hemlock for cabin logs?

[Rokky Rakkoon]

 ive spent the last few summers building a log cabin from cedar and fir trees from my woods. they were trees that could be  made into logs i could handle without heavy equipment, usually no larger than 12' in diameter. but ive always admired the hemlocks for both their size and straightness and very low taper rate. it looks like they would make great cabin logs. i know hemlock doesnt make the best lumber as it is splintery and tends to warp and split at the growth rings. but how would it be for cabin logs? for example, a 16"diameter x 20 foot log? would a whole hemlock log warp much as it dries? will hemlock stand up to weather longterm? thanks, JY

ps, i love showing off my cabin so when i figure out how to post a picture of it, i will.  

[DanG]

Woops! Another Yooper.  Welcome in, Johnny.
I wouldn't know a hemlock if ya whipped my britches with it, but I'd like to see pics of yer cabin.

[chet]

Hot danG another yooper.  8)  welcome aboard make sure ya plant yurself a tree on dat dar member map. Gotta do it purty quick thought 'cause the ground will be freezing up purdy soon in da UP.  :D

[Jeff]

Eastern Hemlock is the ideal wood for cabins  100 to 150 year old barns scattered across the countryside are a testament to the lasting quality of Eastern Hemlock. There are companies out there that use hemlock for making "D" logs, a milled product, and I would think if they are stable enough that certainly the whole log would be.

[Don P]

There's a right nice one a few miles from me built by a local logger. He was selective in what he used. Its been a few years and it still looks good.

[Rokky Rakkoon]

thanks for the welcome Don and Chet (fellow Yoopers). i shouldve introduced myself before making a post. I dont know what to say except if you read my bio, you'll see that i love my woods. and i am very impressed by the depth of this forum. who woulda thought.
  Im going to attempt to insert a picture here. hopefully i'll succeed sooner or later.
  btw,  that was very encouraging news about hemlocks. it gives me another project to day dream about. JY

   well, it doesnt look like the picture took. i'll attempt another one later. better do some studying about it first.

[Sawyerfortyish]

Like Jeff said no problem with hem for a log cabin. I saw hem all the time for barns. Just gotta watch the shake. Not all hem is shook but if it is I always try to make heavy dimension beams or if it's not shook to bad saw it in 10 or 12"boards and cut the shake out of the board by trimming it narrower.I have a barn sided with hem it's 125 yrs old and the biggest problem with the siding is the steel nails rust off and the board falls off and must be nailed back up! But for a log cabin hem is a good choice just be a little picky about the shook logs. Probably not a good idea to expose an end that is shook to the weather.

[junkyard]

Around here they always used Hemlock for bridge timbers because they would last in the damp
envionment. Woods jobbers used it for their camps because it had very little valueother than the barkfor the tanneries. The first local millionare made his money on the hemlock logs left in rhe woods by the bark Jobbers. The timber was already cut and the woods roads were thereto get the bark so the Hemlock was easy to get out. In the early 1900's hemlock lumber sold for $8.00per thousand at the mill.
       Junkyard

[SasquatchMan]

As a woodworker, a guy gets passed a lot of hemlock under the guise of fir, particularly in trim/mouldings.  I've found hem to be easier to work than fir.  My thought on cabin construction would be that it maybe isn't critical as to what type of trees you're using, but how you treat em (drying, finishing) at the end of the day that's going to make the difference.