Some timber framers recommend using standing dead timber instead of kiln dried timber. Is standing dead timber as good?
A11. Standing dead timber is timber that has been milled from trees that have been killed by a pest or fire. It is typically more economical than kiln dried timber and is an environmentally friendly alternative to using harvesting live trees. The quality of standing timber, however, can be very variable. While it is usually dryer than green timber, it isn’t typically as dry as kiln dried timber and will shrink after incorporation into a frame. It also often contains bore holes from beetles and fibre breakage caused by wind or during falling.
