A buyers guide to green and seasoned hardwood.
What is green wood?
“Green” wood refers to timber that is fresh sawn, this means that the tree was recently felled and cut up into boards.
“Seasoned” is used to describe wood that has been dried for a period of time to draw out the moisture in the wood. For internal use, the moisture level should be at 6-8%. For external use, around 12% is fine.
Why is seasoning important?
When drying, wood is banded or weighed down to stop movement. When freshly sawn, the wood has lots of natural tension and wants to move. Timber that has been dried too quickly will often have defects such as bowing, cupping and splitting.
If you buy un-seasoned wood these defects will have a high chance of forming soon after you have used the wood. You should always buy wood that has been correctly dried, or make sure to stack and sticker it yourself.
How do I know the moisture level of the wood?
When buying hardwood, you should always identify the moisture level. If you know when the tree was milled, a good rule of thumb is is that for every inch of thickness, it takes a year to air dry. For example, a 2 inch thick board will reach its equilibrium In approximately 2 years. Alternatively, wood can be dried in a kiln. If done correctly, this can greatly reduce the drying time and achieve a lower moisture level than air dried. In this case, you can ask to use a moisture meter to check. Most yards or dealers will have one on hand.
Corley Reclamation sell air dried, kiln dried and reclaimed hardwood, and we can cut, machine and deliver boards! have a look at our stock at http://corleyreclamation.co.uk/buy-hardwood