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I am wanting to build a temporary home for the winter. I am considering building a home out of landscape timbers since they look like logs and are found this time of year very cheep. Can anyone tell me about any building experience with these. Also would a landscape timber be about the same strength as a 2x8 or 2x1

-- John Fraley (jnfraley@yahoo.com), November 05, 2001

Answers

are landscape timbers treated with something. if so i don't think using them to build with is a good idea. Sally

-- (mallardhen67@hotmail.com), November 05, 2001.

Hello John, There is an excellent article in a back issue of Backwoods Home, (you will have to check their archives) on making a log home out of landscape timbers. I thought it was pretty cool and the folks that built it found that it was relatively easy to construct. Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), November 05, 2001.

JOHN....I WOULD SUSPECT THAT THE LANDSCAPE TIMBERS LIKE POWER POLES ARE TREATED WITH A TOXIC MATERIAL.IF YOU CAN`T HAUL THEM TO A LANDFILL SITE ..I WOULDN`T RECOMMEND THAT YOU BUILD AND LIVE IN THEM. THEY MIGHT CONTAN DIOXINS AND ARSENIC.WHICH MIGHT LEACH INTO YOUR WELL.MOST LANDSCAPE TIMBERS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CARRY A WARNING IN CANADA SHORTLY.GET THE SAFETY SHEETS FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND THEN DECIDE IF YOU WOULD WANT TO LIVE IN THEM. LANDSCAPE TIMBERS WOULD BE ROUGHLY SAWN AND WOULD BE WEAKER THAN THE SMOOTHER PLANED SMALLER VERSION.[YES THE COARSE WOOD BECAUSE OF ITS LOOSE SURFACE AREA IS WEAKER THAN ITS PLANED SMOOTHER YET SMALLER SELF] AS FOR COMPARING THEM TO 2"X 8" IT WOULD DEPEND ON WHAT FUNCTION YOU WERE GOING TO USE THEM FOR AND WHAT SIZES YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.[AS POSTS 4" TO 8" SQUARE THEY WOULD BE STRONGER THAN 2" X 8".THEY WOULD BE DEFINATELY STRONGER THAN 2" X 1"].BUT WHERE YOU HAVEN`T GIVEN DIMENTIONS FOR THE LANDSCAPE TIMBERS ITS HARD TO COMPARE THEM.

CORDWOODGUY

-- CORDWOODGUY (cordwoodguy@n2teaching.com), November 07, 2001.


John, Having experience in this department, can I make a couple of MUCH lower cost suggestions: D notched log cabin kit leftovers: I built a 13 by 19 log cabin that included loft for 440 dollars two years ago. If you have acess to log home manufacturing place/ sales, they often pre cut logs there before trucking to site. These pieces were free for the taking. You might not want to advertise what you will be using them for, just tell them you are needing firewood. ( one place I tried to get some of my pieces from really copped an attitude when I told them, they wanted me to buy second graded stuff that was in TERRIBLE condition -ants, warps, rotted- for 3.50 per linear foot if I was building something with the pieces) They should have a huge pile of log ends- pieces ranging from 1 inch to (a few) 6 footers. These log ends are commonly 10 to 20 inches in length, are square at one end and not square at the other. by lining up all the pieces that are not square at the left end and all the pieces that are not square at the right end, I was able to find mates for most of the pieces. By toe nailing (4 nails per piece- I used 16 d glue coat sinkers) the pieces to the wall as you are building, a STRONG airtight structure can be built for free (and its simple- I didnt even cut a single log or ues any power tools, just a chisel to notch for the grooves and a hammer. For more info, if this is an option to you, e mail and I will go into more detail. I have also considered railroad ties (available for a buck each, locally at the rail yard). And telephone poles, which are also low priced. Cresote would be a concern, but ply wood could be used to sheath the interior.

-- Kevin in NC (vantravlrs@aol.com), November 07, 2001.

That would be a slow way to build. Sounds like you are trying to reinventing the wheel. I would stick build with 2x4s. You could build it in a few days.

-- ed (edfrhes@aol.com), November 08, 2001.


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