Log Home Caulking

Log home caulking can be used on various areas of a log home from the interior to the exterior. It can be used on horizontal joints, outside corners, inside corners, windows and doors anywhere you might develope an air or water leak.

When it comes to sealing horizontal joints the rule of thumb is if the joint is smaller than an one inch in width you should use a log home caulking product. If it is one inch or larger you should use a different product for sealing it called Chinking.

On log homes that I have worked on where the joints had already been caulked it always seemed like not enough caulking had been applied. You have to have enough in the joint to take all the movement of the logs and still retain a tight seal to the them.

A lot of log home builders when they are doing the caulking either put on to small of a bead or they drag off to much when they are smoothing it out. If you have to small of a bead or a paper thin coat then it is going to tear.

Proper depth in the middle of a joint after it has been troweled smooth should be 1/4 inch. Always make sure the edges are feathered out so that you get a tight seal to the logs.

Most of the log homes that I inspect are constructed out of tongue and groove logs. The tongue sitting down in the groove is supposed to act as the weather stripping. This is suppose to cut off any air or water infiltration. Some even have a foam tape applied in the groove to help seal it.

TONGUE AND GROOVE DOES'T ALWAYS WORK

As I walk around the exterior of these homes doing my inspection I can usually find some areas where I can see the tongue sitting up out of the groove. My belief is that if you can see the tongue then air is probably getting in around the tongue into the home.

I believe that this is also true on the homes that also have the foam tape application. After years of compression the foam tape isn't going to expand and fill the void in the groove where the tongue should sit.

Corn Cob Blasting will always find this type of leak in a joint area of a log home.

I always tell the home owners before I start corn cob blasting their home that I will find any leaks their home might have. Most home owners don't believe that their homes have any leaks.

THE DUST THAT SETTLES ON THE INTERIOR OF THE HOME WHILE I AM DOING THE BLASTING CHANGES THEIR MINDS.

Not all but I would say that at least half of these home owners have me caulk the joints while I am there working on their home.

What causes these gaps in the joints is the fact that the logs are drying out. As the logs dry they are shrinking in both diameter and length.

IT CAN TAKE UP TO TWENTY YEARS FOR A LOG HOME TO DRY

During this time you need to keep an eye on the joints to make sure they are tight. Once you start to see gaps it's time to start sealing them up.

Log home caulking comes in a wide range of colors to choose from. This allows the home owner to choose a color that will either blend with the stain or one that will accent the joints. The important thing is to get the joints sealed as soon as possible.

It is available in easy to use 11 oz and 30 oz tubes or 5 gallon pails.

If you have any questions about or want more information about log home caulking please fill out the contact form below.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR LOG HOME NEEDS!!!