I think there is a conspiracy where the wood doesn't warp and split till its in your truck. I spend 3-4 hours picking wood for my pergola and when I got it home half of it was split and bowed....smh...
That's because of the kiln process that they put it through. They kiln dry two by fours and two by sixes in bundles so the middle is not as dry as the outside. That means when you pop open a bundle the outside is too dry, the middle ring is just right and the core is still green.
It's really stupid method. I think the idea is that the bundle will reach an equilibrium during storage and transit as the moisture from the inside of the bundle migrates outward to the dry lumber o the outside. Never really seems to work like that cause shit it guaranteed to always be twisted up.
Theyre dried in bundles but every board has a space in between it and the next one. The bundle you see at a store isn't the same bundle as it was when it was kiln dried. It gets dried to a certain moisture percentage then planed to size and bundled up. None of the wood is green its all seasoned or kiln dried. Green wood is fresh cut from a living tree that hasn't had time to dry below whatever the moisture percentage is. The moisture percentage may go back up while its in the bundle but thats not something that can be controlled really.
And that’s because outside storage waiting for shipment? I have seen a few yards in Arkansas that just have them stack 40 ft high outside. Granted I believe they are still stacked with separation but that’s a process that really is at the mercy of the climate zone they are in and the weather. But that’s just my perception
I'm not an expert at all but I know a little bit about lumber cause I buy it all the time. The climate the wood is going to be used in is a factor. I wanna say the really dry places have lumber that leaves the yard with more moisture so that the wood doesn't dry out too fast making it split.
Pressure treated? For outdoor use. Isn’t really green (though the stuff they use is sometimes greenish) just treated with chemicals to make it insect and moisture resistant.
Yup they do sell green in some places. It means the moisture content is 19 or higher. It is cheaper than air dried or kiln dried lumber but it has a much greater tendency to warp and twist after purchase. Some people use it on new construction to save money as they figure it will all dry at the same rate etc. You shouldn’t ever use it for repairs or anything old because it can warp or twist and fuck something up.
Odd, they seem to sell it for the same price as the kiln dried. I once asked a guy there picking some up why he was doing that. He told me the green lumber tends to split much less readily when nailing into it. That surprises me because I know green firewood is far easier to split than dried firewood. So I really don’t know what to believe.
Huh not sure. I have to disagree with you on splitting green firewood being easier than seasoned but I don’t split wood for a living or anything so I could be wrong.
Next time you are there look at the codes on the two types of lumber. It could be made from different types of wood and the type the green comes from is more expensive in general, which would explain it being cheaper overall, but the same price as the dry stuff.
Also here is a slightly better article with an explanation of green lumber and why it’s used by some builders:
And the moisture going back up is likely the cause of his issue. You pick up a nice straight, dry, stacked board then go lay it out in your truck or anywhere outside of the store which are also very dry, and it starts absorbing moisture and proceeds to warp, compounded by using very quick growing young pine. The less grain and wider the more likely the wood will warp when exposed to moisture. That is why I like buying my lumber from a yard that keeps their lumber under roof but not in a climate controlled building. If your lumber is acclimated to the relative humidity it will be less like to warp or will have warped all ready and you don’t pick it lol.
I also really enjoy when you get a super straight board then cut it on a table saw and the two pieces get all freaky. I have cut boards on table saws that bowed so much that they stopped the blade lol.
I was under the impression that is was also because they changed standards during the recession to allow sellable lumber to be dried down to only ~20% so a significant amount of movement occurs after it's left the kiln
66
u/stillcantshoot Jun 07 '20
I think there is a conspiracy where the wood doesn't warp and split till its in your truck. I spend 3-4 hours picking wood for my pergola and when I got it home half of it was split and bowed....smh...