Building a Cordwood Home. Few milling questions

[H1E1G2E1]

I have been roaming / reading around here for a little while. I am building a cordwood home, and will be milling my own heavy timbers.

I have been working on this project for a few years slowly but surly. I have a Logosol M8 with MS660. This past winter I purchased the mill and the saw, cut down many Eastern White Pines, cut them into large cants on the mill. I did this to debark them, and get a feel for the equipment. I now have 5 Full cord of wood debarked / split and ready to go. Next phase is the heavy timbers.

I am framing the house out in Hard Maple. The structure will be 16 Sided (almost round) with 8"x8" Posts and Girders. Then 7 interior posts/ girders will be 10" x 10". Radial Roof system , 16 - 6" x 10" x 24' (primarys will need to use local guy to large for my setup) + 16 - 6" x 10" x 14" (secondary) rafters.

Now the questions

- When measuring logs, it says to measure 4' up off the ground, does this mean the lower part should not be used?

-The exterior maple posts will have 1 side exposed to the weather, if if standard maintenance is completed do you foresee any issues with rot? The will be 2' off of the ground and will be protect by a 2.5' roof overhang.

-I plan to mill all of these timbers center pith. From small end to large. Advised?

-I am dropping the tree's as we speak. I will have them milled and ready to use by June. Do you foresee any issues with using green timber?

-I was told that I should sticker the larger timbers with larger stickers and use the same type of wood. Is that recommended?

-The log sealer I have recommends not storing in temps below freezing, can the product still be used in freezing temps or should I explore other options?

-A clear beam refers to a beam without and branches correct?

I realize there are quite a few questions, any help would be appreciated. I have been learning everything as I go and im sure I will have many more questions.



Regards,

 

[MontanaTed]

I think I can shed some light on some of the questions: But when it come to construction there are 100 ways of doing 1.

-The exterior maple posts will have 1 side exposed to the weather, if if standard maintenance is completed do you foresee any issues with rot? The will be 2' off of the ground and will be protect by a 2.5' roof overhang. - Although not the ideal wood for exterior use, with proper maintenance the hard maple will weather decently however location and climate have a lot to do with the amount of maintenance as well as building methods to keep the moisture at bay as best as possible.

--I am dropping the tree's as we speak. I will have them milled and ready to use by June. Do you foresee any issues with using green timber? - the members will move, shrink and possibly twist/warp - it's green has to go through the drying process. One reason many homes in the upper midwest are built with means to adjust them afterwards. So they can be used but methods to allow for shrinkage is a must and then movement throughout the life of the home.

--The log sealer I have recommends not storing in temps below freezing, can the product still be used in freezing temps or should I explore other options? - Follow the application methods, if it is to be kept from freezing most liekly means it's a water based product, so applying at temps below freezing aren't going to allow the product adequate time to cure before it freezes. As far as the sealer goes, many wood/log home builders will suggest an aging time prior to applying a sealer to it, but others will not, very mixed opinions. In my experience with coating applications is that you can push limits on oil/solvent based products but not on water based products.

Hope it helps some, just some of my experience with log homes.

 

[H1E1G2E1]

MT - thanks for some input.

I will be building in Western NY

The posts will be embedded in mortar, 1 side exposed. - When you state they are not ideal is it due to decay or bugs or both?

This is essentially what I am doing with a different design

Oil based prodcucts - Paint?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiw1aq5qe7JAhVLRiYKHS8gBFUQjRwIBw&url=https://cordwoodconstruction.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/cordwood-home-near-wilburton-oklahoma/&psig=AFQjCNHOnrRvsUnY-4-4o-tAY9GZTgdSpA&ust=1450834391281553

 

[MontanaTed]

That's definitely a cool looking home!

Hard maple isn't known for it's rot resistance, but then again neither is pine and thousands of homes are built with pine logs. I would encourage you to take a look at another method of fastening the posts to the piers. Embedding them into the mortar/concrete is asking for moisture intrusion into them. You can coat them with a waterproofing tar type coatings often used for foundations prior to embedding them, but I would not embed them into it.

When you do that, the concrete can work like a wick for moisture and then the moisture soaks the wood and rots it. Now this is primarily on the exterior areas interior wise you would probably be ok, but I prefer to build with out embedding wood period. You could always pour your piers then embed an anchor rod and place the post over it, or use a mechanical connection that lifts the post off the concrete, these can be fabricated or bought often time depending on post size and shape. Take a look at this link to get some ideas.

http://www.strongtie.com/products/highwind/PostColumnBases.html?source=highwindnav

As far as sealers they come in two types, water based and solvent base. Both will come in clear, semi-transparent and solids depending on what you want. I guess i'd have to do some research more on chord wood homes to see the best sealers for them...

 

[H1E1G2E1]

My last post was not that clear led to some confusion.

I will be pouring a shallow frost protected foundation. I was going to use rebar as a center pin to hold the posts. When I stated the posts will be embedded in mortar I meant the cordwood walls + mortar would fill in the sides of the posts leaving only the face exposed.

Tbe link you provided - I really like the D90 item. I am just curious as to how much weight the lower rubber block would be able to hold. - My plan was to use a center pin, and place a 1/4 in thick piece of rubber under the posts.

The sealers I was referring to coating my log ends after I dropped the trees prior to milling

The cordwood walls need no treatment, only the timber framing.

 

[Mike Van]

Maple in any form is one of the last woods I'd let the weather get to. I've had maple go spalted & punky after two years in a pile. Hard rock sugar maple will make a floor as hard as concrete [bowling alleys] but not where it gets damp. Maybe it's the sugar in it that gets the process started. White oak or locust would be my pick.

 

[H1E1G2E1]

Unfortunately I must use what I have access to on our property. We have very little Oak or Locust. Primarily Maple.

Our house plans call for almost a 3' overhang, all of the timbers will be up off of the ground 2'. We have tried to incorporate as much protection as we can. I like the one strongtie Anchors posted above, that would keep the bottom up off the concrete.

There will be 16 posts that would see some weather on 1 face only, everything else will be under cover. My plan was to treat these posts on a yearly or bi yearly basis.

 

[H1E1G2E1]

Well I believe I located some White Oak, attaching picture hopefully someone could verify.

I was told there was very limited oak on our property and nothing of decent size. I must have walked a 1000 miles all over the property and I believe I located some. This area is in the middle of wet lands and it is surrounded by standing water. I located a long strip of higher ground and found 15 large trees.

1 trees 49 DBH
3 trees 108ish DBH
11 trees 68is DBH

The property was last logged over 25 years ago, These must not have been located or were not worth the trouble. Looks like I will need to invert the sawmill. More questions to come.