Moving and storing air dried Lumber.

[Randy]

I need some of you sawyers advice. I have several stacks of stickered air dried lumber that has been sawed over a year-----some close to 2 years. Because of a change in plans I have to move this lumber to build a building where the lumber is stacked now. This lumber is not going to be used for over a year.  I have to hand move this lumber and restack it----want it be OK to flat stack it being it has aired for over a year? Also should I stack it a foot or so off the dirt or is that not important? My plans are to get heavy black plastic to cover this lumber---Should I put plastic under this lumber also or leave the bottom of the stack open to air? Thanks Randy

[Cypress Man]

Hi, Randy

Are you going to be stacking this lumber in another building or outside?  If it's outside it must be stickered and not flat stacked.  Do not cover it with black or clear plastic.  It will become very humid inside, just like a greenhouse and cause the lumber to mildew and rot.  Even stacking it back into a building it would be better stickered being it will be there for a year or longer.  It's stickered now, so being you have the stickers use them.  It's always better safe than sorry!

[Dan_Shade]

Randy, do you have a way to check the moisture content?

[logwalker]

The specie would be helpful also. LW

[Slabs]

If you have to use plastic for cover, the black is the best way to go.  !: it will outlast the clear in the sun enormously.  2: It will keep the warping and cupping rays off the wood.  Just keep it loose for VENTILATION i.e. stickers and loose wrap.  The shade of a tree would help too.

Me and CANTHOOK are learning some hard lessons with the windfall of 2004 hurricanes bounty.

[thecfarm]

I would stack it a foot off the ground so the air will get to it better.I had some pine that I thought I was going to use right up.  :D Three years later I am getting back to it.I has 4x4 under it and one end had sunk into the ground and rotted the bottom layer of boards.Have any old steel roofing around to lay on top of the pile?

[Furby]

18 to 24" off the ground will be even better.
Mine is sitting on skids, so don't listen to me. : ;D

[simonmeridew]

if you are going to stack it outside, put a layer of plastic on the ground first, then put some thick bunks on the plastic, each bunk, maybe a 4 x 4, every 2 feet or so, then start the lumber, stickering each row with the stickers directly over the bunks(and each other). As was mentioned a covering of metal roofing overtop to keep snow and rain from direct contack will keep your lumber happier.
Inside stacking eliminate the black plastic and roofing. otherwise the same.
my opinion
simonmeridew

[Dan_Shade]

if it is already of low moisture content, I think you shouldn't use stickers.

you may get some better help in the drying and processing section.

[Randy]

The specie would be helpful also. LW

It is yellow pine. I was thinking if this lumber was air dried for 1 to 2 years---The moisture would be low enough to not cause a problem flat stacking it. It would be stacked out in the open and I do have metal(tin) top over all of it now, but if I was to flat stack it---and had a metal top over it---blowing rain would wet the outside boards and might cause a problem---This is why I was asking about covering with black plastic. Thanks!! Randy

[Furby]

I have a dead stacked pile of lumber that has the garage wall behind it and is covered with chip board and tin.
For the most part it does ok, but I have had some loss due to mold and mildew.
It really would have been better if I had stickers in the pile.

[SawDust_Studios]

Maybe its just me, but I have a hard time flat stacking any lumber that hasn't been kilned.   ???

I could be wrong, but the pine might be dry, but the pitch isn't set. I think I would still leave the stickers in the pile.  DON'T use plastic or tarps. It isn't the best for lumber. Although, I'm guilty of using rubber tarps on occasion.  It will cause the wood to sweat, especially if you cover the sides as well. 

There was a great article in last months sawmill and woodlot on drying covers.  They recommend wood and tin, only on top of the pile, so that the lumber can breathe and get air.  Looks like they had there stacks a good 12" or more off the ground.  I can't find the issue now, or I'd give you more details.

[metalspinner]

You would sleep better at night if you stickered it.   Think of all the time already invested in the lumber.  A couple more hours of stickering will be well worth the time.

[rebocardo]

I see you are in S.C., I think flat stacking would greatly encourage termites and mold/blue stain and mildew. Especially if this is being put over a dirt floor.

[KGNC]

Bugs love the flat stacked stuff. This summer I brought home a trailer load of white pine timbers that had been air drying for two years. We just flat stacked it on the trailer to get it home. I threw a tarp over it till I was ready to start my project. Two weeks later I pulled off the tarp to find carpenter ants had moved in the stack and were eating my timbers! They had pretty much destroyed a couple of 4x6's.  And this was on the deck of the trailer, 18" off the ground.
I restacked with some stickers and no more problems with ants.

[submarinesailor]

Randy,

KGNC hit the nail on its pointy little head.  I would not flat stack it.  We have had way too many problems with carpenter ants eating us alive.

Bruce

[woodmills1]

sounds like you may be in the same boat I am, lotsa outside wood that needs moving and precious inside space to store it.

here is what I have done twice now with good results.  Had stacks up to 3 years outside needing to be moved before major losses set in.

fanagled some storage space, giving up some precious floor space in the wood shop and beg/borrowing some neighbor space.

light planed the boards before dead stacking, any that had rain whetting I leaned up against the shop to air dry.

the planing did 2 things, reduced storge space and allowed me to asses the quality.

I then went after a market and was succesful in selling some 2000 feet of trim, baseboard and other materials.

maybe you cant go this route but give it a thought, I saved lumber that would have gone bad and produced good numbers for my bottem line though did invest much extra labor.

[ex-racer]

I've used this method to store stickered softwood lumber for five or six years. The poly tarps only last for about three years in direct sun.

Ed

[Randy]

OK----I will sticker it then---Its no problem. Sure wish I had a fork lift--LOL. But I don't even have anyone in my area that I know that has one or a frond end loader. I have a Antique Wood place a 30 minutes from me---------They have probably 100+ piles of antique lumber stacked in their yard covered with black plastic to the dirt. Thats where I got the idea, but I hadn't talked to them to see their set-up. I was planning to put all my lumber I needed to build this building in piles next to where the building is going to be built-----you know--------floor joice in one pile, 2x4's in a pile etc, etc. then cover them till I was ready to build. It would save alot of time when I got ready to build. (Hardly any of the lumber that is in the piles that are in the way--will be used on this building--it is cypress and some special cut--well 20+ft 2x6's for another building I plan to build after this one) See when I saw----I usually make piles to stack the green lumber on----by length's ONLY------Meaning if I saw a 12ft tree and get some 2x4, 2x6 or 2x8's and some 1x's----I always make a layer of 2x's then I might have a couple layers of 1x's then some more 2x's. Now I see that was not so smart----Because I need them 2x's before I need them 1x's--LOL-------now I got to break the piles down to get to them. So I will break them down------restack and resticker---with tops---Hey I at least learned something----LOL. Thanks Guys. Randy