For heating or carpentry, it is essential to use seasoned wood, otherwise the wood will emit more smoke or warp over time. Here’s how to check that your wood is dry.
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the drink Fresh cut green contains between 35% and 100% moisture. Wood is said to be “dry” when its humidity level is less than 19%, and “semi-dry” when its humidity level is between 20% and 35%. Using well-seasoned wood is essential in carpentry, because dry wood has better mechanical properties than wet wood. In addition, green wood will warp and shrink over time as it dries. Parts can also split or come apart. That is why wood timber must contain less than 10% moisture and cross laminate between 9% and 15%.
Using well seasoned wood is also important for firewood. Damp wood emits more smoke which fouls the conduits, burns less well, releases more polluting substances and clears twice a month heat than dry wood at volume equal.
The appearance and weight of wood
Dry wood is lighter than wet wood (it loses up to 50% of its weight during drying). Its bark comes off easily and the ends of the log are cracked and dark. Dry wood has a color a little grayish and a “cracked” appearance. It will also emit blue flames when burned, while wet wood will tend to produce more yellow flames.
The noise
Hit two pieces of wood against each other: if the noise is dull and dull, your log is probably too wet. If the noise is clear and produces a “ringing”, the wood is quite dry.
The smell
Damp wood gives off odors of resin and sap which indicate that its drying process is not finished. Dry wood is odorless regardless of its species.
The dishwashing liquid test
Apply a few drops of liquid dish or liquid soap on one end of the log and blow through to the other side. If of the mousse is formed is that the wood is dry enough to be burned or worked. This is due to the fact that the water present in the natural channels of the wood has disappeared and theair can therefore pass.
A humidity probe
The humidity probe (or moisture meter) allows precisely to know the moisture content of the wood. It is advisable to take the measurement at different places on the log, because some parts dry faster than others.
How to dry your wood
Stack your wood heating in a dry place with sufficient air circulation. If you have to store it outside, remember to raise it (on a pallet for example) in order to insulate it from the humidity of the ground. You can cover the wood to protect it from the rain, but be sure to leave the first floor uncovered to allow air to circulate.
The joinery boards must be stacked, leaving a space of about three centimeters between each board in order to allow air to pass and to speed up drying.
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