Drying Process

Flat Lumber

At East Perry, we take many precautions to ensure that our lumber is flat, with minimal side bend or twist.  During the drying process, we place sticks evenly, every two feet.  With proper stick placement, the lumber remains flat as it dries.  Lumber in the drying phase is always placed on sturdy 6 x 6 blocks and all grades 2A & better are placed in air-drying sheds with concrete floors that provide even more stability.

Air-Drying and Kiln-drying

This is, possibly, the most important step in assuring a good product.  The drying process starts with providing airflow through stick placement between each layer of lumber.  Even stick placement assures flatness.  Proper stack placement during the drying process also assures flat and even lumber.  Different species have different requirements in the drying process.  Red Oak, White Oak, Cherry and Walnut benefit from air-drying prior to kiln-drying.  Other species such as Poplar, Ash, Hard Maple and Hickory should not be air-dried, but placed directly into the dry kilns, primarily to prevent staining.   All species are kiln-dried to a maximum temp of 160 degrees, bringing the moisture content down to 6%-8%.  In addition all lumber is stress relieved.