Log Cabin Chinking - Purity and the Art of the Line
The task of applying daubing or chinking between the logs on a log home does not, on the surface, bring to mind any sacred mathematics, geometry, or golden mean however the author approaches the subject with the passion of an artist.
In the articles he speaks of form and function and the importance of presentation of the final product. Interestingly his chinking recipe which he deems as the perfect formula based on his research is a material mixed with a ratio 1:2:3. Coincidence? The golden ratio in a recipe?
Throughout the site, he expresses his views on form, function and final presentation as art and a critical element of any log home. For example he becomes rather passionate with the question regarding log home construction methods of when is a log not a log? Log homes are apparently constructed of various types of log styles.
The site points out that some log cabins use milled logs and some use natural logs. The author argues that a milled log is no longer a log at all - A milled log is lumber therefore a ‘log home’ built with lumber is not a log home. Furthermore he stresses that log home construction methods using milled logs are synthetic or simulated log homes rather than a real log cabin. This becomes a theme throughout his discussions of log home construction.
However, this is not the only area in which our hero differentiates the purity of natural materials with their synthetic counterparts.
In an article on log home repair restoration he displays his passion for the use natural materials and makes no apologies for his distaste for synthetic chinking. He boldly states “call me a purist” and proceeds to discuss the virtues of natural material and their use in log homes. He writes extensively on log home chinking and has even produced some videos that show the art of log home chinking.
Take a look at www.BearfortLodge.com for more information.