MATERIALS: WOOD

James Cannon, GF Materials

Humidity 101

from around the world which become the temporary home for things like Baltic Birch plywood bundles until they’re allocated and sold to distributors and trucked across the country. Add a few high-volume resellers, local lumberyards and small businesses and they’re nearly in your hands to be ready to create your finished goods!

So how does humidity come into play and make an impact in this process? It comes into play at every touchpoint throughout the traveled journey as the environment changes and the product moves from region to region. Perhaps the most important role it plays is in the final miles of the journey as it’s traveling to you to be lasered. Once you open the packaging it needs to acclimate to the environment of your home or workspace much like hardwood flooring before it’s installed.

Here’s a relatable example: In the winter months the Relative Humidity (RH) in your home or workspace is typically lower which often times requires moisture to be added to your environment with things like a humidifier. During the winter months we add nearly 95 gallons of water a day to our warehouse through humidification to protect our materials and keep them stable between 48%-52% relative humidity! Without adding moisture you’ll notice things like dry skin and drier air which can lead to your materials drying out prematurely. In the warmer months the Relative Humidity (RH) in your home or workspace is typically higher which can lead to needing a de-humidifier to prevent that musty, sticky feeling. In contrast to the winter months, throughout the summer we pump out nearly 110 gallons of water a day to keep the relative humidity between 42%45%. Too high of humidity levels can wreak havoc on tools, lenses and your materials. Both are natural but both can have their pros and cons when it comes to protecting your materials, tools and even your laser. So what’s the solution?!

The best answer is stability. For starters, grab yourself a Hygrometer, fancy for humidity gauge, for $10-$15 at a local hardware store or online. The ideal range to store your materials should be between 38% and 53% Relative Humidity (RH). Be aware of areas in your home or work space that are prone to high swings in Humidity like around doors and windows, near air intakes or exhausts and near water sources like sinks and showers.

Inevitably, your environment will change and you should be aware of the changes to create ways to limit the volatility in those changes.

The Cannon Family are the owners of GFMaterials based out of Chaska, Minnesota. What started 3 years ago during the pandemic as a laser hobby has blossomed into a full range of laser-ready materials! You can reach them at their website, GFMaterials.com.