Air Drying Lumber
The following guidelines will help you to succeed in air drying your lumber properly.
Most drying rapidly occurs in the first few days. It is highly recommended that
you "sticker" the lumber immediately after sawing. Stickers are small strips of
wood about 3/4" square (they can be as wide as 1 1/2"). Stickers are placed crosswise
between layers of lumber to allow air flow between the boards. The stickers
should be 2 ft. apart. Take care to line the stickers vertically so there is an
even distribution of the weight. Add rocks or heavy timbers to the top of the stack
in order to keep the top layer flat. Protect the lumber from rain, snow and sun
by covering the top with overlapping slabs (as you would shingles on a roof) or
cover the top with a sloping piece of plywood or aspenite.
* Do not cover the pile with plastic sheeting. This holds in moisture and
produces condensation.
* All the boards in the stack should be of the same length or short lengths
can be pulled into opposite ends of the pile.
* Stickers should be of the same species or light colored to prevent staining.
* Position lumber stacks to take advantage of prevailing winds. The air
should flow through the sides of the piles. Separate the stacks by at least
40 inches (1 meter).
* Keep lumber 6 inches (15cm) off the ground by setting it on spare timbers.
* For valuable hardwood species, the use of a drying shed with open sides is
recommended. A drying shed protects the lumber from the sun and prevents too
fast a rate of drying.
* End checking can be minimized by coating the ends of the boards with a
commercial sealer like Anchorseal. Paraffin wax, beeswax or oil based paint
will work well too. Latex paint is not recommended as being effective.
* In general, hardwoods will take twice as long to dry as soft woods.
For stacking diagrams click here.
We can supply stacking sticks at a reasonable cost upon request.
For more information on drying your product click on your drying
preference below
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