cottonwood for construction lumber?

[jrocket]

I"m probably in the wrong forum for this question, but would cottonwood make acceptable constuction lumber? I know its a very soft wood but so is pine and fir which is what everybody uses for construction. or am I better off just using it for firewood?
any help is, as always greatly appreciated!

 

[ndlawrence]

Try posting in the "milling" section in this site, might get better answers there

 

[Guido Salvage]

What type of construction? If you are using it in a residential setting check the building codes as most will require graded lumber.

For around the place construction projects I have used rough sawn oak, pine, cedar, gum and hickory. Once built a 30' x 60' equipment shed with sweet gum purlins, bent more nails than I drove. Never again unless I had a drill handy.

 

[bplust]

In tension, no.

In compression, sure. Just not as a post that engages the ground, I'm pretty sure that it doesn't have great rot resistance. Interior use only.

But if you have to stick it in the ground, soak it in creosote, coat it with roofing tar, or soak it in motor oil. Those three methods are listed from most to least effective for extending useful life.

 

[mowoodchopper]

cottonwood is actually quite a bit harder than pine when dry, cottonwood is a hardwood , just a soft hardwood,

 

[tigersaw]

Check out Purdue University's website for some good info on the usefulness of various hardwoods. I bought a small mill this winter and am planning on using cottonwood to frame up some outbuildings. Yes it has to be kept in the dry, it is useless for exterior use; fences etc. And, I wouldn't ever bother trying to use it as firewood.

 

[Mastermind]

I've used Poplar for all sorts of building projects. Remember that it will crack while drying in an air stack so be sure to make your rough lumber a foot or so extra long.

 

[eyolf]

Cottonwood is pretty close in working properties to aspen, or was call it in MN, "popple"

Not a bad construction lumber, sometimes brittle and try to use cement-coated nails. It is often used for pallets and crating.

Major downfall is that it is notoriously hard to dry straight. It twists and warps prett badly. I'm assuming you'll be cutting and drying your own lumber; good luck...you need it. If you want to plane any for paneling or trim , it doesn't plane well either. Doesn't even sand well, its very "fuzzy".

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

I"m probably in the wrong forum for this question, but would cottonwood make acceptable constuction lumber? I know its a very soft wood but so is pine and fir which is what everybody uses for construction. or am I better off just using it for firewood?
any help is, as always greatly appreciated!

OP.....I kind of asked the same question in this thread: http://www.arboristsite.com/milling-saw-mills/88077.htm Hope you find your answer!

 

[jrocket]

Thanks guys, I"ll probably use it for building more horse stalls for the wife, not in the ground but for the walls it sounds like it should be fine.

 

[mt.stalker]

And , you'll get major brownie points building stuff for the 'ol lady , with wood you milled from trees :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[jrocket]

And , you'll get major brownie points building stuff for the 'ol lady , with wood you milled from trees :hmm3grin2orange:

Right on buddy!! The tree is about 28in in dia and straight as an arrow for 20ft, just cant see cutting it up for firewood.

 

[griffonks]

When they were racing to build the first Transcontinental Rail Road in the US they used treated Cottonwood for ties. It didn't work, they had to replace them quickly. I wouldn't chance it as I'm opposed to doing the same work over again.

Sent from my M860 using Tapatalk

 

[Slamm]

You can use it for framing above the ground or rafters or trusses and such, but nothing in contact with the ground or those horses. Horses will eat cottonwood like cotton candy, LOL, wagon trains going across Kansas and such would feed the bark of the cottonwood to their horses if there wasn't anything else.

The only wood that is worth your time, for horses or livestock contact is Oak prefereably Post or Burr Oak, as horses will eat or crib right through anything else.

Here is a story about cottonwood lumber to give you an idea of its use as a building lumber. There is an old logger/cutter/log truck driver man around here that is over 80 years old, still drives the log trucks, he cut until he was 75 years old. He told me that the building that was over one old sawmill was 20 years old (it was completely made out of cottonwood, beams and rafters) about 10ish years ago they tore down that building and made a new bigger one. He took that old, cottonwood lumber and made a lean to onto his barn, as the wood was still quite good. So that is cottonwood that was under two good roofs, and its still working at over 30 years of age.

Sam

 

[50blues]

There is a barn by my dad's house that was built in the 50's. Dad says that when they started building it they cut some of the cottonwood trees down and into beams. They drove stakes into the ground and bent the beams into an arch shape. They left them there for around 6 months.

When they unstaked them they kept the arch shape, and that is the rafters in the barn. Still there today.

 

[tigersaw]

Cottonwood Arch barns

Yes there are a lot of these type buildings in my area. I think most of the beams are made from cottonwood and elm. Most of the ones I have heard of have laminated beams ( easier to bend)

 

[DSS]

Farmers around here make horse stalls and especially pig pens out of poplar. Go out of their way to get it, they say the animals won't eat it nearly as badly or as fast.

Apparently it tastes like ****.:cool2:

 

[bplust]

Farmers around here make horse stalls and especially pig pens out of poplar. Go out of their way to get it, they say the animals won't eat it nearly as badly or as fast.

Apparently it tastes like ****.:cool2:

Well, that makes a ton of sense. Cause it surely smells like it when split, especially when burnt. We have the juvenile term "pooplar" for it. It smells like an outhouse when burnt.

Regarding pig pens though, it has pathetic rot resistant capabilities, so I'd still rather go the route of using a cedar a back up fence for electric than making a poplar fence at all, just seems like a waste. Electric is just so cheap, and poplar in the ground is such a waste IMHO. It's wet here, I live in northern Vermont.