Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[SS396driver]

I know a lot of folks up here in Alaska that milled their own lumber for their stick frame homes. They used all their kerf waste for insulating their walls. Apparently it works quite well! I imagine a person could go out and make a bunch of it with there powersaw and do the same thing. I'm building a 12×16 she shed for the Mrs. and I myself am considering using kerf waste for insulating the walls. As you said, insulation is expensive theses days. Along with all other building materials.

My cousins farm house built in Armonk ny around 1810 used straw for insulation in the attic and walls . When we did a renovation it was packed with mouse/rat nests and poop . Stunk so bad it made you nauseous . One of the reasons I don’t use fiberglass insulation anymore mice love having a nice easy warm nest .

Pretty cool house though 12 foot ceilings and 10 ft windows . He had a company come and make custom storm windows he would put on just in the winter . Main room had these window so only 4 . Needed three people to get them attached to the frame .

 

[Squareground3691]

Very nice! I have an older 088. However, I feel those bigger saws are suited to perform best with long bars. Say 42 inches on up. I rarely use my 088. It weights as much as the anchor on the destroyer I was stationed on in the Navy!

Lol

 

[sundance]

I know a lot of folks up here in Alaska that milled their own lumber for their stick frame homes. They used all their kerf waste for insulating their walls. Apparently it works quite well! I imagine a person could go out and make a bunch of it with there powersaw and do the same thing. I'm building a 12×16 she shed for the Mrs. and I myself am considering using kerf waste for insulating the walls. As you said, insulation is expensive theses days. Along with all other building materials.

Along with fire risks I would think the kerf waste would settle over time.

 

[freeasaburt]

Cutting trees that are -arguably- 'arborist territory' is not your typical scrounge, I guess, but that's what I've been doing recently... Well, in the weekends... because I'm a weekend warrior . Which basically means only saturdays (no noise on sunday... it's a rule here). Firewood is a bit harder to come by nowadays, for free, and we chose to take on a challenge... with the help of a real 'Tirfor' (that's Tractel's brand name, from French 'tire fort', which means pull strongly) that I borrowed from a friend.
We = me and a buddy, who not only recently installed a stove, but was also seriously infected by the chainsaw virus, by me . We take on jobs together, with only the firewood as compensation. But we do clean up, which includes leaving branches on a pile... that is, in this case, slowly becoming huge.

Been there twice now, and only last time I had the 'Tirfor' available, which turned out to be a great tool... I'm definitely gonna buy one.
We got quite some firewood out of that location already, with way more work and wood to come.

Mostly used one of my 026's, and the 044 where needed... And had a lot of fun doing it, even though I let my buddy (with his 4 Husqvarna's ) do lots of things so he gets the chance to learn stuff, which is exactly what he wants.

Don't have a lot of pics to share though, there aren't much to begin with but also there were quite some people around and I'm principally not too fond of smearing people's faces all over the net... Including mine . Did a bit of blurring though...
The pics should make clear what I meant with the arborist thing, and also why I was a bit apprehensive to actually start and do this 'job'. Still consider it a hobby...

 

[GrizzlyAdams86]

The only insulation story I have was one from an older couple who had remodeled their first house they had bought in mid-50's, a small 2-story farmhouse built by a bachelor farmer. They were told he had "hot poker games" there so they might find money in the walls. All they found was some kind pellet insulation that had all settled to the bottom of the space between the studs, some dead mice/bugs and a tag for a pair of 44x30 bib overalls.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

That looks like my finger when I hit the tip of the saw blade on my table saw. Luckily not nearly as bad though as yours. I wouldn't be surprised if you loose the feeling in that finger tip. It's aggravating when assembling something.

Your jointer accident convinced me to get some paddles and push stick when using mine.

I NEVER pass my fingers or hand over my jointers knives, NEVER!

What gets my attention a lot more is my shaper! That 3" whirling cutter out in the open will get your attention!

SR

 

[Lionsfan]

Stick built would be more than double maybe triple



This includes the Prodex insulation which is rather pricey . The insulation is close to 9k . But to install it correctly they need to add purlins to the building . The insulation needs a 1inch gap to the metal to achieve the R16 or it drops to like R5.
I could forgo it and install foam board or Spray foam but I really don’t think I’ll save much at all with 3 inch being so expensive . It’s 50-71 dollars a sheet then glue and tape and my time .

Going to get a quote from Versa tube but I really don’t think I want to install it myself

They spray-foamed our old work shop about 4 years ago after 40 years of working in the cold. It worked out fantastic.

 

[Lionsfan]

The only insulation story I have was one from an older couple who had remodeled their first house they had bought in mid-50's, a small 2-story farmhouse built by a bachelor farmer. They were told he had "hot poker games" there so they might find money in the walls. All they found was some kind pellet insulation that had all settled to the bottom of the space between the studs, some dead mice/bugs and a tag for a pair of 44x30 bib overalls.

My in-laws old farm house had newspaper in the west walls and nothing at all in the east.

 

[SS396driver]

They spray-foamed our old work shop about 4 years ago after 40 years of working in the cold. It worked out fantastic.

I had the house in the Catskills attic spray foamed it helped tremendously. But the price wasn’t very budget friendly. I can just imagine doing the whole building

 

[SS396driver]

My rental had R3 rock wool in the walls . Attic had been re-insulated with batts . When I bought the house I gutted one room at a time and put R15 in the walls 2x4 construction .

Found a lot of beer cans Rheingold and a little nudist magazine from 1953

 

[Lionsfan]

My rental had R3 rock wool in the walls . Attic had been re-insulated with batts . When I bought the house I gutted one room at a time and put R15 in the walls 2x4 construction .

Found a lot of beer cans Rheingold and a little nudist magazine from 1953

Every boat in our fleet is sound-proofed with rock wool except for the newest one. I've stuffed and rolled in more of that **** than I ever care to remember.

 

[SS396driver]

I used Rockwool behind the woodstove when I remodeled . Steel studs rock wool cement backer board and half brick .

 

[abbott295]

I think I remember that we found bricks stacked in some of the walls of my parents’ old farmhouse when it was replaced in the early ‘70s. Presumably for insulation, maybe to block wind blowing through?

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Along with fire risks I would think the kerf waste would settle over time.

You gotta pack it when you put it in

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Cutting trees that are -arguably- 'arborist territory' is not your typical scrounge, I guess, but that's what I've been doing recently... Well, in the weekends... because I'm a weekend warrior . Which basically means only saturdays (no noise on sunday... it's a rule here). Firewood is a bit harder to come by nowadays, for free, and we chose to take on a challenge... with the help of a real 'Tirfor' (that's Tractel's brand name, from French 'tire fort', which means pull strongly) that I borrowed from a friend.
We = me and a buddy, who not only recently installed a stove, but was also seriously infected by the chainsaw virus, by me . We take on jobs together, with only the firewood as compensation. But we do clean up, which includes leaving branches on a pile... that is, in this case, slowly becoming huge.

Been there twice now, and only last time I had the 'Tirfor' available, which turned out to be a great tool... I'm definitely gonna buy one.
We got quite some firewood out of that location already, with way more work and wood to come.

Mostly used one of my 026's, and the 044 where needed... And had a lot of fun doing it, even though I let my buddy (with his 4 Husqvarna's ) do lots of things so he gets the chance to learn stuff, which is exactly what he wants.

Don't have a lot of pics to share though, there aren't much to begin with but also there were quite some people around and I'm principally not too fond of smearing people's faces all over the net... Including mine . Did a bit of blurring though...
The pics should make clear what I meant with the arborist thing, and also why I was a bit apprehensive to actually start and do this 'job'. Still consider it a hobby...

View attachment 1231748

View attachment 1231752



View attachment 1231753

Define "arborist territory". Looks good to me, but Im no arborist. There are only 20 licensed arborists in the state of Alaska and hundreds of tree service companies.

 

[chipper1]

You gotta pack it when you put it in

Then I'd think you would loose some of the r-value.
Up north of us they used it to insulate ice like Mike was saying.

 

[chipper1]

Got the first quote for my new shop 30x50x12 with two 10x10 roll up doors (may not go with roll up) two 24x36 windows one 36x80 man door . I also requested the Prodex R16 full insulation package. Upgraded to 145mph +43.5 PSF certified construction. Shipped and installed $26,064.00 plus my local sales tax

Will be this style View attachment 1231493

Sounds like a good price installed.

That’s not including the slab . I’ll be doing radiant heating in it too and I’ll have to see how thick for the slab as per town code . I’ll probably do two pours one for main area and one for the two pads for the two post lift so I don’t hit any of the heating pipe .

Will you put insulation under the slab, wish I would have. I know around here the guys who do radiant in the floor use insulation. I used heavy gauge poly under mine, just to keep the moisture down.
Mine slab is only 4" thick, except for the 3'x4' pads under the lift, that's 8" and has rebar in it. The rest is 6 sack with commercial fiber (longer than residential). They also used a power trowel on it and finished it to a very smooth finish, so smooth a squeegee works great on it, little slippery when wet. I sprayed it all with a concrete hardener, it holds the water in the concrete much longer. Which really pissed off the guy who was cutting it because he had to wait much longer than he thought/planned for to cut it, I'm sure the poly under it helped hold the water as well.
Will you put any drains in.
Wish I would have put water under to the main bay before the pour.

Stick built would be more than double maybe triple



This includes the Prodex insulation which is rather pricey . The insulation is close to 9k . But to install it correctly they need to add purlins to the building . The insulation needs a 1inch gap to the metal to achieve the R16 or it drops to like R5.
I could forgo it and install foam board or Spray foam but I really don’t think I’ll save much at all with 3 inch being so expensive . It’s 50-71 dollars a sheet then glue and tape and my time .

Going to get a quote from Versa tube but I really don’t think I want to install it myself

What happens to the condensation on the steel in that 1" gap?
I've installed enough insulation not to want to anytime soon, but I'll be doing more soon enough lol.
I only have equivalent to one of these stacks left, and most of that will be used to finish the main bay south wall and the rest of the east wall. The east wall gets 1.5" between the girts, already have r-19 between the studs. The south wall has 1.5 between the girts, I'll add another 1.75" and then r-13. Hope I have enough in there.

This is the bay door I'm building. Just got the last of the metal frame for the sides/ends tonight, hope to have it hung by two weekends from now. Should be starting to warm up by then lol.
4 inch thick metal roofing panels, they say they are R-32

Honestly, if I would have had the extra money I would have went with a company that included installation.
Would have saved me a ton of bs, and the shop would have been done a lot sooner.

Told my boy I wanted him to be able to see me struggle thru the process of building mine, so he wouldknow he could build whateverhe wants. He said what he learned was that he wants to make enough money so he doesn't have to . I don't blame him, but he'll learn about the realities of life soon enough.

 

[sundance]

You gotta pack it when you put it in

If you pack it the dead air space (aka insulating zone) is gone.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

If you pack it the dead air space (aka insulating zone) is gone.

Negative. Solid logs in log homes insulate quite well. Packed saw waste will insulate even better. No matter how hard you pack it. There will stihl be air in the mix.

 

[sundance]

Negative. Solid logs in log homes insulate quite well.

If you go as thick (wide) as those solid logs. They do quite well based on trapped air in the logs.