using green oak for beams

[rvrdivr]

Hello again everyone. I am building a pole barn and wanted to use oak beams that I want to cut myself to run between the pole which the trusses will then sit on.
The trusses will be here in 4 or 5 weeks, and I have not yet cut my beams. There is only going to be a few weeks between the time I cut them till the time I use them. Will using green wood be a proplem? I am cutting some to 3"x10"x 15 feet. The logs have been sitting for three months if that makes any differance?
Thanks again.
Brian

[ARKANSAWYER]

  Most timber framing is done with green wood and in the days of old that was all it was done with.  Put in good kickers and you will be fine.   If you have ever tried to drive a nail in dry oak you will know why they built with green.   I have felled the tree and sawed up a beam and put it in place in the same day.  Very little sag and no problems.  Center the pith in the timber and realize that it will shrink in width and thickness but not in length.(that you can tell)
ARKANSAWYER

[rvrdivr]

Great, I just wondered if I was going to run into a sag or warp proplem. Thought maybe a trip to the lumber yard would be the fix. I originally wanted to cut all the wood for a traditional framed roof, but got to thinking about how long it was going to take me to do it all. I need a roof now

Thankyou

[DR Buck]

Arky,

Thanks for the input.  I'm breaking ground for my pole barn this week and am facing the same issue.  Don't think I'm going to use trusses though Probably just go with a 2x10 oak ridge board and 2x6 pine rafters on 24" OC covered with tin.

[Jim_Rogers]

Dr_Buck:
2x6 pine sounds kind of light for rafters.
What's the run or span of the building and what's the rise?
Jim Rogers

[DR Buck]

Jim,

Span is 24 ft.  12 ft either side of center.  Pitch will be about 6 / 12.

Dave (aka DR_Buck)

[Furby]

That's about a 13 1/2' run, give or take a little.
Even with that pitch and the tin, I'd still do a min. of 2x8 at 24"o.c., 2x10 would be better.

If you do use the 2x6, don't space them more then 16" o.c., 12" is even better.

Just my 2 cents! :

[iain]

DR   you got any purlin's in on that span 6x2 is very skinny probably bouncy to in a bit of wind
rv     dont forget to install with any bow upwards

[Jim_Rogers]

The next thing you need to consider, even if it is a tin roof, is snow load.
What is the snow load for your area? If you don't know you should find out. Then add the snow load and dead load (the actual weight of the roof materials themselves) to get the combined load, and see what size rafter will correctly support that load at that spacing.
With a tin roof the snow load duration will be less but you still need to figure for the max at any one time.
Don't make the mistake I made and make your rafters too small and spread out too far.
Jim Rogers

[HOGFARMER]

I have also used green oak to frame several farm buildings and have never had any problems with it.  It sure is easier to nail it up green than to try and nail it after it has dried.  Good luck, you should not have any problems with it.

[Ga_Boy]

I have a general question about using Oak for framing material.

A local horse lady is giving me about 20 or so Pin Oaks.  Is Pin Oak suitable to cut into 2X for framing a barn?

[Buzz-sawyer]

I think it is really suitable,,,,,most pin is cut into pallet stock, it is knotty and checks like crazy but the horses dont mind

[Larry]

The reason a lot of it goes into pallet stock is that it is pretty shaky.....take a good look at the logs first.

[HOGFARMER]

I framed a corn crib with it and it worked ok.  It does seem to rot easily if it gets much moisture.