log salvage

[bridgediver]

Anyone ever used sinker logs that have been submerged and salvaged for the construction of a log home? Are these logs suitable for this application? This may be a stupid question but I would like to know. Thanks

[Klapton]

Submerged, as in under water? I haven't taken the class yet, but I've been doing quite a bit of reading and research. I must say, I've never heard of anyone doing that before. Burned? yeah. Submerged? nope. Someone more knowledgable than me will need to weigh in on this one. I suspect the reason no one has answered you already is because you got everyone scratching their heads on this one!

[Fonda]

My husband and I have just become members and will be attending the Oct. class. We live on the Gulf Coast. In all my research in finding sources of logs, my best friend who was born here (I am merely a transplant)told me that felling trees into ponds, lakes and rivers is the only way she has heard of do-it-yourselfers and old timers season logs. Keeping them in water keeps the termites out until ready for use. She said Tom Sawyer floated on logs on the Mississippi that were waiting to become homes. She also said they felled several just recently and they were in her pond at present until they are ready to use them. When she told me this, I had many questions. She could not answer them. Maybe I can get some more info from her husband who does the work.
Fonda

[alyosha22]

I saw this episode on Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" where they profiled a company in the Seattle area that makes it's money recovering submerged logs. Here is a link to their site....make sure to check out the video (long, but full of good clips). FWIW, I'm not affiliated with the company at all...

http://www.georgianbaywetwood.com/

I also saw a similar question asked and answered in another forum elsewhere on the web....worth checking out too:

http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?p=1594301

Jon
North Carolina

[Klapton]

I REALLY liked the look of the flooring on that Georgian Bay Wetwood site! I have no idea how much it might cost (you have to do a price quote form and stuff, and I wasn't going to do all that just for curiosity when I'm no where near ready to build). The stuff is really quite stunning though.

[jscrews]

Here is Florida, there once was a lot of old growth red cypress. Most of it was logged in the 30's. As I understand it, it was/is very decay and bug resistant. Years ago I knew a logger that said there were millions of board feet of red cypress submerged in lake Panasofskee. I can't remember if he told me why or how it got there. Anyway....fast forward about 25 years and I know a guy that has a contract to dredge the lake bottom. He is now finding and recovering these trees and selling them at a premium to the mills. That wood has been soaking for at least 75 years and is as good as new... better actually than new growth cypress.

I think the mileage would vary depending on the decay resistance properties of the wood species.