Chinking that fails lets water in and conditioned air out. We install and repair chinking that stays flexible and stays put.
Chinking is the flexible seal that closes the joints between logs. When it's right, it moves with the logs as they expand and contract through Texas seasons. When it's wrong, or old and cracked, every joint becomes a water path, and water paths become rot.
We handle new chinking, re-chinking over failed material, and sealant work around windows, doors, and checks. You can see a recent full back-porch chinking job on our Our Work page.
Want the deeper background? Read our guide: what chinking is, why it matters, and when to replace it.
Chinking is usually quoted alongside an overall inspection. Small chinking jobs often reveal (or prevent) bigger problems.
Yes, that is a big part of what we do. New chinking, replacing failed chinking, and sealant work around windows, doors, and log checks. The inspection tells us whether your walls need spot repair or a full redo.
Chinking is usually anything over about half an inch wide. But the main differentiator is usually the color: log caulking blends into the stain color so it conceals, or nearly conceals. Log chinking is almost always a contrasting color. Chinking also has a grit in it to imitate a mortar look. Caulking is smoother and meant to have a texture closer to the wood.
If your home was built with chink joints, yes, it is not optional. Chinking is what seals the gaps between logs. When it fails, every joint on the house becomes a water path, and water paths become rot repair bills. When installed properly it is very good at shedding water and keeping it running to the outside. That said, it is still second to having proper roof overhangs.
Chink lines that are cracked, hard as concrete, or pulling away from the logs. Drafts near the walls in winter. Water stains inside after a storm. And if wasps and ants are finding their way in, they found a gap.
Yes. Failed chink lines leak like an open window spread across every wall of the house. Good chinking keeps the air you paid to condition inside where it belongs. Sometimes when I am standing on scaffolding up against a poorly chinked or unchinked wall, I can feel the cold air coming through in lines along the wall.
Call or text the main number. JD answers from the field. Or send photos of your project and we'll take a look.
