Storing unedged lumber
Location
Lumber can be stored on a field, in a shelter or indoors. It is important to consider the location of the lumber pile. It should be protected from direct sunlight and must be well ventilated. The base must be built on steady soil. It must be leveled and stacked with enough support beams; approx. 60-80cm in between each beam. The base must be built high enough so that enough air flows under the pile.
Building a pile
- Base planks must be dry.
- Planks should be 32*50mm pine or fir. This ensures that the lumber doesn’t change color.
- Planks must be stacked on the same point on each level.
- Logs can be used as a base.
- The stacking is done by stacking the biggest lumber first.
- The air gap in between the lumber should be half the width of the stacked lumber.
- The ends of the pile must be even.
- The lumber on the center of the pile can be stored loosely because it dries slower.
- The weakest lumber should be stored on the edges of the pile.
- In order to create an air gap that reaches from top to bottom, the planks must be stacked on the same spot in each level.
- Weight must be put on top of the pile to prevent the lumber from changing shape. The lumber pile can also be clamped.
- The principle of the piles is to stack each wood type on its own pile.
Protecting the pile
- The space in between the ceiling and the lumber must be the same as the space in between the ground and the base.
- The roof must be sloped. The roof must be longer than the wood in order to prevent them from getting wet.
- The piles can have their own roofs or they can be stacked under one single roof.
- The strength of the roof must be determined by the possible weight of snow.
When using a cover, ventilation must be adequate. The cover can’t reach the ground. It must have at least a ½ meter of space in between the cover and the lumber. The covers must be large enough so that they provide cover from rain, snow and sunlight.