Good definition, but it leaves out one very important use for oakum: Filling and packing the spaces (chinks) between the logs of log homes. Hence this post.
We're not sure exactly when our cabin was built. A person we know in Rangeley (a fellow golfer, BTW) is writing a book on the many old camps and cabins in the area. His research of the various titles and legal descriptions of our property puts the age at somewhere between 90 and 100 years. That matches with construction techniques evident in our place as well as local "lore" about when the cabin appeared on the property. Suffice to say, it's old.
And, more important to this discussion, the joints and chinks are filled with oakum. But, because of the settling and drying out of the logs, some of the gaps have gotten larger over time. And, quite frankly, whoever put the oakum in originally, did a lackluster job (or, to give them the benefit of doubt, they had a limited supply and only did what they thought was "important").
Over the years, we've talked a lot about how to make the cabin more airtight, with better insulation. And I've looked at all kinds of modern foams and insulation materials that I might use for the job. In the end, though, I decided that, because the cabin is such a one-of-a-kind place (with some obvious historic value), any changes I make should be done using original techniques and materials. And that led me to oakum.
First, I had to find a source. Turns out there's a great place (in Oregon, I believe) called the Log Home Store--all kinds of products and "stuff" for building, repairing and maintaining log homes. They had oakum. While waiting for my stuff to arrive, I found out that one of our Rangeley neighbors (Don Corkran from Windswept) had a small box and was happy to let me use it to get started.
I decided to start on the "windward" side of the cabin--it's clearly the most in need of repair and the source of most of our wind and cold air infiltration.
I tried to save the old quarter-round that had been put in between the logs, but it was just too dry and brittle--it broke apart in my hands. Then, once I got the quarter-round off, I realized that no oakum had been installed on the outside of the cabin--just the inside. No wonder it was cold inside!
This is what oakum looks like. It comes packaged in five pound boxes of "ropes." Each rope is about 2' long and can be pulled apart to make it easier to install. The fiber is impregnated with a mineral oil called Bentonite (apparently, a naturally occurring mineral oil). It's not bad to work with, but I used disposable gloves just to keep my hands from getting slippery, etc.
Installing it is pretty easy--just pull the stuff apart, place it where it needs to go, and pound it into the gaps (I found a wide, heavy metal spatula worked best with the second-best option being a piece of a cedar shingle).
And, here's the finished result. In addition to adding the oakum to the gaps between the logs, I also added more to the spaces around the window frame and at the corners of the cabin where the logs overlap each other. Note the new quarter-round. It's stained a "Driftwood" color--it should weather in a couple of years to look more like the original logs.
I've done only about 20% of the windward side of the cabin and a small portion of the front porch. But, even with that relatively small amount of work, the cabin is noticeably more "tight." Clearly, this is going to be a multi-year project. But it's a project that should help make the cabin much more comfortable for longer periods in the spring and fall.
I'd be happy to give you a guided tour of the project the next time you visit,
Chet
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