We are now offering to dry your  hardwood so that you can have high quality kiln dried boards and slabs.  We currently have 2 kilns. One is  a vaccum kiln which is used for the more difficult woods, and the other is a Nyle dehumidification kiln.

All boards and slabs that are brought to us must not have a moisture content above 30%.  Most green boards originally start with a moisture content of 60% to over 100%.

Air drying the boards naturally is the safest way to first remove the “free” water found in your boards.  The kiln is used to get the “bound” water out of the wood cells (including sterilization)  and make them ready for your project.

About air drying boards and slabs:

The first thing is to coat all the ends of the boards with some sort of a waxy sealant like Anchorseal or a heavy oil based paint.  You don’t  want moisture to escape from the ends.  We want it to come out through the 2 faces and the 2 sides.

Stacking the wood properly is an important step in air drying the wood. We lay boards side by side to get to 48” widths. Then we lay stickers (thin strips) every 16” across each layer so the next layer can lay flat on them. This allows for a proper air flow. Next is to cut stickers which are normally 3/4″ x 1 1/4″ x 48″.  They must be kiln dried or they can stain your wood.  Buying pre-dried boards and ripping them is a good way to get them made.  Then you will need to stack them in an area that gets fresh air but no rain.  We use 4×4’s as the bottom layer to keep the boards off the ground.

A light breeze is ok for most wood.  White Oak should have fairly still air.  A strong breeze will dry out the outside (shell)  too quickly, and you will see surface cracks (checks) all over the faces.  I estimate  that it will take 2-3 months in the summer to air dry 1″ (4/4) boards.  They dry more quickly in the summer and it will take 2-3 times as long during the colder months.

You can expect 2″ (8/4) slabs and boards to air dry between 8 and 16 months depending on season. Then it’s on to the kiln.

We are currently charging .15 a board foot per day for our vacuum kiln and .12 a board foot per day for our Nyle system.  Depending on the species and thickness of the boards or slabs, it can take from 10 days to 3 weeks or more (for slabs that are 2″ (8/4) and thicker). That’s why it is worth waiting for your wood to be under 30% moisture content.

The minimum charge is $150

The thickest boards that we will dry are 2.5″ (10/4) thick.

*** We do not dry pine as the sap (pitch)  can get very messy.  In addition, drying pine isn’t cost effective.  Please consider the value of your wood.  

Please call if you have questions.  352-895-4170