Come Relax at This Rustic but Comfortable Cabin in the Woods

Charming Rustic Cabin in Stockport, Ohio

You'll fall in love with this rustic log cabin located in Stockport, Ohio, United States. The rustic cabin has all of the modern amenities of home (excluding a dishwasher). If you enjoy sitting outside you are going to love the front porch and back patio views of the trees and wildlife. The log cabin is located in a very remote but easy to get to the location. You may even lose phone service but the log cabin does offer wifi. The log cabin is secluded by itself on 11 wooded acres with a creek running through it. There are no defined walking paths through the woods just yet but you can make your own or just peek in and around. One of the things that makes this rustic log cabin stand out is the chinking that is used between the logs.

The Importance of Chinking in Log Cabin Construction

When it comes to building, purchasing, or maintaining a log cabin, chinking is something you will be sure to learn more about. Chinking is the material that fits between the imperfect joints of logs to help ensure a seal from external elements such as rain, snow, and sleet while eliminating heat loss and air infiltration. In simple terms, chinking is the flexible sealant that is used during your log house construction or maintenance to seal joints between the logs, gaps, holes, and checking. Log home chinking today has replaced the traditional Portland cement and daubing which historically was used on log homes that are over 200 years old.

Chinking: A Hallmark of Log Homes

Since the origin of log cabins, chinking has long been a hallmark of log homes. Chinking creates a seal from the external elements such as rain, snow, and sleet while protecting the logs from pooling/standing water which could result in rotten logs. Chinking helps to eliminate heat loss and air infiltration to maximize your log cabin's energy rating by correctly insulating the cabin. You can help to prevent bug and insect infestation through tiny gaps in your log cabin's wall. Logs aren't perfect, they can twist, kink, cup, and bow. With changes in the environment such as humidity, sun and shade exposure, and geographic differences can cause logs to move as their moisture content changes. Logs also have an uneven nature and structure. Consequently, it's near impossible to build a log cabin building with logs that notch perfectly together without any gaps.

Understanding the Role of Chinking in Log Home Maintenance

As your log home settles and the logs expand and contract, if there wasn't a gap for the logs to move into it would cause further twisting and bowing of logs. Chinking is the material that is placed between the logs of a log home. Chinking is to logs as mortar is to bricks. Chinking is a flexible material used to fill gaps where logs don't melt completely. Essentially, chinking a log home will ensure logs that don't fit together perfectly have a nice seal. This nice seal is the best maintenance-free form of protection again moisture and air infiltration, insulation, and fire barriers for your log home. Not all log cabins require chinking, it depends upon the notch used. If the cabin has an air-tight notch such as Scandinavian Chinkless it won't require chinking. All other forms of cabin building notches will include dovetail, corner, butt, and pass.