F.A.Q.
We know you may have some questions. A lot of those questions have already been asked by previous customers. We’ve compiled a list of those questions here. If there is a question on your mind that isn’t listed here. just get in touch with us and we will be glad to answer anything you’ve got.
What are the advantages of using green lumber?
All lumber from green to dry has a place. If you are building a piece of furniture for the inside of your home you typically need wood that has been dried to the average moisture content in your home so it does not split and warp as it equalizes to the interior moisture level.
Is there any way of using green lumber in the home?
All lumber from green to dry has a place. If you are building a piece of furniture for the inside of your home you typically need wood that has been dried to the average moisture content in your home so it does not split and warp as it equalizes to the interior moisture level.
Why build a barn with green lumber?
One of the lessons that struck me hard was to volunteer with disaster response teams cleaning up Tornado damage. I was struck on how when a Tornado hit a house the house would totally at times come apart. The lumber typically was intact throw everywhere. What brought my Sawmill in focus is that typically houses that were built before our cheap chop shipped in low quality scrag wood that has been not only dry kiln but heat treated also were still standing. When they were destroyed the force of the tornado would rip the wood a part splintering and breaking the boards. Please understand this is not an endorsement to not take shelter from a tornado I also saw foundations completely rip out of the ground, but what I did see is that the gripping power of the nails in green wood is so superior to the dried wood there is a benefit to use it where you can and not the shipped in scrag wood.
What is scrag lumber?
Your typical lumber you purchase from the box stores comes from a Scrag Mill. The scrag mill typically will cut logs that are from 4 to 9 inches in diameter. These are the lowest grade logs that exist. In a log the lowest poorest lumber comes from the center of the log. The highest grades come from the farthest away from the center. What we cut on the mill for general building is typically 3 grades better than what is available for you to build from the stores.
How does green lumber differ from traditional dry lumber for strength?
Dry is stronger and green is more resileant. If you take a two poplar 2X4s and span it across a gap of 8 feet one dried and the other green the dried board will support more weight without warping or bending.
If dry lumber is stronger, why use green lumber?
When I build with green I will size the lumber for it as green and with this I know that as the structure dries it is going to be stronger. I also know that when I drive a nail into it will react to the nail and try to heal its open wound. This is why the nail is so hard to get back out of green lumber seasoned. Dried kiln wood has been dried and then brought up to normally around 150 degrees Fahrenheit. This sterilizes the wood and ensures no pest. The problem this presents is when you drive a nail into the wood you are splitting the grain apart and the nail is held by the friction applied to the nail by the wedging that the nail did not nearly the adherence that is applied to the green wood.
Why not just use one type of wood for everything?
One of my first jobs as a sawyer I was blessed to saw for a older gentleman that was overseeing the building of a barn for his grandson. I arrived to see that their farm had beautiful huge trees and was excited. When I saw what they had for me to cut I was disappointed. It appeared that they went into the woods and just cut this and that. I had Hackberry, Red Oak Whit Oak Poplar Sycamore and a post Oak. As I cut he explained to me why each wood was selected. The Sycamore will be cut into yearlings for under the metal roof, it is low acid wood and won’t rust the nails in the roof and will last longer. The hackberry will be cut into 1 inch boards for the loft floor. Hackberry dries light so we can put more hay there instead of the rafters having to support the weight of oak flooring. The red oak is rafters, red oak doesn’t bend as much as white oak so our roof won’t sag. White oak is our banding around the sides of the bard, White oak will flex to the cattle rubbing the side of the barn but will not break like red oak would. The poplar is for sheeting up high. Termites would eat poplar and it is light and accepts paint. The Post Oak is rot resistant and makes the better seal for the door. Everything has a use and a place it just needs us to understand and use.
We hope that this has helped answer some of the questions you may have already been wondering about in your head. If you still have other questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call or stop by the mill. We’ll be glad to talk!