poplar logs

[John Beathard]

HAVE LOTS OF POPLAR LOGS. ARE THESE SUITABLE FOR EXTERIOR LOGS, SUPPORT BEAMS AND JOISTS?

[Basil]

Hope so!!

That's what my whole home is built with.

Keep them off the ground, provide sufficient overhang, use good construction technique and you typically won't have a problem.

Having said that, consider these things:

I wouldn't use poplar that is less than 10" in diameter. The ends of some of my logs got down to 8" and 9" and luckily I never used those ends b/c they can split all the way through.

As poplar cures, the heartwood turns almost into stone. If your logs are curing and you plan to use rebar/spikes/screws to hold things together, be prepared for some VERY hard work.

Poplar boards have very little value because they shrink, warp, and split. This isn't a problem with logs b/c there is plenty of wood there to limit what one small section is doing at any one time. But you can't get much mileage out of sawing your waste logs, either.


I was very careful when I chose my trees. I had 82 trees cut for my logs and only one had rot and was unuseable.

[russ]

John,

Are your poplar trees the eastern yellow poplar, or the aspen type poplar ?

I am curious myself about the suitability of the aspen type poplar.
In my area they are used alot for making OSB products. Using them for house logs would be considerably cheaper here than using pine or spruce.

Russ

[John Beathard]

Eastern yellow (tulip)

[Jerry]

Hey Basil...do you have any pics of your log home? I'm in TN and thinking about useing poplar too.
Thanks,

Jerry

[jbeall]

Hey Basil,

I'm curious to see pictures of your Poplar log home--have any you'd be willing to share?

I'm considering using Poplar--still happy with your Poplar logs?

-Josh