Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Jun 07, 1999 08:04am | #1

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   bill - I recently bought a moisture meter and raced home to check the moisture content on some lumber I had milled last year. When I checked it, it read 16%. I thought,"great, it's getting there". Then, since I had a new toy, I checked the siding on my house, 16%. Then I ran around the place, sticking that meter into every piece of wood in sight (frikken place looks like a machine gun range from all the holes in wood!) and you guessed it - it was all 16%. Ambient moisture? Food for thought. - jb

1. 
   Guest_ | Jun 07, 1999 08:21am | #2

   *My first thought is your at the humidity level of the surrounding atmosphere. Even if you put it in a drier, once out it would again absorb that moisture to 16%. So I guess it's either time to use it or move it to Arizona.Pete

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   Guest_ | Jun 07, 1999 09:41am | #3

   *Bill, at 16% that wood is no where near ready to use. If you do use it you are courting disaster. The reason wood is dried to 8% is because shrinkage and warpage happens getting it that dry. If the wood has not been down that low it still has warping to do. Once it's been dried to 8% it's more likely to just shrink and swell with seasonal changes in humidity. As far as the meter reading 16% on everything, that is called Equilibrium Moisture Content or EMC. Wood will reach a specific moisture content based on the relative humidity. The same lumber, siding, etc in Feb could read 4% or 18% or anywhere in between depending upon location and humidity. I can assure of one thing, if you're not in the tropics EMC will vary as much as 12% seasonally depending on your location.Do not use the elm yet. Wait until the dry season ends where you live and then get it indoors.Don't plane it or you will lose thickness you may need to straighten the boards once they are dry.Lee

2. 
   Jim_Fuller | Jun 09, 1999 08:20pm | #4

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   As wood approaches the EMC (usually 12%) the rate at which moisture is lost slows down so that it seems to stop losing moisture. If you have air conditioning bring it inside and it will come down to 8% faster. Your air conditioner is actually a dehumidifier with half the coils outside ( a small indoor dehumidifier has two coils, both inside so it does not cool the room down any). Putting it in the upper part of a barn or garage will also speed it up. The attic may not be too severe right now.

3. 
   bill_bremer | Jun 09, 1999 08:20pm | #5

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   My air dried american elm has stopped (or slowed considerably) at about 16% moisture. I
   wonder if I could go ahead and straight line and surface it to 3/4 to speed the process and not lose significant thickness. (Will this speed up the process?) I need to use it as soon as possible. Thank you for your time. Bill Bremer