# Building with Texas Cedar or Oak



## wetterman (May 31, 2010)

Hey gang I have a question about using green logs. I live on a farm in Texas and access to more cedar trees and post oaks than I know what to do. 

I need to build some small lean too's and chicken hutch's and was thinking about using fresh cut cedar posts for the corners of the buildings. And then using the oak or cedars as cross beams for the flat slanted tin roofs.

My wife has asked if we could build a covered area in the back yard for a sitting area. Something around 12'X20'. I was thinking about using fresh cut cedar posts for the corners on that projects. The roof would be a regular gable roof. So I may or may not try to use cedar logs to frame it out.

Do I need to let the logs dry before I use them? Do I need to strip the bark? etc..

Anyone know of any sites, books, etc.. that has info about building with cedar posts or logs.

Any suggestions, stories, blueprints, or lies that anyone could share with me?

Thanks

Gregg


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## del schisler (Nov 5, 2009)

wetterman said:


> Hey gang I have a question about using green logs. I live on a farm in Texas and access to more cedar trees and post oaks than I know what to do.
> 
> I need to build some small lean too's and chicken hutch's and was thinking about using fresh cut cedar posts for the corners of the buildings. And then using the oak or cedars as cross beams for the flat slanted tin roofs.
> 
> ...


did a google search go here and their are lot's of post their http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=Building+with+Texas+Cedar


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

wetterman said:


> Do I need to let the logs dry before I use them? Do I need to strip the bark? etc..


I would strip the bark for sure, bugs like to hide under it and eat the sapwood. I know very little about green log framing, but there are some guys here who do maybe they will chime in. One thing I do know is the cedar is going to be more stable as it dries than the oak, the oak will want to shrink/crack.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Welcome wetterman. 

ERC is a great species. You can do lots of things with it that you can't with other species, but it can also bite you in the butt if you ask too much of it. And like Daren said get the bark off now. High pressure sprayer is easiest. Hire that done and find something else to do in the meantime -- it ain't fun.

You can build with green ERC using most post and beam methods and not have to worry about wracking the siding & popping nails etc. once the beams have come down to EMC because the shrinkage is fairly minimal. You can also cut it 5/8" thick and this time of year in texas it will be dry and ready for use as siding in like, 7 minutes. Slight exaggeration but seriously it's dry (EMC) in one week to 10 days at that thickness in a Texas summer. Out west where it isn't as humid as it is here then it's dry in a short week.

You don't want to put cedar beams or logs into too much tension because the species is inherently weak used that way. You should understand the limits of it and you won't find span tables or MOE numbers etc. for ERC in any of the handbooks and I have a small library -- if you do let me know which one. So building with ERC is mostly experience and common sense. It's not for timber framing but post and beam techniques work fine. 

I assume you're referring to ERC and not the scrawny stuff starting west of a line from Ft. Worth down to San Antone. That stuff isn't ERC it's Texas Cedar and since you called it that I guess you do mean Texas Cedar. In that case import some real cedar from east Texas. :icon_cheesygrin:

On the oak -- I wouldn't build with green oak for free cheese. I know it has been done (I have even done it on a small scale) but it's asking for nothing but a headache. 

Where are you located? We're north of Bonham -- just south of Ivanhoe.


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## wetterman (May 31, 2010)

I am not really sue what type of Cedar it is. I have always head it called "Texas Cedar" we use it mostly for fence pots but some of them can get really big. 

I would like to find someone that has a sawmill close to me that would like to work with me on cutting some timber.

I have access to wood on 3 different locations. On my 200 acres here n Bruceville, 300 in Reisel Texas, 1500 acres in Cransville Gap, Texas. 

I have a couple of buddies that run large fence crews for farms and another that build ponds. They always have trees that they just cut down and burn.

My wife and I moved to our family farm in early 2004 after I was involved in a near fatal high speed rollover. The wreck put a split in my spinal cord at neck level and I spent 6 month sin brain rehab. I was told that I would be in a wheelchair in less than a year because the split would keep tearing. I got lucky and scar tissue formed and stabilized it for now. 

Since then I have had 3 cancers/tumors including two brain tumors. One was removed and the other required 4 months of radiation in the fall of 2009. The Dr's say I am the luckiest guy on earth since all thee would have killed me in a matter of months and we only found them because of the wreck and the regular MRIs's and Dr's visits.

So now we live on our 200 acre farm and raise Heritage Hogs, Sheep, and poultry. 

I have always had an interest in woodworking. In High School I made a hooded cradle that both of my kids have used when they where born. My first grandchild used it in January. I love to carve and make things. Unfortunately with my medical issues I cannot do everything I would like to do, but on good days I am almost normal. So on those days I take advantage of what I can.


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