Where to learn more about "architectural" wood?
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This is something that's been bugging me for years... I don't feel like I know enough about the different qualities, workability, sustainability, relative cost, applications and suitability of different wood types for use in building. Can anyone recommend books or websites which list the most common wood types (ideally northern European, but certainly not exclusively) used in construction, fitting-out and cabinetmaking and their attributes, advantages and drawbacks?
I've tried picking the brains of timber yards/merchants over the years, but they mostly seem to have extremely limited ranges and are more interested in just selling the same-old-same old in large quantities rather than discussing and finding the right wood for the job.
Thanks in advance,
Jackson -
Jackson, that's a good question. I'll hunt around through my books and see if I have any titles that might help. In the meantime, you might find this an interesting read. It's not a European thing but it does give some information about various woods. It was published in 1999 and is probably due for an update but the woods it covers haven't really changed.
Back later with more I hope.
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Jackson, I'm glad that was useful.
I understand wanting to know about the woods that are native or at least more commonly used in your region. The species names are given in that text and I would guess that similar species exist in Europe so much of the information should carry over.
I haven't found anything else to recommend yet but I'll keep looking.
You might check to see what boat builders use. If anyone knows about rot resistance, they do.
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Thanks Dave- the pdfs you linked to already seem like an extremely useful resource! Downloading the huge files as I write.
It's not that I'm not interested in, or will not specify non-European timber, but for obvious reasons I would like to source timber as locally as possible (Scandinavia) and for the most part I'm not interested in all these bizarre tropical woods with crazy grain structures. Really nice American timber is fairly readily available here (oak, cedar, amongst others) so I'll still use it if it's the right material for the job.
In general I want to understand a bit more about how well different wood types cope with weather (and how they weather), any special treatment they require, fasteners to be used or avoided (due to tannin corrosion, etc), if they're very stable or prone to warping, or pests.
The pdfs you referred to seem to cover exactly those issues and plenty more so I'm off to bury my head in them and see what I can learn!
Thanks Dave.
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I'm not real sure what it is you're trying to find out. Lumber for framing construction is typically regional in choice. Historically, folks used what they had available in the area, but these days they use what grows well and quickly near by as a means of sustaining supply. For instance, in the U.S., geography determines what you will find at the construction lumber store. Southern Yellow Pine grows quickly in the south and southeast, so that is one of the favored lumbers for construction. In the Northwest, Douglas Fir is the choice. Both of these are coniferous trees and therefore grow more quickly than some others. They are also both a bit harder than some other choices, but still soft and flexible enough for framing. They are also relatively non-reactive to metal fasteners.
For general framing, rot is not generally a big consideration since construction methods protect the wood from the elements which would cause rot. For wood that will be exposed to the elements, there are a number of choices. First, some woods such as the soft cedars and cypress have chemicals in them which repel the insects and fungus etc that cause rot. Another choice is impregnation with chemicals that do the same. Paint is also a choice for protecting wood from rot.
Construction methods are regional as well and are also a determining factor. Stick construction like is prevalent in the U.S. makes the softer coniferous trees a good choice. Timber frame construction requires harder woods available in larger sizes and relies more heavily on joinery than fasteners for holding the thing together. But again, I think a big determining factor is local availability, and this likely had a lot to do with the construction methods that evolved in different parts of the world.
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Thanks Jerry, sorry I wasn't clearer- I was referring mostly to wood to use for external and internal finishes. For most unseen framing I'd tend to specify pine, usually sourced from northern Sweden, Finland or Poland based on cost, availability, sustainability and that it can be sourced relatively nearby. Maybe one day I'll venture into a fully visible timber-framed construction and the complex joinery that entails, but I'm a pretty determined "modernist" so most of my interest in timber is related to roofs, eaves, cladding, door, windows, decks, balustrades and other details. That said, I am very influenced by local traditional wooden construction (I should post some of my photographs of 500-yr-old Swedish timber houses- you woodworkers would probably love them- I know I do), but as I said, I feel like when it comes to actual know-how I am lacking and I'd like to rectify that. I can't believe it taken me this long to realise that all the expertise (and friendliness) of the Woodworker's Forum was the perfect resource for me to begin this process.
As a specific example is there a wood or method that springs to mind for flooring which could run from interior to exteriors for a sun room and deck? Of course internal and external boards would be completely separate so the external decking could be eventually be replaced, but I'd love to use a wood (not too expensive) which would look great inside, but which would handle the elements outside. Of course the finish could be different inside and out (and the weather and time would take care of that anyway), but I'd like the wood itself to match through rather than say beech on the inside and ipê on the outside!
I visited Japan last year and, even though I have read avidly about Japanese villa, tea house and temple timber construction for years I was absolutely blown away by them in reality. The most striking feature for me was the consistent blurring of the boundary between inside and out where, especially within the larger temples like Kennin-Ji, there were parts where even the idea of "inside" and "outside" seemed superfluous. The use of the same materials throughout the construction played a very important role in creating this feeling, which in turn unites building and the context. Once seen never forgotten.
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