How to Store Green Lumber
Green lumber is a term for wooden boards that have been freshly cut on a sawmill. The lumber is "green" since it still contains large amounts of moisture. Store-purchased lumber is dried in gas-fired kilns. In this process, moisture is removed from the boards. After green lumber has been cut on a sawmill, it must be stacked in a certain method so the boards can dry properly. Preferably the boards are stacked under a permanent roof covering that has plenty of airflow. This airflow will remove moisture from the boards naturally. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Covered area with plenty of ventilation
- 4 cement blocks
- 2 square posts, 4 inch by 4 inch by 48 inches
- Green lumber
- 9 wood stickers per row of boards, 1 inch by 1 inch by 48 inches
- Box fan (optional)
Instructions
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1
Lay the four cement blocks under a covered roof area that will have plenty of ventilation. This can be under an open carport or if in a pinch in the corner of a garage. Place the blocks in a three-foot by six-foot rectangle.
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2
Place the 4-inch by 4-inch posts across the cement blocks that are three feet apart. These horizontal posts will be used to begin the first stack of the green lumber.
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3
Begin laying the green lumber, one board at a time, across the horizontal 4 by 4's. Keep a one-inch space between each board. Allow the boards to overhang by one foot at each end of the horizontal posts. Most green lumber is cut to eight-foot lengths. The one-inch airspace between the boards will allow air to flow between the boards. This is critical so moisture can be pulled from the green lumber.
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4
Continue laying the boards in the fashion as described in the above step. Once the full width of the first stack is completed, place the nine 1-inch wood stickers perpendicular down the length of the board stack. Lay out the wood stickers 12 inches on center. The first and end sticker should be approximately two inches from either end of the boards.
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Place another board layer on top of the wood stickers. Add another nine wood stickers to the next layer of boards for air ventilation, again 12 inches on center. Continue until all of the green lumber is stacked. You will need nine wooden stickers per stacked row of boards.
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Place the box fan on one end of the stacked green lumber. Turn the fan on and allow it to blow into the stack. The air movement will aid in removing the moisture from the boards.
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Tips & Warnings
Drying times for green lumber will vary greatly with environmental conditions. The dryer the air, the faster the boards will also dry. In high-humidity areas you may have to run the fan 24 hours a day to remove the moisture from the stacked lumber.
Typical drying times for green lumber can range from three months to six months.
