Ways to properly store and handle lumber

lA USTOMERS, both conrractor V and d-i-y. sometimes complain about the quality of the available lumber.

Proper storage and handling are the best ways to assure that lumber keeps its value. A neat, well organizedyard or lumber section will keep customers coming back to buy material which they perceive as being better because it's handled with care.

There are three primary goals for western lumber storage. The first is maintaining easy access to your stock so you can get what the customer needs quickly, easily and safely, saving time and money. Easy access also allows you to rotate the stock so that the first material in is also the first material out, keeping the quality of your stock high by not allowing the lumber to weather needlessly.

The second goal of good lumber storage is to keep the material clean and bright. Keep it out of the dirt and off the ground on stringers, where it won't get dirty or be stepped on. Also, keep it under cover or wrapped when possible so it won't be rained on or splashed. An added benefit here is that if you keep the lumber clean and bright, it will usually stay dry as well.

The third and probably most important goal of lumber storage is dimensional stability. This will be accomplished automatically when you control the moisture content of the lumber and keep it dry. Dimensional stability means minimizing shrinkage problems, customer complaints, and warp, crook, bow and twist, all caused by moisture content change. How is this avoided? Let's take it by category, beginning with green lumber.

Normally received unprotected and solid stacked (i.e., without stickers), green lumber can be stored outdoors without protection in cool weather for short periods of time. Stock rotation is critical. If stored over standing water or in warm, humid weather, solid-piled green lum- ber will begin to deteriorate.

The early warning signs of deterioration are stain and mold, with decay setting in later. This is called "pile burn," and the worst cases usually occur in the center ofa stacked unit. To correct this, the lumber should be re-stacked, stickered, and allowed to dry. This will kill the mold and stop any decay that may have started.

A better solution is to prevent pile burn by stickering any green lumber that's going to be stored for awhile. This allows air to circulate around the pieces, preventing mold or decay. It also allows the pieces to dry evenly, minimizing warp and degrade.

If green lumber freezes, the moisture is trapped in the wood and it will not continue to dry until it thaws. That may be in the spring, or when the lumber is moved into a heated building.

The circumstances surrounding treated wood are different. Although there's no worry about mold or decay, it still should not be stored outdoors. It should be treated like any other premium product and placed under cover. It will lose value if it twists and warps in the rain or the hot sun.

Timbers are always sold green or unseasoned, so they will be in varying stages of seasoning when delivered. For best results, they should be stickered every course for air movement through the unit, thus allowing all four sides to dry evenly. To minimize end checking, timber ends should not face into the prevailing winds. Customers who are concerned about end checking should be advised to paint or seal the ends.

Dry lumber will usually be shipped protected from the weather by paper wrap. That's the way it should be stored in the yard as well. Dry lumber tends to pick up moisture from the air, but proper storage practices minimize thal.. Lumber that's shipped paper-wrapped can yard well outside if the wrapping stays in place. Any tears in the wrap should be fixed as soon as they're noticed.

Plastic wrapping is a different story. It can't "breathe" like paper wrapping can. Consequently, if it's left on too long, ground moisture can find its way into a stack of plastic wrapped lumber and be trapped there.

Dry lumber should never be stored outside unprotected because it will regain moisture. If it does, the effort and expense put into the drying process are wasted. Dry lumber can best be protected by storing it in either an open shed, closed shed or enclosed heated shed. The drier the lumber and the higher the grade, th'e more protection it should get. Finally, dry lumber should be solidpiled, to reduce moisture regained from the air. Moulding, trim and other premium products should be stored vertically.

Observing these precautions in storing lumber will build your reputation as a merchandiser of top quality lumber and lessen the importance of price.

Story at a Glance

How to take advantage of proper storage and handling tips on keeping lumber clean, bright and dimensionally stable... specific needs of each product.