Increasing Strength, Vitality and Health in Trees

When choosing what type of timber you want to use for your house building project, there are many things you need to think about. It's important that you get the best quality wood for each structure in your house in order to make it durable and resistant against wear and moisture. One very important thing is to choose what type of sawing pattern you want for the boards you wish to use for your house building project. Different sawing patterns should be used for different parts of the house, and to be sure what sawing pattern to get, there are a few things you need to think about.

Back sawn

Sawn timber is raw, meaning you'll have to dress it yourself. If you purchase sawn and dressed timber, you'll only have to sand it. If you do opt to dress it yourself to save money and to be able to decide the extent of the preparation of the timber yourself, you should opt for back sawn timber. This type of sawing makes the timber easier to prepare because it seasons quickly. It also has fewer knots on the wide face because the growth rings run across the widest side of the board. Just remember that this type of sawing can be more prone to cupping if not treated properly, as the boards are taken from a cupped part of the tree.

Quarter sawn

Quarter sawn timber is cut diagonally toward the core of the stem and therefore has a spread of growth rings over both the wide and thin part of the board. This makes DIY dressing a bit more difficult, as the rings might be hard to sand down, and there might also be more knots present than on other types of sawn timber. It can also be rather prone to splitting because of all the parallel fibres running through it. It is, however, unlikely to shrink a great deal when drying, which also means that it doesn't warp as easily as other types of sawn timber.

Radial sawn

Radial sawn timber is a bit more uncommon than the other two types, but can be used for both external and internal timber structures. It is cut towards the core of the stem of the tree from all angles, meaning it keeps the shape of the tree itself. This can be a disadvantage, as the boards might not fit perfectly together, meaning you'll have to have the overlap to keep moisture out. It can also be an advantage, as it can look interesting and give your house a rustic and natural look. 

For more information about the different types of timber and how they can work for your project, contact a company like Australian Treated Pine.