Hello,
I need some advice on chinking. I have just taken over the family cottage and I am struggling to make it warmer in the winter. I was going to chink it, but my Dad thinks that is heresy. He says that it is a Scandinavian style cabin and that if I chink it, it won't be authentic and won't be as valuable if I ever sell it. Furthermore, he says that moisture will become trapped in the walls and cause them to rot. Is there any validity to these concerns? After reading through the forums on this site, I am pretty sure that it is actually a Canadian chinkless cabin. It was made by a builder a mile down the road and then reassembled in place 20 years ago. The walls have settled about 1 foot and many cracks have opened up, creating serious drafts. If I do chink it, what kind of chinking would you recommend? Thanks for your help.
Chinking a Chinkless Cabin
Comments
Well, your dad is probably correct about value and rot, at least in some part. He's probably thinking of synthetic chinking, which would probably trap more moisture than it would keep out, and rot would set in to the scribed portion of the logs. Also, caulking (because that's what it really would be) the seams would be one of those things like ClaireNJ's house was when she first got it, where the previous owner painted over the beautiful red pine logs with some nasty, brown paint. It's just not a good thing to do, and will only hurt the value as an obvious (and improper) attempt at a repair.
I'm sorry to say that I don't have a solution for you, but I do side with your father on this one. I would suggest seeking out advice from a company who specializes in scribed log RESTORATION. (notice I don't say scribe log construction)
Best wishes on your endeavor. Let us know how you make out.
Thanks for the quick response. Hopefully I can find a restoration specialist that can help me. At least now I know that this is an actual concern. I will keep you posted with what I come up with. It might even be that I leave it as is. The place was originally intended to be just seasonal and maybe it will have to stay that way. Thanks again.
Here are some "chinking" pictures of chinkless cabins
http://s872.photobucket.com/albums/ab287/konopat/
Joined: 2010-02-07