Seasoning of Timber

Seasoning of Timber

Seasoning is the process of reducing moisture or drying the content in timber.

There are two methods of seasoning timber:

• Natural or air seasoning
• Artificial seasoning

Natural or Air Seasoning:

This method involves stacking planks one on top of the other with pieces of wood called stackers used to separate them. This stacking arrangement ensures that sufficient space is left around each sawn piece, allowing air to pass through. If need be, a heavy load is placed on the plank to prevent warping (twisting).

Artificial Seasoning:

This involves drying the wet timber through other means apart from natural air. Artificial seasoning can be done in the following ways:

• Water seasoning
• Boiling seasoning
• Salt seasoning
• Electrical seasoning

Wood is usually seasoned artificially to reduce the length of time required for natural seasoning. It takes just a few weeks to dry wood artificially. However, it is more expensive and demands closer supervision. Seasoning wood artificially reduces its strength.

Reasons for Seasoning Wood

• It makes the wood more stable for engineering works.
• It increases the weight of the wood, making it easier to transport.
• It strengthens the wood.
• It enhances the durability of the wood.
• It enables wood to be polished well.