Not sure which forum to post this in but since this is closest to building I thought I would start here., please move if I guessed wrong.
I will begin building my retirement place soon on my 114 acres in the Smokey mountains and intend to use as much of the native growth as possible. But I would rather not cut down anything unless I can utilize it. So far I have identified several species of trees and am still looking for others. I would like opinions of what to use each species for. (flooring, cabinets, stairs, counter tops, etc.) Some like pine and Hemlock are obvious for framing but I am open to suggestions for all.
Oak red and White
Elm
Hickory (pig nut)
Maple
Sycamore
Cedar/ Juniper
Beech
White Pine
Hemlock
Magnolia
Poplar
will this be a modern home or a rustic cabin like build? trying to see it and help with the question you pose.
Stick framing but going for a cross between log cabin looking exterior and timber frame look in the public areas. Wrap around deck, wall of windows overlooking the lake that I want to give timber frame appearance. I am not great at putting what is in my mind on paper but I can build it how my mind sees it. Rustic look with a modern feel.
Traditionally the oaks were framing and sheathing, flooring.. all the uses you list
Elm, hickory and maple would be secondary woods although maple is structurally quite strong if the grade is good.
Quartersawn sycamore makes a beautiful floor or panelling
Cedar in the closets
Beech can be timbers, cabinets, flooring but there is high movement and loss in drying, many of the same strengths, and issues as hickory. If you have beech there you also have black birch. Beech/birch/ hickory is the highest strength domestic lumber group but are tough to work with.
white pine and hemlock were more often used as sheathing and siding here, typically not framing for anything of strength. Carpenter bees really like white pine, heavy paint if exposed.
Magnolia, enjoy the growing tree
Poplar is framing, trim, not timbers, any secondary uses such as sheathing. A good finish man can make poplar shine.
You could have a sort of wood museum. I made trim for my cousins shed/apartment/mancave with rooms for all the grandkids. a different wood as trim in each room. Would not be appreciated by all but by some.
Thinking along those line, everything a different wood but only if it blends and passes the boss test. Thanks for the feedback.
I'd be remiss...
Most of those have bug issues, especially there. I'd borate all of those hardwoods.
That would be an automatic thing. For clarification the building site and trees are in eastern Tennessee I am dumping Florida as soon as I can.
There's a market up here for eastern hemlock flooring. In other words they sell it as finished flooring. It probably has to be dried in a special way because any I ever tried to nail as strapping would throw the nail back at you and after about the 5th whack would split the board. :D
Porta nailer, that blunt cleat punches through rather than wedging, A floor nail was traditionally a cut nail, same thing, a punch more than a wedge. A floor staple is another way, smaller gauge splits less. I have put down even white pine flooring, after warning them. I drop firewood and frying pans and am only getting worse :D
Yes, I agree a cut barn nail like 100 years ago is what is needed. They are expensive these days, not sure what those 'sort of' kind are like for nail guns.
Still produced by Tremont in the USA.