Kiln Dried Lumber Vs Air Dried

Some woodworkers feel air dried lumber is nicer to work and that kiln dried lumber is a bit more brittle.

Kiln dried lumber vs air dried.

Kiln dried lumber is much more uniformly at balance with the moisture in the air all the way through the wood. Air dried lumber isn t as rigid and will more readily soak up moisture. However it s a more expensive process stresses the wood more than air drying and uses fossil fuels to produce the heat that s needed to dry the wood. Kiln dried timber kiln dried timber s main advantage is that it s faster than air drying.

Air dried lumber is often used in patio furniture fencing and decking. Air dried western red cedar. How long it takes to dry out will depend on climate. In the marketplace western red cedar might be available unseasoned or green which means it hasn t gone through a drying process the moisture content of this wood could be up to 25 percent moisture.

Often air dried lumber is wetter in the middle than on the outside borders even after years of lying in a barn or attic loft. So it isn t so much a matter of stability as it is a matter of controlled environment and consistency. Kiln dried lumber is less likely to cup warp twist and break which enables manufacturers to make a product that can be enjoyed for years to come. Air dried lumber will eventually bite you in the butt and nullify by orders of magnitude the pennies you are currently saving by not purchasing kiln dried.

During a dry hot summer the wood could be ready to go in a matter of weeks if it gets enough sunlight. During a cold wet winter it may take months or even a year. Air dried wood is wood that has been dried outside in piles by the sun. Kiln dried lumber is often used for furniture cabinets and flooring.

The process of air drying takes up more space in comparison to kiln dried logs. Air dried wood has a higher moisture content than kiln dried. Placing logs in a kiln speeds up the process of drying the logs out and allows for a quicker turnaround time. Pockets of pitch can liquefy if the wood reaches a new high in temperature.

Many cabinet shops have found that by having the lumber distributor skip plane to 15 16 or finish plane to 13 16 they save a ton of labor in planing expense. Kiln drying is also hard on the substructure of the wood damaging it and does not last as long as air dried slow kiln wood. Green lumber is mostly utilized in the pallet industry.