Which Log Species is Best for a Log Cabin? 

I understand that these comments are about what type of tree to use when building a cabin but I also want to add to this thought. Like Noah and others say "Wood can get wet but it must be able to dry". Most of the old cabin logs rotted at the lowest logs and I believe it's because rain water was splashed up on them when it hit the ground. Old cabins never had gutters like we see today on our modern homes. When I was visiting Bulltown Historical District near Burnsville, WV, I noticed something that I never saw before. They installed tile (when they rebuilt the cabins) at the dripline all the way around the log home where the rain hits the ground. Something so simple. I believe, and what I will do when I build my cabin is to install drainage tile around the entire house at the drip line of the roof. Sorry for being long but I feel it's an important addition to any log home. Here is a link of what I saw that day. God Bless 1.bp.blogspot.com/-HmsGwcsnADE/UBwfleT2SEI/AAAAAAAADIA/Ze4cKGcjao0/s1600/Jersey+to+Bulltown+July+30-Aug+2+2012+069.JPG

I used jack pine when I built my cordwood home. It came off a forest fire area and didn't have to be straight since I cut short sections.

Enjoy watching your videos! I'm in the process of building a 4,000 square foot log cabin. I chose white oak logs because as you said it is very rot/bug resistant and will last for hundreds of years down the road for others to enjoy.

I am looking at cedar log cabin kits and did not know that the white cedar is no better than pine!!! Thank you thank you for sharing this.

Wow that helped... You are so right on that one... Loved your input on this subject... Just subscribed

In Missouri they're mostly oak ...they start out as a one pen cabin as the family grew they would add a second pen ,by then there were local saw Mills and they would fill in the dog trot with traditional lumber... making a very large cabin some with second floors, not lofts

Southern Yellow Pine is the most abundant logs available here. I would have considered it too soft for use in a log home. How do you prevent rot? Do the logs need to be dried before use? Am looking to buy 5 acres of land, and it is covered in Southern Yellow Pine. Long and straight trunks with a few branches near the top. My understanding is that these were bred for paper making.

Great information. Thank you

Great information here, thanx for sharing! 🙏🏻

Great videos. Do you have foundation suggestions?Maybe in stone and what mirror to use. You ha e easy to follow videos Thanks Scott Smith Ontario, Canada

White oak is highly rot resistant. Red oak, scarlet oak, black oak will all rot very quickly

In Northern Europe, here in Finland, we have only one option, Pine. That`ll do extremely well.

Thank you very much

Black Spruce in my opinion. Nova Scotia.

Hello Noah. What are your thoughts on Ash? We have a ton of dead ash on our land and wondered if it could be useful to incorporate a small log shed/outbuilding with the wood? Thanks for all of your help sir.

What are your thoughts of mixing log species for a cabin build? For example, half red pine logs and half white pine logs

Have lots of oaks and hickory trees on my land I'd like to use for the hole cabin and then use some pine here and there for dressing it up a bit on the inside what are your thoughts and opinion on it and from experience would that be a good idea.

Wondering about spruce so available on the Oregon Coast

can i use different species together to make my home or will that cause any problems?

I have 3 acres which half has poplar trees, They are very straight. Would they make a good and long lasting cabin. I know of 3 cabins which are at least 150-200years old. They all have 2ft overhangs to keep water away from the cabins. What are your thoughts about that.

There's a dog trot log that has all kinds of logs in it, even sweet gum towards the top, it's a 150 years old, in Florida there are palm log cabins....

Are there any tree species that you would recommend we avoid? I live in Central Montana and lot's of Quaking Aspen. They are really soft, don't grow very large or tall, seem to be fairly crooked... lol. We do have lot's of pine albeit at a mile high, they too suffer from being fairly short. We have some fir and a few spruce. I can see that maybe I'll have to use pine for the bottom and maybe use some of the others later or I may have to have logs trucked in.

I'm in the Central VA area as well- about 45 minutes south of Charlottesville. What have you found to be the best wood that grows a'plenty in this area?

Hi, I was wondering what your thoughts are on Tulip Poplar for a cabin. Our 1895 log cabin is made of Oak and Tulip Poplar. Thanks!

I’m interested to see what you think about encasing a log house in cob. Would it preserve the wood?

What about silver maple or hard maple??

Can you press white oak as a method of natural treatment. Hydraulic, of course.

Maybe redwood

Hello. what are your thoughts on using standing deadwood salvaged after say a forest fire? Many of these logs seem fairly solid but are chock full of beetle and insect holes. How would one know if they are still solid and strong enough to use for a large log home? thanks Joe

the one you have.

Hey I'm young and always trying to be different and break rules. I was wondering if you've thought about epoxy resign (or something) to seal the log and prevent the cracking. I have some experience making ax handles so my approach would be to just lather house in boiled lin seed oil.. Please respond. - Sam

I'm using Western Red Cedar to build a 20x20 off grid cabin...any tips would be appreciated. Thank You

Hey Noah, I live in Florida but soon to retire to N.C. I'm buying a pice of property with a giant wormy Chestnut barn that is 61 by 33 feet. You have encourged me to build my own small handmade home, I was wondering if I should use maybe some of this barn in the materal of my deram home?

I was wondering about using black lotus?

Does anyone have any experience with Eucalyptus? Have just purchased a parcel of land in Central Chile and it is the most common tree here. The upside with it is it is quite oily (doesn't rot) but the downside is that makes it quite combustible (great for firewood). Any thoughts?

how 'bout the species of "concrete" ??

hello, good day. I want to build a traditional log cabin home using oak trees. how long will i need to dry them before construction?

Najstarszy drewniany Kościół w Polsce jesy z 1369 roku .Najstarszy Polski Dworek wykonany z drewna modrzewiowego datuje sie na 1656 rok .Wygląda na to że modrzew jest bardzo dobrym materiałem na domy z drewna .

Best wood? *NO!*

well that helped...? lol BB

Hello Noah, If you would please tell me what color dyed cement was used for chinking this cabin in the background? Is it the Flamingo brand C74? We're just about ready to chink our house! I was told by the Lehigh colored masonary concrete company that Flamingo brand C74 is no longer available and that the Lehigh brand 22B wheat is the color closest to the Flamingo C74. I looked at the Flamingo brand C73 and it's got a lot more 'green' in it. Big decision. We're really enjoying laying the logs right now. Thank you for your advise and enthusiasm on this topic.