Wood Storage

[Bud Ackerman]

Question for the team.... I have recently acquired about 115 BF of wood (Kiln dried) that I didn't look before I lept... I was so enamored over the price I didn't consider storage options. So here is the question.... I live in No California, hot summers, temperate winters and rain (not this year but usually) jan-April. I have a shed with a cement floor, it's pretty sealed up but it is clearly damper/hotter than my garage. If I sticker it and put it in the shed does the team think it will be ok or am I going to have major warping issues?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.... I saw an old NYWs where I saw Norm go outside and get his wood storage and the Winters in MS have to be worse than mine...


BTW: Already asked the LOML if I could store it in our bed room and she nixed that idea :)

[Cody Colston]

To preserve the MC when you bought it, wrap the stack in plastic (Visqueen) and seal the ends with duct tape. If it is already dry, it will remain so. It won't matter where you store it.

[bill tindall]

You will find that most hardwood lumber in the trade is dead packed and stored outside in sheds. If I knew how to post a picture here I could post a shed at Baillie Lumber Company with a million bd ft dead packed and stored in a LARGE shed. One kiln dried the only way the lumber is going to change shape is if you pile it on something out of whack and put tension in the lumber. Piled flat it will stay that way forever. Again, once dried it will not pick up much moisture under any out of the rain storage conditions. I would get it up off the floor with good air circulations on all sides. At worse it may regain to 10-12% moisture, which will quickly return to a usable level once back in the shop. Any additional fretting is unnecessary. I have to worry about bugs invading where I live.

[Bud Ackerman]

THanks guys

Bill when you say "dead packed" I originally thought you meant what cody said to wrap in plastic, but then you said make sure there is air circulation so now I'm not sure what you mean by dead pack.

[Jim Andrew]

Put some strips down on the concrete so the bottom pieces don't touch the concrete, or the bottom layer will draw moisture from the concrete. Otherwise, you do not need stickers between dry boards.

[bill tindall]

"Dead packed" is the term used to describe lumber piled without sticks in between the layers. For the base of the pile have support every 3 to 4 feet and these supports should be well off the floor or put plastic on the floor under the lumber(what I do). There are only two harmful things you can do. 1. Don't pile it level and well supported. 2. Retard circulation to where moisture gets trapped in some place and mold sets in. There is a 3 rd where I live. Treat for powder post beetles.(I spray with insecticide)