Good morning. Does anyone know anything about pepole buying old hand hewn logs? I own a house built in the mid 1800’s the logs are probably chestnut.
pdol
Edited 7/2/2006 8:20 am ET by pdol
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Edited 7/2/2006 8:20 am ET by pdol
Discussion Forum
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Greetins pdol,
As a first time poster on this early Sunday morn Welcome to Breaktime.
It might be advisable to give the readers a rough idea where you are located if you are interested in info about selling the logs.
Cheers
Beware. RFID is coming.
Thanks for the welcome. I am in Maine, the log house is in West Virginia.
If yer selling and close to Central Ky. I can hook you up with folks looking to buy.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
I guess close is relative. I will be down in West Virginia the week of August 11th. I can meet anyone interested and show them the building.
pdol
Can ya get a picture? WV is not TOO far, but theyd have to be pretty sweet what with fuel being what it is. Depending on hor far into the state we are talking. Ashland is about 2 hours east of me.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
The only picture I have does not show the logs. At some point clapboards were installed over the logs. The ones I have seen exposed are hand hewn, 16-24 inches wide, with dovetail ends. It is in central WVa. near Buckhannon.
Mine were covered too. Problably too far for a gamble, I had a lot of unseen decay and termite damage here. Covering the logs is worse in most cases.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
Where your logs chestnut? I don't know when the clapboardswere put on but I have been around this farm since 1951 and they were on then. The biggest problem is that the surrounding hills were mined about 25 years ago and the water table is causing the foundation to shift. Also there has been no maintainance on the house for forty years. I need to do something while it isa still standing.
Mostly White Oak and about 40% chestnut. The chestnut is interspersed but all the west side ( hard weather) was pretty shot. The claps were installed in the 40's as far as the locals recall...trapped water and bugs behind it, and the damage was not known.
I had many logs that LOOKED perfect, but actually were hollow. Not Fun.
Suprisingly, Poplar never gets termite chewem ups, but does rot.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
If ya want to waste a day seeing some progress...
just have a looksee here
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages/?msg=38593.397
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
The ones I have seen exposed are hand hewn, 16-24 inches wide, with dovetail ends. It is in central WVa. near Buckhannon
In this upscale area, not unusual for somebody to be advertising a dissembled log house for sale. There's also a guy (McRaven) here who's for years specialized with relocating particularly nice ones. And you're certainly not too far for him or one of the other guys here doing similar.
Starts with good pix.
Your choice would be whether you want to take it down or sell as is. You could also go to a lumber recycler, like Mountain Lumber http://www.mountainlumber.com/ just N. of here. They take timbers, from all over the world, and resaw for flooring and whatever. Highest price paid, of course, is if you transport. Good folks.
You have several good options. Let me know if your house qualifies and you want to talk with Mac, who's written several books on related subjects.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Thanks for the info. I don't think it can be salvaged as a whole house, but I am not an expert. The only pictures I have are old and don't show the logs.
The only pictures I have are old and don't show the logs.
I understood. What I was trying to suggest was that you should document on your next visit and then start the process- if you aren't thinking to disassemble it yourself.
BTW, about anything can be salvaged as a whole house. Worth the effort is a different question.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
"BTW, about anything can be salvaged as a whole house."
Rock on brother! You the man!
Thanks, but no resurrections on this mountain.
Sphere's the one who signed on with this mansion. Gets my heartfelt respect, and pity. While he has the time of his life...
Your place was rough, but no cigar.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
There's also a guy (McRaven) here who's for years specialized with relocating particularly nice ones.Do you know Mac? I worked on a cabin with him outside of Charlottesville in 77 or 78. Quite a character<G> I need a dump truck, baby, to unload my head
I've avoided jumping in because I don't have any real help for your original question -
I've moved and ressurected a half dozen log structures, including one that forms part of the grand sculpture that is our home - usta know 3 other people who did such things proffesionally - but all are on to other things now, so I'm no real help to you -
I'd suggest you run some classified adds in different papers around your area and see if that turns up any interest - they are cheap -
unless the structure is unusually large or has some special features, it's not worth much - $1-5K as is, where is, to be moved - lacking the doors and such is a negative -
good luck - it's worth putting a bit of effort into finding a loving home for this large historical primitive - cabins are neat -
"there's enough for everyone"
Do you know Mac?
Not well. Wasn't long ago that pretty much every carp here interested in other than stick-built had experience with him.
My experience and interest is usually, but not always, outside his circle of interest. Consultation only. He's done some interesting projects.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
He could definitely throw out a good line, and I'm sure he's even better at it, now<G> I need a dump truck, baby, to unload my head
You know Ed Knapp? 'Vintage Beams an Timbers' in Sylva?
Same kinda dude...sweet inventory.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
You know Ed Knapp? 'Vintage Beams an Timbers' in Sylva?Same kinda dude...sweet inventory.Don't know him...but I do know Mac is unique<G> I need a dump truck, baby, to unload my head
pdol,
Log homes are very often rotten.. Logs rot from the inside out.. That's the trouble with logs as exterior walls.. the vapor point is usually between the inside and outside. Logs get wet inside and remains wet.. and rot starts..
Worse in the case of dirt floors which is why it's extremely rare for old log homes to remain.. reading further I see that it hasn't had any maintinance in 40 years which makes me hopefull that people haven't lived in it which reduces the vapor load..
Chestnut isn't particularly rot resistant not like white oak is. While chestnut is real desirable to the knowlegedable the real restriction is the size of the logs.. Few older homes are big enough for the Mc Mansions so much in demand today.
Taking all that into consideration and add the labor to dismantle the logs, mark them and find a use for them it's extremely doubtfull they have much market value..
I disagree about chestnut v. Whiteoak. My chestnut logs are in much better state of soundness v. White oak , those that are in proximity to eah other and were sbjected to similar extremes.
That may be a regional thing between where you are and where I am. Chestnut fenceing is still intact as is Locust, but no rails of W.O are still visable, possibly it was not used due to the difficulty or riving rails.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
sphere,
It's hard to find the data to confirm what I've said because all of my books are stowed away in the attic during construction. Best I recall Chestnut is mildly decay resistant while white oak is listed as decay resistant.. The cell structure is the prime reason white oak is so decay resistant. It's also the same reason that barrels are made from white oak because they don't leak/weep liquids while virtually every other wood will seep or weep a liquid given enough time.
Also tannins in White oak which also give it it's decay resistance are extremely high while I don't know if they are present in Chestnut at all, wish everything wasn't stowed away..
Just from what I learned growing up around both species, white oak and chestnut I had always thought that chestnut was much more insect and rot resitent then oak. When I was a kid there were chestnut fences still intact around the farm.
No one has lived in the house for those forty years, but someone did steal the doors and windows out of it soon after the tenants departed.
I understand the cell stucture of both woods very well, I made quite a bit of furniture and trim from both species. While the cells seem more open in Chestnut , and the tyloses in white oak are quite dense, the extractives in Chestnut are tannins and result in decay resistance that is only slightly better.
Ash is a wood that I use for instances when Chestnut is not available , not for decay resistance ( cuz it has almost none) but cellular and grain patterns mimic Cnut well.
Barrels and Casks are made of W.O. due to the closed "straws" in the bundle of grain. You can take a foot long pc or red oak and immerse the end in a glass of liquid and actually blow bubbles..not a good choice for a barrel.
The chestnut lumber that I have, was had from a funeral home in Phila PA, It was glued up into 30''x84" x 13/16th" slabs ( T&G, hide glue) in the late 1800's, for burial caskets, I am sure the glue gave way before the wood rotted. I saw that wood advertised in FWW back in about '85, bought it on first sight. I scored 600 BF for 400.00$ MAde all my furniture for my first wife from it.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
My experience is very similar to Sphere's. The log cabins I worked on in E. TN were pretty neglected but in remarkably good shape - especially the first generation cabins. The second & third generation stuff, with smaller logs and lower quality joinery is where I found most of the rot. I'm pretty sure the wood was primarily Chestnut. Some of the lower logs were easily 18"+ and the joints were still completely tight in 2-story cabins ~200 years old; I'm in awe of the people who built them.
I do have to say I never saw a cabin quite like Sphere's though - that one's pretty unique!
LOL.
slight correction tho'.
My gig is actually 2 "cabins" called a Saddlebag log HOUSE. I'd call a single story one room crib a cabin.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
That's like the last one I worked on. True - kinda hard to call it a cabin. One 2-story house was build with a fireplace on one side. Some time later - 2 or 3 generations? - the second 2-story was built on the other side of the fireplace. Later still they put in a 1-story cabin with a breezeway connecting it to the main complex.
We were putting a foundation under the house. It had been gutted and all chinking removed, way easier than what you've had to deal with LOL. Started jacking up one corner of the original house to block it so we could do the footer; looked up and saw 3/4 of the house up in the air. No way the joinery on the later houses would do that! The newer house was where we found some rot in the lower logs as well - the original was in excellent shape.
Yeah, when I Tackled the SW wall corner..that sunbitch actually stayed UP...I did put a temp wall inside, but the freaking logs just stayed hanging above!
I love this place..feels like making a fort when I was kid, or a modified tree house sometimes...
and some times, I want to torch it..LOL
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.