Air drying lumber properly

[JJ]

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.

Thanks,

JJ

[Josepi]

The cupping is hard to avoid on a 2x12 with any sticking.

I hope it isn't critical or planing is possible if you keep them too long before usage.

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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.

Thanks,

JJ

[Sonny]

I thought box store lumber was already kiln dried. Did you buy 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]

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]

The "kiln-dried" lumber is a prerequisite for framing lumber, usually but it 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.

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I thought box store lumber was already kiln dried. Did you buy treated lumber? Treated lumber is often wet.

Sonny

[Josepi]

...causing more warping and cupping and splitting.

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If you intend to air dry them dont try and speed the process up

[J. Clarke]

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]

------------------------------------- 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]

"Lew Hodgett" wrote

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

[krw]

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.

[krw]

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]

Nahhh! The latest will be

Lumber! Only $1.29 per pound!

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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

[Leon]

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.

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]

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