I've finally gotten a good portion of my 11,000 bf of slabs cut and stacked. Some have been air drying for 6 months, others two. I've found a good operator at a decent price. After I get back 12-20 slabs at <12% what's going to happen if stored in a garage stacked and stickered while I sell of the ones I don't want? Should I got about this differently, build a room that's vapor barrier to slow moisture gain? How do guys like Legacy Lumber store kiln dried lumber for long periods of time?
Thanks everyone for your input.
Kodak, I have a side load 8 x 20 shipping container that I store lumber in. I have a home style dehumidifier in there set to 40%. I monitor the water output and the unit comes on and off based on humidity. The wood does continue to dry down to inside humidity. good luck. If stored in a garage unheated and uncooled it will regain humidity. If the garage is tight you could try to put a dehumidifier in there. After most humidity is gone from the wood, a simple homeowner unit will work. Or you can just heat and cool your garage. I keep an accurite temp and humidity monitor in the shop and container to monitor everything. Welcome to the forum
Not only should you try to keep the humidity down it's also important to have a sealed and safe space to keep bugs and other critters out. Nothing worse than unstacking some long stored valuable boards only to see fresh bug holes in it.
Hi Kodak
Both Doc Henderson and Yellowhammer are right. A clean dry room with a dehumidifier is best but depending on your time frame and conditions, some will use a lumber wrap and under cover as their solution. It's isn't as good but it is better than nothing.
By the way @YellowHammer (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=11488) where did your handle come from?
Its not commonly known because I never brag about it, :D but I live in the great state of Alabama, otherwise known as the Center of the Universe. The Yellowhammer is the state bird and also brings me luck, whenever I encounter one.
It's also not commonly known :D but I'm a hard core Alabama Crimson Tide Alabama Football fan and Yellowhammer is a favorite Bama football fight song. As in "Give em **ll Yellowhammer!"
In addition, some people say my personality and problem solving skills usually mimic or somehow involve a hammer. I would think you may have some personal experience with that when I need some help with the kilns. :D
"Hammer" also the nickname I got playing sports in high school as well as basketball in college.
You asked. :D
I did ask.
But everyone I talk to says ...Alabama it's not the ******* of the world but you can see it from there. ;D :D :)
You can take a tight (no leaks) trailer or container, paint the roof black and also the south wall. This will create heat inside and average of 35% RH inside which will keep the wood dry. Maybe a small fan to stir the air is reasonable.
If you wrap a bundle of lumber with plastic and seal the joints, then no water can get in or out, so the MC will not change for years, even if stored outside under a roof.
A simple approach..., make a room or insulated trailer that has a heater that is turned on with a humidistat. When the humidity is over 35%RH, then the heat comes on and that drops the humidity.
Make a room, maybe with plastic walls, inside your shop. Use a household dehumidifier to keep the humidity low.
Keep all of these above storage solutions clean and avoid mixing your lumber with lumber someone else dried. This assures no lyctid powderpost beetles. :D
Way to think outside the Kiln 8) @GeneWengert-WoodDoc (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=20498)
I think that will be my approach. Using greenhouse clear tarp and build a shell for the slabs I have dried. I have to cull through my stacks as I seem to have a left to right taper on some of my slabs from milling. Not sure how it's happening as I've measured my height on the chainsaw mill. Not sure if the kiln operator will tolerate much thickness deviation
Maybe I've been lucky but I've not had anyone come back to me and say that they have had any bugs in the slabs that I've sold them. After I kiln dry them and heat treat I just put them in an shed with no air control. I do tell them that the mc probably has gone back up and to be safe I would store them in a air control shop as long as they can but some just start to finish them right away.
As a stop gap or to give you a few ideas, there is info and a video by this name. timbergreen farms simple cycle solar kiln. I get slabs down to 9% and then put them in my container. uses stickers and plastic. how wide and thick are your slabs? what total volume of storage space will you need, 11,000 bf is a bunch with stickers esp. @GeneWengert-WoodDoc (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=20498)
Watching timbergreen farms videos is what gave me the confidence to start slabbing! I was challenged with the idea that, sure I can slab these 30"+ slabs but drying them will be either costly or time consuming. After watching the videos I thought hey there is some middle ground.
I've got everything I've cut so far stickered and drying in the back of my property. First slab becomes the bottom and the bottom becomes the top to shield from rain. I plan on drying my best dimensioned slabs first via a local vacuum kiln operator. Develop a good relationship and see the quality I get back from my slabs. So soon I'll have around 12-14 slabs that are 36-42" wide and 10-12ft long at 2 3/4 in thick. I have room in my garage but it is not insulated nor temperature controlled yet.
Get a digital thermometer/hygrometer at Lowes or Walmart and see what the rh is inside the garage.
70% rh= about 13%mc
60% rh= ~11% mc
50% rh= ~9% mc
40% rh= ~8% mc
If the garage is relatively tight but uninsulated a dehumidifier might be the cheapest way to control the rh.