Outdoor furniture/lumber acclimation?

[Chris Allen]

I'm going to build some patio furniture. Not sure what type of wood I'm going to use yet, but either white oak, cypress or cedar. No matter which type, it is all kiln dried from a quality supplier.

Dumb question.....
Is there any need to let this wood acclimate to my shop? Should I let it acclimate outside? Or should I just start building right away?

Thanks.

[Lee Schierer]

It depends on how long it will take you to build it. You don't want the wood to change dimensions while you are in the construction phase.

[Cody Colston]

I think it also depends on the type of construction methods you use. If you are talking about furniture that is bolted or screwed together and uses construction adhesive, then it probably doesn't matter.

But, if you will be using traditional "indoor" joinery; mortise and tenon, panel and groove, etc. then you probably want to let it acclimate a bit, especially if it is rough sawn lumber.

Letting it acclimate before final dimensioning will just make the construction easier and better fitting.

[Chris Allen]

Thanks for the replies. Yes, it is rough sawn. Yes, I will be using more traditional joinery as opposed to screws and bolts.