Using local timber?

[scgargoyle]

In planning our house in SC, one idea that keeps coming up is using my own timber. Since I have 7 acres of hardwoods, this seems like a good idea-but... Are there any species to be avoided? My best trees, and the one's most likely in the way of the future house appear to be scarlet oak, ranging from 18 to 24" DBH, with very long, clean trunks, since they are fairly close together. Most of the other species (oaks and hickories) are somewhat smaller. How is scarlet oak for a frame? Or should I just use a piece or two in prominent locations, and make the rest of the frame out of something better? I know one thing- harvesting and cutting my own timbers is going to be a lot more work than ordering timbers and writing checks! BTW- I would invest in a bandmill to make my own timbers. The project we're talking about here would be a 16X24 great room, with the rest of the house conventionally framed.

[Tony_T]

If you mean red oak it is fine for framing.  I'd do some reading up on lumbering and look into nearby  folks who do portable milling.  I think woodmizer has a link to millers.

[scgargoyle]

Scarlet oak (Q. coccinea) is in the red oak family. I also have southern red oak (Q. falcata) and black oak (Q. velutina), as well as some white oak, but the scarlets are the biggest. I haven't found any local millers yet, but I haven't looked very hard. I'd probably need to have someone come to me and mill the logs on site. Ever since operating my buddy's Hudson, I've had the urge to get a mill anyhow- building a house would just give me further encouragement. I've talked to a couple of itinerant timber framers about raising my frame, so I'm wondering about using my own timber as opposed to buying and shipping the timbers.

[Tony_T]

Have a talk with local building inspector too regarding using your own timbers.  You may have to have them stamped/graded to pass state/local codes.

[Thomas-in-Kentucky]

Scarlet Oak is great.  Around here it tends to have more mineral stain and knots (character!) than the other oaks, so it does not bring as much money at the log yards.  Timberframing would be a great use of it (with appropriately sized timbers).  The scarlet oak in my frame looks more red (with red, orange, and gray streaks throughout) to me than the other red oaks.  Based on the bark before I milled it, I'm pretty sure this is a scarlet oak... but I could be wrong (there's a remote chance that it's a black oak).



I wouldn't buy a mill for the size job that you are contemplating - have someone local come mill your logs and I think you'll be way ahead of the game.  You might even want to source out the "harvesting" part of the adventure.  Sounds like fun - I wish I weren't so far away from your site.

-Thomas

[Raider Bill]

Scarlet oak (Q. coccinea) is in the red oak family. I also have southern red oak (Q. falcata) and black oak (Q. velutina), as well as some white oak, but the scarlets are the biggest. I haven't found any local millers yet, but I haven't looked very hard. I'd probably need to have someone come to me and mill the logs on site. Ever since operating my buddy's Hudson, I've had the urge to get a mill anyhow- building a house would just give me further encouragement. I've talked to a couple of itinerant timber framers about raising my frame, so I'm wondering about using my own timber as opposed to buying and shipping the timbers.

John, Hurry up and buy one so I can borrow it!
Put in a full day bull dozing I may have found my new vocation. Power man Power! Right through the middle of the woods theres no stopping me!

[scgargoyle]

Since your breaking ground before I am, maybe YOU should be the one to my the mill! :D :D :D

[Raider Bill]

Dozer caught on fire yesterday. Guess I need to find a new job. Well it was fun while it lasted.

[saw4you]

I am not from SC but in NC all you have to do is sign a letter stating that the lumber came off your land,  if you can not find someone there to mill the the lumber give me a call,  I went to college in SC and always go back to visit friends

[scgargoyle]

I am not from SC but in NC all you have to do is sign a letter stating that the lumber came off your land,  if you can not find someone there to mill the the lumber give me a call,  I went to college in SC and always go back to visit friends

Thanks! I may take you up on that- I've tried to find a local sawyer, but haven't had any luck yet, although I haven't checked local sources, since I'm 600 miles away. I would also like to hook up with a Forester, to help me identify and assess my trees, so I can decide what to do with them.  I intend to meet with the Building Dept. on my next trip up there, and I'll ask whether the lumber needs to be stamped. I have a LOT of questions for the Building Dept.! Some parts of SC seem very lax, others not so much, but the county and the state are supposed to follow IBC 2003, according to my research. If nothing else, I can use some of the timber for flooring and trim in the house.