Best Way to Dry Maple Lumber

Maple lumber is commonly used for flooring and carpentry projects such as cabinet making or building countertops. It needs to be properly processed and dried before using. If it is not properly dried the strength and the durability of the wood can be severely compromised. The quickest and easiest way to dry out the wood is to use a kiln.

Best Way to Dry Maple Lumber

1. Place some of the boards inside of a kiln, which is a high temperature controlled industrial oven that is used for baking, cooking and drying. The boards should only be stacked two rows high and no more than 16 feet wide for the first 36 hours. Do not place the boards directly in front of the kiln's fan because it will block the air from getting to all of the boards. Make sure the piles are separated by at least 4-inches.


2. Set the temperature of the kiln between 110 and 120 degrees F. The air velocity should be kept over 500 fpm.


3. Reverse the flow of the air in the kiln every two hours.


4. Add two more layers of lumber after the humidity inside the kiln has been stable for approximatley 12 hours.


5. Test the boards daily for moisture. If the wood is green it will take approximately 7 to 11 days to dry in the kiln.