sweetgum rafters

highpockets · April 15, 2006, 07:19:44 AM

I cut some nice sweetgum 2 x 4's and am thinking about using them on a little shed for rafters.
Will they weather ok ???????

ARKANSAWYER · April 15, 2006, 08:45:15 AM

I do not know about down in Lower Arkansas but up here in the northern part them little darlings will twist like a snake. Sweet gum has inter locking grain and tends to twist and bow alot. It is one of them woods I saw extra thick then resaw later to get a flatter board. Once dry it is stable and very pretty.

sawyerkirk · April 15, 2006, 08:54:57 AM

I cut the rafters for my shed years ago out of sweetgum, and they have done fine. A little twist on a few but nothing substantial. They came straight from the saw to the shed, so they didn't have time to dry much. it is an open lean to, so they are exposed to the elements a little.

scsmith42 · April 15, 2006, 09:37:35 AM

I've used sweetgum for a variety of projects around the farm, most recently as nailers under a tin roof. Once it's dry, as long as it's kept dry it seems pretty stable. Some of the old farmers swear by it for siding. Boards with a lot of pith in them seem to check pretty badly.

TexasTimbers · April 15, 2006, 12:45:29 PM

Sweetgum for siding? I wonder if it would be possible to see a picture of that because I'd like to know how it weathers. ??? Siding is one of the details of our house I'm still up in the air about. Probably use ERC but I don't like the way it turns gray no matter what you do - at least I don't know of a way to keep it from happening.

scsmith42 · April 15, 2006, 01:26:06 PM

Kevin, I'll take some photo's of the old farm barn down the road and post them. It will probably be later in the week, as I'm headed down to Florida in the morning to pick up the new concrete mixer.

Scott

tcsmpsi · April 15, 2006, 06:33:16 PM

Within my own 'building madness', what has always seemed as rather a 'work in futility', is that very, very seldom do structures' architecture apply enough roof overhang/porches/verandas/etc. to protect a structure and/or its occupants (keeping more elements from occupants' structural environment=warmer/cooler/dryer).

It has always seemed ludicrous to me for an owner to go to unlimited measure to apply beautiful (and expensive) sidings, trims, etc, and then to have to try and depend on coatings to protect it from the elements.

Of course, I would do it. It's what paid the bills. ;D

I've never used sweetgum for anything other than very rough structural application. And even then, treated it like the plague.

Down in this neck of the woods, it does not receive well.

However, I do have trees, and perhaps with the proper care in its milling/processing it can be more utilized. I have no intention of discounting its possibilities just because other generations. ;)

highpockets · April 15, 2006, 09:02:55 PM

Well I feel a little better now that I have some input from others. I decided to try a truss today. I used butted 9' 2x6's for the horizontal part to make an 18' span. I used full 2x4's for the rafters. I plasma cut 10 gauge plates and bolted all of the joints together with 1/4 x 20 carriage bolts. I hope it will work.

Thanks,

scsmith42 · April 23, 2006, 02:23:52 PM

Kevin, et al: I've just created a new post on the General Board and included some photo's of the sweet gum siding on the barn down the road.

I'm not sure how to copy and paste the link, so you'll have to do a search for it. It's titled "sweet gum barn siding" with today's date.

Regards,

Scott

highpockets · April 23, 2006, 06:19:05 PM

Well I started on my trusses but ran out of 1"x10" for the panels.

I bolted everything with carriage bolts and 11 gauge plate.

This is some 10' and 12' trusses I am building just because I have the lumber and want to keep it straight. I guess I'll find them a place. I ran out of back before I ran out of nails and boards.