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Question on Storage of lumber over winter

Question on Storage of lumber over winter (post #169299)

ntwkguru1 on Thu, 11/03/2011 - 12:23 (updated 11/03/11 - 11:16)

Wood and Materials

I have an opportunity to purchase some cedar lumber at a good price, but I won't be able to get to my project until the spring. I would like to store the cedar lumber in my garage, but was wondering if there is any risk to the lumber in terms of discoloration or mildew. I live in Ontario, Canada where the temperature varies considerably between seasons. The garage is dry, but the air can be humid. Any risk to the quality of the lumber? Thanks in advance for your advice.

Drying lumber (post #169299, reply #1 of 4)

by TonyCz in reply to ntwkguru1 [original] on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 21:04

It sounds like you have an area out of the weather Yes.

If you do I would just place the lumber on some 2x4 stickers on the floor and then stacke the lumber on the stickers. If the lumber is not dry I would place some stickers between each level and make sure it has air moving around the lumber. Buy a summer box fan if you don't have one and put it on a timer for 30 minutes to an hour a day to keep the air moving in the room. I would not cover the stack of lumber unless it will be getting wet.

They have written books on (post #169299, reply #2 of 4)

by CedarGroves in reply to ntwkguru1 [original] on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 23:32

They have written books on this subject and every woodworker should know how to store and dry lumber correctly.

My shop is a newly built barn on a concrete slab with no heat, and the climate in NH is fairly similar to Ontario in the way we have all four seasons with all degrees of humidity. I will assume your garage has a concrete or asphalt floor (correct me if wrong) and those materials are moisture permeable and will transmit moisture into your stock if you aren't careful. I keep some sill seal in the shop and use that with PT stickers on the bottom to keep it in the floor, not my goods.

When possible, I sticker and stack my wood horizontally making sure to use stickers of the same thickness and many of them - the goal is to prevent any bowing or twisting as moisture in the air enters and exits the material. You will probably get a little discoloration where the stickers are in the pile, but this should only be superficial and not a deep stain that will affect your work - should come right out when milling/planing/sanding.

You should know the moisture content of the stock and get a moisture meter if you intend to purchase in bulk in the future. If you find that you are higher than 15% MC I would seal the ends of each board with wax to prevent checking while the pile dries. Wood dries and shrinks tangential to the annular rings so know your cut (quartersawn, flatsawn) and plan accordingly.

You should have no problem storing that material for the winter and getting to work come spring - most of my stock has been in the "wood room" for years.

-Ian

it will be fine (post #169299, reply #3 of 4)

by bones in reply to ntwkguru1 [original] on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 07:55

As long as it's not outside laying on the bare ground you should be fine. Remember wood aclimates to the environment its in. I'm assuming your garage floor is concrete. Put some 4x4's or 2x4's on the floor and sticker it between layers so are can move all around it. I put some weight on the top row just to keep if from moving to much and let it go. Remember to move it into the environment it will be worked for a couple weeks prior to use so it can aclimate to that environment. I've got about 300bf of cherry in this fashon in my basement and a couple hundred of poplar and maple and its fine. I use mdf 3/4x3/4 strips ripped as my stickers works great and they are cheap to make. A couple sheets make a ton of em.

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