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Air Drying Green Lumber

Sawn green lumber should be air dried approximately one year for each inch of thickness.  Lumber to be used for furniture or other indoor applications will need additional kiln drying prior to use.  Air drying will bring winter moisture levels to 11 or 12 % and summer levels to about 14%.  Air dried lumber can be brought into heated-air conditions shop areas where it will dry to 9% or less in 4 to 6 weeks.  Stack and sticker wood stored inside to control warping.

Lumber to be dried outside should be stacked on a relatively level location and elevated 8 to 12 inches from the ground.  The base of the stack should be bricks, cement blocks or wood treated for ground contact.  The stack may be any size that can be covered to keep it dry.  Corrugated steel roofing panels make good coverings for lumber stacks. 

Stickers need to be placed between each board every 12 inches (with a sticker at each end of the board).   Each sticker should be placed directly above the sticker below it. Stickers should be from one-half to one inch thick and from one half to one inch wide.  All lumber stacked on the same level should be the same thickness.  Longer boards should be placed on the bottom of the stack.  Less desirable or scrap wood may be used on top of the stack for weight.  Sheets of corrugated steel or plywood should be placed on the top layer to shed water and keep the lumber stack dry.  Air must be allowed to circulate around and through the lumber stack. Do not cover the stack with plastic and tie it down close to the edges of the stack.  This would prevent air from moving through the stack.   If plastic covering is used, tie the plastic so air can circulate through the wood stack. Additional scrap lumber should be placed on top of the corrugated steel or plywood to keep it from blowing off the stack.

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