My family has just purchased 50 acres of forested land in VT, and we are interested in building cabin/small house there. We would like to do it using wood that exists on the property, and we thought instantly of the beautiful traditional New England timber framed houses.

We had a forester come look at the land and she informed us that we have White Pine, Red Spruce, and Balsam Fir. The pine is the most mature (some very large trees); the spruce and fir less so, but more numerous (especially the fir).

My questions are these: what are the relative merits and demerits of these species for timber frame building purposes? How big (diameter and height) does a tree need to be to get useful wood out of it? Can anyone suggest a source for this kind of information?

Any guidance would be appreciated

Jon Boright



[This message has been edited by J. Boright (edited 11-09-2000).]

[This message has been edited by J. Boright (edited 11-09-2000).]