Drying Wood In Attic

Here are some tips and cautions.

Drying wood in attic.

If a tree has just been cut down or there has been recent storm damage it s best to process the logs into lumber as quickly as possible. Plastic is a more impermeable barrier but it will also stop condensation from evaporating. Remember you don t have to bring in the whole stack at once. The attic is a handy place to dry small quantities of lumber.

You can air dry 4 4 lumber indoors from 15 percent to 8 percent in a single heating season. Start off by air drying your wood for a few months to shed the first bit of water naturally maybe a loss of eight to ten percent. Firewood being stored in the attic firewood contains moisture that will. If it s a leaky roof or pipe place buckets underneath the leak to collect the water.

The twisting may be from many other factors such as stress in the tree or lack of proper weight on top of the drying stack of wood. Clothes dryers venting air to the attic rather than outside. All exposed wood needs to be sealed within six weeks for boracare to remain effective. The most common method used to air dry lumber is to lay narrow sticks perpendicular to the layers of lumber to create an air space between each layer so the moisture can escape.

Bark on whole logs can act as a natural moisture barrier and if left unsawn can contribute to fungal decay and deterioration in some species. For elements that will be exposed to rain and sunlight wait at least 48 hours for boracare to dry before painting staining or sealing with a water resistant product. Air conditioner condensate pan not draining. Drying wood in the attic.

Just bring in enough to satisfy your needs for the coming year. The effects of over drying are different for every species. How to dry out an attic 1. The attic is a handy place to dry small quantities of lumber.

A good foundation is critical to successfully drying wood. Clean up any standing water with large absorbent towels or a wet dry vacuum. I ve had small stacks of wood drying in the attic the basement and the garage. Leave the wood uncovered so the wind and sun can dry it more quickly.

Stack the wood up with plenty of spacers or stickers to allow for good airflow and i like to put a piece of plastic on the ground under the wood to keep the humidity from the ground from effecting the lumber. Inadequate ventilation attics must be vented to allow moist warm air to escape. Top causes of attic moisture. If it is raining or snowing cover the top of the stack with a tarp plastic sheeting or tar paper to keep rain and snow from touching the wood and dew from condensing on it.

You can over dry lumber i don t know if you can do that in your attic but it can be done but that doesn t necessarily make it twist. Put on protective gear such as gloves safety goggles and a breathing. Here are some tips and cautions.