Low Cost Green Lumber Construction

By Leigh W. Seddon

Book Overview

The Indispensable Guide to Sustainable Green Building

When done properly, building with green lumber (wood that has not been kiln-dried) can be cheap, effective, and rewarding. In Low-Cost Green Lumber Construction, accomplished author and builder Leigh Seddon lays out a compelling case for "building green" with local, native materials, both for renovations and brand-new projects alike. Written for resourceful, independent, and do-it-yourself owner-builders who want to save on costs, this classic construction guide is a must-have reference manual covering everything from gathering the raw materials to hammering the nails. It examines everything you need to know about green wood, such as helpful information about selecting and/or cutting, home-milling, stacking, and drying it, as well as how to avoid potential pitfalls. It also includes easy-to-follow examples of specific, step-by-step building projects, such as a green wood post and beam barn. Richly illustrated with plentiful photographs and illustrations by Bob Vogel, this attractive and highly informative how-to book provides an environmentally responsible, alternative approach to building with conventional kiln-dried lumber.

Engineer and veteran builder Leigh Seddon is also the author of Practical Pole Building Construction, (ISBN 1648370594 hardcover, 1648370608 paperback, also available from Echo Point Books), another time-honored reference book for resourceful, do-it-yourself builders looking to save costs and work sustainably.

Low Cost Green Lumber Construction is also available from Echo Point Books in hardcover (ISBN 1648370616) / paperback (ISBN 1648370624).

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1648370624
• ISBN13: 9781648370625
• Release Date: November 2021
• Publisher: Echo Point Books & Media, LLC
• Length: 174 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.5" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

Low-cost Green Lumber Construction

In this 1981 book, author Leigh Seddon makes the case for "building green", that is to buy or "home-mill", then build, with lumber that has not been seasoned (dried). The illustrations by Bob Vogel, along with good photos, makes it a useful "how-to" book for anyone contemplating new construction where "building green" is an alternative.Seddon tells how to obtain green lumber, including felling and milling oneself with a "chaine-saw" mill. He tells how to contruct and use a home-made solar drying kiln or to stack wood in the open for slower drying. He discusses the pitfalls and problems of green-wood construction including a nice introduction to construction methods including post and beam, balloon, and platform frame.Perhaps of greatest value to the novice builder are Seddon's presentations of several examples of people who have built with some or all green wood, together with pictures and illustrations of these construction projects. His own building of a "Green Wood Barn," that takes a chapter to tell, is pretty-much a step-by-step guide.Since the book was published in 1981 prices have increased substantially which (unfortunately) lessens the worth of the detailed cost comparisons.Because of the excellent illustrations and easy-to-follow explainations the book is well worth owning even if you have no intentions of ever "building green".