Bug and Rot resistant wood

[darrell_patrick]

Hey everyone, My name is Darrell and I am new here. So far I have been very pleased with the information that is on this forum and have learned a ton of information that I could have not gotten anywhere else. Thanks

I have a question. My wife and I are looking at the option of building our own house. My grandfather has given me 40 acres of land with 20 year old yellow pines on it. I also have a 5 acre piece of property that is mostly clear cut but has about 15 or so 30 year old popluar trees standing in a bunch on it. We have seriously been thinking about milling our own lumber and building out of that (taking about a year to build the house). I really like the way a Pole and Beam structure with a raised floor looks but am concerned about bugs and rot. We are planning on building with green wood.

So here is my question, Is their a wood in the south (Mississippi) that resist rot and Bugs naturally? I have heard that cypress and Cedar do. Any information concerning this post will be helpful.

Additional information: I have built houses before but never with pole and beam and always with lumber from the box stores and always on a concrete slab.

[mesquite buckeye]

Powderpost beetles don't like pine trees. If you are worried about bugs and intend to use hardwoods either avoid sapwood, or treat any sapwood or bark with a borate product. That will keep the bugs out if they aren't in there already. Rots can only be active when the wood is moist. If your roof doesn't leak and your ventilation is adequate, rot isn't happening except on wood exposed to the elements.

Welcome to the Forestry Forum. ;D

[darrell_patrick]

Thanks Buckeye

[boxygen]

There is a reason nobody builds houses pole barn style. Thats a bad plan, unless you are using treated dressed timbers that can be squared and plumbed easily and dont have taper to them. Even then, there are many and much easier ways to build a house.

[wormy]

Hemlock is a strong wood that is bug resistant.  A lot of older houses here in east Tennessee have hemlock floor trusses. I have seen seen hemlock trusses over 150 years old just as sound as the day they were cut. There are a lot of termites in this area but they won't touch hemlock.

[hackberry jake]

You would be better off in the long run using concrete where there is ground contact. Raise the wood at least a foot above grade and keep it dry.

[darrell_patrick]

Thank y'all so much! So if I want a raised floor, blocks are the way to go?

[hackberry jake]

Yep, and if you put your block walls about 8 feet apart, you can get away with smaller floor joists. Just remember to put access holes in the block walls every so often so you can get to everything once there is a house sitting on them. I would spring for treated lumber for the sills and cut the rest, sometimes Concrete can wick water up to your structure. That is also what the sill plate is for, but its better to be safe than sorry.

[manoverboard]

There are foam/plastic materials to use between the sill plate and a concrete foundation this is to prevent the wood contacting concrete. Most come in rolls and are easy to apply and more importantly they are cheap! Use with treated lumber and your sill will last decades!

[darrell_patrick]

Thank y'all so much for your responses!

[Overlength]

You might look at old wood homes in your area, back when they used wood for the post and beam style foundation. Around here they used bodark for the post, and Aro Cedar for the beams. Last forever, just needs releveling every 50 years. I plan on building cabin in woods by creek like that. I have the bodark growing right there. Only question is, that the bodark could be sold for more than the concrete might cost. I've also lived in one just with Aro Cedar post built 120 years ago, still just fine.

[darrell_patrick]

Overlength, Your right, the reason I was looking at this style is because all of the old home over 100 years old in my area are standing on ceder post. My dads house (also over 100 years old) is just sitting on blocks every 10 ft square. Its as solid of a house I could ever hope to have.

Thank you guys for all your Comments!!!

[Magicman]

Hello darrell_patrick, and Welcome to the Forestry Forum. 

You absolutely do not want any wood in the ground here in Mississippi.


 


 


 


    
I used blocks and metal flashing for a termite shield.