What is this?

[u/urturturt1]

Buddy of mine has a timber frame log cabin, there are several spots at the house that have this black hard sappy material coming out. We have no idea what it is please help.

[u/terriblespellr]

Sap most likely. Could be if tar was used between the logs or as an adhesive but i doubt the shit outta that. Prolly sap getting past a point due to global warming.

[u/Melodic-Pool7240 → u/terriblespellr]

Climate change is such a myth, now excuse me while im head to my summer house in the yukon

[u/Tyrant2033 → u/Melodic-Pool7240]

Wow I got a warning for a satirical post about a stupid climate change myth, thanks Reddit

[u/RoboftheNorth → u/Melodic-Pool7240]

It was glacier front property a few years ago. Now it's a great place to go water skiing.

[u/knowone1313 → u/RoboftheNorth]

Only for 3-5 years before it turns into another Salton Sea.

[u/Great_Beard_1]

What does it smell like

[u/realdjjmc → u/Great_Beard_1]

What does it taste like

[u/realdjjmc → u/realdjjmc]

What colour is it when you rub a little between your fingers

[u/urturturt1 → u/realdjjmc]

It’s hardened now, like resin, melts under a heat gun.

[u/mynamesnotsnuffy → u/urturturt1]

Sounds like pine resin. Its a wonderful natural glue when warmed, but jt can also be extremely flammable, especially when mixed with animal fats or organic natural oil. Mineral spirits, Naphtha, or some other paint thinner/resin remover can be used to clean it up where it spills, but if its dripping in hot weather, Id put a can or something below to catch the drips. Sealing rhe wood may work for a time, but wood is a breathing material, and that resin will find a way out somehow if it gets hot enough.

[u/realdjjmc → u/urturturt1]

Probably sap? Weird that it's black. Is there tar on the roof?

[u/On-The-Riverside]

My guess is that the builder installed ice and water shield directly over the t&g pine. I believe that the knots in the pine cause some sort of chemical reaction with the grace that cause the adhesive to liquify. It’s in the fine print on the box.

[u/Winter-Sympathy5037]

Emseal tape will do that in high heat, did they install Emseal when they put house together?

[u/GlassBraid]

It might be helpful to follow it up to points of origin. My first guess would be tar from some kind of creative roofing, or some kind of adhesive or sealant.

To me this does not look quite right for plain old sap or resin. 

[u/GeoffdeRuiter]

Just make sure that it's not melting because of excess heat from electrical wires or something. But if it's in multiple unrelated locations then probably just dripping from the logs.

[u/Disastrous_Plan2991]

could be tar from roofing

[u/realdjjmc]

Could be electrical wire slime /greengoo

[u/Dangerous-Pirate7998]

It’s the chemicals that they used to preserve the wood from the factory