Exterior door moisture content

[David Utterback]

There is a lot of really good information on this forum on exterior door construction. What I have not found, though, is the best moisture content range at milling and build. If it makes any difference, I am working with black walnut that has been air dried for 2 years.

The first piece that I milled today (fresh from the outdoors) checked out around 15% moisture. That seems too high to get a stable product even with laminated stiles and rails. I imagine that most commercial builders are using wood that is less than 8% or so.

Thanks for any info you can provide.
David

[Lee Schierer]

IMO 15% is a bit high for any project. You will some shrinkage as the door dries and maybe other undesirable movement.

[John TenEyck]

The inside of an exterior door is exposed to the same conditions as the furniture in your house. To me, that means the wood should start out at the same MC. Where I live that means around 8% on average.

John

[Wayne Lomman]

8% inland,10% coastal or the sub/tropics has worked for me. 15% is definitely too high. Cheers

[Robert Engel]

Assuming you're working with 4/4 material, I would sticker it inside the house for 3-4 weeks and start over.