Air drying lumber properly
JJ
I bought a dozen 2x12 x 8ft boards at the local big box store.
Geez talk about mediocre wood. Most were pretty damp and I am hoping
it was because they got rained on.
I "borrowed" the lath strips that got exposed as I picked through the
pile. I have eight strips that run almost the full width and laid
those down on the garage floor - a bit over a foot apart.
I'm thinking I will sacrifice some free yard sticks and add those to
the pile.
Thanks,
JJ
Josepi
I hope it isn't critical or planing is possible if you keep them too long
before usage.
---------------
"JJ" wrote in message news:4db728f...@news.flex.com...
Sonny
treated lumber? Treated lumber is often wet.
Sonny
HeyBub
A small fan will probably help. Plan on some months.
steve robinson
A small fan will cause the surface to dry out to fast in localised
areas
If you intend to air dry them dont try and speed the process up
Larry Jaques
I wouldn't sticker dimensional softwood. I recommend installing it
before it can dry and warp. Keep it wet until then. If it were
properly kiln dried, the moisture won't hurt it, but not much lumber
today is properly kiln dried.
It's even more critical with pressure treated wood. I lost many a 4x4
before learning that, and one of the uprights on my carport has a 1"
twist in it.
--
Make up your mind to act decidedly and take the consequences.
No good is ever done in this world by hesitation.
-- Thomas H. Huxley
steve robinson
> On Tue, 26 Apr 2011 02:08:16 GMT, j...@not-real-mail.com (JJ) wrote:
>
> > For 8ft long lumber, how many supports should one use when air
> > drying?
> >
> > I bought a dozen 2x12 x 8ft boards at the local big box store.
> > Geez talk about mediocre wood. Most were pretty damp and I am
> > hoping it was because they got rained on.
> >
> > I "borrowed" the lath strips that got exposed as I picked through
> > the pile. I have eight strips that run almost the full width and
> > laid those down on the garage floor - a bit over a foot apart.
> >
> > I'm thinking I will sacrifice some free yard sticks and add those
> > to the pile.
>
> I wouldn't sticker dimensional softwood. I recommend installing it
> before it can dry and warp. Keep it wet until then. If it were
> properly kiln dried, the moisture won't hurt it, but not much lumber
> today is properly kiln dried.
>
> It's even more critical with pressure treated wood. I lost many a
> 4x4 before learning that, and one of the uprights on my carport has
> a 1" twist in it.
Kiln dryings not the problem , if your lumber yards are like many in
the uk , kiln dried / air dried lumber turns up , unloaded and left
outside without any form of protection from the weather so it gets
soaking wet when it rains , baked when the suns out and generally
thrown around by half wit yard staff and customers
Josepi
is not a complete drying process. Then the jerk lumber stores keep it
outside in the rain, or with just a tarp over it for months until the price
changes.
Dry enough to nail down quickly and brace while it finishes drying supported
by your drywall board but not dry enough to be stable freestanding.
-------------------------
"Sonny" wrote in message
news:5757808a-320d-469d...@l6g2000yqo.googlegroups.com...
Josepi
--------------
"steve robinson" wrote in message
news:xn0hdbqih...@news.eternal-september.org...
J. Clarke
@l6g2000yqo.googlegroups.com>, cedar...@aol.com says...
>
> I thought box store lumber was already kiln dried. Did you buy
> treated lumber? Treated lumber is often wet.
Construction lumber comes both ways, green and dried.
HeyBub
Whatever you do, don't use a fan to speed the drying process.
LdB
I used a few thousand board feet of sawmill lumber in my house (non
structural). It came bundled with metal strapping. The laths were in
between every layer of boards about 4' apart.
I let it dry in my garage and that turned out to be a mistake. It was
too damp for too long because there wasn't enough ventilation. I lost
some wood to rot deep inside the bundles.
As others have suggested don't put a fan on the wood. This will likely
lead to uneven drying. Make sure the wood is out of the rain but in a
place where the wind can keep the air moving throughout the pile.
I was told you should let green lumber air dry for about a year for
every inch in thickness. Ideally you should use a moisture meter but
for what you have it's not worth buying one. Just let the wood sit
for 18 months.
LdB
Lew Hodgett
"Sonny" wrote:
>I thought box store lumber was already kiln dried. Did you buy
> treated lumber? Treated lumber is often wet.
-------------------------------------
Depends.
Doug fir is shipped wet here on the left coast and often installed the
same way.
OTOH. Spruce is very squirrelly if it isn't properly dried.
It also explains why spruce gets shipped back east.
Shipping water around gets expensive.
Lew
Morgans
Depends.
Doug fir is shipped wet here on the left coast and often installed the
same way.
OTOH. Spruce is very squirrelly if it isn't properly dried.
It also explains why spruce gets shipped back east.
Shipping water around gets expensive.
*******************************************
Yep. Specially sine the cost of operating a kiln is not that bad. The
equipment has to be purchased and kept in repair, of course. Most are fired
with the sawdust and shavings from the sawing and planning of the lumber.
-- Jim in NC
k...@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz
The Borg and Lowes (there aren't any others worth mentioning), here, keep all
the dimensional lumber inside. I haven't seen anything there that wasn't KD.
k...@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz
So the eight Maple 2x10s I've had in the pile (and have moved, interstate,
three times) for 20 years should be good and dry by now? ;-)
LdB
To be on the safe side they should be tested. If you ship me the
boards I'll test them and send you back the results. :)
LdB
Josepi
Lumber! Only $1.29 per pound!
-----------------
"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
news:4db70a01$0$774$c3e8da3$b280...@news.astraweb.com...
Leon
wrote in message news:mo6fr6hro6tljo4ga...@4ax.com...
Now that is a shocker, I have never seen any thing in the Borgs that was
kiln dried except for the hard woods and or non PT. I have to go an actual
lumber yard to get kiln dried PT.
HerHusband
> keep all the dimensional lumber inside. I haven't seen anything there
> that wasn't KD.
Here in Washington state, the only kiln dried "framing" lumber are 8' and
"precut stud" lengths of 2x4's and 2x6's. Anything longer (10 ft, 12 ft,
etc.) or larger (2x8, 2x10, 2x12) are sold green.
ALL pressure treated lumber is sold green, regardless of size or length. A
wet PT 2x12x12' can be REALLY heavy! :)
However, all 1x "woodworking" boards are sold kiln dried (Pine, Hemlock,
Poplar, Oak, etc.).
Anthony Watson
Mountain Software
www.mountain-software.com
k...@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz
wrote:
>> The Borg and Lowes (there aren't any others worth mentioning), here,
>> keep all the dimensional lumber inside. I haven't seen anything there
>> that wasn't KD.
>
>Here in Washington state, the only kiln dried "framing" lumber are 8' and
>"precut stud" lengths of 2x4's and 2x6's. Anything longer (10 ft, 12 ft,
>etc.) or larger (2x8, 2x10, 2x12) are sold green.
Certainly not here. The longer stuff is generally even better looking than
the 8' lengths, and all KD. I'd have to look at PT again, but I remember
seeing the KD mark.
>ALL pressure treated lumber is sold green, regardless of size or length. A
>wet PT 2x12x12' can be REALLY heavy! :)
If it's wet. I've had some pretty dry stuff from the BORGs here. When I
lived in VT the yards there kept the stuff in mud puddles. I'll look again
next time I'm at Lowes.