Why Moisture Levels Matter So Much in Wood Products

When you’re buying wood for your home, its moisture content (MC) matters. At WoodHaven, we understand this and have perfected our drying process to ensure a low, workable moisture level for all of our wood products.

Moisture Level 101

When you’re looking at log siding, paneling, and even wood flooring, one specification you’ll read about is the wood’s moisture level. All wood holds onto moisture since it is porous or full of tiny holes.

As the moisture content of the wood goes up, it can cause the wood to expand (like a balloon filling with water). As MC goes down, wood can shrink in size. If wood ever expands or contracts too rapidly, it can splint or crack open.

So why does wood MC change? It acclimates to the humidity in the air around it. Wood will absorb moisture from wet, damp air and shed water in low-humidity conditions. This expansion and shrinkage cause issues with wood product installations. As wood shrinks, gaps between panels can grow even wider and more noticeable, or wall panels can expand and warp.

So how do you predict how wood may change when introduced to your home? The first step is to know the moisture content of your wood when you receive it. At WoodHaven, we control our MC by first drying the wood so our customers know exactly what they’re getting.

Kiln Drying vs. Air Drying

Wood drying is a technique to reduce lumber’s moisture content. Typically fallen logs are cut into boards before drying as this helps reduce drying time. There are two traditional methods of drying timber: air drying and using a kiln.

For warmer climates, air drying is feasible for lowering the wood’s MC to workable levels. In our state of Michigan, we rely on a special oven called the kiln. This allows us to dry our wood quickly, effectively, and in a controlled environment.

Wood is considered acceptable “construction-grade” level when the MC is at 18% humidity, but that’s incredibly high. In Michigan, many manufacturers target 12% to account for our higher humidity. At WoodHaven, we kiln-dry our wood to 6-8% humidity. We know our wood will shrink and warp less due to our superior kiln drying. Why don’t our competitors do the same? It takes time and attention, and they’re not willing to go the extra mile like we are.

A Tip for Maintaining Wood Paneling In Your Home

Even though our kiln-drying process minimizes warping and shrinking, there is an ideal humidity level to keep in your home to maintain your wood paneling. 40 percent all year-round is ideal, or never lower than 35% humidity. A stable environment will keep the wood from moving.

Final Lesson: Go With Kiln-Dried Wood!

Ask your wood supplier about their MC when you’re choosing log paneling or siding.

How does WoodHaven know when our wood boards are at the ideal moisture content? We monitor it with an electronic moisture meter which is common to the industry. We can even show you your wood’s MC level when you pick it up from our mill! We’ll show you 6-8% humidity and how much better drier wood will be for your home.