Author Topic: Opinions needed: What should I cut an mill for flooring for my log house? (Read 2533 times)

MotorSeven · « **on:** August 29, 2011, 08:02:39 pm »

My walls are almost halfway up(6x6 ERC). I want a light colored flooring and after seeing the price of finished hardwood floor my wife and I said, "no way Jose to $5 a sq ft". I am not in a big hurry and have a hundered ac to choose from: hard maple, soft maple, beech, ash, white oak, poplar, hickory and a few others I can't remember right now. So what would y'all choose to cut and sticker in the house basement to let the soapstone stove "kiln dry" druing the upcomming winter? My neighbor has a big shaper and can either T&G it or Shiplap it.

MotorSeven · « **Reply #1 on:** August 29, 2011, 08:29:32 pm »

Here is where I am at right now:

WDH · « **Reply #2 on:** August 29, 2011, 08:32:02 pm »

Did you cut the cedar logs with your LT15?

Ash will have a much more bold grain than the beech or maple. Hickory would be difficult to work with.

KBforester · « **Reply #3 on:** August 29, 2011, 08:46:03 pm »

I vote beech if you have decent logs. I always like the idea of using stuff that isn't popular, but highly functional.

Satamax · « **Reply #4 on:** August 29, 2011, 08:50:51 pm »

If i may say, ash make lovely floors.

millwright · « **Reply #5 on:** August 29, 2011, 08:56:43 pm »

I have used black ash for flooring and casing trim, and also for cabinets , it works very well.

Cedarman · « **Reply #6 on:** August 29, 2011, 09:00:23 pm »

We have the big room floored with quarter sawn ash. A small section is from flat sawn. I like the quarter sawn much better. It also has some darker heart wood in it for contrast. Walnut floor in hall way and some walnut wainscoating. Looks nice also. Our house is also 6x6 cedar.

red oaks lumber · « **Reply #7 on:** August 29, 2011, 09:07:58 pm »

the only wood that can take the harsh rapid drying you are speaking of is ash. all other woods will self destruct without having a controled drying process.

POSTONLT40HD · « **Reply #8 on:** August 29, 2011, 09:10:33 pm »

I can put you on some KOOL-AID colored WHITE OAK......but ya need to hurry before the color goes away.

mikeb1079 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 29, 2011, 09:11:58 pm »

do you have enough black cherry on your land? if so that gets my vote.

MotorSeven · « **Reply #10 on:** August 29, 2011, 09:52:50 pm »

WDH, initially I wanted to use all my ERC. But, my terrain(steep) made this diffucult and dangerous, so I will end up with about 1/4th my own cedar. I bought the rest of the 6x6x8' ERC for $20 a stick from Grant Cedar Mill in Gordonsville TN(about 3 hrs from me & East of Nashville). This was not too much more than buying raw logs locally which proved to be an exercise in futility.

Mike, no, as far a I know I have no black cherry.

Guys, I think most of my Ash is Green Ash and it is abundant. It gets cut for firewood a lot and I see it is very light in color so I may go that route.

I also have quite a bit of Beech but I am not sure how it will warp/twist when drying. As far a Maple goes I don't know how to tell the difference between hard and soft maple. Can either be used for flooring? What about Poplar...too soft?

I guess I am looking for the easiest one to work with under my parameters that is light in color. Sorry for all the questions, but I really need to be edjumacated

cypresskayaksllc · « **Reply #11 on:** August 29, 2011, 09:59:40 pm »

How about making a mixed species floor

WDH · « **Reply #12 on:** August 29, 2011, 10:04:28 pm »

Beech can be difficult to dry straight. Oak is in the beech family, and I suspect that it requires, like oak, more gentle drying than most other species.

Yellow poplar has a specific gravity of about .48. Cherry has a specific gravity of .50. Soft (red) maple is about .54. Black walnut is about .55. Green ash is about .56. Hard maple is about .62. Red oak is about .62. White oak is about .68. Hickory is .70 or above. That should give you some idea of the relative density of these species. I think that green ash would be a fine choice.

As to hard maple versus soft (red) maple. Both species have leaves with lobes. Sugar maple (hard maple) has about 5 lobes (think the Canadian flag) while red maple has three. Also, the leaf margin between the lobes in sugar maple are not toothed, but the leaf margins between the lobes of red maple are decidely toothed.

MotorSeven · « **Reply #13 on:** August 29, 2011, 10:35:52 pm »

WDH, thanks. My neighbor worked at a local sawmill for 15 years and even he could not tell me how to find hard maple in the woods. I do have a few sugar maples, but green ash sounds like the winner.

Well......... I considered mixing, but the whole dang house is going to already be 'busy" so a consistant light floor is the way I want to go.

I won't get to cut and mill anything until the house is in the dry...I'll post up a update then.

sealark37 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 29, 2011, 10:41:47 pm »

I vote for ash. I did most of my house in ash 25 years ago. It is simply beautiful. I had the mill make my door and window casing out of the ripped edges from making 4" flooring. We get lots of positive comments. Regards, Clark

jdtuttle · « **Reply #15 on:** August 30, 2011, 06:36:07 am »

I just finished a mixed hardwood floor & it looks great. Ash, white oak, red oak, cherry & poplar.
jim

catskillpond · « **Reply #16 on:** August 30, 2011, 10:49:44 am »

I would like to see what a mixed floor looks like thinking fo doing the same in the kitchen

petefrombearswamp · « **Reply #17 on:** August 30, 2011, 06:05:04 pm »

1993 built our present house, (not me I was too busy with my career as a consulting forester).
Sugar maple from 2 to 8 wide all screwed up from underneath in the kitchen and dining area.
living room, hall and den Black cherry 3 to 9 wide screwed as previous.
Bedrooms (2) White pine 12 to 16 also screwed as previous.
Nothing showing upstairs.
18 years of kids, grand kids and a dog and it still looks great with of course the requisite wear and tear.
A few boards now creak, but this is to be expected.
I like to work with beech a bit difficult but worth it.

MotorSeven · « **Reply #18 on:** February 07, 2012, 06:50:52 pm »

I am dragging this post back up because the stove pipe is en-route and I will have the stove up and running in the basement within 2 weeks. I have not cut anything yet because I didn't have any place to put it. I was at a local mill the other day and they have 5 quarter x 6" wide poplar that has been sticker'd out in the weather for 6 or so months....a thousand bf is $450.

I have kinda backed myself in a corner and will be ready for flooring in about 2-3 months. 2 questions, will poplar hold up as well as SYP, and If I go this route, what is a realistic drying time in the heated basement with a fan on the stack?

Cypress Sam · « **Reply #19 on:** February 07, 2012, 07:40:25 pm »

hickory would look good if you want to have a light color. But about twice as much as you think you are going to need to cull knots, warped boards and cracks. I have ran alot of t and g flooring and every thing that has not been kiln dried down to 7% or less usually ends up with cracks between the boards.

Sam

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Author Topic: Opinions needed: What should I cut an mill for flooring for my log house? (Read 2533 times)