Hey all, just curious if this is normal. I got about a half cord of kiln dried, tumbled hardwood mix a few weeks ago. I got it stacked above some seasoned ash I already had. The color difference is very drastic. Of course ash is light in color, but the kiln dried stuff looks red in comparison. It even looks red compared to the other seasoned hardwood mix I have stacked separately. The kiln dried stuff is very dry, you can tell. I was just curious if the drying process might cause the color change? Thanks all.
Color of Kiln Dried Wood?
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Poindexter
Minister of Fire
Passive solar kilned spruce at my house comes out lilly white. However, the steam kilned birch I can get from a commercial kiln here in town comes out salmon pink to rosy red.
Wood color is mix of dirt and oxidation. The kiln dried wood I have bought from a firm that supplies campfire wood has a far lighter color than anything I would dry at home and its the same variety of tree types
For reference. I have a small amount inside the basement right now. You can see the difference between the ash and the kiln dried.
![[Hearth.com] Color of Kiln Dried Wood?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/313/313743-a25688bfdffb7d9777e5df88a8e890c0.jpg?hash=uJEz2YS3ON "[Hearth.com] Color of Kiln Dried Wood?")
Have you taken a moisture reading of the kiln dried? I'm always curious of how dry they get it. Some places don't get it very dry, just enough to kill the bugs.
A lot of good very dry kiln dried I've seen looks exactly like that. Idk why.
The sun can bleach out wood. One of these pieces has been out in the sun, the other not. Same tree.
![[Hearth.com] Color of Kiln Dried Wood?](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/313/313752-c8c0da42588e42c4e53a2c2111704717.jpg?hash=kbiqB5WCgF "[Hearth.com] Color of Kiln Dried Wood?")
It might be something like red oak which would be much darker than ash.
fvhowler
Feeling the Heat
Have not dealt with kiln dried wood but my 2+ year wood has that weathered wood look...it all turns dark grey after two years of exposure to wet, dry, sun, dust and wind...no matter the species. I can see kiln dried wood having a similar MC as 2 year old wood but the wood looks very different as a result of age and exposure to the elements.
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