wood storage, outside?

[Ron Bontz]

I have always stored my Kiln Dried wood indoors and of course acclimate it in my shop prior to working with it. However, I have been thinking about building a wood rack under the enclosed portion of my deck, (Shaded and protected from the rain). I am just a bit weary of this idea. But I would like to re claim some of my garage space back. Anyone have experience with this? Did the seasonal variance in moister content of the air, (midwest) affect it that much?

[Stan Krupowies]

I would think that unless your garage space is conditioned (heated 24x7 winter and cooled 24x7 summer) the seasonal variance in humidity would be the same inside the garage as out. So long as outside doesn't get rained on, and you said it wouldn't, the moisture content at any given time of the year would be about the same whether in the garage or outside.

[Ron Bontz]

I do keep it heated and cooled to avoid any tool rusting. Not to mention my personal comfort. I was just hoping some one would have done this already.

[Al Weber]

Well, I've never done exactly what you are proposing but I have stored kiln dried wood in an unheated pole barn in NH without any harm. As long as there is no moisture exposure and there is adequate air flow through the material, you should be okay. But if you have high humidity and no air flow, you run the risk of mold growth. If I were going to do what you propose, I would make sure I have a good roof over the stack. Maybe corrugated fiberglass or such extending far enough over the sides and ends of the stack to keep it from getting wet but so it gets good airflow. I would also sticker it even if it is KD's to insure good air flow. What you don't want is a moist and stagnant area.

[Jamie Buxton]

A different issue with outdoor storage is mice and rats. All those crevices between the boards seem like fine homes to the critters. If you have outside cats, you have the problem solved. But otherwise you may want to enclose the pile well enough keep out the pests.

[David Giles]

When cold air is heated, the relative humidity decreases. Cooling warm air increases the relative humidity. So the inside of the shop (or house) sees a wider range of relative humidity than the outside air.

[Tom Zillig]

A different issue with outdoor storage is mice and rats. All those crevices between the boards seem like fine homes to the critters. If you have outside cats, you have the problem solved. But otherwise you may want to enclose the pile well enough keep out the pests.And don't forget huge spiders.

[glenn bradley]

No real help here so far as experience Ron. I was hoping for someone who had experience a couple of seasons with outdoor storage because it would sure ease my space situation as well. Anybody out there actually doing this as a normal method?

[Fred Belknap]

Ron and Glenn: I store lumber in my barn for years and it doesn't have any bad effect on the wood. The outside may change color a little but most of mine is rough cut. I would suggest to bring it into the end use environment a few days before use.

[David Giles]

Well, okay. I store all wood outside, under a metal cover, which keeps most of the rain off, and covered by a cheap HF plastic tarp which keeps most of the sun off. No stickers for air flow, just stacked reasonably flat. No problem except that I always want the board on the bottom. And sometimes a little spray lacquer drifts over. And the durn tarp doesn't stay on during a hurricane, so everything gets wet. And the outside cyclone sometimes overflows and dust covers the boards. But other than that, no problem.

[Mats Bengtsson]

Ron and Glenn: I store lumber in my barn for years and it doesn't have any bad effect on the wood. The outside may change color a little but most of mine is rough cut. I would suggest to bring it into the end use environment a few days before use.

Outside and a barn can be quite different. As was pointed out earlier, inside heating dries out wood, and cooling if not combined with a dehumidifier humidifies wood.

The Attic is different if it is not isolated: Warm in summer, heating the wood in the most humid period, and as dry as outside in he cold period. High in a barn has a good chance to be good in same way as the attic.

--- Mats ---

[David Keast]

I store wood outside, stickered and under a rough roof. No problems in long term storage, but you do need to think ahead when you want to use some as conditions can be quite different inside/outside under certain weather conditions. For example, we are in a river valley, river 50 yds from the door, and humidity can be very high when there is a drop in temperature and no wind to clear the air. Bringing wood in to work immediately under these conditions is not advised.