Lowest MC for wood stored outdoors

[mywaynow]

Given the scenario of storing wood outdoors, c/s/s on skids and under a tarp with ends of the piles open, as well as edges, Northeastern weather; rain, humidity etc, is it possible to over season? That must have been a run-on sentence...........

 

[Thistle]

Wood is a hydroscopic material.The moisture content will vary with its surroundings.Its never 100% "dry" but can be 6-8% in desert areas,up to 20% in more humid regions.Even centuries-old beams in cathedrals,barns & castles will vary somewhat.I rarely see any around here under 10%,even kiln-dried or air-dried for decades.

 

[nrford]

In hardwood lumber the best we can expect to see in air dried storage is 20%. And KD lumber is dried to 7%, but can and will change as relative humidity changes. We all knew that though didn't we?

 

[mywaynow]

Bottom line is storage outside will never overdry? Worry should be only of rot from extended moist conditions?

 

[oldspark]

Bottom line is storage outside will never overdry? Worry should be only of rot from extended moist conditions?

The wood can get to the point it will out gas very quickly and burn up sooner but never too dry to burn.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

There usually is lots of opinions on how dry the wood will get and lots of opinions on how long wood will keep and still be okay to burn. It is one thing that Woodstock and I do not agree on at all. Up to this year I'd been burning wood that was in the stack for 6-8 years and loved it. This year I had to break down and burn some that had not seasoned but a couple of years and it burned good but not as good as the older stuff. As far as the moisture content, I do not know what it is nor do I really care. All I know is that it was ready to burn. We have lots more out there that is ready to burn.

 

[maxed_out]

This is hardly scientific but heres some observations from this neck of the woods.

If I go into my basement and measure an exposed (Unfinished project-wifey gonna give me a couple more weeks stay of executiuon) "Kiln dried" 2X4 I get 10-11%.
If I go out to my roof covered stacks and search,split and measure an ancient piece of wood the lowest I can find is 12-13%.
Fresh green 30+.
On a live tree meter reads infinite.

10 maybe the lower limit for some reason.

It could be my MM too.

 

[nrford]

This is hardly scientific but heres some observations from this neck of the woods.

If I go into my basement and measure an exposed (Unfinished project-wifey gonna give me a couple more weeks stay of executiuon) "Kiln dried" 2X4 I get 10-11%.
If I go out to my roof covered stacks and search,split and measure an ancient piece of wood the lowest I can find is 12-13%.
Fresh green 30+.
On a live tree meter reads infinite.

10 maybe the lower limit for some reason.

It could be my MM too.

Here's the thing KD pine for construction is dried to 20%MC. Hardwoods, the lumber I was talking about 7%. Construction pine is only in a kiln 24-36 hrs. and then shipped. Hardwoods differant times. Hard Maple is dried in 10-14 days, while the Oaks take 28 days+

 

[Danno77]

I don't have the experience that some of you have, but the lowest I've seen in my wood is 16-17ish on some walnut that seasoned really well. I have yet to get any of my oak below 22%, but it burns pretty well in that range. I really should check this Elm that I have it is bone dry and bursts into flames almost instantly, which is crazy considering how much the stuff weighed just last year...