How long should wood sit after milling?

Generally there is a two to three day lag. I will take perfect looking 8/4 and when I cut into smaller pieces it invariably will warp and distort. Not the sort of thing you want!

How long do you have to let wood dry after milling?

The traditional rule of thumb is to let the lumber air-dry for one year for each inch of thickness, but this is only a general rule and close monitoring of the lumber, especially with the help of a moisture meter, provides more flexibility.

How long after cutting lumber can you use it?

However, the catch is that, on average, it takes about a year per inch to dry. So if you have an 8×8 post, it would take 4 years to dry all the way through, and, depending on where you are, it may not be able to get below the 19% range.

How long should wood sit before cutting?

Acclimation times vary by species and product, but a rule of thumb is to acclimate wood floor products for at least three days. You're trying to reach an equilibrium between the moisture content of the wood materials and the air where the product is being installed.

What happens if you don't acclimate wood?

If hardwood planks are not allowed to acclimate to their environment before installation, issues like cupping, warping, and gapping can arise.

Sawmill School - Air Drying Your Lumber

Does kiln dried lumber need to acclimate?

Yes, even Kiln Dried (KD) wood needs to acclimate properly. All woods will expand and contract with their moisture content, seasonally. Depending on the amount of variation from initial moisture content of the wood and how quickly the wood dries to acclimation, will affect the behavior of the wood.

Why do sawmills keep logs wet?

When logs must be stored for long periods at temperatures above freezing, it is best to keep logs soaking wet. Storing logs under sprinklers or in a log pond helps prevent end checking and slows deterioration caused by insects, fungal stain, and decay. However, chemical staining can occur under wet conditions.

Is it better to mill logs green or dry?

Summary: Logs should be milled for drying as soon as possible, and the ends should be sealed as soon as they are felled. A bandsaw mill will create less waste than a chainsaw mill.

How long can a log sit before milling?

As a rule of thumb, there will be a measurable loss in four to six weeks of warm (over 50 F) weather. It is just a rule of thumb.

Can you build with freshly milled wood?

With green timber, you can begin building right away without having to wait for the wood to dry, or having the added cost for kiln drying, which uses environmentally damaging fossil fuels during the drying process. However, fresh timber will shrink as it dries.

Can you build with green logs?

From green logs to final dry can take up to 3 to 5 years; let it happen slowly and the building will behave better than if you close the place up and crank the heat to high.

What happens to freshly cut or green wood when it dries?

Unseasoned green wood will almost always lead to disaster when it's used for building fine furniture. As it dries, the wood shrinks, which can cause joints to open. The stock can also distort in a number of ways … none of them good.

Will firewood dry in a garage?

GARAGE – Not only will your wood stay dry, but it won't be covered in snow during winter. The only issue is that there isn't much airflow in a garage so you'll want to avoid stacking your wood in the garage if it's too wet. It will take longer for your wood to dry under those conditions.

How long do you cut logs for sawmill?

Care should be taken to cut the felled tree into lengths of highest possible value. Standard sawlog lengths usually run from 8 to 16 feet, with intermediate cuts at two-foot intervals.

Can you sawmill green wood?

Some have said that it doesn't matter. In my experience, I have found that when chain-sawing wood, the wood is much easier to cut when the wood is green---the same for cutting green or seasoned wood on my table saw. I have never milled logs into lumber with a band-saw mill.

Is it better to cut lumber wet or dry?

Although you can split wood while it's still wet, it is best to let it dry first. The lower the moisture content of the wood, the easier it will be to split because it gives less resistance when it is dry. However, split wood will dry faster than whole logs. There is more to learn about splitting and storing firewood.

How long does it take for green lumber to dry?

Depending on the species and your climate, it can take from 2 to 12 months to bring 4/4 lumber from green to air-dry (12- to 20-percent moisture content, depending on your location).

Do you have to dry wood before building with it?

The answer is dimensional stability and it is one of the main reasons wood must be dried. Wood begins to shrink in width, and thickness when the moisture content starts to get below 30%. The amount of shrinkage varies by species.

How do you dry logs quickly?

Leave the wood uncovered so the wind and sun can dry it more quickly. If it is raining or snowing, cover the top of the stack with a tarp, plastic sheeting or tar paper to keep rain and snow from touching the wood and dew from condensing on it.

What does it mean to acclimate wood?

The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) describes acclimation as the“process of conditioning wood flooring to the environment in which it is expected to perform.” To understand this, let's think about how living trees prosper in nature and how they act after becoming hardwood flooring.

Does plywood need to acclimate?

In a sense. The plywood underlayment should be moisture tested to be sure it is no more than 4% variance to the flooring. You're making the same assumption many make, that wood will "acclimate" in a certain amount of time. Fact is, it's all about moisture content.

Does subfloor need to acclimate?

Proper acclimation is necessary to adapt the moisture content of the flooring to the conditions of your environment. Improper acclimation can cause the floor to buckle and/or the boards to shrink or cup after installation. SUBFLOOR PREPARATION Subfloor must be level, dry and free of imperfections.