I have many trees on my property 10-20 acres ranging from yellow pine to hardwoods of different varieties.  As they fall or need to harvesting I would like to have them milled for lumber for use around the homestead.  I already have 1500sf of milled hickory for my future home.

I am looking for those of you that have used saw milled lumber on numerous exterior projects.  I understand not using untreated lumber for ground contact. But what about all other farm shed applications, fence rails, siding etc.

I don’t see why it won’t work and be more economical than buying boards from Home Depot etc.  I have a mill about 30 minutes drive away I can deliver wood to.

Thanks

Have done it with poplar for siding but been a long time.

We have a local mill and I used a lot of their 2x12 white oak for horse stalls in my barn.  It is really hard stuff and stands up to horse abuse very well.

Have you verified that they will take customer supplied logs? I have one 5 minutes down the road that won't touch a customer supplied log. Too many people will take a yard tree and claim it's not from a yard and they hit a nail and wreck a blade. They only buy/accept timber from professional loggers and timber sellers. It's a bummer that dishonest folks have ruined it for us honest guys.

Yes I have used the mill before with logs off of my property.  It’s a 1-2 man operation. It is his side business. Good call though.

My only knowledge comes from my cousin that has a small mill.  He mills a lot of cedar and says for outdoor use, the redder the cedar the better, because the more yellow wood does not hold up to the elements as well.  I've also heard before, that trees that grew in crappier ground will produce better lumber due to the closer growth rings.

The sapwood on cedar isn't rot resistant like the heartwood (the red) so I would say that's correct

Regarding the growth rings, I'm not sure if you're still talking cedar but I know for fine woodworking there is more desire for northern grown hardwoods because they grow slower and the growth rings are closer. Hardwood floor made from Canadian oaks etc are more expensive than Tennessee Oaks...

Regarding siding, fence rails, etc. Sure, just do your research on what/how the old-timers did it. Many, many barns are still standing with the original timber framing and wood siding. You just have to keep in mind that using wood siding like that found on a barn isn't compatible with modern construction methods (vapor barriers, insulation, etc). The reason wood siding on a barn lasts for a century is because it's open to air on the inside and outside so any moisture that gets to it dries off quickly. If you block the back side of it with a vapor barrier and no air-gap you'll lost it quickly to rot. I would also watch species. Certain species rot quickly and are not suitable for any outdoor use.

The growth ring comment came from less than scientific opinions/hyperbole/old wives tales concerning fenceposts in the farming world and poles in the overhead utility world.  Examples: "Wooden fenceposts made from cedars cut off a rocky hillside will be holding up fence when you're dead and gone."  and/or: "These new utility poles grown on farms ain't nowhere near the poles that were put in the ground in the first half of the 20th Century."  I think there's probably some truth to it.  Sorry to derail OP, those are just a few examples that I thought I'd share.

Oak, Hickory, and Poplar last outside pretty well with some stain or paint (like decades)

Based on some things I built, paint on poplar will out last unpainted cedar or even treated wood fully exposed.

For fenceposts - cedar is pretty much as good as it gets (old timers left on the bark and used small trees - so no milling required).