Hurricane Katrina logs

[jsummerlin]

New member here on the forum, been lurking for almost a week now since finding the site by accident. Wasn't even looking for log home stuff.
All I can say is "I have the fever"!
I have read almost every post so far and cannot wait to take the class. Got a few questions about logs...
I live in central Mississippi. After taking the class I will build a small "efficiency" cabin as my 1st on my fathers land (4 acres). If all goes well I will buy a few acres within easy commute to Jackson with the goal of selling it for profit. Then build one for myself.
Now to the logs:
1. I understand there are COUNTLESS logs on the ground following hurricane Katrina that are gonna ruin. IS IT TOO LATE TO SALVAGE THEM.
Any ideas of what you guys would do if you lived close by? Could I Somehow run around and pick them up. Such as shorter ones (16-20 footers) for the small cabin using a trailer of somekind. Would you think these logs would be no good being on the ground for months?
2. Mississippi is extremely humid most of the year. Does that pose a problem for log homes. Do they need to be pressure treated, as my brother-in-law says.
3. I was talking to a guy who was "installing" a kit home the other day and he mentioned that "the logs around here are no good for building a regular log home."......something about "the water table causing the trees to grow too fat at bottom" blah blah.
How can you tell if a tree will work before you actually saw it down, only to find it has too much crook/warp to it? Is there a field test method?
4. Anyone have a resource online/book to help me decipher the varieties of pine I have here. When I ride around, there seems to be several types of pines here:
=fat and squatty with many branches,
=medium and crooked with less,
=tall and med skinny slightly crooked with few branches at top,
=tall a med to skinny straight (looks to be) with few braches at top.
I guess I'm trying to find out if these differences are by species design or just due to individual environment.
Sorry for the long post but I've been perculating on this for several days.
Just had to "pop the cork" before something burst.
I look forward to becoming a Member of LHBA soon. I am currently trying to recruit one of my buddies or relatives to be my partner at the class.
1000 thank you's in advance. :D

[ponyboy]

I have to chime in about the trees with a wide bottom. Here's a link to a Kit house (don't hate me!) :shock: I wouldn't buy a kit house after going to the class and learning about them, but I like the way they used the logs with a wide bottom. I love the tree stair also.

http://www.summithandcrafted.com/logaccents.htm

Jeff

[DYork]

I remember reading that Georgia Pacific was going to reopen a plywood mill to use those downed trees in Miss. If I remember right, they were predominantly loblolly and shortleaf. The loblolly on my place does sometimes have a slightly larger bole, but it evens out about 6' above ground level, and these are the trees I plan on using.

Biggest concern with trees being down on the ground for 5-6 months in your area might be Southern Pine Beetle infestation. The little holes they bore can be an entrance for water.

Try contacting your State Forestry service for info.

[DYork]

but I like the way they used the logs with a wide bottom. I love the tree stair also.

http://www.summithandcrafted.com/logaccents.htm

Jeff

Some of those wide bottom logs look like cypress or big cedars.

[Vern Street]

We are currently negotiating with a logger down closer to the coast of Mississippi. He has LOTS of downed trees on his land and is working hard to get the pine salvaged out before they are ruined. However, he has many poplar trees that he hasn't even started on! We are working out the best and most economical way to get them shipped to Oklahoma (the poplar). This guy has been a logger all his life and says that most of the "old" log houses down there were built with poplar. We will use pine to cut our rafters and joists.

If anyone wants his name to contact, let us know. He is close to Hattiesburg, Missisippi. I wouldn't recommend just "taking" trees even if they are down - best find out who they belong to!

Hope you get the partner thing worked out soon to take the class. You really will be about to pop a cork after you've sat through 2 days of Ellsworth and Steve's class!

Vern and Sara

[jsummerlin]

Vern Street, don't worry I woudn't try to just "take" trees wherever I find them. I just figured they are everywhere and I have no ide3a about how to go about getting my hands on them. I am a tree novice of the first degree. I have so much to learn, but that is exciting.
How do you know when a downed tree is past the point of no return. Or better yet how can I learn this? Does the class cover it?
Let us know how the shipping of the logs turns out. How expensive. Actual LOGistics of the process etc. BTW, how did you make contact with the seller?
DYork, I looked up Mississippi Forest Commission's wesite and read some articles. It made it sound like log prices would be cheap during the salvage period but then high when the SALVAGE period is over. I would hate to miss my window of opportunity.
Pony, those WERE nice accents on that site, ideas...
Am I wasting my time trying to figure out how to get my logs now, and better to get to the class to learn that? Or, do you think I might lose my chance at some cheap logs if I don't act now (how, I don't know).
Thanks much for your help. truely appreciated

[Vern Street]

Well, as far as learning this in the class, you can ask anything you want to in the class and enjoy the expertise of Ellsworth and Steve. My logger in Miss said the poplars are good for about a year after down, the pines somewhat less. That's why they are harvesting the pines first as they ruin first. He actually hasn't started getting the poplar yet. We know him thru a Vintage motorcycle club that we are active in. Have known him for a while, but only recently found out he was a logger! Our good fortune! :D

Would suggest you take the school ASAP to help you decide 1. what size of trees you want to use., 2. how long they need to be, 3. how many do you need, i.e., how big of a house you would want to build. 4. and lots of other reasons. Also, notice on the website, they don't take folks who have started building their home because they have already learned too many bad habits to overcome.

Will be glad to share our loggers name with you if you want us to, however if you already live in Miss, you should have lots of them available. You should come out smelling like a rose - cheap logs and not too far to ship. It's going to cost us more for shipping than for the logs. :(

Vern and Sara Street

[Lookout]

Vern, a fellow Okie here, from Enid Oklahoma now in Georgia. Are you having a hard time finding logs closer? I've thought about building in Arkansas in the Eureka Springs area (Closer to family) if we don't do it here on Lookout Mountain GA

[dudasmitty]

I was just e-mailed an alert concerning wood chips coming from trees from katrina. Apparently that part of LA has a certain type of termites and they warn people that the wood chips will be infested with them. With that in mind I wood be careful on the logs you get.

Mark

[Carmen]

Regarding the wood chips:

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/termites.asp