Wood Drying for Stronger Construction

Seasoning of wood is the drying process used to lower and stabilize moisture content before wood is used in construction. Fresh wood can swell when it takes in moisture and contract as it dries. Seasoning helps reduce that movement so the wood stays more stable after it is built into a structure.

Consider an unseasoned lumber used for flooring—the lumber contracts when the moisture evaporates, creating gaps at the joints of the floor.

Wood swells when it absorbs moisture and contracts upon drying.

The quantity of moisture in the wood that matches the surrounding air is known as the equilibrium moisture content.

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