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Log Species for
Post and Beam Log Homes

Our location in the interior of British Columbia, Canada provides a selection of home building logs unsurpassed worldwide. Only premium quality logs are hand selected from trees growing at high elevations. These trees experience slower growth rates, resulting in a higher structural value due to tighter annual growth rings. In addition to strength, each log is hand selected based on straightness of grain and consistency of size.

Douglas Fir
Douglas Fir is a very strong wood with a rich reddish heartwood. Generally tight growth rings, straight grain, medium heavy with good resistance to mildew and fungus.

Due to its high strength, Fir is a perfect choice for both wall logs and beams and joists.

More info on Douglas Fir...

Western Red Cedar
Western Red Cedar has a reddish to dull brown heartwood. It is very resistant to decay, and features generally straight grains with uniform texture. Other advantages are low shrinkage and light weight. However cedar is moderately soft, and provides low strength when used as beams.

Cedar can be used for most components in post and beam homes if the logs are oversized large enough. Also, cedar is very popular for use as character posts.

More info on Western Red Cedar...

WOOD SPECIES: Douglas Fir

pseudotsuga menziesii
Also known as Coast Douglas-fir, Oregon Pine, Oregon Douglas-fir, Douglas Tree, Interior Douglas-fir this is not a fir at all but 'Pseudotsuga' or "False Hemlock"
Named after the Scottish botanist, David Douglas, who introduced many of BC's native conifers to Europe.

UNIQUE FEATURES:

distinctive three-forked bracts between the scales on the cones
light yellow with orange tints to exterior of peeled logs
tight grain, redish brown interior heart wood

LOCATION:

British Columbia southern mainland coast, Vancouver Island
an interior variety is found throughout southern and central BC

SIZE:

can reach up to 85 meters in height on the coast and 42 meters in the interior

WOOD CHARACTERISTICS:

dense, hard, stiff, durable, strong

USES:

modern - heavy duty construction such as log homes, trestles, bridge parts and commercial buildings
traditional - wood: fuel, fishing hooks, handles, snowshoes, fishtraps; boughs: floor coverings; seeds: eaten; twigs/needles: can exude a sugar like substance which was prized

CONES:

5 to 11 cm long
green when young, turning to brown as they age
papery scales, with three pronged bracts (resembling mouse hind legs and tail) in between them
have winged seeds
seeds are eaten by birds and small animals

NEEDLES:

flat with pointed tips
bright yellowish-green with single groove on upper surface
paler colour on lower surface
spirally arranged so appear to stand out around the twig

BARK:

smooth, grey-brown, blistered when young
furrowed, thick, dark reddish-brown ridges as the tree ages
bears scrape off the bark to eat the sap layer beneath

QUICK/EASY ID (identification) for DOUGLAS FIR:

cones: forked
needles: flat, fragrant, friendly (the boughs are soft to the touch when you run your hand up and down)
bark: furrowed

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WOOD SPECIES: Engelmann Spruce

picea engelmanni
...named after the botanist George Engelmann. 'Picea' is derived from the Latin word for pitch.

UNIQUE FEATURES:

a straight, spire-like tree
near the ground the branches tend to droop
interbreeds with white spruce in certain areas

LOCATION:

grows throughout the Interior and many southern areas of British Columbia
found at high elevations
this spruce prefers deep, rich soils with sufficient moisture

SIZE:

can grow to 50 metres in height and 1 metre in diameter

WOOD CHARACTERISTICS:

not very strong

USES:

modern - log houses (walls only), plywood, violins, pianos, aircraft parts
traditional - roots: sew seams of baskets, make baskets; bark : cooking baskets, canoes, roofing, baby carriers; pitch: wound dressings; needles: chewed for cough control

CONES:

seed cones - yellow or purplish-brown; hang from upper branches; scales are papery with jagged edges
pollen cones - yellow

NEEDLES:

four sided and sharp but not too stiff
bluish-green with white lines on upper and lower surfaces
they are arranged in all directions along the twig
strong odor

BARK:

reddish-brown
scaly

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WOOD SPECIES: Western Red Cedar

thuja plicata
Other common names: Giant Arbor-Vitae, Canoe-cedar, Pacific Red-cedar, Shinglewood.
The western red cedar is British Columbia's official tree.

UNIQUE FEATURES:

drooping branches that turn up at tip
trunk spreading out at the base
has large number of cones bent backward along the branches

LOCATION:

low to mid elevations
coast and wet belt of the Interior
in cool, mild, moist locations
can grow in shaded areas with lots of nutrients

SIZE:

up to 60 meters tall (197 feet)

WOOD CHARACTERISTICS:

resistant to decay and insect damage
aromatic fragrance that lasts for years
wood can remain sound for over 100 years

USES:

modern - house siding, log home shell packages, interior paneling, outdoor furniture, decking, fencing, roof shakes
traditional - wood: canoes, totem poles, longhouses, household boxes, tools, paddles; pounded fibers: mats, clothing, baskets, nets, fishing lines; medicines, religious masks

CONES:

seed cones: egg shaped
1 cm long with several pairs of scales
pollen cones: small, reddish

NEEDLES/LEAVES:

are scale-like
lie in pairs
overlapping like shingles
very strong aroma

BARK:

grey
stringy - tearing off in long strips

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