Watch yourstep when storing lumber

tect it from excessive moisture gain. Paperwrapped bundles should be delivered intact when possible. As with outside yard storage, the use ofplastic covers should be for short term storage only. Also, weather protective coatings applied by the mill are effective only for short terms, lasting about three months from the time of application.

Protected yard storage should be used for all dry lumber, finish materials and sidings. Dry lumber should be stacked in solid piles, either flat or upright. In some cases, an open shed is adequate for dry lumber, because it offers the necessary protection from direct sunlight and rain. It also allows the lumber to achieve moisture balance with the climate. or equilibrium moisture content (EMC).

The best storage place for well-dried lumber, however, is a closed, unheated shed. Because the temperature inside a shed may be somewhat higher than the outdoor temperature, the EMC of the wood will be lowered. That happens because cold wood responds to changes in moisture content more slowly than warm wood does.

The importance of storing well-dried lumber in a closed shed is indicated by tests which show that one-inch boards, dried to 8% moisture content and stacked in solid piles outdoors under a roof, gain about l% in moisture content per month during humid weather. Dried lumber inside aclosed, unheated shed, however, gains only about 0.3% a month.

Injob site storage, obviously you're limited by what you're presented with at the site. Some obvious things, however, will usually be within your control. For example, lumber should be unloaded in as dry a place as possible rather than in standing water or a muddy area. Untreated lumber should be placed on stringers or available jobsite "shorts."

Dry lumber should be covered to pro-

Exterior siding and finish materials should be stored in a closed. unheated area, off the ground. Interior millwork should be stored in a closed. heated space, and delivered to thejobsite as close to usage time as possible.

Story at a Glance

Benefits of proper care approved methods for outside, protected and iob storage recommendations to use when ordering from mill.

There are a couple of things to remember when ordering lumber from a mill. During warm weather, green or unseasoned lumber which is shipped without protection on open rail cars, trucks, ships or barges may be subject to mold, stain or decay fungus. If there is to be an extended transit time, be certain to specify when ordering the lumber that it is to be treated with a fungicide.

Because dry lumber is shipped in tight boxcars or as paperwrapped units on flatcars, trucks or below deck on ships, additional protection may not be necessary during short hauls in dry weather. If there is any question about the weather, however, or ifthe haul is to be a long one, tarpaulin covers should be used ifthe lumber is not otherwise protected.