Should I Stain or Do My Chinking First?

Published on | Log Home Chinking Log Home Stain Log Homes |Leroy Walker

When building a log home there are many important decisions to make during the building process. Each one is important because typically they will have an impact on your next decision. When it comes to selecting the chinking and stain for your log home these tasks should not be overlooked.

It is important to choose a chinking material based on the following criteria.

  • The chinking material should be compatible with your log home stain.
  • The log home chinking should come with a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer.
  • The cabin chinking should come from a reputable manufacturer.
  • The chinking material should have a 1 hour UL fire rating if you require chinking material on your garage wall. Log Jam chinking by Sashco is the only chinking available that meets this criteria.
  • Your chinking contractor should be comfortable with your chinking selection.

It is important to choose a stain material based on the following criteria.

  • The log home stain should be compatible with your chinking material. This will ensure that the chinking material gets proper adhesion and can perform properly.
  • The stain material should be designed for log homes. This is important because not all stains can weather the elements like a log stain.
  • The log stain can be water or oil based but should be a high end product. You will pay more in the beginning for a good log home stain product but you will save money in the long run.
  • The log stain should be compatible with some type of exterior clear finish such as Cascade. This will make your log stain maintenance work quite a bit easier and much more economical.
  • Choose a stain that provides you the color that you like but remember that there will be worked involved to keep it this color.

Most chinking materials will accept stain which is why it is recommended to stain first. This is the common process because most people want to keep a color contradiction between the chinking and the logs. Also, the stain will cover some dirt, dust or grease which will allow the chinking to get better adhesion. Finally, it is recommended to let your stain set up for 7-10 days before beginning the chinking process. This will provide the chinking applicator an easier time when cleaning the chinking material from your house logs.

For more information about chinking material, chinking application tools or chinking contractor referrals contact Mountain Home Building Products toll free at 800-490-3695.