What Does Kiln Dried Wood Mean?

This is a question I get a lot about wood.

Kiln dried means that the moisture has been removed from the wood beyond what is possible by air drying, and is in a range that it would experience in a house or other structure with modern heat and air conditioning. For hardwood, it is generally accepted that once wood has been brought down to 6% - 8% moisture content it is kiln dried, and for framing material for houses, such as studs, it's only dried to about 15%, as required by the American Lumber Standard. Most people think kiln drying means drying the wood as much as possible, but really, the intent is to match what the boards experience indoors. If the wood has been dried too much, it will have excessive warp, and other defects. The wood will also if not dried down to the appropriate MC will also experience drastic changes when placed inside a climate controlled structure. Kiln drying also means (when done properly) the added process of sterilization in which the wood is heated up to an internal temperature of 133 degrees or greater to kill any "bugs" that might be present inside the wood.

Now I am not against air dried wood, it has its place, and with proper technique can be used in projects that end up inside modern day homes.

Daily Rituals

My eyes opened at the usual time. Just a few minutes before my alarm clock would go off as usual. If you train your body right and fall in a routine, everything works like clock work. After loading up the coffee filter with what most would consider a strong brew I began my morning rituals. Personal hygiene, feed the cats and more importantly check the local forecast. I was never the first in line to get the latest gadget or excited about the technological progress of the 21st century but the simple tap on my phone that revealed the days weather sure was helpful, especially for someone like myself that spends the day outside. I heard the coffee maker beep which was my signal to report to the kitchen to pour a fresh cup and use the rest to fill up my Stanley thermos. Ahhhh hot coffee, or as my grandfather would call it “offee.” It has always set the tone for the day for a guy like me, nothing compared to that first sip. If the day’s work would be cutting timber in not so ideal conditions that first cup would magically make it seem like a good idea. The last thing to do before putting on my boots was to don my leather suspenders. Custom made from a craftsman in Ohio I had two pairs of these on hand at all times. They fastened to your jeans with a spring clip so you could still wear a belt which I did. It might look like overkill with a man wearing suspenders and a belt together which are traditionally designed to aid in keeping your pants up. I had a different strategy with my daily attire, the suspenders are used for that matter but the belt I used for anchoring my knife sheath, measuring tape holster and a leatherman. Everything I wore had a unique purpose with fashion never crossing my mind. I grabbed my other every day carry items, flashlight, pocket knife and handkerchief made my way to the front porch to put on my boots.

OTW

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