Best Way To Dry Timbers

[bartfc]

I am in the very early stages of planning to build my own timber frame home. I am planning on using eastern white pine for most of it. I have plenty of mature trees and a portable sawmill so I plan to do it all myself. Realistically I won't be building for probably 5 years. What does everyone have for recommendations as far as a timeframe for cutting/drying the timbers.

My original plan was to cut the logs and saw the timbers out in the very near future, and air dry them (in my large unheated garage) for the next 3-4 years. Then when I was ready to build I would cut my joinery and be ready to go.

I am definitely new to timber framing - what do you guys think about this plan?? I know it takes a long time to air dry large timbers so that is why I am planning ahead!!

Another option - I am going to be building a solar kiln very soon - should I make it big enough and try to dry the timbers in there?

[beenthere]

A big welcome to the forum.
A question comes up, as to how much room you will have in a garage to sticker and stack the timbers for a timber frame home?  Seems you'll want to stack them as you saw, and have room to get each one on the stack, as well as have room to move around the stack, and as well have room to keep air moving through the stack so it isn't like a dead-pile that will begin to mold and decay.
Do you have some numbers as to how many timbers you are talking and how much room you will have in a garage? 

I'd be thinking of a roof structure over a pile that can keep the rain off and have open sides for air movement and for easy stacking of the timbers from at least one side.

Maybe you have that well covered already in your plan.

[fjc]

I am no expert but if I was in your situation I would cut the wood in winter buck the logs to rough length and use a good end sealer. Then I would mill the timber when necessary for timing. I wouldn't want the wood to sit much more than a year after sawn. It is much easier to cut joinery in green wood, but it is also nice if the sap content is low. Most seem to think that it is optimal for timber to dry in place (in a raised frame). Just finished cutting a frame where the wood was handled in a similar fashion and it was decent to work with.

[Don P]

I'm not a timber framer but do work with a fair amount of big wood. Having worked both green and dry my opinion is that I'd much rather have dry wood, it has already done most of the moving and checking that its going to do and then I can see how I want to place the wood with some degree of certainty that it'll remain in place. That said white pine is about the most easygoing wood in that regard. Cutting is easier in green vs dry, but it's no big deal if you keep sharp tools either way. Sounds like a good plan to me.

The code folks are talking about making it where everything will have to be dried in the not too distant future  :.

[Qweaver]

I'm in the process of building a post and beam cabin that's 24'x 32' with 6' of deck added all around.  I built a 20'x 44' shed to stack and dry my wood and it was not enough room.  I'm not using plywood so all of my subfloor, sheathing and roof decking is rough sawn 4/4 and that adds a lot to the space required.   So you'd be wise to draw a good plan where you can accurately calculate the wood you'll need because it is a BUNCH more than you'd think. 
Quinton

[scsmith42]

Bart, Welcome to the Forum!

Your plan is fundamentally sound.  A couple of comments.

Watch for any type of insect damage in your pile.  Before you construct your frame, consider running your timbers through a kiln to sterilize them (kill the bugs and set the pitch).  Around here (NC), you'll have less mold / stain if you fell and mill in winter.

Mill 15% - 20% extra if possible, so that you can pick and choose the best timbers.  That way, if you have some warpage or significant checking, you have some extra (dried) beams to swap.

Big timbers are hard to maneuver.  Be sure to store them where you can get equipment to them in case you need to move them around.

Definitely use end sealer - the same day as the logs are felled if possible.

Good luck.  Scott

[bartfc]

Thanks for all the great responses. I do plan to fell all of the trees in the winter and use Anchor Seal immediately.

For you guys who are experienced timber framers - would you rather work with green wood or dry wood?

[Dakota]

Bart,
I'm in the same position you are with future plans for building.  I've decided on another route that hasn't been mentioned.  Because I was afraid of my timbers worping etc. I decided to haul the trees up near the sawmill, debark them, and get them off the ground using cinder blocks.  I've sealed the ends and sprayed the top of the logs with a mixture I spray out building with.  I've been doing this for 3 years now and the logs I cut 3 years ago are solid as the day I cut them.  The only drawback is that you need a lot of room for the logs,  as they can't touch each other.
Dakota

[Raphael]

Thanks for all the great responses. I do plan to fell all of the trees in the winter and use Anchor Seal immediately.

For you guys who are experienced timber framers - would you rather work with green wood or dry wood?

Yes, I'd rather work with wood that is green or dry.   :D

I'm not very experienced but I've worked with both.  My first (student) TF project was with green EWP, it was a total joy to work with and everything fit up perfectly when we raised the frame at the end of the week.

  Working on my house I've used both dry and green as well as timbers that were somewhere in between.
I had 5x7 spruce timbers for my rafters that had been air drying a good 5-6yrs, there wasn't a straight face anywhere and there was some cracking to work around.  Fortunately the design calls for tapered rafters so I was able to create one flat face to reference off and sheath when I ripped the tapers.  The spruce worked well and everything was just as cut when it came time for assembly, some of which was delayed for months.

I also had a field full of green EWP timbers that sat dead stacked and unsealed for far to long.  I'd ordered everything I needed for my additions before I started to assemble and raise the main frame... Then I found the rotting sill and the carpenter ants in the post, so I had to deal with that before cutting the addition.  Then I found...

Long story short:
  My main frame went up as a combination of old frame and new green timbers, the only assembly adjustments
I had to make were to get the older structure reassembled as it had done some dying after it was initially taken down.

  My additions were cut in rapidly drying EWP over the course of several months, everything was constantly moving and cracking.  The shoulder that was perfect when cut would be too far off the reference face at assembly because a 1/8" crack had opened between them, etc.

I'd say if you are working solo then 'dry' is better.

  I've sealed the ends and sprayed the top of the logs with a mixture I spray out building with.

  I like this approach as the timbers should be dead square when it comes time to lay out joinery and EWP left with the bark on will be full of beetle larvae in no time.
  What is this mixture?

[Joel Eisner]

For our frame that went up in Feb of this year we felled the trees and cut the timbers over the previous year placing them in stacks around the property by the size of timber (stickered and covered on top).  We did some bug spraying etc of the piles as needed. During that time we built the first stroy of the building (cinder block garage in the hillside) and covered it with the decking that would take the frame.  This was covered with large tarps in Sept when the jointery was started.  At that time we loaded all the timbers into the structure and spent the late fall and winter cutting the joints for the frame raising on Feb 11th.  Two weeks before the raising the timbers were moved to the second story deck and the bents assembled. 

I prepared a cut list in MS Excel and cut exactly what we needed with no overage.  Leading up the to raising we needed to hunt out one or two timbers.  One alternative to cutting 10 to 20% overage is to keep some choice logs or even better standing dead trees that can be cut on a moments notice (provided you have a sawmill on site).


Joel

[Max sawdust]

Bartfc,
I am no expert, but I do know about cutting wood without knowing it's intended use.  I have thousands and thousands of 8' material and I know I need longer :

So, If you are going to pre cut, I would recommend you have a home plan and timber list that you cut too.  Once you have a plan fell the white pine in winter, and make sure it is milled before it warms up.  (End sealing never hurts).  I would be concerned about putting all that wood in a building.  (Sounds like work and if their is not good air flow you will have a problems.)  I would suggest stickering and stacking outside, with only a cover over the top leaving the sides open for air flow.

Again, it is my opinion that having the right size timbers is more important than having dry timbers.  It would be a shame to have to design you house around precut timbers ;)
max

[bartfc]

I do plan to have a COMPLETE timber list made up B4 I cut a single tree and buck them up (I've been down that road before of guessing....not a good thing). And the more I think about it - you guys might be on to something with stacking outdoors with a roof over it - Great idea!

[Don P]

I remembered this quote and came across it today, kinda neat.

In 1355-6, a letter addressed to the Archbishop of York pled for additional materials:

"...unless new timber is cut during the winter season, so that it may dry off during the summer, the carpenters and our other workmen employed on the building of the said work will, for lack of timber, stand absolutely idle throughout the next winter season."

[4woody]

what bug spray do you use i have tried hi yeld not much luck

[4woody]

what do yall use for bug spray

[Stephen1]

I use Mule Team 20 Borax, it has been recommended to me by many log buildersand supply houses . You will find it as an ingrediant in many products that you pay to much money for. It is safe for the enviroment and it will keep the bugs off and out. It will wash out with rain though. Very cheap and you can buy it in your grocery store. What is interesting is my Grandmother used to use it as we grew up to keep the ants out of the farm house and the cottage with great success, only I did not know this untill after I had started using it.