Hi!
I have a theoretical question: I just bought some decking from the hardware store. The decking has been stored in a cold hall. We have had -5 to -20C in the past few days.
Now the decking is indoors. Will it shrink or will it swell a bit?
 
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depends on how humid/dry it is indoors and how humid ("frozen moisture")/dry the decking is so it's a difficult question and has more factors than I've written
 
Are you bringing it indoors?
It's probably meant to be outside on a patio or something similar.

Indoors, there's a high risk that it will dry out and crack, and maybe warp/twist.
 
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KnockOnWood said:
Do you bring it inside to warmth?
It's probably meant to be outdoors on the patio or something like that?

Indoors there's a big risk it will dry and crack, and maybe warp/twist.
this is just theoretical thinking :thumbup:
 
Charley1968 said:
...
Now the decking is indoors...
Theoretically indoors :confused:

My answer to your question was just esoteric :cool:
 
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KnockOnWood said:
Theoretically indoors :confused:

My answer to your question was only esoteric :cool:
oh missed that :o
 
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KnockOnWood said:
Theoretically indoors :confused:

My answer to your question was purely esoteric :cool:
oops missed that :o (not exoteric?)
 
It will indeed expand somewhat due to the increase in temperature, however, this expansion is small compared to the expansion/contraction due to moisture. It is the relative humidity that controls and this is very low indoors during winter because the outdoor air cannot hold much moisture due to the low temperature.
 
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falkn said:
It will expand slightly due to the increase in temperature, but this expansion is small compared to expansion/contraction due to moisture. It is the relative humidity that controls, and this is very low indoors during winter because the outdoor air cannot carry much moisture due to the low temperature.
where does it say about expanding due to temperature? something new to me. is there anything written about this phenomenon?
 
Thank you for the answer! That's what I was looking for: frozen moisture. My reasoning is: it will expand for low temp.=low moisture content.=low volume
Can you elaborate more on frozen moisture, SBH?
@KnockOnWood: I'm a bit unsure of what I have bought. 22x145. Don't know what to call it in Swedish: bräd, trall, läkt, plank. It's not a list, I know that..;)
 
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Charley1968 said:
Thank you for the answer! That's what I was looking for: frozen moisture. My reasoning is: it will expand for low temp.=low moisture content=low volume.
Can you elaborate more on frozen moisture, SBH?
@KnockOnWood: I'm a bit unsure about what I bought. 22x145. I don't know what to call it in Swedish: board, decking, batten, plank. It's not a list, I know that..;)
the moisture in the decking freezes, it's as simple as that. or what do you mean?
 
SBH said:
where does it say about expansion due to temperature? something new for me. is there anything written about this phenomenon?
All materials vary in size with temperature. Steel does it a lot, which is how most thermostats work when combining metals with different coefficients of thermal expansion. Wood also expands with temperature, but not as much as steel or concrete. Additionally, wood undergoes different amounts of change in different grain directions since the material is not isotropic. The largest coefficient of thermal expansion is in the radial direction from the core, which corresponds to the width of a typical floorboard or deck.
 
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falkn said:
All materials vary in size with temperature. Steel does it a lot, which is how most thermostats work when combining metals with different coefficients of thermal expansion. Wood also expands with temperature, but not as much as steel or concrete. Furthermore, wood has different changes in different fiber directions because the material is not isotropic. The largest coefficient of thermal expansion is in the radial direction from the core, which corresponds to the width of a typical floorboard or decking.
I would then say that the heat or cold changes the moisture in the wood. So it's actually not the temperature anyway.
 
Charley1968 said:
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@KnockOnWood: I'm a bit unsure about what I bought. 22x145. Not sure what to call it in Swedish: bräd, trall, läkt, plank. It's not a list, I know that..;)
I might have misunderstood.
With trall I understand pressure-treated wood used for decking.

But maybe you're planning to use these boards indoors?
22x145 is otherwise most commonly used as siding, fascia boards, and such.
 
No, KOW, the errors are entirely on my side. It's not a trall, as I wrote...
 
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