Redwood SllSS lumfur Co,, lne.

RAymond 3-1681

PArkview 8-4447

Pulting rhe R.oof on Losses

Sawmill and yard operators who air-dry lumber can literally put the roof on losses caused by rvarpage, staining, and uneven drying, changing losses to profits, according to recent tests conducted by the Central States Forest Experimental Station in southern Illinois. Tests employed flat roofs of galvanized steel sheets which offered strength, economy, and long life. The results show that:

Warpage caused serious losses in the upper tiers of non-roofed piles (the top tier of 72 board feet of No. 1 Common yellow-poplar lost $5.18 in value due to warp alone). Such losses were practically non-existent in roofed piles.

Staining (bluestain), the major cause of summer degrade, was heavier in non-roofed lumber. The most severe degrade occurred in non-roofed piles of Selects and Better. Drying proceeded at a more uniform rate with the roofed lumber, which reached the fiber saturation point (approximately 27 percent moisture content) 12 days sooner than the non-roofed lumber.

A sturdy, flat, rain-tight roof of corrosion-resistant galvanized steel sheets, which can be built for about $25 and placed on piles by one forklift operator, will pay for itself in three uses on Select and Better lumber. and in seven uses on No. 1 Common lumber. If the same roof is used for 20 air-dryine periods of 45 days each, it may be expected to earn a net profit of about $10 per use on piles of Select and Better, and $2.64 per use on piles of No. 1 Common.

(Figures for yellow-poplar.)

Construction of this portable roof is extremely easy. It consists simply of corrugated sheets of galvanized steel sheets, nailed to a rectangular frame of 2 by 6's, which will rest on the top tier of lumber in the pile. The galvanized steel should extend beyond the pile by at least a foot, with more overhang for higher piles.