After I split some fresh red oak in April, I saved 2 pieces to dry in my house. I remember that this wood was particularly wet when I split it. It must have been a live tree. (I scrounged it at a local tree service's woodlot). I didn't bother to take any moisture readings then, as I knew it was saturated. But I weighed it on a bathroom scale.
I set both pieces in my basement all summer untouched. I have a dry basement and run a dehumidifier on "auto" most of the summer. When I weighed them today, one piece had lost exactly 4 lbs. of moisture! (10.8 lbs down to 6.8 lbs.) The other was too light to make my scale register. I figure it weighed less than 4 lbs. I was surprised at the amount of water weight they lost and took some moisture readings to see how the moisture levels tested out.
After splitting, the larger piece tested at almost 40% moisture still! I'm really surprised at that. I tested it in 4-5 different areas and all were around the same moisture level. I use a very accurate moisture meter that I calibrate weekly (I use it for work daily), so am confident in my readings.
So, I'm left to conclude that oak dries slow (duh!!) and that despite losing a lot of water by weight, it still has a ways to go.
I set both pieces in my basement all summer untouched. I have a dry basement and run a dehumidifier on "auto" most of the summer. When I weighed them today, one piece had lost exactly 4 lbs. of moisture! (10.8 lbs down to 6.8 lbs.) The other was too light to make my scale register. I figure it weighed less than 4 lbs. I was surprised at the amount of water weight they lost and took some moisture readings to see how the moisture levels tested out.
After splitting, the larger piece tested at almost 40% moisture still! I'm really surprised at that. I tested it in 4-5 different areas and all were around the same moisture level. I use a very accurate moisture meter that I calibrate weekly (I use it for work daily), so am confident in my readings.
So, I'm left to conclude that oak dries slow (duh!!) and that despite losing a lot of water by weight, it still has a ways to go.