Air-drying Ash

[grwold]

I've just had an ash tree taken down, and shortly will have a portable saw mill come through to mill it for me.  I'll get a mix of 8-, 6-, & 4/4 boards, of 3' to 8' lengths.  Should I stack & sticker it in the basement, or under a roof in the yard?  Seal the ends to prevent checking?

[ianab]

Start the drying outside, you need the airflow to carry the moisture away. In a sealed basement it has nowhere to go and you end up with a sauna or mushroom farm. 

After a "few" months the wood will be "air dry", and down around 15%. Then you can bring it inside and complete the drying there as it's only the last few % of moisture it has to loose, and it's dry enough that fungus and mould can't grow on on it any more.

[Stwood_]

Start the drying outside, you need the airflow to carry the moisture away. In a sealed basement it has nowhere to go and you end up with a sauna or mushroom farm. 

After a "few" months the wood will be "air dry", and down around 15% if it's warm weather. . Then you can bring it inside and complete the drying there as it's only the last few % of moisture it has to loose, and it's dry enough that fungus and mold can't grow on on it any more.

+1

I always figured a year per inch on air drying.

[ianab]

+1

I always figured a year per inch on air drying.

Yes, how long it takes depends on "things". Species / humidity / air flow / temperature. It naturally dries faster in the warmer weather. Year per inch is pretty much a worst case combination of the above factors. But if you leave the wood that long, you can be pretty certain it's dry. Or start prodding it with a moisture meter after a couple of months and see how it's going.

[MichaelMouse]

I've just had an ash tree taken down, and shortly will have a portable saw mill come through to mill it for me.  I'll get a mix of 8-, 6-, & 4/4 boards, of 3' to 8' lengths.  Should I stack & sticker it in the basement, or under a roof in the yard?  Seal the ends to prevent checking?

Ash starts out very low in moisture content, so right into the basement is fine, stickered a necessity, and a timed low capacity fan to move the air around and humidify the air in the house an easy thing to do.  Summer sawn cherry and maple are ready come spring in 5/4 thickness here, but the humidity indoors is below 20% down below, struggling with 30% upstairs. 

Meters or microwaves will help you figure when it's at EMC.  "Rules" of thumb are pretty meaningless in heated/conditioned places.

[rwe2156]

Not familiar with ash or your area, but where I am most of the major species, especially soft wood, will get infested with powder post beetles.

I would agree on outside, simply from an air circulation standpoint.

[jteneyck]

A fresh cut living ash tree has about 45% moisture content, the lowest of any hardwood I deal with by far, and it's pretty tolerant of drying conditions.  But I still would sticker it outside until it's AD.  Drying too fast leads to cracking and/or internal stresses that cause all kinds of problems later. My two cents.

End sealing is a good thing but only if you do it within 3 days after the logs are cut to length.  After that it's of little benefit in preventing cracks although it may help reduce the chance of fungus getting in.  

John

[grwold]

A fresh cut living ash tree has about 45% moisture content, the lowest of any hardwood I deal with by far, and it's pretty tolerant of drying conditions.  But I still would sticker it outside until it's AD.  Drying too fast leads to cracking and/or internal stresses that cause all kinds of problems later. My two cents.

End sealing is a good thing but only if you do it within 3 days after the logs are cut to length.  After that it's of little benefit in preventing cracks although it may help reduce the chance of fungus getting in.  

John

Hmm.  Well, too late for the "3 days after the logs are cut to length".  Unless you mean "cut into lumber"?

[grwold]

Not familiar with ash or your area ...

I'm in eastern PA, just a bit north of Philly.  So winter's near, where we should be seeing temperatures largely between ~ 20-45 F for the next several months.

[Stwood_]

I end seal the log before milling into lumber. Lots.....*lots* easier than sealing each end of every board.