Does Your Lumber Have a Shelf Life?

Just like some foods, lumber kept in the right environment will store for an indefinite length of time. But just like food, lumber kept in sub-par conditions will have a shortened storage period. If you’re not storing your lumber properly, you may have to question whether it can/should still be used for its intended purpose.

Many issues can impact lumber, but some conditions are more of a concern than others. It also depends on the species of lumber and ambient conditions. The following should be considered and employed to help protect your investment in this essential raw material.

1. Incoming materials should be inspected upon receiving to insure proper grade-marking.
2. Lumber should be inspected for moisture content.
3. Lumber should be inspected for mold.
4. Lumber should be stored inside or at least under shelter if at all possible.
5. Paper wrapped or coated wrap has a limited weather protective coating and is effective for only about three to six months.
6. Treated lumber should be handled and stored the same as non-treated lumber.
7. Non-combustible lumber must be stored, covered, and ventilated. See manufacturer’s recommendations.
8. Lumber should not be in contact with the ground or able to absorb moisture from the ground.
9. Units should be separated by stringers to allow air circulation.
10. If lumber is stored outside, a cover should be utilized to shed direct water. This cover should allow for air circulation.
11. Sunlight is Southern Yellow Pine’s worst enemy.
12. Lumber should be stacked horizontally and supported at 4’ to 6’ intervals.
13. The lumber storage area should be well ventilated and allow for good air circulation around units.
14. If removed for receiving inspection, banding should be reinstalled to hold lumber to shape.
15. The hotter the ambient temperatures, the higher the moisture diffusion and rate of moisture absorption.
16. Mold growth is most common in the Spring and Fall.
17. In Florida, mold growth is common year round!
18. Stock should be rotated First In – First Out to limit long storage intervals.

Properly stored lumber will contribute to a quality product. Even if poorly stored lumber is evaluated as usable, any discoloration and color will detract from the product’s presentation and may create a poor impression to your customer. By protecting your lumber, you will protect your investment and your reputation.

Glenn Traylor is an independent consultant with almost four decades of experience in the structural building components industry. While he is a TPI 3^rd Party In-Plant Quality Assurance Authorized Agent covering the Southeastern United States and performs 3^rd party safety auditor services, these articles represent his personal views, knowledge, and experience. Glenn serves as a trainer-evaluator-auditor covering sales, design, PM, QA, customer service, and production elements of the truss industry. He also provides project management specifically pertaining to structural building components, including on-site inspections and ANSI/TPI 1 compliance assessments. Glenn provides new plant and retrofit designs, equipment evaluations, ROI, capacity analysis, and CPM analysis.