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Thread: question on wood storage

  1. #1

    question on wood storage

    I have a rather naive question on wood storage and would appreciate any informed opinions/advice...

    I have roughly 80bf of cherry, maple and walnut, most of which was kiln dried and I have had for two or three years. We moved to a new house last June and I stored this wood in the garage (detached, no insulation or heat) off the floor but I stacked the boards on top of each other with no stickers between them. I had planned to restack the wood with stickers once we got settled but never got around to it and there's really not enough room to put stickers between each board (the boards are filling up a storage shelf bolted into the wall). We've been in this house for 10 months now and the wood seems to be fine - no cupping, warping, etc. I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't just leave the boards stacked "as is" or restack with stickers before things start to warm up in the Spring/Summer. As I said, I've had most of this wood for a few years - previously stacked and stickered in a heated and insulated garage. It made it through the Winter OK, but I don't want to see it get messed up as it warms up. Any advice on suggestions would be appreciated.

    thanks,
    roger

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Granbury, TX
    Posts
    1,458
    Since I don't have my dream shop yet, I've got a lot of cherry in my garage. Most is standing up against the wall. I was told this was ok, as long as it is kiln dried. I have not had any problems.

    I also have some in what is supposed to be my office, stacked on the floor with no stickers. Granted, this is inside the house in the AC, but I have not had a problem here either.

    Someday, when I finally get my dream shop (yeah right), I'll have it all organized on lumber racks by color and width and length. Someday...
    Martin, Granbury, TX
    Student of the Shaker style

  3. #3

    once more with feeling

    You don't need stickers once the wood is dry. If the wood has acclimated outdoors and you want to make an indoor project, give those boards some time indoors (on stickers or similar) before finalizing your pieces. You only need stickers to allow air flow when trying to bring the wood to a different EMC.

    Dead stacking dry lumber is the best way to go IMO. Off the floor. Dry. Just like you have done.

  4. #4
    Hi Roger...I agree with everyone else...the way you have it should be ok. My experience is that the wood will start to move if you make a drastic humidity change and the various grain densities will release/absorb moisture at different rates. For instance, if the wood is outdoors at an RH of 60% typically, and then you put it in an air conditioned house at 30-40% humidity, you'll probably see some movement or vice-versa. Sometimes, when I pay attention, I'll slowly acclimate the wood...but then when I want to start a project I don't feel like I have time to wait.
    ~john
    "There's nothing wrong with Quiet" ` Jeremiah Johnson

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Meridianville, AL
    Posts
    345

    stickers

    Ok I'm going to show my lack of knowledge here, but I thought every time I read where people said to use "stickers" they meant "lables" so you could keep track of the drying time. But that's not what it is? It sounds more like the strips of wood you see in the pictures that are use to seperate the boards. Is that correct? Thanks!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    3,789
    Quote Originally Posted by Jack Wood
    Ok I'm going to show my lack of knowledge here, but I thought every time I read where people said to use "stickers" they meant "lables" so you could keep track of the drying time. But that's not what it is? It sounds more like the strips of wood you see in the pictures that are use to seperate the boards. Is that correct? Thanks!
    Around here, at least, those are called "stackers", not "stickers". As I was reading this thread, I to was confused by what people meant when they said "stickers".

  7. #7
    Thanks everyone for taking time to reply to my question.
    cheers, roger

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Hayes, Virginia
    Posts
    14,760
    The correct term according to my Ebac Kiln manual is "stickers". When drying lumber in a kiln or air drying, 4/4 stickers are cut into thin strips and used between layers of a lumber stack to allow air to circulate through the stack during the drying cycle.

    The term stickers may be coloquial and vary from area to area but the industrial term I beleve is stickers.

    Roger, I am in agreement that once lumber is dryed the correct storage method is to stack without using stickers. I have two lumber racks and have never used stickers when storing lumber, only when it is in the kiln. Moisture enters and leaves lumber mostly from the face and not the edges so when lumber is stacked face to face the moisture content is more stable.

  9. #9
    You know...This is a really excellent Thread. Who doesn't have trouble with warping?
    ~john
    "There's nothing wrong with Quiet" ` Jeremiah Johnson

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