Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Floating logs

I have a quick question I guess I never really thought about it much but if I wanted to place some logs in my pond and secure them in an area what's the best floating log to use? Is there a difference? Does pine float better than oak or cedar? Or maybe Hickory?

Thanks,
RC

Snickers bars?

I honestly don't know for sure. I believe all will waterlog and sink after some time, and a WAG tells me that wood that weighs less per cubic foot should float for a longer amount of time, especially if you were to seal the ends of the logs with wax or multiple coats of polyurethane.

This is for green wood.

http://www.sherrilltree.com/learning-center/log-weight-chart.html

They will sink in about a month or so unless you attach them to posts or flotation. Mine did. Fortunately, they are in less than six feet of water, so still usable by fish.

I have a red elm that has yet to sink and has been blowing around in out pond for two years now. We call her nessy. Funny story the neighbors young son told his parents we had a wale in our pond. It was the log that looked like a wale tail.

Red elm is really hard wood. We use this log to break the wind in an area that is shallow for a small area for the young minnows to warm up. Works great.

Thanks guys.... Hardest wood I got is Hickory.. And I do have poles in the water that I can attach the logs to so that's not a problem.

I am pulling out my old floating dock and I left the metal poles in the water to attach logs to. We are going to move dock over about 40 feet and put in a more stationary non floating one.


RC

In my experience, hickory is one of the shortest-lived hardwoods out there. Everything loves to burrow, eat, and rot it. It must be dense in nutrients or something as in my wood pile, hickory is turned to dust, literally, in one season compared to oak which is largely left alone.

Willow is a wood designed to float by nature, since that is one of the many ways it spreads itself. Obviously don't float a live log, or it will sprout, it had better be good and seasoned before you drop it in.

I lived close to Lake Ontario, and some of the most common driftwoods are willow and cottonwood. This means to me it is the most likely not to get waterlogged and sink.

I wonder if you could knock some holes in whatever lumber you wish to use, and embed some plastic drink bottles inside of it as cheap floats.

What about Oak tree limbs and branches? How long would they float before sinking? Is oak even a good wood to use? Thanks,

A big white oak fell into my old pond about 8 1/2 yr ago. It's still there and still providing good cover for small fish. Oak limbs will eventually sink. I suspect how long that takes depends on the condition of the branch when it enters the pond. If I had white oak, I'd toss them in. Red oak has more tannin, so than might present a problem if you have red oak, depending on your pond.

Due to tanins, I wouldn't use them.

I have cottonwood logs that have been floating for several years. They are about 15" in diameter. I anchored them with steel cable and cement blocks. I could pull up the cable and blocks and move the logs around. Now years later the cables are rusted off but the logs still float and move around the pond with the wind.