This is a sketchcast of how to build a wood bulkhead. It covers the basic design and components of a wood bulkhead. This is a follow up of how to build a vinyl bulkhead a few weeks ago.
Here are the basic wood bulkhead components covered in the sketchast:
This is another sketchcast about the basic parts of a structural timber truss. This should give you some basic knowledge about structural timber truss terms and components so you will have some idea of what you are talking about when you discuss your project with your supplier, architect, or engineer (or all of them).
There are many kinds of timber trusses (not all are structural) and most consist of the same basic components, as covered in the Parts of a Timber Truss Sketchcast. Enjoy.
I liked this first-hand article from Deer Tracks & Trails about Timber Roof Trusses. He also suggests that trusses should be engineered - sound advice.
Here is a good page with truss types with pictures. There are WAAAY better ones out there but I cannot find the one I really want right now.
If you are looking for someone to build your structural timber trusses, American Pole and Timber manufactures excellent custom structural timber trusses. Ask for Eric Lincoln. Eric will help you with the design, if needed, and will make sure you end up with a beautiful structural timber trusses you will be proud to display and show off.
If you are looking for simple roof trusses - trusses that are used to build a regular house (trusses are NOT exposed) this Manufactured Roof Truss page.
This is a sketchcast of how to build a vinyl bulkhead. From a side view, it covers the basic required components, a few key terms, and very general installation guidelines of a building a vinyl bulkhead.
It does not endorse any specific vinyl sheet piling brand because installation of most of them is the same with a few exceptions.
Vinyl Bulkhead Materials & Terms
Vinyl Sheet Piling - the piling itself, usually made of PVC with UV inhibitors.
Wale - treated lumber or timber used to support the front of the bulkhead.
Backboard - treated lumber or timber used to support the backside of the bulkhead.
Tie Rod - galvanized or stainless rod with threads on each end used to connect the bulkhead to the deadmen.
Deadmen - treated posts or short poles buried behind the wall and connected to the bulkhead to support the vinyl bulkhead and prevent it from collapsing into the water under extreme pressure from behind.
Top Cap - treated lumber or timber used to cover the top of the bulkhead. Usually connected to the backboard and front wale using screws or nails.
Mud Line - bottom of the water.
50/50 Rule - commonly used rule for vinyl bulkhead design stating that the sheet piling should be driven as far into the ground (below the mud line) as it is exposed. 50% of the sheet should be below the mud line and 50% of the sheet should be above the mud line.
Synthetic lumber is rapidly becoming a more commonly used material in construction. In the past, it was used mostly for outdoor furniture or fixtures but with improvements in strengths and weathering properties, plastic lumber is being used more in capital construction.
In another post I covered some of the many composite deck options but this post is about the broader use of plastic lumber and some of current options.
Polywood, Inc, based in New Jersey, "manufactures structural plastic lumber from post-consumer and post-industrial recycled plastics. Using our patented technologies, we’re developing and advancing the use of structural, industrial plastic lumber." They claim their polywood is "tougher and more resilient" than treated wood. I would like to know more about what they mean by "tougher" but you have to contact them for their technical data. I am always skeptical of imitation products.
Bedford Technology makes Fiber Force plastic lumber for building playground equipment, pedestrian bridges, and other small outdoor structures. "[Fiber Force is] made of recycled high density polyethylene plastic, colorants, ultraviolet stabilizers, and combined with fiberglass." It also comes in a variety of colors, including blue, red, and yellow. Amazingly, they offer sizes up to 12x12-20'!
American Composite Timbers (ACT) makes structural lumber and timbers (also up to 12x12) "composed of recycled plastic, fiberglass and select additives which offer a choice of colors, UV stabilization, and if special ordered, flame retardancy." To me, the flame option of adding a flame retardant is the interesting thing because there are not many outdoor products (especially in wood options) that are flame retardant.
TimberGuard is an interesting and durable option I have actually seen before. It is NOT plastic lumber but is polymer wrapped lumber so it has the proven strength of wood. It is made with a process that kind of pushes the lumber through a sheet of thick polymer materials that dries into a very hard shell around the wood. It is very tough stuff.
21 POLY is similar to TimberGuard but is a polymer coating that is sprayed onto wood (usually about 1/16" thick) and binds to the wood fibers. It is an excellent product and is very easy to work with. You can drill, cut, and nail it and it comes in tan, green, dark brown, and battleship gray.
I will try to keep up with plastic lumber and poly lumber options out there but this list is a good start for durable outdoor materials.
This is an excellent article in Inside British Columbia, written by Dave Neads, discussing the region's massive-scale pine beetle problem and its effects on timber supply, the economy, and even the society as it moves into the future.
To give you an idea of the scale of the forestry problem consider the Chilcotin, an area the size of Switzerland, predominantly forested with lodgepole pine. By 2010 it is estimated that the MPB will have killed roughly half a billion trees in the Chilcotin. Half a billion. That would represent 25 years of logging at current rates. All gone in the next few years.Here is some Wood Science information about Southern Pine Beetles.
This is a great video of a logging truck being loaded by a loader. The loader is pretty talented. It is about the same all the way through so once you have seen the first 3o seconds or so you can probably move on to the next video.
I just ran across this article about using pressure treated wood in raised gardens on Compost Bin, a blog mostly about gardening.
It is a good article and includes information from John Bumby of The Maine Wood Treaters about various treated wood options and why ACQ is corrosive to hardware.
Here's another post from Projo Garden Blog on the topic of treated wood in your garden: "Pressure treated wood and gardening: newer solutions."
I built a raised garden this year and feel like the plastic liner I used made the treatment used to preserve the wood (ACQ in my case) virtually irrelevant.
I get a lot of questions about redwood and where to buy it. Here is a list of companies that supply redwood lumber. Redwood is an excellent wood for decks, fences, gazebos, and patio because it is strong and naturally resistant to damage from termites and rot. Typically, there are two categories of redwood grades:
Below are two videos about chain saw safety that are definitely worth watching.
The first video shows how to safely and correctly cut a Directional Face Notch.
The second video is produced by Lowes Home Improvement and is a very thorough safey guide for using a chainsaw - especially for a home user.
It covers topics such as:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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
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.
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.
"About the only product that most contract cleaners will agree on is that "Thompsons" is not a product of choice!"
