Air-drying hardwood lumber
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"Hardwood lumber may be dried for many reasons. First, drying increases dimensional stability. Wood shrinks considerably more across the grain than along the grain when it dries. Because wood shrinks during drying, if it is cut to size before properly dried, it will be undersized in its final form. Second, drying can reduce, or even eliminate, decay or stain. Wood dried below 20 percent moisture content is not susceptible to decay or sap staining. Third, drying reduces weight. Removal of most of the water in the wood reduces lumber weight by 3 5 percent or more. Finally, drying increases the stiffness, hardness and strength of wood. Most species of wood increase their strength characteristics by at least 50 percent during the process of drying to 15 percent moisture content. Air-drying and solar kiln drying are the most economical ways to remove much of the water from green lumber. Correct exposure oflumber to the outside air can reduce moisture content to 14--19 percent; lumber at this moisture content is suitable for many construction uses and exterior applications. Solar kiln drying can reduce the moisture content oflumber to 7-8 percent so it can be used in furniture and other applications within a heated building. Further drying beyond air and solar drying is usually accomplished in a dry kiln where temperature, humidity and air circulation can be carefully controlled." -- first page
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Archive version. For the most recent information see extension.missouri.edu.
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OpenAccess.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License.
Provided for historical documentation only. Check Missouri Extension and Agricultural Experiment Station websites for current information.
Provided for historical documentation only. Check Missouri Extension and Agricultural Experiment Station websites for current information.