How to identify a log house from the winter forest. The choice of material for building a house: winter forest
Many people used winter wood in the construction of their houses, and now they actively recommend it to their friends, acquaintances, or just forum visitors. There are a great many reasons for this - this is a short shrinkage period, and increased density and strength of wood, and a relatively low cost, and many other advantages. Many articles have been written about this, and we will not repeat ourselves. We will touch on a more important topic - how to understand that it is a winter forest in front of you? How to make the right choice if you do not have good friends who could advise you on their own experience one or another manufacturer? This is the question we will try to answer you in our article. We hope that this will help you build a high-quality and durable house from a bar.
How to identify a timber from a winter forest?
So, you are going to buy timber from the winter forest? First of all, remember that there are simply no clearly defined rules for selecting the desired wood. But do not rush and close the seemingly unnecessary article. Yes, there are simply no officially recognized methods that will completely help you find winter wood, but we will try to tell you all those small nuances that professionals advise paying close attention to.
First, and most logical, look at what season it is outside. If it is winter, and they tell you that the tree was harvested quite recently, then the tree is winter. Of course, this is a very shaky sign, which is completely based on trust in the seller (do not forget, you may not hear the truth in response to such a question, especially if before starting the consultation you somehow made it clear that you are looking for exactly winter wood - in this case, any wood that is in the store will automatically turn into winter wood).
The second sign is the light ends of the logs. Here you should rely on your own observation. The reason for darkening in autumn rains is because of them the ends lose their original light shade.
The next sign is traces of dirt on the bark. Agree, it is difficult to stain a tree if you are dragging it through white, fluffy snow. Yes, it can be said that the snow is not always so clean, and that after several days of work a significant layer of dirt may appear on the site, but these assurances should be treated with skepticism - the ground has frozen to a great depth, and no applied dirt is enough to to soil the trunk of a tree so that after numerous transportations, such a dried mud will remain on it.
Another sign is that a winter log is drier than a summer log and is much easier to cut. Here everything is known in comparison - you can choose a log that is definitely summer and compare it with the desired one. In addition, on winter logs, the saw runs much more smoothly, does not wind, and there is no waviness on the longitudinal cuts, which can be seen on almost every summer log.
How to choose winter wood?
If you trust more exact sciences rather than your feelings, bring some iodine with you. There is much more starch in winter trees, so that a small drop of iodine, when it hits such logs, will turn an intense blue color. Just ask the manager for permission to conduct a chemical experiment - who knows how inquisitive and active customers are treated in the store of your choice?
Some people who often deal with wood advise using a moisture meter - a special device by which you can determine the amount of moisture in a tree - the drier, the closer to winter the log harvesting season. The best indicator is considered to be in the region of twenty to twenty-five percent. Especially advanced builders can determine the moisture content of logs by their weight, but this is, as they say, aerobatics, it takes a lot of practice.
Experienced builders of wooden houses are again divided in the following way - if you choose an unplaned timber, pay attention to its surface. At in large numbers moisture, it will be extremely rough. Of course, to use this method, you better be one hundred percent sure of the quality of the sawing equipment - a rough surface can be a sign of any problems in the system or simply saving the owners on expensive, but high-quality equipment.
As you can see, it is very difficult to find winter wood on your own. You need either professional devices that are not sold in all stores, or extreme attentiveness and ingenuity, or many years of experience working with trees. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better not to take risks and call for help people who have connected their lives with a tree - they will be much better at finding a winter bar. Well, of course, no one forbids you to consult with acquaintances or pen pals on the Internet - who knows, perhaps one of them will be able to advise you exactly the company that will sell you a very good quality timber from the winter forest.
Wood building professionals know exactly how wood will behave in a given period of time. In order for the quality of the finished house to be preserved as long as possible, it makes sense to be satisfied with the selected raw materials in advance, otherwise the disappointment from operation will come before the aging of the log house. What criteria are used to evaluate the suitability of rocks for construction, and is it true that houses from a winter forest are of the highest quality than their counterparts from a summer one? Details below.
Industrial blanks
How is logging carried out, and at what time does it take place? Everyone is well aware of the comedy Soviet film "Girls", where this process is shown simply using the available equipment of that time.
Now the equipment is much more functional - special machines immediately cut the branches, and the whip is delivered to the place of transportation in an almost finished form.
However, the season has not changed - the film showed winter, and the professionals of that era knew the matter poorly. This is explained simply - the plot cannot be a flat field without swamps, channels or lakes dividing the plots.
It is better to transport whips by land - it appears with the advent of cold weather, turning moisture into ice. In this case, the winter forest for building a house will not take in excess dampness, but will only have its own natural moisture content.
In addition, natural drying occurs best in winter - precipitation in the form of snow cannot penetrate under the bark, and its own moisture evaporates unhindered. If we compare the weight of the whips of winter and summer forests, then the first option will be easier.
How to distinguish a winter forest from a summer one
So, the advantages of the winter forest are manifested in the following:
- High-quality log houses from the winter forest are lighter than others, which means that the work and speed of construction will increase significantly. This is a technological plus, but highly valued by home-grown builders - the process is difficult. By the way, the cost of funds is reduced - you can save on a slab foundation by installing a strip support instead.
- Winter forest, for example, whips of pines, will turn blue less when sanded. Although this effect, which scares away many buyers, will not linger for a long time - when it finally dries, the tree takes on its characteristic shade.
- New wooden house from the winter forest will need additional processing, after a couple of years, or even longer - the wood independently produces phytoncides that prevent rotting and mold.
How to distinguish the offered product
Solid winter wood type
Below is the marking of the whips from which the construction of houses from the winter forest is underway. This is a memo to ignorant owners of land when buying goods on their own. So:
- Timber. Differs in a small difference in diameters at the ends. The approximate diameter is 25-30 cm. The so-called middle from the roots to the crown. It is from it that log cabins are made. The whips are laid at random, with a turn to the ends, in order to maintain the same height of the walls.
- Sawlog. Goes to various wood products.
- podtovarnik. The so-called crown. It is also used to produce whips of small diameter for the construction of gazebos or baths.
The best house from the winter forest will come from the first option. It does not have to be insulated, it contains enough phytoncides in terms of concentration, appearance beautiful.
The science of carpentry contains more than knowledge of how to use tools. It is also valuable information about raw materials.
It doesn’t hurt for homegrown ignorant craftsmen to take a few consultations from reliable sources, for example, from this article, so as not to make a mistake in choosing. And then the high-quality operation of the log structure is provided to them.
Hello everybody. My name is Mikhail Sidorov and I welcome you to the Northern Forest channel.
Today, the hero of our video will be a concept that is on everyone's lips. WINTER FOREST!
This phrase has so overshadowed the minds of mankind that people unconsciously roam the city in search of a winter forest even in August.
Most often, to the question “Why do you need a winter one?”, People answer “well, it’s better!”.
How to distinguish a winter forest from a non-winter forest, I will tell at the end of this video. In the meantime, let's figure out if the winter forest is as good as they say about it.
So, we have collected the most popular statements and theses about the Winter Forest. The sources were our customers, employees, and of course the almighty and omniscient Internet. Including YouTube, of course. Where without him.
The winter forest is better because...
1. It is drier.
First, a brief educational program on the structure of a tree in cross section.
Now that you know what a core is and what a sapwood is, I quote from the Textbook of Wood Science (publishing house of the Moscow State Forest University, Moscow, 2001), author Boris Naumovich Ugolev.
“Data on changes in the moisture content of pine, spruce wood ... indicate that the highest moisture in the tree is observed in winter (November-February), and the lowest in summer (July-August). Sapwood moisture in summer can be 25-50% lower than in winter, and the humidity of the core (ripe wood) almost does not change during the year. Except seasonal changes the moisture content of wood in the trunks of growing trees is also subject to daily fluctuations. So, in the sapwood, if in the morning there was a humidity of 186%, at noon 132%, in the evening 150% ... "
It turns out you need to look not for a winter forest, but cut down at noon =))
Thus the statement "The winter forest is drier" is a MYTH.
2. Wood is denser. (Here I really want to say: “Well, what kind of nonsense?”, But not everything is so simple)
The density of a tree depends on several parameters:
- wood species
- growing conditions
- sample moisture
The first parameter is not essential for us, because we compare wood of the same species.
The second parameter is perhaps the most important one. Depending on the type of soil and region of growth, the density of the tree is different.
Our key supplier, one of the largest lumber producers in Karelia, based on his many years of experience, says the following:
Raw materials come to them mainly from two regions, the Arkhangelsk region and Karelia.
In the first case, the soil is more swampy and the wood is less dense. Grows fast. But there is a plus: much less knots. This facilitates the woodworking procedure and pleases the eye of the end user.
Karelian wood, on the contrary, is more knotty, but also more dense, because. grows on sandy soils.
As for the region, the tree that grows in harsh conditions is more dense. That is why the Northern Forest has always been more preferred among builders.
And my guess is that maybe the notion northern forest- denser, over time it has changed into a Winter Forest - this is good. If we dwell on this, then we can say that this statement is also a MYTH.
However, I wondered where he could come from.
And then, remembering the third parameter - the moisture content of the sample, I found a table of the dependence of the density of the tree on the moisture contained in it. You can see it on screens.
Table of wood density of different moisture content (kg/m3)
| wood species | Humidity percentage, % | |||||||||
| 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 100 | |
| Norway spruce | 450 | 460 | 470 | 490 | 520 | 560 | 600 | 640 | 670 | 750 |
| Scotch pine | 510 | 520 | 540 | 550 | 590 | 640 | 680 | 720 | 760 | 850 |
| Larch | 670 | 690 | 700 | 710 | 770 | 820 | 880 | 930 | 990 | 1100 |
Here lies the nature of the origin of this thesis. As we found out earlier, in winter the moisture content in the tree is maximum. And according to the table, the more moisture, the higher the density. Which is logical.
Thus, it turns out that the statement “The winter forest is denser” is TRUE?!?!
But do not rush to rejoice. As I said, the key parameter is the growing conditions of the tree.
And if you dry two boards from different regions to the same humidity (for example, 14-16%), then the one that grew on the sands will be denser.
Because in the process of woodworking or construction, lumber loses moisture, then you can clear conscience consider that the statement “The winter forest is denser” is still a MYTH.
3. In winter, the tree plunges into a kind of suspended animation. All life processes are slowed down. Sap flow stops. Less resin is emitted!
Yes, indeed, in winter the tree hibernates. Sap flow stops. But the juices have not gone anywhere! They are still inside. And of course, in the cold, the resin hardens and does not stand out. However, if during the construction or finishing process a resin pocket appears on the surface (this is how it looks), then as soon as the temperature becomes positive, the resin will flow.
So, the tree is immersed in suspended animation - TRUE.
Less resin stands out - MYTH.
4. Winter forest - can lie sawn for several months
Most likely, this statement implies the tendency of conifers to color change and the formation of fungus. Of course, we are talking about a board of natural humidity.
In part, this statement is true. Lumber obtained from a tree that has plunged into suspended animation really stores better. But it's not about months.
The key to preservation is proper storage. We talked about this in some detail in one of our previous videos.
If these rules are not observed, then the winter forest will bloom. Yes, it will be a week later. Maybe two. But to lie down for several months - no.
Humidity is one of the most important parameters when choosing lumber. For a timber made from a winter forest, this indicator is minimal. The maximum moisture content of wood is observed in the warm season of the year. Lumber released from the summer forest dries out for a long time, the shrinkage of the structure built from them lasts for 1 year. A timber from a winter forest dries much faster. It takes only 6 months to shrink a house built from it.
Exposure to microorganisms and fungi
Wood harvested in winter is less susceptible to destruction due to the formation of fungus on it. During the cold period of the year, the moisture level will gradually decrease, by the summer the tree will become practically dry. Therefore, blue fungus will not appear on its surface, and microorganisms that destroy the tree do not form inside. The summer forest, due to the high level of humidity, is prone to the formation of bacteria inside it and the appearance of mold on the outside.
Edge color
Depending on the season in which the wood was harvested, the color of the ends of the timber will be different. If the lumber is made from a winter forest, then its ends will be light. If summer wood was used, then dark. This is due to the fact that the warm season is rainy. Wood darkens when exposed to moisture.
Spil
Despite the fact that wood is an easy-to-work material, in different time Years she is sawn differently. In winter, processing is easy due to the fact that it is dry. Therefore, the saw cuts of the timber are perfectly even. Summer timber will be a little rough. This gives out the logging season from which the lumber was produced.
Which beam is better - summer or winter?
If you choose from two types of lumber, you should give preference to the one made from winter wood. The use of such a beam will reduce the construction time of the building, and start finishing it faster. In addition, due to more uniform shrinkage, the lumber will not be strongly deformed or crack. Summer timber can significantly lose in size, cracks may appear in it, which will have to be caulked.
How to buy timber and not make a mistake?
One of the main ways to get the right kind of lumber is to buy it at certain times of the year. The beam is not stale with manufacturers. Therefore, you can guess the moment to buy material from the summer or winter forest. Bought in early spring the beam will most likely be made of winter wood. Acquired in late autumn - from autumn tree: lumber will have the same disadvantages as timber from the summer forest. This is due to the fact that at the beginning of autumn the moisture content of the wood decreases, and at the end it rises again. Therefore, lumber will be high level humidity. The timber purchased during the warm season will be made from the summer forest.
Before buying lumber, it is advisable to inspect it yourself in order to understand what kind of wood it is made of. Some manufacturers always tell customers that they sell timber from the winter forest. They know that customers want to buy it. To buy the right timber, you also need to know how lumber from summer and winter wood differs.
how to distinguish a log house from a winter forest from a summer one? and got the best answer
Answer from Vladislav Seleznev[newbie]
The forest is mostly cut in winter because it is dry in winter. The summer forest is damp, obviously worse. Summer wood cracks much more in the process of shrinkage. Look for cracks.
Answer from Mon Turkeys[guru]
If this is a log house, then it is almost impossible to distinguish a winter forest from a summer forest in a dry state. Except that.. .
....iodine!
if you drop iodine on the cut, then there will be 2 shades
if it is brownish red, the tree is summer
if the blue tree is cut down in winter.
And if it's a sawlog:
1. Visually. The winter wood as a rule does not turn blue (at normal storage on laying). In summer, in the winter forest, the bark has already dried up and partially flew off. Summer forest after harvesting should be taken out of the plot within a few days. Otherwise, it starts to hurt (bugs are different, blue, fungus). It is better not to build a house from such a forest.
2. Measure wood moisture at a depth of 10-15 cm. You need a fairly expensive moisture meter.
Answer from rub.schik[guru]
You won't be able to tell!! If the log house is treated with an antiseptic, then it will stand for a long time and look beautiful!! And not processed from any forest will turn blue and blacken. And if they tell you that a log house is from a winter forest, then they are simply trying to breed you)) A winter forest is one that is cut down at a time when there is no sap flow in the trees, and in such winters that now it is all like summer !!
