The lumber trade, just to be different (or awkward), differentiates between the two types of lumber it supplies for log cabin construction and manufacturing based on slight color differences. Redwood has a pinkish tint; white wood (when new) is very pale, almost white. You won’t necessarily notice any difference unless you are used to looking at wood or holding a piece of each next to each other.
Redwood is more commonly known as Scots Pine or Pinus Sylvestris. It is an evergreen coniferous pine that is native to Europe and is generally found in Scotland, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and Russia. Normal trees will grow up to 25m tall with a 1m diameter trunk. Commercial planting rotations are between 50 and 120 years, slightly longer in Scandinavia and Russia where growing times are slower.
Whitewood is more commonly known as Spruce or Picea Abies. It is also an evergreen conifer found in temperate and boreal areas, i.e. Northern Europe, Russia, and Canada. A fir tree can grow between 20 and 60 meters tall.
Both redwood and whitewood are used for general construction throughout the world, are cheaper than hardwood, and most importantly, both are readily available in areas associated with the log cabin industry.
There doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer as to whether redwood or whitewood is better for making log cabins. In fact, the research is downright contradictory. I have found comments to the extent that redwood is durable but has a lot of knots and white wood only has small knots but not durable while others say redwood has hardly any knots but not that durable and white wood is full of knots and defects but it is sustainable!
Businesses that use redwood say it’s best, businesses that use white wood prefer it.
Both redwood and whitewood come in different grades. These grades range from the quality of the wood you would use to make shipping pallets, to the quality of the wood your bedroom furniture is made from.
The wood must be machined to make log cabin parts: it is first planned and then cut to make the interlocking joints in individual logs. The machinery used can affect the quality of the finish. It is also important to grade the wood at this stage and remove any logs with defects or twists.
Perhaps, then, it is not important what kind of wood your log cabin was made of. It is perhaps best to look at the grade of wood that has been used, how it has been machined, and the quality of the final product: a log cabin.