L2 Sawmill
LDE Company, LLC dba: L2 Sawmill
Portable Sawmill Service
in East Texas
Kiln Drying Service
General Kiln Information
Our Nyle Dehumidification Lumber Kiln will hold approximately 3500 board feet. The kiln length is roughly 27ft inside and we prefer one to three stacks of lumber 8’4”, 10’4” or 12’4”. We do limit “green” (fresh off the mill) Pine loads to 1500bf.
Note your final cost can vary based on a number of factors. Thicker lumber and/or lumber with an initial Higher Moisture Content will cost more to dry (the load will be in the kiln longer). Minimum size loads and cost do apply. Generally speaking, cost to dry your lumber ranges from $1 to $2 a board foot +/-. 1” Pine and Cedar are generally closer to 55-70 Cents a board foot +/- (for a FULL load). Note, these are rough cost and several factors will impact your final cost. Thicker lumber and/or lumber with a Higher Moisture Content will cost more to dry (they will be in the kiln longer). Note, it is difficult, to impossible, for me to dry only 100, 200, 300 board feet etc... I have a large kiln and it needs to be fairly full in order to run a load. Your best value is to air-dry your lumber down to 20-25%, or less, and bring me a "full load". I can dry much cheaper that way!
Ultimately, the Size of the load, Species, Thickness, initial “Core” Moisture Content, Desired ending Moisture Content, Sterilization needs, etc… all determine how long it will take in the kiln and your cost to dry your lumber.
IMPORTANT: When bringing your lumber loads to me, make sure to cover your lumber packs with tarps so that the stacks are not exposed to the excess winds traveling down the road. High winds WILL CAUSE significant and irreversible damage to your lumber. This is not as critical on species such as pine, but on Hardwoods such as Oak, this is critical…….Cover your loads when traveling!
We manually sticker-stack the packs very precisely and I do charge for this. We will give you an “estimate range” for your drying cost once we know all the details such as species, thickness, current “CORE” Moisture Content (MC) of your lumber and your desired ending MC, total board feet and more. MC must be read in the middle of the board (not just the surface) with a professional quality moisture meter. A $20 meter from Lowes ain’t going to cut it!!!!!
We strongly recommend that you air-dry your lumber down to 25% of less before bringing to the kiln (particularly all hardwoods). Most damage, or any degrade, to the lumber will already be done once the lumber is below the Fiber Saturation Point (generally around 25%). It will also be much more economical to air-dry and get the moisture out naturally, then go into the kiln. The lower the MC, the less time in the kiln. That being said, we can dry “green” oak, but it makes it more costly to stay in the kiln longer.
Once in the kiln, we use 6-8 Probes to constantly monitor sample spots throughout the load. Moisture Content will vary amongst all lumber in the kiln. We use the average of the probes during the drying process as we seek to get your lumber down to the desired final moisture content. All boards will vary in MC, but ultimately at the end, boards will equalize and be very close in MC throughout the stack(s). Example on Pine If I’m looking for 10% total, then boards may range from 9-11% (+/-) The Probes can, and will, leave marks (small holes) in your lumber!
Pine – A one inch (4/4) “Green” load of pine lumber can be dried down to 8%, sterilized and have the pitch set in approximately 6-8 days. Again, I limit the kiln to 1500bf on “green” pine. If it’s well air-dried pine, I can fit a good deal more board feet. Most people have us dry pine down to about 10-14%.
Oak – A one inch (4/4 or 1&1/8”) load of oak that’s been “Air-dried down to 20% MC”, or less, prior to going into the kiln will typically take 9-12 days and be dried down to 6-9% and sterilized. I pull the moisture out slowly and gently…especially in White Oak species. It cannot be rushed!
Species such as White Oak and Walnut can be more challenging and at times will “stall” at certain points and may take a little more heat and a few days longer to get down to the desired 6-9%.
We generally do not dry multiple species at the same time, and I try to limit mixing thicknesses of lumber. It can be done but it is trickier and will add time in the kiln.
We typically do not dry anything over 8/4 (two inches) thickness. However, let me know what you have, and I’ll see what I can do. I dry a lot of 4/4 to 5/4 Pine, Cedar and Oak.
Nothing dries more efficiently and gently as a NYLE Dehumidification Kiln. It’s not about speed, it’s about quality of dried lumber. Some kilns sale you “SPEED”…which is fine, just make sure the drying is uniform and watch out for the notorious “Wet Spots” or uneven drying that’s common with some kilns.
Although our NYLE kiln is state of the art, computer controlled and we have drying experience, drying lumber is as much an art as it is science and skill. Please understand that wood is/was a living, dynamic product and will change with the level of moisture in the fibers. Drying will cause shrinking and the drying process can and will cause the lumber to bow, twist, cup, split or crack, or other degrades and defects, to some extent..….some species, some loads more than others. L2 Sawmill informs you of this upfront and we do not accept responsibility for any presumed loss or degrade in the quality or value of the lumber that may be declared by the customer. In order words, Dry At You Own Risk!
Remember, once the lumber is dried down to your desired MC, lumber will begin to regain some moisture based on where you store it. Keep that in mind. Example, if I dry your oak down to 6-9% and you store it in your non-climate controlled shop for 2 months. Guess what, it will no longer be at 6-9%. You must “Acclimate” your lumber to whatever environment it will be in so that it will ultimately achieve your desired MC.
Dried lumber out of the kiln will also likely have “Sticker Stain” or shadowing where the spacer stickers were placed in between layers of lumber. We use previously dried stickers to help minimize this but it can and will happen. Also, the lumber can and will look rough after drying; water stains, sticker stains, bow, cup, etc… Depending on your needs, it will likely need to go to the next phase of processing to meet your final needs (jointing, planning, sanding)
Client is ultimately responsible for presenting, and identifying, the Correct Species of lumber. Wood species have different drying characteristics and require unique drying schedules. Although we know many wood species and can help identify the specific species, sometimes it is extremely difficult to identify and ultimately the customer is responsible for identifying the correct wood species they present for drying.
Unless instructed not to by the customer, all kiln loads will be Heat Sterilized (to kill bugs, larvae, fungi, etc…). Heat sterilization generally runs at approximately 141 degrees for 24 hours (longer for thicker lumber/slabs) in order to reach the USDA requirements of the lumber’s internal core temps to reach 133 degrees for 30-minutes.
We will “Set-Pitch” at 160 degrees on Pine Lumber
What I need to know in order to get you a Price Estimate: Let us know how you air-dried your lumber, how it was sticker-stacked, the sticker spacing used, exposed to weather and excess wind, where it was stored and how long it has been air drying. I’ll need to know the species, thickness, width, lengths, how many board feet you have, and what you think the moisture content is. Send us pictures of the stacks of lumber. Ultimately you can bring us 1-2 pieces, and we will put my probed Moisture Meter in the lumber to get an accurate, internal moisture reading….then we can get a more accurate estimated price range to dry your lumber! Also, TEXT me pictures of the lumber and stacks.
Example of information needed:
Current Desired
Board Feet Species Thickness Width Length MC End MC
3000 white oak 4/4 6” and 8” 9ft 24% 7%
Critical: How you sticker-stacked your lumber after milling makes ALL The DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD to how your final lumber product will look. Ask me for more details on how to sticker stack your lumber in order to get the best results for drying. See more info at www.L2Sawmill.com Sticker-Stacking correctly is CRITICAL for quality drying!
Please Call / TEXT me to discuss your drying needs 903-581-9990