The term log wood is used to either refer to a piece of wood or to a type of plant that grows in different parts of Central and South America and Asia.
So, when we talk about log or log wood, we need to specify what do we mean by using this term. Specially, when we mention that log is also the name of some specific places or entities in some countries.
But, in many cases, when people talk about log wood, they mean a piece of wood that is in the size of a large branch.
Logs, timbers, lumber and similar products are from different species of trees and shrubs that grow in many parts of globe in north and south hemisphere.
These woods can be used for small to medium scale woodworking projects and specific applications. For example, you can use them as log cabin or as a firewood.
From long time ago, woods and logs were one of the most important parts of the human life. Many buildings and homes were made by using wood products.
In every country, you can find popular woods from broad leaf species or conifers that are harvested for making wooden items or to create heat.
In this article, we want to discuss about log and its definition, application, and its difference with lumber, timber, and so on.
read more: Thermowood Finland
What is a log of wood?
As you know, seedling can grow and turn into saplings. If they grow larger and become mature, we call them tree.
The trees have a life cycle. Therefore, they may die after a period of time. Also, many people may cut the trees to harvest their wood.
When you cut a tree, the trunk and its bark and branches are called log.
In fact, when you cut the stem of a plant or the main wooden part of a tree, it is usually called log.
You can cut and chip the barks, and the branches. These products are also can be called log wood. But, some people only know to the cylindrical part of tree as log.
As a whole, any piece of a felled tree that is in size of a large branch can be called log wood.
read more: Maple Wood
What does logging mean?
The process of cutting down the trees that leads to log production is called logging.
In other word, while log is the final product, logging is the process of producing logs.
Before we continue, it worth mentioning that in mathematics, log is the short term for logarithm.
What is lumber or timber?
Harvested woods that are collected from trees are called lumber. Heavy timbers and logs can be called as lumber and vice versa.
Some people call the products from the sawmills as lumber.
But, usually timber is formed after logs are cut in various seizes.
In fact, timbers are subjected to the standards that define the characteristics like dimension of woods and their thickness.
Especially for exporting wood products, it is important to produce timbers with exact dimensions and classify them based on their grades.
Log wood production in the world
As we mentioned above, we can call a large group of woods that are harvested from trees as log wood.
Logging and wood production from ancient time was one of the most demanding processes in all over the world.
From Asia to the Europe, many people were going to the forests and wilderness to cut the trees and harvest log woods for supplying the demands in the towns, cities, and even in the villages.
Logs were a source of heat in cold winters. Therefore, they could save human life.
Today, we can use gas, oil, petrol, gasoline and similar products as fuel. But, in the past, log woods were necessary for making fire and cooking food.
Main species for log wood production
One of the main questions about log wood production is about the main species that have more potential for log production.
As you know, we have many tree species with different height and diameter that grow all over the world in different countries.
Natural forests and managed forests are the main source of log production in the world. You can find many species that are growing in Europe, Asia, and America.
Some of them are:
- Oak
- Birch
- Pine
- Beech
- Cedar
- Larch
- ….
It worth mentioning that each tree may have several species that are unique in their log wood properties. For example, we have red pine. White cedar, and so on.
But as a whole, we can divide all tree species into two main groups of broad leaf trees and conifers.
Where can we use log wood?
You can use log wood for manufacturing products like:
- Construction lumber
- Log cabin houses (we’ll introduce it later)
- Pallet boards
- Timber production
- Wooden house construction
- Making wood items
- wood burning
What is a log mower?
It is a multi-saw instrument that is used for logging. It is also called gang saw and is important for log production.
What are the advantages of log cabin houses?
They are long lasting and durable houses that are made by using logs. Many people believe that these houses are visually pleasing. They are also more affordable than common houses.
As log cabin houses can be recycled, they are environmentally friendly options that are considered as a better option than concrete houses.
So, we’re going to discuss about them a bit more. If you do not have any idea about how to make log cabin houses or the cost of construction, online resources can give you more information about the cost and advantage of log cabin houses.
To help you, we’ve listed several benefits of these houses:
Durable and long-lasting
They can last for hundreds of years. Even today, you can see old log houses from hundreds of years ago.
Insulation properties
These houses reflect the natural look and warmth of the tree. They also provide good insulation. And instead of absorbing heat, they reflect the heat. This means that they much better than steel and concrete houses.
The interesting point is that while the ideal temperature for concrete houses is 22 degrees, in log houses 18 degrees is enough to feel warm.
Also, it takes 6 hours to warm up a cold concrete house. But, a log house needs just 1 hour to get warm.
What does this mean?
It means that especially for holiday homes or places where you just expend your weekend, it is better to use log wood instead of concrete and other building materials.
Another important note is that log houses are resistant against earthquake and similar disasters.
What is best log wood for burning?
After mentioning one of the main applications of log woods, it is time to have a look at the best varieties for wood burning. What’s your idea about the best log wood for burning?
We recommend hardwoods for burning. Because, the density of softwoods is less than hardwoods, so they burn faster.
This means that when you use softwoods, you need more log wood for burning. So, it is economically better to use hardwoods rather than softwoods.
What is logwood tree?
As we mentioned above, the term log wood, specially logwood, is used to refer to a type of plant that is used as a medicine. Logwood is also a drying agent.
Does logwood work as medicine?
It is not completely understood how logwood works. But, there are several evidences that show log wood is effective for:
- Diarrhea
- Hemorrhage
- Other conditions
Where does log wood grow?
This plant grows in different parts of the world. It grows in countries such as:
- Central America
- India
- Mexico
- Brazil
- Madagascar
- Guianas
- Venezuela
- Dominican Republic
It has rich and deep orchid blue to red-purple yields and for this reason is highly prized as a dye.
The extract of this tree was first used by native people like Aztecs and Mayans. They used it as a dye or ink. They also used it as a medicine to treat several health problems like diarrhea.
According to a report, when European people first met Aztecs, they found them dressed in the black and violet clothes which were colored by using fabric dye from logwood extract.
Final thought
Log is a word that refers to several entities. For example, it is the short term for log wood or for logarithm.
Log wood, on the other hand, is another term that is used to refer either to a group of cut wood or to a specific type of plant.
In this article, we tried to define these terms and have a look at the main applications of log woods as the main product from logging process.
We also had a look at the benefits of logwood as a plant that is used as a dye and medicine.
