AboutStuart Mawle Expertise Now been a carpenter & joiner for the past ten years in the UK. I can give avice / help on carpentry & joinery, health & safety, woodworking machinery, power tools and suppliers. I have served an indentured carpentry apprenticeship with a medium sized building contractor doing a wide range of domestic and commercial work. This has included office buildings, barn conversions, building extensions and renovations. During my career, I spent over three years as a wood trades technician at a college. My job involved joinery work, wood maching and helping CITB carpentry & joinery students` pratical projects. I am a member of Institute of Carpenters
Question We live in an extremly dry climate. High desert in Colorado.
A ponderosa pine on our property died about 8 months ago and we are considering taking it down for use as a pole in a childs tree house. Does it need to be dried or de-barked in any particular manner ?
Answer It depends on how you are going to use it. You only have to dry out the timber if you are were cutting the trunk into boards especially if you were using it inside a heated house. You don't need to take the bark off but you may find some bark will come off over the coming years. Your climate should offer the best environment for keeping the trunk from mould/fungi attack. It wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on it as this would be the only risk that any child may come into contact with them. I hope this helps you. Stuart
