downed trees

[kenny]

 I live in western ny with the storms last couple years i have lots of trees uprooted so i started to cut them down and haul to my barn, oaks ,maples, beech, white pines i would like to get a saw mill still shopping for used one , how ever how should i be storing these logs  8ft to 20ft long still have bark om them, i do realize the value of these now that i have been on this forum, so down the road i would like to use these on a building thanks

[thecfarm]

kenny,welcome to the forum. You next question will be what size sawmill.  :D The white pine the bugs will attack as soon as it gets warmer, I would think late May- June. If you could get the bark off,like in about May-June that would help. You say haul them to your barn,inside? If outside,lay down a few trees that you don't want and put the logs on them. Try to keep them out of the sun will help too. I don't really know about the hard wood. I only have trouble with bugs in the pine.

[beenthere]

Another welcome to the forum.
Logs do not store well. They continually will degrade, so the sooner you get them sawed into the material you eventually want, the better.
I'd suggest the shorter time would be the best, be it a mill you get or getting the logs to a mill for sawing.

Much better to stack the building material on stickers for uniform drying than trying to store the logs. They are perishable items - unfortunately.

[Bogue Chitto]

Welcome Kenny, If you have access to a pond, you can store the logs until you need them.  I have logs in my pond that have been there for over 5 years. When I need them they are as good as the day I put them in. 

  

 

[mesquite buckeye]

They won't rot in the barn, but they will still dry out and crack even if they don't get buggy. Sooner they are cut, the better. Anything over a year and you will see a lot of cracking......

[MAI]

Hey Bogue,
I know very little about storing timber but, you can store them in a pond and they don't become water logged?

[mesquite buckeye]

They don't rot if they are either dry or soggy. Bad environment for bugs and fungi.

[Bogue Chitto]

Hey Bogue,
I know very little about storing timber but, you can store them in a pond and they don't become water logged?

The only bad part about storing logs in water, is that it will give the lumber a sour smell.  Sour smell will go away after lumber dries.  The loges will not be waterlogged when removed from water.  We have sinker cypress that has been under water for over 100 years that is still good.   

[kenny]

Thanks for the come back, what are the largest sizes i should cut them to store and dry inside a barn? I do not have a project right now, but dont want to lose them from not storing or improper cuts, these trees have been uprooted for over a year, and some went down with  hurricane Sandy.   thanks

[thecfarm]

kenny,as others have said they store better on the stump. I know these have fell over,but could you leave them that way until you get a mill?

[drobertson]

Kenny, back in 09' there was a storm that took out miles of timber, so much that mills were covered up. the goverment was paying a portion to land owners for the timber to be harvested. one of the requirments was to have the logs stacked off the ground on other logs as mentioned earlier.  I had allot of damage as well, some very had to get to. I left these on the stumps, and found a bit of wicking going on, which I think caused the rot to begin,(doty sapwood)  After getting them out the second year, I lost allot of wood, logs that would've made 7x9's now made 6x8's, and so on because of the rot in the sap wood.  I would get them on some good runners, leave as long as possible, and get a mill!  the maple may be the most vuneralbe, not being familiar with northern timber, sounds like you have quite a bit to loose,  sorry, hope you get a mill soon,   david