red oak storage?

[northernss454]

Hi I am new to fourm and am loving it.I am building my second log full scribe home and will have a pile of logs left over.White spruce is species.Anyway i am shopping for a mill and found this fourm and am glad I did.Enough about that I have a ways to go till I can saw logs.But I have a question about some red oak I own.I have a 1/4 of land with a river that runs through my land.Lots of big red oak along river around 24-36 inch.I am going to be selling the land soon,i was wondering if I were to cut all the oak maybe 50 or so,how long would they keep with bark on off the ground.And if i saw them and store them would they become usless after a while?.Maybe its a total waste of time as I bet they would not get sawn for 2 years.I know I couldnot get away with white spruce sitting for 2 years.Any help would be appriciated.Thanls all

[ljmathias]

Well, first, I wouldn't store any logs directly on the ground- too many bugs get in them; down here in the Deep South, it takes about a week for termites to make entry and in about 2 weeks they're all up and down the inner layer just below bark.  In a couple of months, blue stain everywhere, holes and bark falling off- not a pretty sight.

On the other hand, if you get them up on blocks (I use landscape timbers at 4X6 treated on top of cement blocks- level and support about 3-4 per timber, timbers spaced at 8-10') they last for a fair amount of time but degrade will always occur.  I had a bunch of Katrina blow down that I got up off the ground- mostly red oak with bark on- and when I finally got to it after a year to 18 months, not much problem; after 2-3 years, lots of fungal decay on the outside but still sawed out some nice wood from the center of 18-30" diameter logs.  Some of the wood was beautifully spalted- weak in some parts but with great texture and lines.

In short, the sooner you cut it up the better... and once you sticker and stack (again off the ground) it will air dry beautifully over a two year period- I've got a bunch ready to use as interior finish and flooring right now.

Lj

[LeeB]

Unless I missed something, why not let them stand till you're ready to mill them? They store best with the roots still attatched and in the dirt.

[northernss454]

If I sell the land I won't be able to cut them becasue they won't be my trees anymore.
Thanks for replies so far,I was thinking of making shakes out of the oak.Anyone do that before I know cedar is the main choice but no cedar where I live.
Thanks

[Dodgy Loner]

Red oak is the wood of choice for shakes in the south.  I wouldn't cut down red oaks just to let them sit for two years.  White oaks would hold up better, but with red oak you'll have quite a bit of degradation.

[Bill_G]

Red Oak seems to last a long time on the ground,years, you will loose a little on the sides, but not much. It will decay from the outside in. I have sawn oak thats been laying on the ground for three or four years without much degrade and by keeping on the ground it will help keep the moisture in, which is needed to saw easier.

[LeeB]

Oops. So sorry. i missed the selling part.

[stonebroke]

Couldn't he put them in a pond?

Stonebroke