Long term outdoor storage of rough sawn oak

[john hejmanowski]

In a fit of newbie enthusiasm I, ah, got a deal on a bunch of quarter sawn white oak and quarter sawn red oak. It is all 10+ year old air dried 4/4 8-10ft. Where to store it has become the problem.

Is it okay to store outside without stickers as long as I keep the rain off?

And how far apart should I space the rack supports? - 18"? 24"? 36"?

I am near Joliet IL and we have wood boring bees. Will they munch on the oak?

Thanks for the help.

John H

[John TenEyck]

It's never a good idea to store wood outdoors but if you have no alternative then that's the way it must be. If you keep a good roof over it with enough overhang to keep rain from easily wetting the sides it should be fine. I keep my wood racks in shaded areas so the sun doesn't shine directly on the wood. That's more of a concern with green lumber, however, and your AD wood should be fine even in direct sun if you build the racks straight and tight. I've never had problems with carpenter bees getting into my air drying lumber but don't know if that's just luck.

John

[Richard Coers]

In IL you have powder post beetles, carpenter ants, and termites to worry about. Termites will use mud to build channels and get up into the center of the pile. Powder post beetles love sapwood and can infest the entire pile. Finally you have mold and rot to worry about. Get it in a kiln to sterilize it, and sell what you can't use. My shop has been chocked with wood all my life. I never recommend what you have done based on experience.

[john hejmanowski]

Thanks for the comments. I have moved the canoes outside to make room inside for lumber storage. I will first get it all into a kiln to kill any bugs.