Earthquake Test on Two Story House

This video shows a controlled earthquake test on a two story wood house. Watch how much the house flexes with the ground movement, especially at the connection between the first and second floors.

It is easy to imagine the damage an earthquake can cause to the structural integrity of a house and this demonstrates that very well.

Setting a Utility Pole with Air

This is a video of a utility pole being set in the sandy ground using an air jet. According to the guy on the video they are using 13,000 cubic pounds of air per minute. I have never seen this method used on dry land. It is often used to "jet" pilings into the ground along sandy shorelines. This is great, especially considering the size of the pole.

Lumberjacks Logging Giant Trees

This is an interesting and fun video of lumberjacks cutting some really big trees. It's called "A Tree Story." I didn't realize the last step in felling a giant tree is RUN!

Unfortunately, you have to click this link and leave Woodscience.blogspot.com but it is worth the visit. Lumberjacks cutting giant trees video.

Splitting Logs with Black Powder

This is pretty cool. These guys had a really big log they needed to split into smaller pieces. I am kind of impressed at the precision with which they split the log. Do not try this at home.

Cutting Timbers with Portale Band Saw Mill

This is not a video of professional sawyers (at least it does not appear so) but it does show the basics of how logs are cut with a portable saw mill - logs on ground, logs on mill, band saw cuts, timbers stacked.

Discovery of the Tallest Tree in the World

This video is about the discovery and climb of the tallest tree in the world. The tree is 115.55 meters, or 379.10 feet, tall. The view from the top is pretty cool.

Building Small Houses

There is a population group of people who want small (even downright tiny) houses. I happen to be one of them. People are intrigued by the idea of owning a really small home for many reasons including:

• small houses require less energy for utilities
  
• small houses require less maintenance
• more investment in land versus house
• being outside is better than inside
• small footprint/impact on natural settings
• the intrigue of owning fewer possessions
  

The Small House Society is an excellent place to start looking if you are interested in building a small house. From their website:

Defining Small Houses. People often ask what defines a small house. To our knowledge, there are no set guidelines to determine when a house is considered tiny or small. A space that might be considered small for a family of four would be large if only a single person were living in it. The goal is for each person to find the right size space that fits their life and comfort level.

There is a category of small homes which are under 500 square feet. A house of such small size might be referred to as a micro house, compact house, mini house, tiny house, small house, or little house. As you will see from our Resources page, our interests are broad and include all sizes of homes - not just the miniscule house. However, these miniature houses are what seems to grab the attention of the media. So, that is why they are often associated with our organization.

Benefits. There are many beneficial aspects to the small house movement and the trend toward living in smaller spaces. There are benefits to individuals and society. People who live in smaller living spaces generally own fewer possessions, consume less, and have lower utility bills. Smaller homes require less building materials for construction and smaller land use - therefore costing much less to purchase, maintain, and live in. Construction of smaller homes can utilize more efficient, natural, healthy, high-quality materials that might not be affordable in a larger dwelling. All of these benefits result in healthier, more cost effective living, and a better environment.

Defining Small Houses. People often ask what defines a small house. To our knowledge, there are no set guidelines to determine when a house is considered tiny or small. A space that might be considered small for a family of four would be large if only a single person were living in it. The goal is for each person to find the right size space that fits their life and comfort level.

There is a category of small homes which are under 500 square feet. A house of such small size might be referred to as a micro house, compact house, mini house, tiny house, small house, or little house. As you will see from our Resources page, our interests are broad and include all sizes of homes - not just the minuscule house. However, these miniature houses are what seems to grab the attention of the media. So, that is why they are often associated with our organization.

You can find more information at sites such as TreeHugger, Sunlight Homes blog, and this article on great small homes from the New York Times.

Small House Plans

There are a hand full of companies that sell small house plans and even small house kits or pre-built small homes that are delivered to your land or site. The range of styles is almost unlimited and, of course, you can always have one custom designed by an architect based on your specifications. Here are some suppliers of small home plans and kits:

• Tumble Weed Houses Plans, Kits, and Pre-Built Tiny Homes
  
• Sunlight Homes Small Homes
• Country Plans Small Homes and Cottages Plans
• Ross Chapin Small House Plans
• Cool House Plans
• Tiny Texas Houses Pre-Built Small Home

Small Home Communities

I would like to see a small home community. So far, I have only seen small homes used by individuals as temporary or permanent living on acreage and only a few in actual neighborhoods. What I have never seen is an entire community built with small or tiny (micro) homes. It is easy to imagine an entire community of small homes with lots of green space, trees, a pond, decks, and a social population of outdoors-minded neighbors. If anyone knows of such a community, please let me know.


This is an update to this post - July 19, 2007. PopSciBlog wrote a post about tiny houses on July 17, 2007. I really hope this means small homes are coming on the mass' radars. The tiny-homes communities are becoming clearer to me.

DayCreek Solar Post and Beam House

This is great. DayCreek.com is mostly about the [green] construction of this house with a few ramblings tossed in here and there. I particularly like the first-hand information about the solar-panel use after a year and his Barn Board Bonanza story of taking the wood from old barns that were going to be demolished anyway.

Summary: The house is 16-sided, post and beam frame, and has two independent cordwood walls with foam insulation between the wall units. The mortar used to construct the cordwood walls is comprised of an experimental mix of paper, sand and masonry cement. The house is built on a rubble-trench foundation, reducing the amount of concrete typically required for a frost wall. The primary water source for the house is a underground rainwater cistern with a conventional well as a backup source in times of drought. The house is heated using passive and active solar, wood stove and electric boiler (off peak rate) as a backup. Electricity is supplied from the local utility and a grid-intertie, 4.2kW solar electric system.

There is also some other great information about living self-sufficiently, green construction, and renewable energy.

Exterior Protective Wood Stains, Sealers, and Coatings

We are covering three classes of topical wood protection here - Stains, Sealers, and Polymer wood coatings.

Each is made for the purpose of protecting wood from harsh environments of varying degrees and each has pros and cons.

First, these are the main causes of damage to wood:

Water
Water is absorbed into the wood and washes out the natural wood resins and color. Freezing/thaw cycles can splinter and crack the wood. Also water promotes algae, mold, and mildew growth and rotting. In harsh marine environments, marine boring organisms are probably the largest threat to wood.

Sun
Ultraviolet (UV) rays bleach the wood fibers and breaks down the cell structure.

Mold, Mildew, Algae, Fungus
Wood and moisture are a natural food source for mold, mildew, algae, and fungus. This generally causes a black, green or gray discoloration.

Contamination
Contamination comes in the form of food, dirt, atmospheric pollution, etc. This is a good food source for Mold, Mildew, Algae, and Fungus.

Wood Boring Organisms
Shipworms, Gribbles, and termites are the biggest threats. Shipworms and gribbles lives in wood at the surface level of water and commonly cause the "hour-glass" shape in pilings at the waterline. There are various kinds of termites but, basically, they all eat wood. Pressure treating wood usually eliminates most of the danger of termites because it effectively makes the wood inedible to termites.


Wood Stains - Least Protection
Although they do offer a slim layer of protection, wood stains are not actually considered to be protective coatings but many colored stains do offer protection from the sun's UV rays. Further, fungicides are often added to inhibit mold and mildew growth. Be very clear that the primary purpose of stains is to color wood.

Here is what the Paint Quality Institute Says about Stains:

To understand exterior stains, it's important to recognize that these popular products fall into two broad categories, according to experts at the Paint Quality Institute, a leading authority on the subject. There are "semi-transparent" (sometimes called "transparent") stains, and "solid color" (or "opaque") stains.

Semi-transparent stains are applied in a relatively thin coating that allows both the grain and texture of the underlying wood to show through.

Solid color stains contain more pigment than semi-transparent stains, are of heavier consistency, and go on in thicker coats, which still reveal the texture of the wood, but not the grain. Because they are more highly pigmented, these types of stain have more "hiding" ability, which makes them a better choice for blemished wood, and on projects involving different types of wood.

Both semi-transparent and solid color stains come in oil-based and latex-based formulations. Oil-based exterior stains tend to penetrate wood, while latex stains form a protective film on the surface.

The best brands are Cabot and Wolman.


Wood Sealers - Medium Protection
Sealers are made to protect wood against against moisture, sun, snow, (UV rays), and usually from mold and mildew as well. Using a great sealer can greatly reduce the amount of cracking and checking in your wood and greatly increase the life of your structure.

Microporous, or penetrating, sealers are best to use because they allow moisture to escape so it will not remain in the wood and increase the rate of decay. Essentially, they allow the wood to "breathe" a little.

From what I have seen and read, the best brands of wood sealers are Cabot and Wolman although the most popular brands are Behr and Thompson's. According to an article at www.dcs1.com:

"About the only product that most contract cleaners will agree on is that "Thompsons" is not a product of choice!"

For an easy test to find out if your deck or fence needs to be resealed.

Polymer and Plastic Wood Coatings - Major Protection
Polymer and plastic coatings keep chemicals in the wood and harmful elements completely out of it. Environmental concerns about the chemicals used to pressure treat wood made the use of plastic coatings such as EPL more popular because a plastic coating can completely encapsulate treated wood and the chemicals used to treat it. Polymer coatings such as 21 POLY are usually used in marine environments and are extremely effective at encapsulating wood and protecting it against attacks from marine borers. 21 POLY is so effective pilings coated with it come with a 25 year guarantee even in saltwater. That's a big statement because saltwater is a really harsh environment for wood structures.

If there is a downside to plastic and polymer coatings it might be the difficulty or inconvenience of applying them. Plastic is thick and heavy and easily applied incorrectly leaving an uneven surface. Vinyl coatings usually come in two part components and must be applied before construction using special equipment. They are, however, exceptionally effective for their intended purposes.

There is the overview of the three main classes of topical protective wood products. Best of luck on your projects. Leave comments if you have questions.

Pressed Truss Suppliers

This is a list of pressed truss suppliers by location. There are no manufacturers of timber trusses here. If you want quality timber trusses go to AmericanPoleAndTimber.com.

First, this is cool. See the truss calculator from Get-a-quote.

Truss manufacturers: Alpine engineering truss manufacturing members list

Truss Manufacturers Association of Texas (TMAT) members list

Wisconsin Truss Manufacturers Association members list

Stone Truss in California

Delta Truss, Inc of Florida

Ridgway Roof Truss Company in Florida

Razor Truss in South Carolina

Howarth Timber in the UK

Scherer Brother of Minnesota

Escondido Roof Truss Company in California

Concord Truss in New Jersey

Construction Resource Network

"The Contractors Choice"
DeadBeats1.net
The Construction Resource Network. A Site Made by Contractors, For Contractors. Providing the BEST Construction Resources on the Net!
Permits, Construction forms, Legal forms, Demand Letters & More!

Composite Decking Choices

There are now numerous choices for composite decking and lumber and, frankly, I think people are a little confused and maybe even misinformed. The growth of composite deck brands has been outrageous over the last few years and sales of composite lumber as a whole is expected to exceed $3 Billion in 2008 so I want to clear up a little of the confusion and bring some of the leading composites to light.

First, some of the negatives of composite decking materials are:

• Composite decking is typically NOT structural. This may not be true for all brands. This will become apparent if there is any kind of failure in your deck's substructure because the deck's surface will bow and bend with the underlying failures.
  
• Composite gets dirty easily. Stains, scratches, and mold usually form and show easily on most composite decking.
  
• Does not look like wood. While this is a matter of preference, just be honest about it. If you want composite - great - but please do not try to pretend that anyone will be fooled into thinking your composite decking is, or even looks similar to, wood (EVER).
  

Trex - Trex is made from reclaimed wood and plastic, comes in multiple colors and finishes, can be bent slightly to create contours in your deck, and can be installed using traditional screws.
ChoiceDek - ChoiceDek is a Weyerhauser product made from recycled wood and polyethylene and is only available at Lowe's. It comes in 4 colors, two finishes, and is very similar to Trex in that is can be bent slightly and installed using regular screws.
Correct Deck - Correct Deck is made from wood and polypropylene, comes in many colors, and can be installed using regular screws or with special hidden hardware so no screws show from the top.
TimberTech - Timbertech is made from "reclaimed wood fibers and pure plastic resins," comes in a variety of colors, and must be installed with their special hardware - meaning no screws show from the top but that you have to buy the special hardware. Timbertech also has a composite fence product.
EverGrain - Evergran is made from plastic and wood. It is available in many colors and can be installed using regular screws and hardware.
GeoDeck - GeoDeck is made of plastic and recycled plastic and blended with a mixture of "purified cellulose fibers and other minerals." It requires special hardware for installation and is available in three colors. GeoDeck's biggest claim is that their decking will not fade.
WeatherBest - WeatherBest is a Louisiana Pacific product made from wood flour and high density polyethylene. It is available in multiple colors and installs with regular screws.
Veranda - Veranda composite decking made by Universal Forest Products from a mixture of wood and plastic, comes in a variety of colors, and can be installed using regular deck screws. Veranda composite deck boards have two textures - one face is smooth and the other is wood-grain.
Eon - Eon Decking is "the only 100% plastic" decking product - whether you like that or not. Eon comes in 4 colors, has a wood-grain finish and looks like plastic (at least to me). Eon requires the use of the Eon fastener system for proper installation.

Tips for Composite Decking Installation and Care

• Pre-drill for all screws.


• Build a better/stronger substructure than you would for a regular wood deck.


• Keep the surface clean. Composites offer lower maintenance costs if you keep them clean - free of dirt, oils, a free standing water.

Small Wood Poles, Posts, and Dowels

This is a list of companies that sell small wood posts, poles, and dowels of unusual sizes. There are a variety of wood types including maple, oak, pine, birch, and mahogany.

If you are looking for 3" x 12' (or similar size) poles, Marks-Miller is the place for you.

Marks-Miller Post & Pole, Inc.
Wood LD
Woodworker's Supply
McFeely's
Anchor Fence Company Locust posts
Excel Dowel & Wood Products
Rockler
Hoover Fence

If you are looking for treated fence posts in large quantities or large poles and timbers, go to American Pole And Timber.

Horse Jump Poles

Where to find Horse Jump Poles. Materials include wood, vinyl, and even some other vinyl materials.

Old Dominion Jumps & Standards
Premier Equestrian
State Line Tack
Classy Courses Inc.
Next Day Jumps
Take 5 Equestrian
Light 'N Lasting
Jump 4 Joy

Also, look for horse jump poles in the menus at the left and top of this page as they change from time to time.

If you are looking for materials to make your own horse jump poles to save money I can tell you from experience it is tough to do unless you are producing some pretty major quantities. Also, jump poles are an irregular size for typical wood industry uses. For instance, it is difficult to find 3" diameter poles x 12' long - the size most commonly requested.

Barn Plans

I get asked about where to find barn plans and kits almost daily so here is a list of places to find barn plans and barn kits. There are usually some sites and helpful books listed at the margins of this blog as well so please look there.

BarnPlans - Plans for house barns, horse barns, even dog houses.
BarnsBarnsBarns - Plans for - and illustrations of - barns, stables, houses of many styles.
ABetterBarn - Do-it-yourself barn plans.
BarnPlan - Mix of sources for plans, materials, and ideas.
StableWise - Horse farm planning including barns and stables.
BackRoadHomes - Barns and cabins you can live in.
BarnsByGardener - Specializes in barn construction.
RodeoBarns - Barn kits with plans ready for assembly.
BarnMakers - Barn kits and they offer assembly guidance and labor.

Companies that Buy Old Barns or Sell Old Lumber

I field many questions about where to sell an old barn or where to sell the materials from an old barn. Alternatively, I get questions from people who want to buy old barns or old used barn wood siding or antique barn beams.

So, here is a list of companies that buy and/or sell old barn wood or used or antique lumber. Most do both to one degree or another so I have not separated them.

Old Barn Wood Site . com
Mountain Lumber . com
Antique Wood Co . com
Old Barn Wood . com
Antique Arbor . com
Old West Wood . com

I hope this helps you on your quest to sell your old barn or buy old or used lumber.

If you are simply looking for large timbers or poles, you can always go to www.AmericanPoleAndTimber.com.

The Timber House - of the Future

The Timber House is an interesting concept from Houses of the Future.

The Timber House uses timbers and timber-fiber products to create a home that blends well with a natural environment in both form and practicality.

Eco-friendly design is incorporated throughout the home from its integrated water management system to the solar power system that runs through the house (red streak in the picture at right).

In addition to being stylish and decidedly green, the Timber House is pre-manufactured and assembled on site using relatively low-tech methods and requiring little skilled labor.

I hope we see these catch on. Imagine a neighborhood made of these.

Hardwood Inventory on Display

Coastal Lumber Company in Weldon, N.C. keeps a list of their hardwood and exotic wood inventory on their website available for download. You can sign up for their mailing list and have it mailed to you periodically as well.

I am highlighting the company because of their use of the internet to distribute information about their offerings in a slightly different way than most of their peers.

Click on "Hardwood Inventory" at Coastal Lumber.com to see a list of their on hand, including species such as:

• Ash
• Cherry
• Basswood
• Hard Maple
• Red Oak
• Poplar
• Hickory
• Soft Maple
• Walnut
• White Oak
• Cypress

How to Build a Barn (video)

This is great! It is about 5 minutes long but it shows the complete barn build from flat ground to completed barn - including using an auger to drill holes, setting timbers, framing, setting trusses, window, door, roofing, siding, everything...

If you are looking for information about how to build a barn, watch this. Ok, they call it a garage but barn is so similar and no one ever asks me how to build a garage.

Enjoy.

Log Home Materials

I like this website. Kudos to Johnson Lumber for doing a great job of displaying their log home materials information and even including pricing.

They even list the prices for Eastern White Pine square timbers on this page.

Here is their log materials page.