Wood Storage

[Ocelot]

Hi Folks I'd like some advice on wood storage. Here's my dilemma. I only have a partial basement and that's where my shop is. Part of it is basement (where I work), and the rest is crawl space with dirt. The problem is that half the year, the air is really too damp to store wood in there.

Fall through winter is fine since the furnace and heat ducts are there and make it nice and dry.

I do have a good size 12 X 16 shed that I could keep wood in. It's where I have my table saw, but I'm not sure if if the constant temp change between night and day and summer humidity would be any better. I live in the North East.

Has anyone had any luck keeping wood in an outdoor shed?

Ray

[wood-n-things]

You might want to go to the expense (minimal) and trouble to insulate the shed. Then hang a couple of 60 watt light bulbs to help keep the temp constant...I don't think the fluctuation of temps and humidity will do the wood any good.
Have you considered partitioning off the crawlspace?

[Ocelot]

Originally Posted by wood-n-things

Have you considered partitioning off the crawlspace?

That might be a good idea. The way it's set up is a little more than a quarter of the house is basement with roughly four foot block walls around it. Behind those walls is backfilled with dirt, so I would only have to close in from the top of the 4' walls to the floor joists.

I might even get away with trying some heavy plastic to see what it does.

[pat c]

If you've ever watched Norm from NYW go to their woodshed it's outside the main shop. And that's in your neck of the woods. Pat

[georgewoodie]

Ocelot:

This might be a hair brained suggestion, but here goes:

Wood cells take on and give up moisture so with the cells running longitudinal, and depending on the growth ring pattern of each board, I would think that warp and twist would occur and reoccur with temperature/moisture changes. Think about making a long box large enough to hold a supply of material for some reasonable project period.

Within that box, stack your material with stickers [many small pieces to support the boards and allow air circulation] and then apply the recommendation of using light bulbs to keep your material relatively dry.

Be sure to allow no direect exposure or more heat than would be safe against fire.

If you have to do a lot of material, then of course such a box would not be practical.

Perhaps you could close off part of you shed in place of a "drying box".

Years ago, the use of electric [110V] in car warmers were popular. One or more of these on a timer might also be useful for you. If so, try a used auto outlet to get one.

Woodie

[wiwoodsguy]

I have an outdoor shop and my wood is stored in there. The key word here is stored! When wood is stored you normally have either air or kiln dried it which in either case the moisture content would be below 12% and storing it indoor or even outdoor well covered makes little difference. Now when you plan to use the wood it comes out of storage where it has been kept dry to the shop to stablize the moisture in the wood to inside conditions to use. It should be between 7-10% moisture content. My wood in the shop in summer when the moisture is high runs about 9-11% and in winter using a wood cook stove for heat and fans to blow air and air cleaner running and such the moisture will run 7-9%. If you store it out side under cover it may go as high as 12% which if your board was dried down previously below that it will when you bring the moisture down be the same board it use to be. just keep it dry! outside moisture will not in itself wreck your wood. Make sure it is stable when used (best at 8-9%).you may have to plan ahead and bring enough in late winter to dry for summer. good luck whichever way you go, Mike

[ncsealeveler]

Just make a wooden frame out of 2x2s with plastic covering and keep a 20 to 100 w lite bulb secured well to prevent fire and you're there.Be sure to cover under wood also.Tony

[Ocelot]

Thanks everyone for the ideas. Some day I might even consider turning the 12x16 shed into a shop. It would be bigger than I have now, but I'd have to heat it and figure out what to do with all the stuff I have in there now.

Ray