Timber wood is a ubiquitous building material. However, wood requires great care and proper handling, unlike other common building materials like cement, lead pipes, and electrical wiring. If not handled and maintained correctly, wood quality can deteriorate much faster. Therefore, you need to take a certain amount of care for the timber yard of your home.
The Common Problems
Storing timber in the right way is paramount. The process of storage starts at the supply stage. You need to have the right storage plan to ensure that the wood is not impacted by environmental damage or transportation.
Some Of the Common Problems Faced by The Timber Suppliers Are:
- Decay
- Split
- Shrinking or expansion because of the moisture content.
- Discolorations
Now that you know the different timber storage problems, it is important to keep it in good condition. We have listed some simple but effective tips to help you maintain the timber yard quality.
#1. Place Them on Flat Surfaces: Storage plays a significant role in enhancing the life of the timber. When storing in a timber yard, make sure it is placed on a flat, dry surface. Never keep them horizontally. Doing this will ensure no bending or warping occurs, allowing your wood to maintain its flatness. If you stack pieces of wood of different sizes, place the most significant piece on the bottom.
#2. Minimize Ground Contact: Make sure that direct contact of the timber yard with the ground is minimized. To avoid this, place your wood on a flat surface raised at least 150mm above the ground. Indeed, humidity in the basement or crawl space can dampen the floor above some buildings. This will, in turn, affect the wood's quality if placed directly on the ground.
#3. Coat The Ends of Each Piece: If you plan to retain the timber yard for a very long time, i.e., a year or more, make sure that coatings are applied to the ends of each piece. This prevents splitting and cracking at the ends, thus preserving the quality of your wood. Some of the more common coatings you can use for this are coal tar, microcrystalline wax polish, and aluminum foil paint.
#4. Use Wooden Covers: Most wood siding is made with materials that allow it to significantly minimize weathering effects on the wood. So, make sure that you invest in good quality wraps. Placing wood wraps over them also helps keep the quality of your wood intact for years.
#5. Label Them Correctly: Labelling your timber yard is as important as protecting it from the elements. This helps handlers identify relevant information for handling and deploying each piece, such as what type of wood and how long it has been stored in the facility. Don't use regular markers, though. Instead, use features that are safe to use, such as crayons.
#6. Avoid Storing in New Buildings: When you are storing timber, you must not store the timber in the new building. The new building has higher moisture content and storing the building materials or wood in such places may impact its durability.
#7. Position Them Aptly: While it is important to store the timber in the right place, its placement and positioning also play a significant role in enhancing the shelf life of wood and reducing the damaging effect. You must always store the timber vertically, and it should be on a flat surface so that it absorbs air. Make sure that the surface where you are storing timber in the timber yard is stable. This prevents the timber from sinking. At the same time, it is important to store the timber on a clean and dry surface. The place should be clean and dry.
Concluding Thoughts
With these basic tips and methods, you can keep the timber in the timber yard safe and free from any damaging effects.
