Air drying question.

[dustytools]

Since building my little drying shed Im wondering how some of you others manage to keep the wood protected from blowing rain and snow. The sides of my shed are open for airflow and just about every time that it rains my milled lumber takes on some moisture. Is this something that I should be concerned about or is this normal for air drying. Thanks,Terry.

 

[Ianab]

In the overall scheme of things a sprinkle of rain blowing into the drying stack occasionally isn't a big problem. It takes just as long for rain to soak into the wood as for moisture to get out... so as long as you get more fine days than rainy ones the wood eventually drys

Keeping it dry all the time is better of course, but a bit of stray moisture wont stuff things up.

Cheers

Ian

 

[Mike Van]

A shed with longer eaves [overhang] on the roof would stop most of it. You could always make up some tarps that roll down, if you've got a big wind blown rain coming, drop them down & fasten. AFter, just roll back up.

 

[cantcutter]

I don't think the light rain we mostly get around here is an issue. The edges may dis-color some,but the rain isn't going to soak in. Even if you did wrap the shed I think the humidity of the air is still going to have more impact on it than a little rain.

 

[Adkpk]

I always like to cut my boards a little long to be able to shed the ends when I need to use it. Helps get rid of all that. Then of coarse it becomes kindling for the fireplace.

 

[BobL]

I don't think the light rain we mostly get around here is an issue. The edges may dis-color some,but the rain isn't going to soak in. Even if you did wrap the shed I think the humidity of the air is still going to have more impact on it than a little rain.

Yep that's right. I have been using 2 Temperature/Humidity loggers inside and outside my drying shed (ventilated seatainer) and it's interesting to see what happens with the Humidity as rain approaches, falls and then stops.

It's pretty much common sense really but as rain approaches the humidity increases rapidly up to about 90% - then when the Rain falls the humdity reaches around 95% and then as it departs it slowly decays away. If its just a short shower it can be back to previous values within 30 mins. Sometimes depending on wind direction the humidity can come down a little lower than before.

If the rain runs into your shed the humidity depends on the degree of ventilation. If its low the Humidity can build up as the water evaporates, if it's well ventilated the air humidity predominates.

 

[woodshop]

In the overall scheme of things a sprinkle of rain blowing into the drying stack occasionally isn't a big problem. It takes just as long for rain to soak into the wood as for moisture to get out... so as long as you get more fine days than rainy ones the wood eventually drys

Keeping it dry all the time is better of course, but a bit of stray moisture wont stuff things up.

Cheers

Ian

Agree.. every time it rains some blows in and wets my stacks of wood, sometimes pretty extensively, but unless the water sits there for days (like if you let snow sit on the stack and slowly melt) no big deal. If you took moisture reading on the INSIDES of the boards you would see they would not go up with just an occasional wetting.

In fact... I know this goes against the grain (no pun intended) but I have successfully dried stacks of lumber right out in the open (well... stacked against the side of a building, but no cover over them). They dried fine, although the top board took a beating I guess from the Sun directly on its face, as well as the above mentioned snow that did sit there for a time during the winter.