Industry Insight

IT ALL STARTS HERE

by BOB POPE, SII Dry Kilns, Northeast Regional Sales

If you received a bill in the mail for lumber degrade would you pay attention? Of course you would, but unfortunately, it does not work that way. As soon as a log is sawn into lumber, you create the opportunity to lose value and footage that you will never get back. There is good news, though – you can take proactive steps to minimize lumber degrade and improve your bottom line. Start with the basics – uniform stacking and stickering will produce a better product. Make sure that your stickers are a uniform thickness and that they are aligned vertically and appropriately spaced. For most thickness and specie combinations, stickers placed 2’ OC work well, although, for some material, you will see improvements with 1’ OC sticker spacing. Once you have that accomplished, make sure the bolsters are placed in line with the stickers, so the weight of the lumber piles are evenly distributed. Remember to end coat your piles with a quality end coating product as soon as the material is cut and stacked. Prioritize the stacking schedule to make sure all white woods and stain prone items are on sticks quickly. Once your packages are ready to go, the best way to maintain the quality is to immediately put them in a controlled environment. This works great if you have banks of kilns available, but then reality sets in - most likely, you will be putting your lumber “somewhere” to build or “stage” your next kiln charge. Your choice of where to put it will impact your lumber quality and your bottom line.

A good start for many facilities is a well-designed air drying yard using pile covers and/or weights; however, you are still exposed to the weather. T-sheds provide protection from the elements, and the addition of mesh fabric curtains give you a basic, versatile option.

Fan sheds are an economical way to remove moisture from the lumber and maintain a high-quality product and great for your white woods because they remove surface moisture, which causes “coffee” stain and discoloration. Predryers such as the SII Cross Flow design system will help you reduce the moisture content uniformly and effectively. The result will be a product going into the kiln with a lower starting moisture content, which translates into improved kiln productivity.

With a consistent focus on the yard and lumber ahead of the kiln, you will put the best material possible in your next charge. While you will always have some degrade due to the nature of wood, it is possible to reduce degrade using these tools. Even a 1% reduction in degrade will have a significant impact on profitability.

Do you have a question or topic for a future column? Please send your questions and comments to us at kilninfo@siidrykilns.com.

SAVE THE DATE

Get excited and make your plans to join us in September, as we Turn the Tide with Innovation!

Join us at the Palm County Convention Center in West Palm Beach Florida – September 22-24, 2021. Registration will open in early spring. Visit www.nhla.com/convention to learn more.

Attend the NHLA Annual Convention & Exhibit Showcase to Learn from industry experts, Network with producers, buyers, suppliers, and thought leaders, Find vendors and suppliers specific to your company’s needs. And do this all from one location, location, location!

Showcase your products and services to NHLA members and the hardwood industry at large.

Exhibit Booth sales are NOW OPEN.

Visit www.nhla.com/convention to reserve your booth today!

John Hester, Director of Membership and Business Development at j.hester@nhla.com Vicky Simms, Membership Development Manager at v.simms@nhla.com