Frequently Asked Questions

The minimum order for delivery from Alaska Timber & Truss is $200.

The turnaround time for custom cuts of lumber is typically 3-5 business days.

We offer 2x4 studs 8' long up to 12x24 beams up to 26' long.

Alaska Timber & Truss offers both planed and rough cut lumber.

Alaska Timber & Truss offers kiln dried lumber only in a planed surface.  We do carry a significant amount of air-dried lumber that is within 2-4% of Kiln-Dried (KD) lumber.  This lumber will oftentimes meet your needs without needing to be run through a kiln.  The cost of kiln drying lumber adds significantly to the cost of lumber used in construction.  

Yes, last year the State of Alaska signed into law, Senate Bill 87 that allows sawmills in Alaska to produce rough cut lumber meeting the specifications within an architectural design of a house and subsequently the home owner is able to obtain standard bank financing for that home.  Before last year, this was not the case.  

Alaska Timber & Truss does cut personal use wood for a negotiated fee.  Price varies depending on the dimensions sought by the customer.

Alaska Timber & Truss does cut personal use wood for a negotiated fee.  Price will vary depending on the location and size of timber marked and approved by the customer and the USFS.

Alaska Timber & Truss cuts a variety of cabin kits ranging in size from 10x12, 12x16, 16x20, 18x20, 20x20, 16x24, 20x24, 20x40 and 24x40.  These kits can come with an optional 8-foot long porch that is the width of the cabin kit selected.  All kits are from rough cut lumber.  All kits include the weather envelope only.  No interior finishes are included.  We will produce slab tables, benches and shelving at an additional cost. 

Alaska Timber & Truss cuts both "solid-wall" cabins and "stick-frame" cabins.  Stick-framed cabins consist of traditional 2x6 wall studs covered with a diagonal brace sheathing and then shiplap siding.   Solid wall cabins come in two different styles.  One style is a timber frame with a panabode style siding.  The other is a solid wall consisting of 6x6 square timbers up to 12x12 timbers.  Price directly reflects the size of the lumber/timber produced for the kit.

Alaska Timber & Truss produces both rough cut and S4S lumber for framing packages for new and existing houses.

No, typically green S4S lumber is used in the construction of new houses.  Not only is the lumber more forgiving when driving nails and screws, it also tends not to shatter or crack when you are toe-nailing studs and other framing materials.  Kiln dried lumber is often used when retrofitting or remodeling a house with lumber and do not want to see the shrinkage associated with a house that is already built.  This might be used in a bathroom remodel or any other type of remodel where the shrinkage of 1/16" - 1/8" would be noticeable in a sheetrock wall.  By constructing with green S4S to start with, there is a uniform shrinkage across all boards and therefore unnoticeable.  Studs do not need to be Kiln Dried (KD).  Paneling that would be a finish surface in a house should be KD.  Finish flooring should be KD, but underfloor decking does not.

Yes, every input into further refining a finished product raises the price of lumber.  If you start iwth a log and mill it into boards, that costs money.  If you surface all 4 sides (S4S) of a board, it costs more.  If you kiln dry the lumber, that too costs more.  The least cost lumber is a rough cut board meeting the specifications for construction of your house.  The highest cost lumber is an S4S kiln dried (KD) board.  You could potentially reduce the framing cost of your house by thousands of dollars by not using KD.  

Yes, Alaska Timber & Truss will produce an estimate for your framing package of your new house if you submit plans.  In lieu of plywood, Alaska Timber & Truss would submit the use of car-decking (2" thick tongue and groove (T&G) flooring instead.  We would also suggest using diagonal brace sheathing that would also limit the amount of plywood needed to sheath your house.  This would allow you to use more locally sourced materials for your home which can significantly reduce the cost of construction.