Main characteristics of wood and its harvesting
Harvesting wood before starting construction of a house or bathhouse, what you should pay attention to.
Different tree species have different strength, density, and resistance to the negative effects of external factors, so the service life of each species is different. The safety of wood is influenced by factors such as good room ventilation and the absence of sudden temperature changes. Some trees, such as oak or larch, are perfectly preserved even when submerged in water. In general, variable humidity and temperature changes reduce the service life of wood and lead to the appearance of cracks in which moisture and fungal spores accumulate, causing decay. The service life of a building material such as wood also depends on the soil on which trees grow: those grown on clay soils and damp sand last longer. The period of logging is also important: trees cut down in spring or summer are more susceptible to rotting than those cut down in winter, since sap flow in them stops in winter. Even in the trunk itself, the wood has different densities, and therefore different service life. So, the core, that is, the inner part, is denser and more resistant than the sapwood, or outer layers.
The durability of wood largely depends on the species. Conifers, due to the presence of tannins and resin, are more resistant to disease, insect damage and decay than deciduous trees, with the exception of oak and ash. At the same time, pine is considered the most resistant and durable for a log house.
Various wood lesions that change its color and structure can also occur in growing trees. Infection occurs through spores that are easily carried by the wind, and they can penetrate natural or artificial wounds on the tree.
Crucial moment
The forecast, to put it mildly, is not optimistic. However, the point of no return has not yet been passed, and it is possible to change the situation for the better. To achieve this, it is necessary to implement the principles of sustainable forest management as quickly as possible. And first of all, change the approaches to determining the estimated cutting areas so that they ensure the cost-effective use of mature wood in demand.
“This means that when making calculations it is necessary to take into account and determine the environmental and economic accessibility of forest resources. The calculation of wood use standards for many decades to come is completely biased and divorced from economic realities. It is clear that he should strive to ensure continuity and relative uniformity of forest management, but the latter depends on specific natural and economic conditions in a certain time and place. In most real economic situations in our region, such conditions cannot be created.
Most likely, this is due to the inconsistent dynamics of the annual estimated logging area in the Krasnoyarsk Territory: in 2004 it amounted to 57.8 million m3 (without Evenkia and Taimyr), and according to the materials of the Development Strategy of the Forestry Complex of the Krasnoyarsk Territory until 2022 - already 98.3 million m3 . The amazing value of the annual estimated cutting area is given in the Concept of the new forest policy for the development of the forestry complex of the Krasnoyarsk Territory for 2022 - 119.76 million m3. At the same time, in the Forest Plan of the region until 2028 it is equal to 82.3 million m3. Let us remind you that the economically affordable annual cutting area we calculated is 26.8 million m3.
The above dynamics of the forest fund of the region over the past 50 years and its forecast for the next 50 years allows us to ask the question: due to what fabulous conditions and efforts can we achieve the volume of timber supply in the volume of the so-called current annual allowable cutting area? — Vladimir Sokolov asks a logical question.
How do rot and other wood defects affect its quality?
Wood rot is caused by various types of wood fungi. In the initial stages of infection, these fungi cause a change in color and do not greatly affect the physical and mechanical properties of the material. As wood rots, it deteriorates and loses its strength characteristics, and is therefore not suitable for use as a building material. Only after removing the rotten part and the healthy wood adjacent to it can the material be used in construction, followed by treatment with antiseptics. Rotten wood warps more when it dries than healthy wood. If, due to design features, the rotten area cannot be removed, it must be treated with special healing antiseptic impregnations, and then protective ones are applied.
The most common damage to wood, especially coniferous species, is blue stain, which colors the sapwood in bluish, gray and greenish shades. Blue discoloration appears when wood dries slowly due to improper storage conditions. The house fungus damages wood to a greater extent; it gives the material a brown color and causes cracks to appear along and across the fibers. It affects building materials in damp, warm buildings without good ventilation.
Insect pests also have a negative impact on the quality of wood. Most often they affect freshly cut, dead or weakened trees. The beetle larvae cause great harm; they make wormholes in the wood of almost all species; holes and grooves can go deep inside the trunks.
The quality of wood is also affected by the number of cracks. There are cracks that form in a growing tree (for example, frostbite, metics or frostbite) and in a felled tree (occur during drying). During the drying of logs, end one-sided and through, face cracks can form. Frost holes are more common on deciduous trees and appear in the form of external cracks of small width. The markers pass through the core, go from the butt and up the trunk, not reaching the bark. Cracks can be tangential or radial in direction.
Strategic incidents
The scientist concludes: the current methodology for calculating and adopting the estimated cutting area is completely divorced from life and gives unrealistic forest management standards.
“It is necessary to understand that the viability of the Forestry Industry Development Strategy of the Krasnoyarsk Territory as a system of management actions and decisions is determined by the provision of the necessary resources, otherwise this document turns into a set of good wishes. In its presented form, it cannot be implemented, since it weakly and inaccurately reflects, first of all, forest resources.
No one currently has reliable information about current forest resources, taking into account the structure of the forest fund and its dynamics.
First of all, this refers to the category of exploitation forests, which have been intensively developed since the mid-1930s of the last century and are restored with target species by approximately one third. The forest fund is degrading, and the Strategy does not answer how to reverse this trend,” the expert states with regret.
Strategic documents in the forest industry in general raise many questions, and not only from scientists, but also from the timber industry themselves, who must build their activities based on these legislative “masterpieces.”
“If we talk about the Strategy for the Development of the Forestry Sector of the Russian Federation until 2030, the indicators recorded in it cause some bewilderment. According to this document, in 2022 we must harvest 202 million cubic meters of round timber, but we have already exceeded this figure by 10%. At the same time, the volume of lumber production should increase: we see that even in the stalemate scenario prescribed in the Strategy, by 2030 the volume of logging should increase by 40 million cubic meters of wood.
The drafters of the document assume that this will be sawn wood, because that is exactly how much it will be needed to produce an additional 20 million cubic meters of lumber. You and I understand that this is impossible, because only 30-35% of harvested wood is sawn raw material. We need to increase harvesting multiple times, otherwise such indicators will be unattainable,” commented the head of the LESTECH Association, Alexander Tambi, at a seminar as part of the annual meeting of the Ural Union of Timber Industry.
Properties and applications of various types of wood
The forests of the Russian Federation are located in the temperate climate zone, where coniferous trees predominate. In our area, core-free mature spruce and fir trees are common, as well as core-bearing larches, pines, cedars, yews and junipers. Coniferous species have the greatest economic value: pine and spruce are the leaders in economic importance, followed by larch, cedar and fir. Yews and junipers, compared to other species, are represented in the smallest reserves.
- Pine
As a percentage, trees of this species occupy the largest area of coniferous forests. Most often in our latitudes you can find Scots pine. On high sandy soils, ore pine is found with fine-grained, dense and resinous wood, a well-defined heartwood and narrow sapwood. On low sandy and clayey soils, pine pine with wide-grained loose wood, a weakly defined heartwood and wide sapwood is found. In general, pine wood is considered one of the most resistant to decay, is easy to process, and has high physical and mechanical properties. It is widely used not only in residential construction, but also in railway and agricultural construction.
The most valued wood is from pine trees growing in the northern regions of the European part of Russia - the Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Kirov regions, and Komi. In the central regions of Russia, pine wood is inferior to northern ones in bending and resistance, and in the southern regions it is inferior in coefficient qualities. In Siberia, the best pine wood is mined in the Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, and Krasnoyarsk regions.
- Spruce
In terms of distribution and economic importance, spruce ranks second after pine. Spruce wood is ripe, has no core, and is distinguished by the presence of resin ducts. In terms of resistance to decay and physical and mechanical properties, it is only slightly inferior to pine, but is also widely used in construction, and due to its white color and low resin content, it is also used in pulp and paper production. In the Russian Federation there are such types of spruce as common, oriental, Siberian, Tien Shan, Ayan, etc.
- Larch
In terms of area, its growth ranks third among coniferous species. It is distinguished by the presence of a core, resin ducts, and narrow sapwood. The larch core is colored reddish-brown, and the sapwood is white. Strength exceeds pine by as much as 30%. In general, it has high physical and mechanical properties and high resistance to decay. More difficult to process than pine due to its increased hardness, high weight and slight knotiness.
- Cedar
A soundwood species with wide sapwood of pinkish-white color, with the largest resin ducts among conifers. It is distinguished by the presence of clearly visible annual rings. It is highly valued in carpentry because it has soft, not heavy, easy-to-work wood.
Features of logging for log houses
Logging for high-quality and durable log houses is carried out in winter, from the end of November to the end of February, when sap flow in the trunks stops. It is winter wood that is most resistant to various diseases and rotting, has a denser structure, exhibits minimal shrinkage, and due to the minimum amount of moisture in it, fewer cracks form during drying.
The logging process begins with selecting a site with suitable trees. In the marked areas of the forest, trees are first felled, their branches are cut off, divided into sticks of the required size, and then they are skidded on tractors and similar equipment, loaded into cars and sent to the construction site. Directly at construction sites, logs are selected, logs of the required diameter are sorted, and stacked.
No data - no responsibility
This is confirmed by research by scientists who periodically try to make ends meet and finally find out how much and what kind of timber is harvested in different regions of the country. Another attempt was made by the authors of the study “Current state of the forest fund of the Far Eastern Federal District” (O. Yu. Prikhodko, T. A. Bychkova, G. E. Kim. “Siberian Forest Journal”, 2021, 1).
And they came to a logical conclusion: “in the regions of the Far Eastern Federal District, the calculated cutting area and the actual timber harvest not only do not coincide, but the share of harvest ranges from 1 to 56%.” According to scientists, the main reason for this discrepancy is the lack of reliable information in forest management materials.
“An important role is also played by the fact that forest management work in federally owned forests, as well as the designation of areas for felling, is often carried out by private organizations that prepare documents solely on the order and payment of tenants. Verification of forest management materials and forest development projects is carried out only on paper; acceptance of cutting sites in kind occurs after all work has been completed after a year.
Based on the results of such inspections, it may suddenly become clear that the volume of standing timber was underestimated, and there is often no one to present the fact of violation, since the tenant refers to approved forest management materials or the current laws do not allow him to be held accountable,” analysts note.
The main conclusion of the study is formulated even more critically: “Incompetence and irresponsibility for the results of the work of representatives of government bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in the Far Eastern Federal District often lead not only to significant losses of forest income, but also to a critical deterioration in the condition of forests and a decrease in their raw material potential.
The inconsistency of laws, plans and strategies for the development of the forestry industry in the Far Eastern Federal District is obvious and requires immediate resolution. Forestry in the Far Eastern region of Russia is devoid of a strategic basis and is aimed at fulfilling only private tactical tasks and obtaining short-term benefits.”
Construction of houses, baths, outbuildings from logs and timber
Construction of a log house from chopped logs into a “bowl”
Before assembling a house or log structure, suitable logs of equal diameter are selected. For the southern and central regions of Russia with less severe winters, logs with a diameter of 22 to 26 cm are chosen, and for the northern regions with colder winters - from 27 cm or more. Calculate the length of the future wall and select logs that are 0.8-1 m longer, since cutting into the “bowl” is done with a remainder of about 25 cm on each side. The logs are made whole and joined together in false walls or cuts. The first row of logs, the frame crown, is laid directly on the foundation, having previously covered it with waterproofing. For this row, take the strongest solid log with a slightly larger diameter than in subsequent rows.
An important stage in the construction of a log house is marking out the space for the bowls. The logs adjacent to these grooves should not form a gap. A semicircular groove is made along the length of the log from below or above, which prevents the entire structure from moving. Making such a semicircular “bowl” groove from the bottom side of the log is preferable, as it prevents moisture from getting between the crowns.
Log cutting technology
First, two logs are laid parallel to each other on a waterproofed foundation. A log is laid transversely on top of them, the ends of which protrude 40-50 cm on each side. Using a special tool, the bowls are marked on one side and the other. Next, the legs of a special marking scriber are installed so that the distance between them is equal to half the diameter of the log that will be placed in the bowl. One leg is installed on the hump of the lower log, and the second is installed so that it coincides with the hump of the transversely installed log. The legs are moved along the surface, at the end the tool should move to the back side of the log, which will enter the bowl.
After marking with an ax or chainsaw, select a semicircular groove directly. The colder the region where the log house is being built, the wider this longitudinal groove should be for a tighter fit of the crowns and to avoid the appearance of gaps and cracks. If it is necessary to increase the tightness of corner joints, an additional element is made in the cutting - a tenon.
When building a log wall, it is important to maintain the horizontal and vertical level of the logs laid in rows. The elements that fit together are numbered, disassembled and stacked. Before transportation to the construction site, the stacks are disassembled and loaded into vehicles.
Numbering of logs in this case facilitates the convenience of assembling and laying the log house at the construction site. At this stage of final assembly, sealing materials (moss, tow, jute tape) are placed between the logs in the longitudinal groove, and the logs are fastened with wooden dowels. To avoid disturbing the horizontal and vertical lines, a level must be used at the corners. If the wall being erected deviates from the vertical during the assembly process, it is leveled by making gentle blows with a wooden sledgehammer.
Construction of a log house from chopped logs into a “paw”
When building log houses from logs, the second most popular technology is claw or dovetail cutting. With this technology, the entire useful length of the log is used without any residue, in contrast to cutting into a “bowl”. When choosing the size of the “foot” or “dovetail”, which are named after the shape of the hewn end of the log, it is important to take into account the different thickness at the two ends of the log. Since tree trunks are thicker on one side, in order to avoid gaps, a special spike is made on the inner corners of the “paws”. It fastens the lower and upper logs together. An edging about 1-1.5 m long is also cut out from the inside and outside of the logs.
Markings for this log cutting technology are made using cardboard templates, which are then applied to the ends of the logs. Drawing a circle using perpendicular lines, draw a square inside, the sides are divided into 4, 6 or 8 lines. By connecting these lines, “paw” profiles of different sizes are obtained. From below, along the entire log, just as when cutting into a “bowl,” a semicircular groove is made; during assembly, the logs are assembled onto dowels, placing a seal between them.
Technology for making a log house from rounded logs
Harvesting of rounded logs (OCB) is made from coniferous or deciduous forests, cut down in winter. The construction of houses from OCB logs takes place in two stages. At the first stage, the logs are processed on machines, delivered to the site, mounted, and the roof is installed. At the second stage, approximately 1 year after drying and shrinking of the log house, frames are made for window and door openings, the ceiling is arranged, and interior and exterior finishing work is carried out. For the construction of houses from OCB logs, logs with a diameter of 20, 22, 24 and 26 cm are most often used; logs with a diameter of 28-30 cm are less often used.
Ocher paint for wood
Painting wood in an unusual color can be done using an ancient technique that was used back in the Middle Ages. To work, you need rich yellow pebbles, which are usually found in abundance underfoot in dachas, roads, and gardens.
These stones are crushed in any convenient way, for example, using a hammer, mortar and pestle. They are quite soft and crumble easily. The finished powder must be of a very fine fraction in order for the quality of the painted products to be high. When the yellowish coloring powder is ready, linseed oil is added to it.
Important! It is better to take a special oil for artists, but food grade oil will also work well.
Making paint from natural ocher
The mixture is ground so that it acquires a creamy consistency and becomes completely homogeneous, without lumps. The result is an environmentally friendly, bright oil paint, ideal for tinting furniture, wooden toys, souvenirs and other wood surfaces. All the described methods of processing materials are easy to implement and use, do not require large expenses and give amazing results.
