process, feel free to contact us through the comments and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Also share the article so that more people can get benefit from it.
