Log Home and Log Cabin Construction Accessories

Chinking: The material that goes between the logs on many log structures. It's more than just a pretty look - chinking acts as a form of insulation and as a barrier to the elements outside. It keeps the weather outside and the comfort of your home inside.

Traditional chinking are a mortar like substance. These will crack, break and pull away from logs. There are newer elastic chinking that responds better to the log movements. The choice is up to the owner; however, elastic chinking maintains the traditional look of mortar, without 'stretching out', so it still looks good after years of log movement. Our supplier is WeatherAll.

Caulking or acrylic rubber sealants: These are used in the stacking process. Application is dependent upon the log manufacturer's recommendation. These products can also be used as an exterior sealant between the log rows for added insulation. We highly recommend that when choosing a caulking you ensure that the material will remain soft and pliant for several years such that it yields to log movement without creating undue stress within the log. Our suppliers are WeatherAll and Continental Products.

Log and Timber Fasteners: When you are working with logs, beams or timbers, we feel that screws are a better choice. They are easier to install than lags and spikes since they are installed with a one step installation; lowering labor costs. They require no pre-drilling and are reusable and removable. (Try removing a spike from a log.....almost impossible!) The low profile heads countersink themselves during installation thus ensuring no interference on the next course of logs.

By using screws you are able to draw warped logs down without the jarring and damaging caused by a sledge hammer. We supply screws from 8" to 16" in length. The typical thread length of these screws are 2". The proper drill bit is included with each box of screws! We sell Olympic OlyLog fasteners. To see their full line of products visit their web site at www.olyfast.com.

Log Spline Pegs: The Sauders Brothers (www.SaundersBros.com) supplies us with solid birch dowels which are used to secure butt ends and provide an additional weather barrier. These dowels are 1" in diameter and up to 16" long.

Foam Gaskets: Gaskets are important products in preventing drafts and seepage. Most of those available for log home use are foam materials made of polyurethane or polyvinylchloride (PVC) that come in what are called closed-cell gaskets, which are composed of bubble-like cells that contract and expand to seal out drafts and moisture. Open-cell gaskets, on the other hand, are like sponges saturated with oils or resins that help form a seal. Six factors should be considered when comparing gasketing materials:

• Compression--indicates how easy or difficult it is to compress the foam between log courses. If a foam does not compress easily, it can cause "log float", which allows the logs to remain slightly separated even when tightly spiked.
• Compression recovery--indicates how completely the foam recovers to its original height after extended compression. The higher the recovery percentage, the better the seal. Extrusions, such as butyl extrusions, rely on their ability to adhere to log surfaces, rather than on compression recovery, to maintain a good seal.
• Durability--indicates an ability to resist ultraviolet light and ozone exposure that can cause brittleness, cracking and, ultimately, seal failure.
• Water absorption--The lower the better. You do not want a foam that retains water from rain or splashing, but one that repels it.
• Wood preservative compatibility--Some foam sealants can be applied to treated wood, others only to wood that has not been treated. The foam sealant should work with preservatives, whether applied before or after them, to provide a seal.
• Ease of installation--Some foams are self-sticking with removable separator for easy installation. Others are pre-compressed.

Our tape supplier is the Tape Specialist of GA. Visit their web site (www.TapeSpecialists.com) for a look at their extensive product line.

Since we have several log home suppliers and log home products please call for prices and specifications.