Best place to store lumber? – Question of the Week
This week’s question comes from Stu. He writes:
Alright, I have another question: I live in South texas and well.. its humid. I hear a lot of people talking about how you should bring lumber into your shop to let it dry and acclimate, but what if you work from your garage and its probably more humid there than anywhere else? Are there any storage options short of keeping it in the house?
And here was my reply:
“Hey Stu. The bottom line with wood storage is that you should store it in conditions that closely match the final destination whenever possible. So if your shop is more humid than outside, you are probably better off storing them outside. Incidentally, why is your shop more humid than outside? You may want to pick up a cheap humidity gauge to confirm this.”
“For that reason, some people do store project wood inside their house for a few weeks just to make sure the moisture content is right where it needs to be. Obviously that doesn’t work for everyone. So the real question becomes, what are your options for storage? Most people have no choice but to store them in the shop. Just plan for shrinkage (or expansion) when you build your pieces. And if you have some space in the house, dont be afraid to take all the wood for a project and store it under the couch for about a month before you start the project. Good luck.”
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I think he just didn’t phrase this correctly. Like my garage is more humid than the inside of the house. But if he didn’t maybe he should open the garage door and let the garage acclimate to the out of doors.
I bring my wood inside… (patient husband)… new reason for a new couch… need on that I CAN store wood under… instead of behind doors or in front of closets… but your answer makes me think I can store my wood outside… I live in so calif… mostly nice weather… thanks..
I store lumber in my damp basement, my unheated garage (Southwest Ohio) and at school where it bakes in the summer, about 1200 BdFt. Please don’t tell my wife! Kiln dried, air dried, green, logs for turning, thick stock (up to 4″) exotics, local hardwoods, softwoods, dumpster saved construction lumber, plywood…. well, you get the idea.
I have no problems with checking, cupping or bowing but have occasional problems at school with poplar twisting. It gets used for smaller projects.
Just don’t let it get wet. Stack it FLAT off the floor in a neat manner so it won’t twist. Don’t let it get wet, I would not suggest storing it vertically. Brush off the mouse poo when it starts to get deep or get a good barn cat.
Help How do I store a large supply of wood (tiger, ipei, black walnut, heart of pine, cypress) without the threat of termites?
My studio is under my house and is quite damp.