How to Season Red Oak Logs for Lumber

Red oak is considered one of the best tree species for making lumber.

Red oak is among the top tree species for making lumber and provides some of the best materials for mechanical plane-and-hole boring. The steam-bending capacity of "green" red oak boards exceeds that of white oak and other hardwoods.



Red oak maintains a 12 percent moisture content when fully cured. This makes the wood one of the strongest among all the oak species. However, once red oak logs are harvested, they must be treated immediately to prevent lumber-cutting problems.

Things You'll Need

• Chainsaw
• Latex or wax-based paint
• Paintbrush
• 6-by-6-inch wood beams

Instructions

1. Harvest red oak logs with a chainsaw in late autumn or early winter. The goal is to drop the trees when the overall sap content is at its lowest.

2. Square the ends of the logs as flat as possible to the final length you desire. In most all cases, the overall final log length for all hardwoods is between 100 and 102 inches. This extra length, compared with 96 inches, allows for end-checking and cracking to the final boards during air-drying.

3. Immediately treat the final square cut with a latex or wax-based paint. This will reduce rapid moisture extraction from the square end cuts, also called "butt" cuts, as well as reducing end-checking of the squared log face. Apply the paint with a paintbrush.

4. Apply at least two full coats of paint to the butt cuts within a 12-hour period.

5. Stack the red oak logs off of the ground. Lay them cross-wise on top of horizontally placed 6-by-6-inch wood beams. The raised logs will aid in controlling moisture and reducing insect predation.

6. Cut the logs into lumber four to six months after the initial harvest. The finished lumber must be properly stacked and well under way for air-drying before hot summer conditions set in. Treat all the board ends with another coat of latex or wax-based paint if the original paint application was disturbed.

Tips & Warnings

• Whether the red oak logs are covered before cutting depends on the overall climate. If your climate experiences a large amount of autumn rainfall, a cover may be warranted to reduce excess moisture. However, keeping the logs covered for an extended amount of time may increase fungal activity.

References

• Purdue University: Hardwood Lumber and Veneer Series: Red Oak (PDF)
• "Storage of Lumber"; U.S. Department of Agriculture; 1978
• "Rules for Hardwood Measurement and Inspection"; National Hardwood Lumber Association; 2003