Planning to build a wood shed storage, and intend to fell spruce and ask a local sawmill to make the studs etc. from the spruce I cut down. The plan is to fell and saw the spruce in April and then start building in May. I plan to dry the timber outside under a shelter. The question is if that is sufficient. I could also let it stand "frame-erected" during the summer to dry more?
I think unfortunately that is far too short a time if it is to be stacked and air-dried traditionally. Some sawmills have drying facilities, and then it might work. The stacks I have been involved with have been left for at least a year.
I would build with dried structural timber, but if it's paneling wood that you are going to saw yourself, I might dare to nail up raw wood and let it dry in place. Wait with the panel cover and surface treatment, and be careful with direct sun. Boards in direct sun will turn into cheese wedges that pull out nails and/or crack on the outside. A rickety project, I would say.
The wood should preferably dry relatively slowly and under pressure in stacks. The top layers usually become warped if you don't have weights on top. A sensible stack looks like this: ground-plastic sheet-batten (level it)- wood-stickers-wood-etc.-battens or planks across-sheet metal/masonite-stones or cement bags or something else heavy. Place the stack in the shade, but preferably where it's not sheltered from the wind.
The wood should preferably dry relatively slowly and under pressure in stacks. The top layers usually become warped if you don't have weights on top. A sensible stack looks like this: ground-plastic sheet-batten (level it)- wood-stickers-wood-etc.-battens or planks across-sheet metal/masonite-stones or cement bags or something else heavy. Place the stack in the shade, but preferably where it's not sheltered from the wind.
If you saw the timber early in the spring, it is dry so it works to work with 1-2 months later. I've done so several times without problems, though I haven't measured the moisture content of the wood, but it feels dry. I usually stack it outdoors on four-point supports, spacers between each layer of wood, and then metal sheeting on top, allowing air to blow through.
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· Västerbottens län
· 18 051 posts
A woodshed is very open and airy, so the wood dries where it stands.
I can mention that we cut panel wood in the evening and painted one side the morning after and nailed it up. I haven't seen any problems with that.
For a house build, it might not be as good.
Protte
I can mention that we cut panel wood in the evening and painted one side the morning after and nailed it up. I haven't seen any problems with that.
For a house build, it might not be as good.
Protte
Hello again.
Yes, now it's just spruce studs that I will fell/saw myself, not panel wood (I buy that).
The idea was to fell and saw the wood now in April and start building the frame in June/July. Then the wood will be drying under a metal roof in April-May-June.
Yes, now it's just spruce studs that I will fell/saw myself, not panel wood (I buy that).
The idea was to fell and saw the wood now in April and start building the frame in June/July. Then the wood will be drying under a metal roof in April-May-June.