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randy grider
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# Posted: 15 Nov 2015 11:53am
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New here, and first post. Was thinking of building a small, crude, recreational cabin on my property. Have gotten some logs from a power company right of way clearing, appears to be alot of sycamore logs just the right size. Also ash,oak,elm,hackberry. Would any of these be a species of tree I should stay away from for log construction ? Have wanted to do this for years, and finnally got a supply of logs that are the right size, and were doomed anyway, as I never wanted to cut down a bunch of trees for my own selfish reason. These have already been bulldozed, and waiting to be utilized. I am getting them regardless if they are construction materials or not, as they can be used as firewood if nothing else. I have a friend with a firewood proccessor that is willing to do them for half. Thanks in advance !
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randy grider
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# Posted: 15 Nov 2015 11:55am
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also was planning to just pour a concrete slab to build on, if that makes any difference. Simple construction, door and two windows at most.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 15 Nov 2015 03:25pm
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I'd look at rot resistance, workability, and wood movement for each species. You don't want to bother with logs that have a high propensity to rot. The harder the species the harder it is to work. And a species prone to high amounts of movement as it dries will make cracks in the walls as the drying logs twist. Inquire locally with a small sawmill or timberframers, they'll tell you.
You want to de-bark the logs as soon as possible or insects will get in there and bore lots of holes.
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Mann
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# Posted: 15 Nov 2015 05:42pm - Edited by: Mann
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I was not trying to post sorry 
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pash
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# Posted: 15 Nov 2015 06:04pm
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I would think Sycamore and Elm both would be hard to work with. Ever try to split an elm tree? not without a hydraulic splitter you didnt. Everything bldginsp said about the rot resistance and movement. Ash is a great wood, but it tends to spalt quickly, and is the heaviest of the trees you mentioned. There is a reason we tend to use softwoods for cabin's, they are lighter and they have a greater r-value per inch than hardwoods. In the midwest where i grew up there were lots of old cabin's made from poplar that were still around, dont recall seeing any other species from the same native's in the area. If the sycamore was straight it might be your best bet. Good luck and post pictures.
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Don_P
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# Posted: 15 Nov 2015 07:12pm
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Of those listed, the oak would be my choice, if it's white, much better. The others have low decay resistance and the ash is the only one that'll stay straight. Quartersawn the sycamore would make beautiful flooring. paneling, cabinets, etc. If the elm is rock elm, aka slippery elm, red elm, it is a wonderful finish wood as well. You will lose a large amount of both of those as they dry. The hackberry would be worse, I'd go straight to firewood. Ash can be joists, rafters or purlins.
I'd peel and borate the logs, preferably a crude plywood and board well caulked dip tank and soak the peeled logs. These are all susceptible to powderpost beetles and that will keep them at bay as well it stops decay fungi, and it has very low toxicity to mammals, we treat it more like a salt.
Get it up well off the ground and roof it with broad overhangs all around to keep the wood dry.
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