I am about to buy pine floorboards but they have not been kiln dried
(reclaimed pitch pine). If I leave them stacked up for a couple of
weeks in a heated room will they dry out correctly or will they start
to warp??

macson wrote:
I am about to buy pine floorboards but they have not been kiln dried
(reclaimed pitch pine). If I leave them stacked up for a couple of
weeks in a heated room will they dry out correctly or will they start
to warp??

You need to stack them with spacers to allow free air circulation. You
also need to put quite a bit of weight on them to minimise warping. Turn
up the heat in that room, and leave them for a couple of weeks.


--
Grunff

thanks

Resawn reclaimed tends to be crap as it is taken from structural timber
which would have been graded originally as unsuitable for joinery. So
look closely - if there are knots wider than say one third of a board
then perhaps don't have it. Should be very dry though.

cheers

Jacob

thanks, interesting point.

macson wrote:
thanks, interesting point.

What is??

macson wrote:
I am about to buy pine floorboards but they have not been kiln dried
(reclaimed pitch pine). If I leave them stacked up for a couple of
weeks in a heated room will they dry out correctly or will they start
to warp??

How have they been stored? It may help a bit to store them,
but if they do cup, then you've had it. Depending on what
has happened to them recently, I might be tempted to nail
them down straight away. What are you putting over them?

not sure about previous storage, think they saw and t/g them to order
from old boards - will be simply adding a varnish or similar finish

I relaid both my downstairs rooms with (redwood) pine. Left them for
four weeks - stacked with one inch spacers.

I had some terrible warping/cupping.

Next time I'm paing someone to do it....

One thing I can really recommend if you are going to stain them is
Dulux Diamond Glaze - it's expensive. But impressive stuff.

thanks

wrote:
I relaid both my downstairs rooms with (redwood) pine. Left them for
four weeks - stacked with one inch spacers.

I had some terrible warping/cupping.

Next time I'm paing someone to do it....


You really need 6 months or more for new wood even though it is all
kiln dried to at most 20% (I think) . One solution is to lay the boards
un nailed and then finish off 6 months or so later. You could lay them
upside down so that they are all new and clean when you turn them and
do the second fix.
Drying stuff under weights is pointless - it will spring to the warped
shape as soon as released.

cheers

Jacob

wrote:
wrote:

I relaid both my downstairs rooms with (redwood) pine. Left them for
four weeks - stacked with one inch spacers.

I had some terrible warping/cupping.

Next time I'm paing someone to do it....



You really need 6 months or more for new wood even though it is all
kiln dried to at most 20% (I think) . One solution is to lay the boards
un nailed and then finish off 6 months or so later. You could lay them
upside down so that they are all new and clean when you turn them and
do the second fix.
Drying stuff under weights is pointless - it will spring to the warped
shape as soon as released.

cheers

Jacob


New stuff is dried to 17% moisture content (the point at which mould
doesn't develop). Good quality redwood shrinks across the grain but
shouldn't distort unduly. Whitewood is more reliable in this respect.

Reclaimed pitch pine from commercial premises is usually pretty dry, but
a lot of it is taken from docks and other outdoor locations. Being a
resinous timber, it takes a long time to dry. You still get a whiff of
disinfectant when you cut it.