Care of Dried Timber
Following cooling and removal from the kiln, dried timber should be fully
protected from the weather. Where kiln dried timber is taken directly from the
kilns into the re-saw mill, care should be taken to ensure that the material is
cooled throughout before it is sawn. Fine checks are very liable to occur in
warm, fresh cut ends of hardwoods, and during ripping or deep cutting. Slight
distortion may also result from the exposure of interior zones which are warmer
than the surface layers. If possible it is advantageous to leave the wood piled
for 2 to 3 days which will allow any temperature and moisture gradient
differences to equilibrate.
Ideally, dried timber should be stored so that its moisture content is
maintained as close as possible to the value it will achieve in service. This
may not always be possible but store rooms with either heating or
dehumidification facilities can often be used to provide suitable air conditions
for maintaining particular moisture contents.
When kiln dried timber has to be kept for any length of time in an unheated
shed or store, it should be unstacked as soon as it cools and then tightly
close-piled so that significant changes in moisture content will only occur in
the outer pieces. Short dimension stock with a high proportion of exposed end
grain is liable to take up moisture rapidly, and if piles of such material have
to be left for long in open sheds in the rainy season they should be covered
with tarpaulins or plastic sheets.
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MTC’s
