How to Cure Wood for a Log Home
To create any sort of log building, whether it be a cabin or a boat house, you will need to cure the wood. The curing process will remove most of the moisture from the wood and will make it easier to work with. If you intend to cure your own wood, you may be in for a long wait, because self-curing your wood can take up to a year and a half, depending on the wood. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Locate a large, dry area where you can cure your wood for a long period of time. You will want a space that allows you to control the humidity. This is important because high humidity will keep the wood from drying. You can use any place that is not exposed to the elements, such as a garage or workshop.
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Build two wooden horses or use a table on either side of the wood to keep it off the ground. This will allow for complete air flow around the wood, which will allow it to cure more rapidly. Your wood does not necessarily need to be cut before you cure it, but cutting it will reduce the curing time.
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Do not drastically increase the temperature in the area where you are curing the wood. This will cause the wood to crack.
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Keep the wood in the location for at least two months. As long as you are not working with an extremely dense type of wood (such as ebony), the curing process should finish within this time. You can determine whether the wood has been cured by using a moisture meter. This meter will indicate the amount of water that is still in the wood. When the percentage of moisture drops below 15 percent, the wood will be ready to go.
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Comments
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skiwz
Oct 31, 2009
How long would it take to dry the logs if the tree were killed but left standing? The area would be in Southwest Missouri where it is fairly humid. I'm not in a big hurry to build, but would have plenty of my own timber. Thanks and have Great Day!
