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Questions about Log Home Construction
with replies by Thomas J. Elpel

Questions:

• Can I build a log house out of juniper?

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Can I build a log house out of juniper?

Hi,
I have 3 questions I hope that you can answer:

1. How easy/hard is it to replace a log that is damaged or decays over time?
2. Is juniper/mountain cedar an acceptable wood/tree?
3. Should green wood been used, or should it be left to dry?

Stephen

Stephen,

Thanks for your letter. I've never replaced a damaged or decayed log, but I know that it happens a lot, especially on old log cabins with minimal foundations, or in damp environments where the water from the roof splashes off the ground onto the lower logs. I don't think it would be that difficult to do with some car jacks and some careful work.

You ask if juniper/mountain cedar (probably Juniperus spp.) would be a good wood to work with. From a decay-resistant standpoint, the answer is definitely "Yes!". Junipers, cedars and redwoods are all highly resistant to decay. Juniper has often been used for fence posts because it can be placed right in the dirt for an amazingly long time before it rots. On a proper foundation it would seem to last forever.

The challenge would be to find any juniper straight enough and large enough in diameter to work with. And if you find junipers with a big enough base, the tops might taper too much too soon to bother with. You may have to design a house where the longest logs are 8 to 12 feet long.

You might want to research "cordwood construction" where the logs are cut into firewood lengths and stacked like firewood, but with mortar to fill the spaces in between, kind of like a stone wall made with logs.

Cordwood construction would also help to emphasize the great beauty of the juniper when cut in cross-section. It would be worthwhile to put a protective sealer on the outside ends of the juniper to prevent the colors from graying over.

Yes, you can use green wood for log home construction, at least for the butt-joint method we use, but it is preferable to let the logs season ("dry") first. You should definitely season the wood fully before building cordwood-style, or the wood will shrink away from the mortar.

I hope this helps!

Sincerely,

Thomas J. Elpel