The first step to putting up the frame of a house is typically a trip to a lumberyard to pick up ready-cut pieces of wood, but that wasn't always the case. Back in the old days, when houses were usually built by the soon-to-be homeowners, people had to harvest trees themselves. Knowing how many and of what size to fell was a must, because it saved time and meant that shelters could be built much more quickly—definitely important for homesteaders.
Modern convenience has made many of us oblivious to the amount of timber that goes into our homes. If you’ve ever wondered how many trees went into your home, here are some simple calculations that foresters use to determine the lumber yield of trees.
Board Footage
When you’re looking for a way to describe the amount of wood in a tree, you refer to board footage. Since there are 12 board feet in every cubic foot, you just need to determine the volume of a tree to put its wood yield into terms that are a bit more useful for us to understand.
The first step is to determine the height of a given tree, which can be achieved with the use of a clinometer. Using basic trigonometry with the known distance from the tree—a forestry standard of 66’, or one chain length, from the days when chains were used to drag timber out of forests—and the angles from your eye level to the base and the top of the tree, a clinometer will figure out the height, in feet, for you. Next is to determine the diameter of the tree at chest height, or about 4.5 feet from the ground, using a caliper or diameter tape. Alternatively, use Diameter=Circumference/3.14 to figure out diameter using a regular tape measure. Either way, you’ll need to divide the diameter by 2 to get the radius for the rest of the calculations, and you’ll want to divide this radius by 12 put it in feet rather than inches, unless you’re working with a huge tree and it was in feet in the first place!
These two measurements are all you need. Find the area of the imaginary cross-section you took of the tree at chest height using Area=3.14 x Radius2, because we’re assuming that the tree is circular here. From this area we can figure out cubic feet using Cubic Feet=(Area x Height)/4, where 4 is used to account for the taper of the tree from the base to the top. With this volume known, all you have to do is multiply it by 12 to get board feet!
If this seems like a lot of work, just remember that foresters do this all the time to keep track of how forests mature and to help make sustainable harvesting possible!
At 2,584 square feet, House Plan 7260 from the Affordable House Plan Collection is about the size of America's average new home.
House Construction
Now that you know what board feet are, you can try to figure out how many trees it takes to build a house. Of course, the exact amount required to build every wood-framed house varies, and estimates vary slightly across the construction industry as well. To keep it simple and stick to a good average, say that 6.3 board feet are required for every square foot of house. So, a 1,000 square foot home would need 6,300 board feet to complete, while 12,600 board feet would be necessary for a 2,000 square foot home. According to the Census Bureau, the average American home built in 2013 was 2,600 square feet, and it would have required 16,380 board feet to build!
So what does that mean in trees? For the sake of discussion, consider a mature pine with a height of 80’ and a diameter of 2’. Using the method detailed above, you will find that its lumber yield is about 754 board feet. And if you require 16,380 board feet to build the average home nowadays, that would mean almost 22 mature pines are needed to fill that demand.
As you consider this information, remember that it pertains only to the trees required for the framing of a house—not any of the extras. Hardwood floors, cabinets, etc. could easily double the number of trees needed to complete a home. It takes decades to produce that amount of lumber sustainably, so make sure you build your home to last and make the most out of the trees that go into it.
FAQs
In total, building a home today will consume forty-four mature trees for every 2600 square feet. Be sure to include the garage when adding up your square footage.
How much wood do I need for a 2000 square foot house? ›
To keep it simple and stick to a good average, say that 6.3 board feet are required for every square foot of house. So, a 1,000 square foot home would need 6,300 board feet to complete, while 12,600 board feet would be necessary for a 2,000 square foot home.
Can you make a house out of living trees? ›
Using a computer-designed scaffolding system to precisely guide their growth, these trees are bent to create a living canopy that will, through specifically placed tree grafts and planter boxes, fill out the form and structure of the almost-entirely bio-based building.
How many trees to build a cabin? ›
By Taking Care of Your Home, You May Help Conserve Trees
| Square Foot of the Home | Type of Home | How Many Trees It Takes to Build (Estimates) |
|---|
| 500 | Single Structure | 10-25 Trees |
| 1000 | Single Structure | 30-50 Trees |
| 1500 | Single Structure | 30-75 Trees |
| 2000 | Single Structure | 60-102 Trees |
4 more rowsExcellently suited: Deciduous trees such as beech, oak, lime, maple, ash, elm, sycamore, chestnut and many nut trees, as well as conifers such as larch, pine, Douglas fir and fir are excellently suited. These can be used without hesitation for the assembly of treehouses from a trunk diameter of >30 cm (12 in).
How many pine trees does it take to build a house? ›
For the sake of discussion, consider an average mature fir or pine tree with a height of 80' and a diameter of 2'. Using the calculation detailed above, you will find that its lumber yield is about 754 board feet. And if you require 16,380 board feet to frame the average home, almost 22 mature firs will be needed.
How much does it cost to build a 1500 sq ft house in Ontario? ›
How much does it cost to build a 1,500 sq ft house in Ontario? This number varies wildly depending on where you build. In Toronto, prices for a single-family detached home with an unfinished basem*nt range between $205 to $280 per sq. ft.
Can one tree build a house? ›
The number of houses that can be built from one tree depends a lot on the size of the tree. For example, the Dyerville Giant was 370 feet tall and probably weighed a million pounds. The wood from this tree alone could build approximately 30 two-story houses.
Can you live full time in a treehouse? ›
We do design and build treehouses that function as full- or part-time residences. Our clients who choose to live full-time in a treehouse are typically committed to leading a semi-rustic, tiny-house lifestyle.
How long can a tree house last? ›
Most treehouses will last 10-20 years if properly built and maintained, but there is no way to guarantee how long a treehouse will last. The tree's condition is one of the essential factors in determining how long your treehouse will last. If the tree is healthy, you should get more than ten years out of it.
Cedar. Cedar is arguably the best wood for log cabin endeavors, especially when it comes to resistance against insects and decay.
Do pine trees make good cabins? ›
In addition to pine's noteworthy strength and durability, the uniform texture of eastern white pine mills easily and holds finishes extremely well. These ideal material features make this particular variety of wood a great choice for not just log cabins, but interior décor and home accents as well.
How do they keep log cabins from rotting? ›
The caulking and chinking between the log joints must be kept in good condition. Sealants keep water from passing between the logs and into the areas without stains. Keep objects away from the logs. It's crucial to avoid water splashing back on them.
What is the hardest wood to build a house? ›
Top 10 Hardest Woods in The World
- Schinopsis brasiliensis – 4,800 IBF. ...
- Schinopsis balansae – 4,570 IBF. ...
- Lignum vitae – 4,500 IBF. ...
- Piptadenia Macrocarpa – 3,840 IBF. ...
- Brazilian Olivewood – 3,700 IBF. ...
- Brazilian Ebony – 3,692 IBF. ...
- Brazilian Walnut – 3,684 IBF. ...
- African Pearwood – 3,680 IBF.
If you live in a warm area, go for citrus, palm trees, magnolias, and anything with fragrant, exotic blossoms (think frangipane). Fruit trees are highly valuable, and if cherry, plum, or apple trees thrive where you live, you can't go wrong with a mini orchard (or even just one tree).
How many cords of wood to heat a 2000 sq ft house? ›
Assuming your five-room house is around 2000 square feet, you'd probably need something like six cords of wood. Again, it's better to overestimate than underestimate. Overall, you'll need multiple cords of firewood to make it through an entire winter. You might need ten cords or more, or you might only need a few.
How many board feet are in a 2000 square foot house? ›
A common estimate is that a contemporary, 2,000-square-foot, wood-framed, single-family house uses upwards of 16,000 board feet of framing, and about 11,000 square feet of other wood materials, such as sheathing.
How do I calculate how much lumber I need for a house? ›
Multiply the total wall length by three and tack on up to 10% for waste purposes. For example, if the wall measures 10 feet long, you would require 30 feet of plate lumber, plus an additional foot for waste.
How long does it take to frame a 2000 sq ft house? ›
Depending on the circ*mstances, the average build time to frame a house is anywhere from one week to several months to complete the job.
