Chinking, Tools & Backer

Log Home Chinking How-To Videos

Looking for a little help with your next log home chinking project? We've created a series of how-to videos so you can do it right the first time!

VIEW OUR CHINKING HOW-TO VIDEOS

Chinking Comparison Chart

How long will my chinking last? Which chinking should I use? Are all chinking materials the same? What type of warranty comes with your product? If you find yourself asking these questions, we recommend you view our log home chinking comparison chart. We hope this helps!

VIEW THE CHINKING COMPARISON CHART

Log Home Chinking Products

Your log cabin is important to you, and you want to make sure that its looks last a lifetime. You have spent countless hours designing and building your log home, and to let that work simply go to waste would be a shame. That’s why you need to invest in chinking for your log home as soon as you can. Chinking is an important process that can retain your log home’s value for longer, as it is integral to the design and building of the home itself. Pay close attention to your log home chinking as it will benefit you in more ways than just the aesthetics.

Log home owners are always interested in having a log home that stands the test of time. Whether it’s a new build or for simple maintenance, Triple Stretch chinking products can have a positive effect on any log cabin. On a new cabin, the log chinking will provide a great seal and a beautiful mortar finish. With older and settled cabins the Triple Stretch will help seal up any holes in the existing chinking, creating a lasting seal.

The Benefits of Triple Stretch Chinking Products

When it comes to chinking for log homes, there is nothing better than Triple Stretch chinking. Logs don’t stop moving once they are installed. What often happens is that other chinking products will become compromised with the shifting logs, causing them to crack and pull away. With Triple Stretch chinking, the logs are able to easily shift without compromising the seal. Additionally, your home is reinforced by a sturdy and secure barrier between it and the elements. This means that the logs will remain protected no matter the temperature shifts or weather patterns your log home may encounter.

Another benefit is that you will only have to apply the chinking once. Log cabin owners understand how much time and effort it takes every year or two to apply a new coat of chinking on their cabin in order to keep it safe from the weather. They also have had to deal with non-elastic chinking products that crack over time and can’t handle temperature swings.

Triple Stretch chinking makes the entire process that much simpler. Instead of heading out and spending money every year on new log cabin chinking products and materials, owners can now buy one set of Triple Stretch chinking and seal their home for good.

The benefits of Triple Stretch chinking can be found throughout the various reasons for chinking your log home in the first place.

Technical Advantages of Triple Stretch Log Chinking

Triple Stretch chinking is a generally superior chinking product than its competitors. Here are some added benefits and technical features that set Triple Stretch chinking apart.

Fast and Strong Seal

Chinking for your log home shouldn’t take too long to seal. Non-elastic chinking products tend to take at least 10 hours to dry properly and 10 days to cure. With Triple Stretch chinking, the drying and curing time are cut down significantly. Because of the shorter curing time, the amount of bubbling is nearly non-existent compared to other elastic chinking products. Also, the seal created by the Triple Stretch log chinking is much more firm than other products. That means the chinking will grip to the logs tighter and for longer, giving you a permanent seal against air and water.

Professional Look and Feel

With competing brands of elastic chinking for log homes, the finished product can look bubbly, limp, and quite shoddy. By using Triple Stretch chinking, you are able to get a beautiful mortared look on the exterior of your home with a superior tooled look that won’t pull away from the log. The chinking also holds its color very well, making your home look great for years to come.

Wide Variety of Colors and Textures

No matter the color of your log home, Triple Stretch chinking will be able to provide you with the chinking you need. You are able to choose between many shades of chinking to either give your home that mortared darkly sealed look or to blend in with the shades of your logs. Another feature is the ability to tool the log chinking into different textures depending on the aesthetic you are trying to achieve. From semi-smooth to rough to anywhere in between, the choice is up to you.

Different Sizes of Canister for Different Jobs

No log chinking project is alike. Sometimes it’s a simple maintenance job that must be done and other times it’s a new home that requires chinking. Triple Stretch chinking comes in 3 different sizes to help you get through the small jobs as easily as the big ones.

Reusable Product

Large chinking product containers are able to be stored with relative ease for later projects. Simply place a small layer of water over the material along with a thin sheet of plastic, and tightly re-lid the container. Storing your chinking materials in a cool place out of direct sunlight will allow you to use the materials another day.

Non-Toxic Finish

If you have owned or built a log cabin before, you understand the harmful effects that toxic chemicals can have not only on the home but on the people applying the chinking too. With Triple Stretch chinking products being non-toxic, you are able to create a seal on your home that is safe for both the exterior and interior of your home. The finish is completely odorless as well.

How chinking benefits your Log Home

Log homes encounter many different issues during their lifespan. Log cabin owners understand that keeping them protected from these problems will ensure that their cabin is around for a very long time. If the issues are ignored, they tend to stack up and eventually will all need to be fixed - sometimes at the same time. With Triple Stretch chinking, you will be able to avoid some of these issues easily. Here are a few common things that Triple Stretch chinking products are able to help log cabin owners get a handle on before they become a real issue.

Protection from the Elements with Log Cabin Chinking

The weather is always a big factor when it comes to log cabins. Whether it is a sunny day or has rained for a week, your log cabin will have felt the whole of the weather system. Chinking to counteract the weather is very important for log home upkeep. If the chinking for your log home isn’t done properly or with the right product, your home may be susceptible to rain, wind, or sun damage. During a rainstorm, moisture can seep into the wood and cause mold. This is the same for the sun, which can cause “sun mold” and dry out your logs. If there is a strong breeze accompanying the rain, you run the risk of the logs separating if their seal isn’t able to move.

Triple Stretch chinking products are perfect for creating a permanent seal on your home that will keep the elements from seeping into the wood. The Triple Stretch chinking will shift with the wood without causing any cracks in the seal. Non-elastic sealants allow moisture and sunlight into the wood.

Keep Warm with Log Home Chinking

The temperature outside of your log cabin can easily affect the temperature inside if it is not properly insulated. If you neglect your log chinking too long you could be left with a temperature issue in your log home. By using the right log chinking materials you will be able to regulate the temperature during the entire year - not just the winter or summer. Cracked chinking means that your home will leak warm air in the winter and cold air in the summer. This can cause damage to your logs while wreaking havoc on your energy bill for your log home.

Triple Stretch chinking is able to appropriately insulate your log home with just one application. Whereas you may have to reapply a lesser brand of chinking product in order to keep your home’s temperature regulated, Triple Stretch chinking only requires that you put it on once. Triple Stretch chinking also means that your log home will be much more energy efficient than if it were sealed with a non-elastic log chinking product.

Protect your Home with Log Chinking

The importance of log cabin chinking goes further than weather protection. Your log home’s value goes up as long as the exterior looks brand new. Chinking provides protection for the wood so that your home remains intact for a longer period of time. By properly chinking your log home you’re also able to keep it looking “brand new” for as long as possible. Maintaining that look is important for the aesthetic value of any log cabin. Log chinking also means that pesky rodents and insects will be less likely to burrow into your wood and take up residence. Rodents that nest in your wood mean a possible infestation soon thereafter, which will bring down your home’s value and cost you money in the long run.

By using Triple Stretch chinking you are able to not only keep pests at bay but retain the look of your home with ease. Triple Stretch chinking comes in various shades and colors to suit your log home’s exterior perfectly. Similarly to how Triple Stretch chinking helps protect from the elements, it also helps with protection from rodents and insects. With no cracks to get through, infestations are stopped before they even have a chance to begin. The ability to mix your own texture of chinking will also help with this issue.

Chinking Tools & Products

When you are ready to get started on your log cabin chinking project, you will need to be well equipped. Having the improper tools to do the job correctly could mean you’ll have to reapply the log chinking sooner than you’d hoped. By setting up with these tools, your log home chinking will go smoothly.

Firstly, the chinking material is the most important. Available for purchase are 10.3oz cans, 30oz cans, and 5 gallon pails of Triple Stretch chinking product so you can tackle any size of job. Also available are different trowels and sizes of chinking guns (depending on whether you purchase cans or pails. Grip tape and rods are also available for purchase to aid with your log cabin chinking needs.

Any seasoned renovator will tell you that having the right tools for chinking or caulking jobs can mean the difference between still finishing up on your refurbishing project for another weekend or using that time to enjoy the fruits of your labor with family and friends. Weatherall offers Bulk Loading Guns, Osborn Brushes and Backer Rod products to get your projects done efficiently and professionally!

1: Bulk Loading Guns: Ready for your chinking or caulking applications? Weatherall stocks a wide selection of Cox Manual Guns in 10.3 oz. and 30 oz. capabilities. Cox Bulk Loading Guns are also available in 20 and 34 oz. versions. And don’t forget our Cox Follow Plate to be used with all Cox caulking guns. Follow plates are highly-recommended to speed up your chinking or caulking jobs.

2: Backer Rod: Ensuring proper chinking or caulking is a must! Weatherall’s Gripstrip will accommodate your needs since it is available in widths ranging from 1 ½ “ all the way to 2 ½” wide and the 4’ strips make application super easy! Gripstrip is a closed cell backer rod shaped like a trapezoid. It promotes a 2-point sealant adhesion while controlling the depth of the sealant material being used. Because an exceptional fit will be achieved, no additional adhesive or staples are necessary. You’ll be able to bypass time-consuming procedures reminiscent of triangular or round-shaped rod products that often had to be cut to ensure proper fit, in addition to their requiring the use of spray adhesives or staples. Whether used on the exterior or interior, Gripstrip is compatible with all commercially-available chinking; and it will compress to fit a wide variety of log surfaces. You just can’t go wrong with this invaluable product!

Triple Stretch Application

When applying your Triple Stretch chinking, you have to have a fairly warm day. Applying it during a heat wave or during an extreme cold snap will create some difficulty during the application process, as the chinking doesn’t adhere properly to an extremely cold or extremely hot surface. Try to avoid the rain as well.

To ensure a lasting bond, be sure that your logs are clean and dry before application. Mill glaze (or planer glaze) must be removed before the Triple Stretch chinking is applied. Use backing rods on new log homes or cabins that have never had chinking before. These rods help create the structure for the chinking to rest on once it has settled. Use a chinking gun as mentioned above to apply the chinking product and a trowel to adjust it to the correct thickness. Once the log chinking has been laid it needs to rest untouched for between 6 to 8 hours. If any excess chinking product remains after application, and hasn’t yet dried, you are able to clean it up with soap and water. If it has dried, you may need a solvent.

Having a log home is wonderful, but if it isn’t properly protected it won’t last very long. By using Triple Stretch chinking products, you are able to keep your home’s look in tact with the various colors and shades available while making it more energy efficient. Your home will also be well protected against wind, rain, sun, rodents and insects as well. The biggest benefit Triple Stretch chinking products provide is that you only have to apply it once to experience all of these benefits.

Restoring Log Homes With Chinking:

Chinking is an elastic sealant with a textured surface intended to replicate old-fashioned mortar used on larger log home joints. Whether chinking is used for beautifying purposes or for strictly practical reasons of keeping anything from the outside from coming in, or vice versa, Weatherall has its own, uniquely-developed chinking product called, Triple Stretch Chinking!

Triple Stretch Chinking -- Does your home’s old chinking show signs of chipping, cracking, pulling away or discoloration? Weatherall’s exclusive Triple Stretch chinking is your dream come-true! It expands and contracts where especially notable log movement and shrinkage are experienced such as with logs having greater moisture content, log siding, log corners etc. If your refurbishing plans center around aesthetics, you’ll love the textured results the Triple Stretch chinking provides, giving a truly historical appearance! Aside from a wide-range of colors—including custom colors—Triple Stretch Chinking is available in a semi-matte sand texture and can, also, be tooled to achieve a semi-smooth or rough finish. Whatever your chinking plans demand, Weatherall’s Triple Stretch can accommodate it! Triple Stretch works flawlessly where previously applied mortar chinking, mastics and caulks were used. The durability, the seal and the adhesion of Triple Stretch are exceptional!

So, how does Weatherall help with your renovation requirements? We supply everything you need--products and materials designed to address virtually any log home restoration job under the sun! Not only that, but Weatherall’s inventory is of the highest caliber—products which continue to be frontrunners with industry-proven performance and endurance. Our warranties and quality-control measures ensure beauty and protection you can live with and enjoy for years to come! Top-of-the-line products and over 30 years of expertise combine to offer quality, value and integrity you won’t find anywhere else!