How-To store old barn wood to prevent from rotting before using?

[bretcj7]

Is it better to store old barn wood dry stacked outside with good ventilation and a pitched roof over it OR Store the wood stacked inside a garage that is not moisture controlled and risk too much humidity?

It might be 1 year before I can actually put this wood to use but need to preserve it the best I can.

Thoughts appreciated.

 

[merrill77]

If the garage is not moisture controlled, I would think the ambient humidity in the garage will follow pretty close to that outside of the garage. In which case, there may be little difference.

 

[Glennbear]

I cannot offer a definitive answer but would suggest you consider what kind of wildlife is residing in the wood (powder post beetles etc.) before you bring it into the garage which I am sure is constructed of tasty SYP framing.

 

[Gofor]

I routinely keep dried boards in my non-climate controlled garage for several years, and have never had a rot, fungus, or other deterioration. That said, make sure you eliminate any beetles, larva, black widow eggs, etc before you bring them in. For long boards that are already dried, I store them vertically, with the bottoms on a piece of wood that is raised a couple inches off the concrete. You do not want the stored wood in direct contact with the concrete as it will most likely wick up moisture from it.

I put my green wood outside in a drying shed for a year or two before moving them into the garage. The drying shed gives better air flow, and lets me inspect the wood for critters before moving it inside.

Go

 

[bretcj7]

I routinely keep dried boards in my non-climate controlled garage for several years, and have never had a rot, fungus, or other deterioration. That said, make sure you eliminate any beetles, larva, black widow eggs, etc before you bring them in. For long boards that are already dried, I store them vertically, with the bottoms on a piece of wood that is raised a couple inches off the concrete. You do not want the stored wood in direct contact with the concrete as it will most likely wick up moisture from it.

I put my green wood outside in a drying shed for a year or two before moving them into the garage. The drying shed gives better air flow, and lets me inspect the wood for critters before moving it inside.

Go

Any particular reason you store them vertically? Are they less prone to warping?

Good idea on keeping them off the concrete to keep the moisture from coming up. I may just do a light power wash to them to get the bugs and dirt off before storing them.

 

[scsmith42]

I may just do a light power wash to them to get the bugs and dirt off before storing them.

I would advise against rewetting the boards if you plan to stack them any time soon afterward. It will take a couple of weeks, if not more for them to dry. If you dry stack them too soon, they will mold, mildew and rot later.

It won't make much difference if you stack them indoors or out; what is important is to keep them out of the rain and sunlight. Stacked under a carport is fine. If they were rained on recently, then you should stack and sticker them for storage. If they have not been wetted recently, then dry stacking is fine.

 

[CrealBilly]

I would advise against rewetting the boards if you plan to stack them any time soon afterward. It will take a couple of weeks, if not more for them to dry. If you dry stack them too soon, they will mold, mildew and rot later.

It won't make much difference if you stack them indoors or out; what is important is to keep them out of the rain and sunlight. Stacked under a carport is fine. If they were rained on recently, then you should stack and sticker them for storage. If they have not been wetted recently, then dry stacking is fine.

Bringing back memories scott what to do with fresh sawn lumber until i had enough of one species for full kiln load.

 

[Gofor]

Any particular reason you store them vertically? Are they less prone to warping?

Good idea on keeping them off the concrete to keep the moisture from coming up. I may just do a light power wash to them to get the bugs and dirt off before storing them.

The vertical storage is just for convenience of access as well as more efficient use of space. I can access almost any board without having to unstack or move any of the adjacent ones. Just lean the boards one way or the other until I get to the board I want. I have been doing this for several years and have not had any problem with the boards warping. The wood is dried down to around 16% or less before I put them inside. Vertical storage does not lend itself well to airflow around the boards, so a dry sheltered area is a must. My outside drying/storage is the conventional stack and stickered.

To give credit where it is due, I really realized the convenience of vertical storage when visiting Scott Smith on a lumber buying trip. He has 8/4 boards 12"+ wide and up to 16' long. Pretty much impossible to go through and pick out what you want with any other storage method. Albeit his wood has been kiln-dried, but I haven't had any problems doing it with air dried.

I also echo not pressure cleaning them if you can get by without it. I tried that with some nasty walnut boards and ended up having to redry them. My experience was that it seemed to additionally degrade the boards some. I found that a stiff broom or brush was about as effective at getting off most of the grit, etc, and if the lumber is really rough, a shop vac works also.

With most any used lumber, the fact that imbedded grit in the original surface is going to play a little havoc with your tools is a given. I don't use my sharpest blades for the original resurfacing, and I do a good vacuum after sanding before I hit it with a bladed tool.

Go

 

[scsmith42]

Bringing back memories scott what to do with fresh sawn lumber until i had enough of one species for full kiln load.

Great memories indeed Jeff!

 

[Jeff]

I cannot offer a definitive answer but would suggest you consider what kind of wildlife is residing in the wood (powder post beetles etc.) before you bring it into the garage which I am sure is constructed of tasty SYP framing.

The best preventive is a sterilization cycle in a kiln but sometimes that can't be done. Yikes! Now what?

In NC the prevalent species are anobiids and lyctids. However, they have a short life cycle and a moisture content of <12-15% is your friend as long as the wood is kept dry. So garage/carport/shed storage is good but a crawl space can be disastrous.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/pdf/2090.pdf

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/ppb-wif.htm

Just a perspective without panic.