Q:Do you use kiln dried logs?
Yes we have in the past. But we prefer to use “standing dead” timber instead. While “standing dead” logs might cost a wee bit more, but they make for better log homes in the long run.
Using logs that are cut from dead standing trees are better for several reasons:
First, using standing-dead logs is better for the environment. As part of the growing cycle, periodically, vast tracts of forest are attacked by beetles. These insects kill off the green trees, but don’t harm the underlying wood – leaving a tree “dead” but still standing.
Often these dead trees can stand for years, sometimes even decades.So over time, a natural curing process completely and evenly dries these standing-dead trees – much more thoroughly than be done with a kiln.
By cutting and using these logs, we are not only getting naturally seasoned logs which make for a more stable building material but we are also helping “jump start” new growth in insect hit areas.
Secondly, using Nature’s own drying process also “sets the pitch” inside a standing-dead log. Some wood species, like Spruce, will have pockets of pitch inside, even when dried in a kiln.
This can cause a problem when a forced dried log reaches a high temperature – the pitch can warm up enough to liquefy and drip down the sides of a log wall. Naturally dried standing-dead timber doesn’t have these problems.