Caulk, Chinking & Backer Rod Calculator
Joint length and gap width in - tubes, pails and the right backer rod out, priced the cheapest way to buy the total.
Pick caulk or chinking and the product. Enter the total joint length - or on a new build, put in wall length × rows of log and it fills that in. Then set the gap width.
Tube or pail counts, the backer rod size and footage, and a priced materials list.
A tube runs ~20 lineal ft at a 3/8-inch bead; wider joints use more. Rod sized one step up from the gap so it compresses snug. Most log caulks top out near a 1-inch joint (we're confirming the exact spec with the manufacturers); chinking handles up to 3 inches. We confirm big orders by phone.
Your bill of materials
Every line is a real product with today's price — nothing here is a placeholder.
| Part | Why this many | Qty | Unit | Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated materials total | — | |||
Math, in the open: joint volume = length × gap × depth (caulk beds at half the gap's depth; chink lines at ⅜″) + 10% waste · a 10.5-oz tube holds ~18 cu in, a 30-oz tube ~55, a 5-gal pail ~1,155 · backer rod runs one size up from the gap so it compresses snug. We pick the cheapest way to buy the total. For how to apply, follow the manufacturer's guide on each product page.
Rather talk it through? 1‑800‑426‑1002 — Scott or Olivia will check your list in minutes.