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View Full Version : Storing walnut and white oak outside



Joe Frank
05-30-2019, 1:26 AM
I'm about chalk full in my garage and bought a few drying racks to hang on my house today under my soffit and covered back patio. I'm in Seattle and we're just about done with spring. Wondering if I need to worry about the air moisture or bugs with these woods or should I try and place them somewhere in the garage standing up as opposed to horizontally? The boards are a mix of 8/4,6/4,and 4/4 shorts that aren't milled. Figured I'd plane them as need be.

Martin Siebert
05-30-2019, 7:55 AM
I don't know about your area, but here walnut is not cheap....I'd rather have it standing up inside than outside in any configuration. Is there a less valuable wood you have inside that can be swapped out for the walnut to have a dry place inside??? That said, walnut can stand to be outside and in a humid environment better than many woods. I just bought a large stash of black walnut that sat in the woods on pallets {stickered} for ten years and just about all of it is okay, but that is definitely not the preferred way to do it. He got away with it....my luck is never that good. If I tried that it would be consumed by termites in 6 months!!!

Joe Frank
05-30-2019, 12:27 PM
I wish I had more floor space in the garage. I'd have to hang the boards on the wall or ceiling on a rack some way.

Drake Daggett
05-30-2019, 12:33 PM
I've found that anything I store vertically invariably ends up bowed, bent, or crooked. Your mileage may vary of course, but I don't do it.

Joe Frank
05-30-2019, 4:23 PM
Thanks..I've always liked a fair amount of support on thinner pieces horizontally but I've not worked with many hardwoods like walnut.

Jim Andrew
06-02-2019, 9:37 AM
You should probably build a solar kiln, so you have a supply of dry lumber, and a place to dry and store your lumber. They do not have to be huge.