Southeast Alaska

[Readyman Dan]

Enter Readyman Dan. Hello everyone. I am new to you but you are not new to me. (I have been a frequent reader of the forum for many years.)I Only recently registered as a forum user. I am finally getting serious about this. Trying to get my wife and I into the Feb Class. I live in Southeast Alaska. (costal Alaskan rainforest) I am on a quest to discover weather or not A log home will hold up well in this environment. I will be building with green local timber, which in my case will be of the three options: 1. Hemlock (somewhat rot resistant, possibly subject to ring shake?, and very plentiful) 2. Sitka Spruce (less rot resistant, high strength to weight ratio, fairly plentiful) 3. Alaska yellow cedar. (Very rot resistant, Stable, beautiful, aromatic, harder to get a hold of) Some Naysayers have "wisely" counciled me that if I build with large diameter, 24"+,hemlock or spruce, the structure will rot before the logs season even under roof cover due to the cool wet climate here. I have read enough to understand that a skip-style build, when done right, will not allow improper exposure of the logs. Even still, Has anyone out there Coastal B.C., Coastal AK, Olympic peninsula etc., had problems with their "green" houselogs not seasoning under roof cover?

[rreidnauer]

I'm not a West-coaster, but having the opportunity to take the class in Skip's large home in Monroe, WA, I can say it is still there just fine after (?) years, and that area is pretty dern rainforesty itself.

[loghousenut]

Not an Alaskan either but I used to live in Western Washington and, in the past 30 years or so, have seen a bunch of these things in some pretty mossy settings that seemed to do just fine. I'd stack those logs you are talking about in a heatbeat and feel real good about them.

PS... Welcome aboard Dan and Dan's Boss.

[Readyman Dan]

Yay! I knew I would get a response from the two of you. Thanks for the support and encouragement. I have been following both of your projects quite intently. Being that you are active fourum users, I have read so many of your posts, it's neat to hear from you as you have both become heroes to me over time. Onward as I scratch my way up!

[rreidnauer]

I've also been helping on a build in NE Pennsylvania, (not exactly the driest place in the country either) where the red pine logs had been sitting unstacked, some even unpeeled, for over three years. I think only two had some rot, and I believe they might have been in contact with soil/heavy weed growth/heavily shaded. Going back and peeling some of those sitting a long time (which was more accurately, lifting/knocking it off) were sure slimy and bug marked, but cleaned up amazingly well. We just started cutting some lumber from cut-offs that have been laying around, and all the wood is solid as ever. Now, I should add, he has been pretty good at borate treating the logs over the years, so that surely plays some part.

[Blondie]

Hi,

Welcome. I have sailed up the inside passage and driven up the Alaskan highway. I know how wet southeast Alaska is. I would suggest the key to building up there is to keep the logs as dry as possible. Make sure the roof extends way out over the logs at five ft or more. Also make the first row of logs greater than 18 inches above the ground level. I would borate the logs well.

Blondie

[Readyman Dan]

So I found some information that gave me some more insight. I did some homework and came across an intresting study about log drying times in Southeast Alaska. This should pertain to other Pacific northwest coastline areas generally. here is the site: http://www.arlis.org/docs/vol1/A/319062643.pdf

[Mrs. Len]

My DH, Len, built a Butt and Pass Log Home, 30 years ago. He took his class from Skip Ellsworth about six months before he built his home. The Log Home is in great condition after all these years. It is in Sultan WA, where the annual rainfall is 65" per year, on average. There is a metal roof on it. No, Len had no issues with "seasoning," and he used green logs.

[Mosseyme]

We are building with Eastern Hemlock in WNC. The Western Hemlock is more resistant than the Eastern I believe.
We are having a good bit of rot in the logs that have been down untreated for 5+years but the ones that have been down and treated for 4+years are doing well. Trying to get the roof on so they don't have to sit in the weather another winter.
I think that green Hemlock would do just great if put under roof in reasonable time and treated very well.
We are currently milling some that have been down for 4-5 years and treated and doing very well, not treated, not well at all. Getting a few 2x6s out of the middle of a 16" log if not treated.

[Mrs. Len]

Enter Readyman Dan. Hello everyone. I am new to you but you are not new to me. (I have been a frequent reader of the forum for many years.)I Only recently registered as a forum user. I am finally getting serious about this. Trying to get my wife and I into the Feb Class. I live in Southeast Alaska. (costal Alaskan rainforest) I am on a quest to discover weather or not A log home will hold up well in this environment. I will be building with green local timber, which in my case will be of the three options: 1. Hemlock (somewhat rot resistant, possibly subject to ring shake?, and very plentiful) 2. Sitka Spruce (less rot resistant, high strength to weight ratio, fairly plentiful) 3. Alaska yellow cedar. (Very rot resistant, Stable, beautiful, aromatic, harder to get a hold of) Some Naysayers have "wisely" counciled me that if I build with large diameter, 24"+,hemlock or spruce, the structure will rot before the logs season even under roof cover due to the cool wet climate here. I have read enough to understand that a skip-style build, when done right, will not allow improper exposure of the logs. Even still, Has anyone out there Coastal B.C., Coastal AK, Olympic peninsula etc., had problems with their "green" houselogs not seasoning under roof cover?

Len built his with green logs 30 years ago, in Monroe, WA. He had no problems with seasoning or any other issues that were in any way significant. His was a 3-story home, built with Douglas Fir.

[Mrs. Len]

Posted twice, but this time at least remembed to include the type of logs.

[Readyman Dan]

I am conducting an experiment with some Sitka spruce rounds in my backyard. (understanding of course, they will not behave the same as a full length log but for what it is......) Anyway, I took four 18"rounds (1 week ago) from a freshly cut SS tree and peeled them. I borate treated 2 of them and then put 1 treated and 1 untreated round in an unheated but ventilated wood shed. the other 2 I left out in the weather on skids. It has been raining almost everyday since I started this and the untreated round in the yard already has black mildew spots all over it. The untreated one in the shed has 1/4 inch of green fuzz all over it. The 2 treated rounds both in the shed and in the weather look the same as the day I peeled them.

[John W]

Readyman...wow, in one week.

[panderson03]

care to share your borate recipe? thanks:)

[Readyman Dan]

Yeah, like I said it is really wet here (about 90-100 inches per year depending on the year) and fall time is the wettest season of all. I have seen it rain here for 36 days straight! It is not uncommon to get a couple inches in one day. Im not a member yet so I don't know what ill use till after the class. The recipe I tried for my experiment is one i found on the web that apparantly is used by the U.S. Navy and replaces a commercial product called Bora-Care. I must openly admit, however, that I didn't follow the dirrections because I could not find any boric acid in any of the stores in my town. (Maybe Ill have to order it) I followed everything on the recipe as dirrected and doubled up on the borax. Here is a link to the online recipe. http://www.alsnetbiz.com/homeimprovement/homemade.html

[Mosseyme]

Boric acid is just roach poison. You should be able to get it at most grocery stores in the varmit poison section. Or Dollar store, walmart ect. We order it from the local Farmers coop in 50# bags.

[Readyman Dan]

Ok, I think I really Pooched this thing up with the recipe because I am surprised at what is happening with my experiment. Both rounds in the shed (treated and untreated) have mold on them now. The untreated one looks about the same as my last update and the treated one has some patchy spots. the untreated one in the yard on skids is starting to develop some very small grey stains in a few spots but looks ok still. The Treated one in the yard looks good (clear). I wonder if air flow has a lot to do with it because the shed has some pretty stagnant air in there. One other thought is, I wonder if the time of year these rounds were cut has something to do with all of this. They were just cut a few weeks ago (with the sap pretty high ?) This is a big deal that I need to get to the bottom of. I have tried to find answers online about when to cut. Some say winter, some say spring, some say whenever. Is there anyone out there who knows when the best time of year is to cut?

[StressMan79]

Winter cut is best, peeling is harder. Great study, btw.

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