Wood wiki

Student submission for CET 210 class at ODU

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WOOD & Buildings
Student Wiki by David J Shofstahl

CET 210 – Fundamentals of Building Construction
Fall 2014
Old Dominion University
Rough-sawn lumber recently milled by forestry
students at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College.
Raw logs that have been ripped lengthwise are seen in
the left of the image. In the background, notice the
heavy timbers that might serve as posts or beams in a
timber framed structure.

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The following images of various wood applications on several residential structures
were all captured at the Greenbrier in White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia.

Log Cabin
This home was originally built in northern WV in the early
1800s. It was disassembled and moved to its current
location in 2012. 200 years later, the hand-hewn logs are still
in good shape! The wrap-around porch is built of new wood.

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Timber Frame

The joints on both of these
projects are mortise and
tenon. The timbers are
notched into each other and
pinned with wooden dowels.

The columns in the image to
the right are not timbers –
they are 6”-by-6” wood posts
that are neatly wrapped with
1” thick lumber.
The trusses in the
image to the left
were prefabricated
and required a
crane to set them.
The ceiling is
tongue and grove
2”-by-6” clear pine
(no knots).

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Reclaimed Lumber
This unique home incorporates many historical elements.
The wood siding and fence were salvaged from homes that
have been torn down. The wood species range from
hemlock to chestnut and oak. The material was delivered to
the jobsite with nails removed, but ungraded. The
carpenters planed and ripped the boards onsite to the
dimensions they needed for the project.

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Wood Roofs
Cedar shakes are a common roofing
material at the Greenbrier. Cedar is
naturally weather and pest resistant,
lightweight, reflective, and, with an
average lifespan of 30-40 years, its
extra cost is justified by sustainability.

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“Stick”-Framing
Most houses are “stick” built with 2x4s and other kiln-dried,
dimensional lumber (usually pine). These images show the
structural uses of wood in residential construction. Notice the
long-spanning beams and the 2x10 rafters (left). Walls are
typically assembled flat on the ground and tilted into place.
Notice the “green plate” (treated lumber) under the wall
(right) that isolates the framing from the masonry foundation.
Manufactured wood products
like oriented strand board (OSB)
(above, right) and laminated
veneer lumber (LVL) (right) are
utilized for strength, versatility,
and cost effectiveness.