Posted by David Sherman on Monday, January 16, 2006 at 1:48AM :
In Reply to: Log homes ! posted by Tom @ Snake River on Monday, January 16, 2006 at 0:51AM :
They make a lot of house logs out of lodgepole in the Bitterroots. Lodgepoles today are a lot bigger than the old-timers remember them, due to 100 years of fire suppression. Left alone, lodgepole forests used to burn every 20-40 years. I cut down a big one on my place a couple years ago that was 2' through. They're not the strongest wood or the longest-lasting, but they're straight and don't have much taper. Also, the pine beetles are finally killing them off so now's the time to cut them and make something useful out of them. The lodgepoles are mostly used for the pre-milled "kit" houses where 8" logs are typical. For the fancy log mansions the millionaires like to use big fir logs from the coast.
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