When a living tree is cut down, the wood is full of water. As this water evaporates from wood, the shape of the wood will change unevenly because the wood’s cells are different sizes and shapes. So, if you want your woodworking projects to stay straight and not warp, crack, or change in some other way, you need to dry the wood well before you use it.

Invest in a moisture meter

There is no good way to tell how wet a piece of wood is by looking at it or touching it. A moisture meter is a small, handheld tool you’ll need to make sure your wood is dry enough even for woodworking. This tool has two small metal probes which you touch to the wood to get a reading of the wood’s moisture as a percentage of its volume or weight.

Determine wood moisture

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for how to use the moisture meter. Most woodworking projects can be done with wood that has about 6 or 7 percent moisture. If your wood’s reading is much higher than just that, it needs to dry out before you can use it.

Place stickers to dry the wood

Stickers are just pieces of wood that are 1″ x 2″ (25 x 50 mm) and are used to let air flow between both the boards users are drying. Put each sticker approximately 16 inches (40 cm) apart and in a straight line. You’ll need to have enough stickers to hold up the whole length of the boards you’re drying.

Assemble the initial layer of boards

Place the first layer of wood boards carefully on top of the stickers so that they run perpendicular towards the stickers. Leave about an inch of space among each board to let air flow better.

Keep piling up the stickers and boards

Next, put a further row of stickers on the pinnacle of the boards so that they are right next to the first row. Keep switching between stickers as well as boards until all of the wood you have to dry has a place to go. Now you ought to have a nice stack of wood boards that also are spread out in all directions to let air flow.

Cover the stack with heavy plywood

To keep the stack from curling up as it dries, you’ll need to put some downward pressure on it. Put a thick piece of plywood on the pinnacle of the last set of stickers to do this. Add more weight by stacking a few cement blocks or even other large items on the upper edge of the plywood.

  • If you’re drying wood outside, this set-up is also a good way to keep the rain away.
  • Do not put a tarp or other fabric that hangs over the wood to dry on top of it. This tends to stop airflow and trap moisture.

Dry the wood

Drying times vary a lot depending on the temperature, humidity, and air flow, but you can always use your moisture meter to check the wood to see if it’s ready. A general rule is that a one year drying time would be needed for every inch (25 mm) of deck thickness.

Read more: Maximizing storage and style with small bedroom cabinets