Aging kiln dried hardwood

[joe milana]

Does kiln dried hardwood improve over time if stacked and stored properly? Most of the stuff I get from the local dealers is case hardened, full of internal stress, and continues to shrink, warp, and crack with age. I have found wood from a local mill that is SIGNIFICANTLY better, but it is still kiln dried and has minor issues here and there.
I wouldn't dare buy a lets say, a 1" x 8"x 4' piece of poplar from the BORG and attempt to rip it down the middle on the table saw. The binding, twisting, pinching, and burning is awful.

The reason I ask is that I came across some poplar and hard maple that was stacked in someones basement for about 20 years. The wood has price tags from a local borg, so I know it's nothing special. Anyway, this stuff is a dream to work with. Much harder than the wood I get, and stable as can be. I'm guessing it's because it's "aged".

[Lee Schierer]

I'd be looking at a different supplier for my lumber. I buy all kiln dried lumber from my supplier and I don't see any of the problems you mentioned. I think I've had maybe 3-5 pieces of reaction wood in the 15-20 years I've done business with this supplier and I've often cut boards to size the day I bring it home.

As far as kiln dried lumber changing with age, it must change some because normal air is usually more moist than the finish of the kiln so moisture usually goes up slightly. I can't answer you question fully.

[Cody Colston]

Wood, whether kiln dried or not will eventually reach EMC (equilibrium moisture content) with the environment in which it is exposed.

Here's a table and a calculator... http://www.csgnetwork.com/emctablecalc.html

Those characteristics you mentioned you were seeing from kiln dried wood are typical of wood that is dried too quickly. I would change suppliers.

[Scott T Smith]

The problems that you describe are indicators of wood that was improperly dried during the initial stages of the drying process. Offhand it sounds like someone is using a high temperature pallet kiln to dry your wood...

Today's kiln dried wood should not be any different than kiln dried wood from 20 years ago; with the notable exception that more small operations today use dehumidification kilns which are usually gentler on the lumber (as opposed to conventional or high temperature kilns which were the primary option in the past). Most of the drying schedules in use today were developed 50 years ago, so no changes there either.

I would change suppliers. There are a number of great internet suppliers, including Wall Lumber, Hearn, Talarico, etc (and I can supply you with quartersawn oak), as well as local suppliers in Missouri and Arkansas.

The challenge with the local millers is finding someone that can dry as well as mill, and has the variety and quality that you're looking for.