Green Lumber vs Kiln Dried Lumber: Choosing the Right Wood for Your Project

When it comes to woodworking and construction, selecting the right type of lumber is crucial for a project’s success. Choosing green and kiln-dried lumber can significantly impact your work’s durability, strength, and longevity.

Understanding each type of lumber’s unique properties and applications and the importance of monitoring their moisture content will help you make informed decisions and ensure the highest quality results in your projects.

In the article, we’ll discuss:
building with green lumber

Forestry, done well, combines science and nature, resulting in strong, durable wood. However, all wood species are harvested in the “green” condition, a term for the properties that behold wood in the wild.

What is Green Lumber?

Green lumber, also known as “freshly cut” or “undried” lumber, is wood in its most natural state. It results from freshly felled trees, hence its high moisture content.

Green Lumber Uses

Green lumber is often used for specific construction projects like framing, where the gradual drying and subsequent shrinking of the wood don’t cause significant issues.

Get to Know Green Wood

Many observers would be shocked at the high (“green”) moisture content (MC) of some wood species. Since trees comprise an autonomous ecosystem of water and nutrients, it stands to reason that sapwood (the layer next to the bark) is generally higher in MC than heartwood (inner wood which has died).

Sapwood distributes water and nutrition through a tree. The heartwood, or inner wood, becomes infiltrated with gums, resins, and other materials.

This makes it more resistant to moisture flow, and thus, heartwood usually requires longer drying times than sapwood. Sapwood and heartwood will affect the drying curves for each wood species.

A wood’s MC is also a dynamic exchange between the wood and surrounding air. When the air’s relative humidity (RH) rises, wood absorbs moisture; when the RH falls, wood releases moisture into the air.

This occurs naturally throughout a wood product’s lifespan, even after being harvested and kiln-dried for human use. Wood producers, builders, and consumers need not fret over such an organic, natural process. Still, a thorough knowledge of it will guarantee success with wood in all sorts of product applications.

The key to wood strength and performance over time is to dry the wood appropriately to its optimum MC depending upon the end product’s service conditions and the end product’s installation destination.

Kiln Dried lumber

What is Kiln-Dried Lumber?

Kiln-dried lumber is green wood placed in kilns where heated air circulates to dry it out. This process reduces the wood’s moisture content to achieve equilibrium moisture content (EMC), enhancing the wood’s strength and structural integrity for building purposes.

There’s Kiln-Dried Wood

Wood in “green” condition must be kiln-dried in order to be used as construction-grade lumber for building purposes, for example. Lumber production is a complex process in which green timber is sawn, dried, and processed. The natural air-drying of lumber can be a long process, so oftentimes, lumber will be kiln-dried to speed the process along.

Kiln-drying is placing sawn lumber into kilns where heated air is circulated. The temperature and RH of the kiln are controlled for the purpose of reaching the wood’s equilibrium moisture content (EMC): a balance between the MC of the wood, and the RH of its surrounding environment, depending upon the end wood products application specifications.

Once the EMC is achieved, a wood’s MC can vary slightly in the surrounding environment’s RH without jeopardizing the end wood product’s strength and structural integrity.

Lumber producers deploy expansive and expensive wood MC control systems at all phases of wood production. Kilns are an integral part of the wood’s MC measurement and management process, as the kiln-drying procedure is where the green lumber is dried to its optimum EMC.

Advantages of Kiln-Dried Wood

On the other hand, kiln-dried lumber has numerous advantages over green wood. The kiln-drying process reduces moisture content, which minimizes the chances of shrinkage, warping, or swelling once the wood is in use. For indoor furniture, flooring, or structures with crucial stability, kiln-dried wood is a favorite among carpenters and builders.

The Importance of a Moisture Meter

A wood moisture meter is crucial in establishing and maintaining healthy wood MC levels at each stage of lumber production. A moisture meter is a device used to measure the amount of water in the lumber. By understanding the moisture content, builders can predict how likely the wood is to shrink, warp, or rot.

Using a pinless moisture meter ensures you’re using wood at its optimum moisture level, ultimately extending the lifespan of your projects and preventing structural issues.

As green wood circulates for processing in a mill, in-kiln and in-line MC systems measure and document the wood’s MC and track the efficiency of the kiln-drying process. Professionals carefully monitor and control the process to optimize the harvest.

Kiln operators and quality control personnel deploy hand-held wood moisture meter products to conduct as many spot-checks as needed to verify the mill’s kiln-drying efficiency.

Wood moisture meter technology has advanced greatly as the world awakens to its own nature. Wagner Meters features its wood moisture meter products’. Now there’s a cost-effective, reliable wood moisture meter to suit any wood measurement application goal, from the home to the lumber-producing mills.

To learn more call: 800-634-9961.


Free Download – How to Choose the Right Industrial Hand-held Moisture Meter for Your Mill

Last updated on July 19th, 2023

31 Comments

  1. Hedge Care says:

    I just read your article about green lumber and kiln dried lumber. I learned a lot from it! Thanks for writing this post because it has helped me figure out how to budget my projects better! I’m now more informed on the kind of wood to use. Thanks so much for sharing this knowledge with us!

  2. Steve Moore says:

    It’s clear to see that many people have a lot of misconceptions about the two types of lumber, and we’re glad you’re looking to clear things up for them.

  3. landscaper says:

    Thanks for the information. I’ll be sure to share it with our team!

  4. Dominic Guagliardo says:

    Hi Larry, the Amish built sheds in our area use rough cut lumber. Is there any disadvantage to this as a buyer? Do they come with any potential problems? Any information would be appreciated
    Dom

    • Larry Loffer says:

      Hi Dominic,

      Structurally, rough-cut lumber is as good as planed lumber as long as the lumber was dried properly. For an outdoor shed, the moisture content isn’t as critical. You might see warps, twists, etc if the lumber wasn’t dried prior to building the sheds. Rough cut lumber can be difficult to paint and/or stain.

  5. Deborah says:

    This topic always gets a mixed response within the log cabin industry, depending on who you speak to. There is much debate surrounding which logs to use to build a log cabin, from the species of tree that you choose, to whether you should use dead standing or green logs, kiln or air-dried logs. Freshly cut trees have high moisture content, and if they are used to build a log cabin immediately, the logs will have a tendency to warp, shrink and twist causing the log cabin to be less structurally sound. That’s why most people choose to dry their logs out before building a log cabin, which allows them time to stabilize, there are a few different methods of doing this; kiln drying them, air drying them. The other option is just to use the dead standing as soon as they’ve been harvested. Some professional builders argue that air drying logs is the best option whereas other are adamant that kiln dried logs are more stable. If logs are air dried correctly, and for the right length of time, they will reach the same equilibrium moisture content as kiln dried longs. While there are plenty of reasons for and against each method, it really does fall down to which method you prefer, your timeframes and budget.

  6. Charles Olson says:

    In 1978 I built my own home and contracted out some work. I hired framers to dry-in the house. When talking to them they told me I could save money by using green lumber. And yes there was a big difference in price. I ordered the lumber and it was delivered, but then the framers were delayed about 3 weeks which left this green lumber bundled at the job site. When they unpacked it all the inner wood had turned green or black. They said that is normal and built the house. So my lumber is black now!!! When inspectors come they always note a moisture problem in my crawl space, which I don’t have, so I take them to the attic and show them the roof rafters.

    Oh well, my observation was a few boards warped and I fixed them buy cutting and putting a long splint on each side. No problem in 40 years.

    But I always thought the green lumber had more structural strength which is contrary to information I’m reading now. My observation is that my green lumber is much harder than kiln dried lumber I get now. My old green lumber is so hard it is difficult to drive a nail in it without bending it. I only use screws now! I also noted that the green wood I removed for renovations over the years is much harder to saw.

    Could you help me understand why articles do not mention how hard green lumber gets? And does this hardness make it stronger? And why is my green lumber so hard?

    • Tony Morgan says:

      Charles,

      Air-dried lumber is more stable than kiln-dried lumber because it’s not forced dried through high temperatures, but rather a natural slower process. As the timber air dries the cells collapse, slowly causing them to compress and stay put, so when air-dried lumber absorbs moisture, it doesn’t swell as much hence it becomes more stable.
      Kiln-dried is a forced but controlled process where humidity and temperature are controlled using steam and fans for drying, because of its fast drying due to high temperatures, the cells collapse quickly rather than slowly as it would with air drying.

      Thanks.

  7. Paul Helvig says:

    Is it possible with the Dual Depth feature of the newer moisture meters to detect Case Hardened lumber?

  8. Chris Houghton says:

    Hello Larry,
    I have to fix a floor joist that in the basement supporting the first floor. The joist is 13 feet supported at both ends. The rot extends about 4 feet from one end. Because I cannot get a 2x8x13 board into my basement and put it in place, I will be trying a 12 foot length and possibly a 10 foot length and sistering it to the existing joist, which is in good shape other than the last 4 feet, and supporting just one end of the new joist, shimming as necessary.

    The existing joist is 2×8 Fir and is slightly larger than the modern green boards. My question to you is should I use a green board or either a kiln-dried or air-dried board to avoid crowning and shrinkage as the new board dries? My local lumber yard tells me that dried lumber has to be special ordered and could take up to 3 weeks to obtain.

    Thanks for any help you can extend.

  9. Steve St.Clair says:

    I’ve noticed a yellow pine sawmill nearby is kiln drying lumber for only a few hours. The lumber is continually fed through the kiln with lumber sticking out both ends and the doors never closed. They don’t put slats between the boards to provide air circulation either. Their bundles are about 25 ft by 25 ft. I don’t see how the lumber could be properly dried in this manner. Also, after kilning the lumber is left outside in the rain, Example: A tropical storm recently passed through. We got a lot of rain. Some railroad cars loaded with lumber got very wet. Just before shipping, the white plastic covers were placed over the lumber. Does this make sense? Are they properly kilning the lumber?

    • Larry Loffer says:

      Hi Steve,

      Sounds like your neighbor has what’s called a “Continuous Kiln”. These are fairly new and the science behind them supports more even drying along with energy savings.
      They typically will insert “stickers” between each layer for optimal air circulation.
      Perhaps their goal for this batch was not to dry the lumber. Sometimes mills will heat the wood enough just to kill insects.
      Or, maybe this batch was sold as green (Not kiln dried).

      I share your concern if they sell this as kiln dried lumber.

  10. Jack Patrick says:

    I’m looking into building my home through the process of milling my own lumber. What is the best way to allow wood to dry after milling in order og get building. What’s the timeline on allowing wood to dry and what’s the easiest method in doing so?

  11. Linda says:

    I live in New Orleans area. A contractor installed tongue and groove kiln dried wood on my front and back porches. He then used an oil base primer and 2 coats of Sherwin Williams industrial enamel. Within 6 weeks the paint started peeling and sometimes the primer came up, too. It has even peeled in areas outside of the railings where only rain and sunshine touch it. The paint seems to shrink wrap the wood after a few weeks then start peeling.

    Contractor just wanted to touch up paint but every day there is a new little section peeling. I went to Sherwin Williams who said they do not recommend primer on wood floors for their industrial enamel. They say paint and primer should be removed and then repaint the porch. They have offered to supply more of the same paint. Contractor doesn’t want to sand and is saying that kiln dried wood must be primed according to a warranty.

    I’m being told that would must have primer and the paint must not have the primer. At this point I think I’d rather have the floors sanded and put water proofing stain. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

    • Tony Morgan says:

      Listen to the paint experts. There may be a problem with the enamel bonding to the primer in this case. Staining the porch might also be a good choice. But either way, it looks as though the job will have to be re-started from scratch, with the surface needing to be sanded down.

  12. Denee M Buchko says:

    Thank you so much!!!!!

  13. Denee M Buchko says:

    Hey there
    I’m wondering, if when Pine is kiln dried, all of the oils are removed from it? Is there a 100% effective way that pine can be kiln-dried? It is important for my use, as I have animals in which the natural oils in pine are toxic to. I have been told that kiln dried renders it safe, but can’t find any real information about if this is true.

  14. Shankarlal says:

    Hi,
    I am exporting teak woods from africa to india for my own sawmill ,
    Now indian goverment asking methyl promide certificate or KILN dried , but in African country’s banned methyl promide since 2002. Or the alternative solution is KLIN drier . This kind of KILN drier where can I get this machine .and what the cost ?

  15. Dennis Merritt says:

    Processing firewood from all species of wood. How can we stop the development of mold after we shrink-wrap the firewood and prepare to ship?

    • Larry Loffer says:

      Dennis,

      Obviously, completely air drying, or “Seasoning” the wood before it is wrapped will prevent mold…. And reduce the shipping weight.

      If drying before wrapping is not possible then there are spray products on the market that are “Mold Inhibitors” that you can spray the wood with before wrapping.

      Another possibility is to not wrap the wood airtight. Allowing it to “breath” will reduce mold. Perhaps use a strong perforated wrap?

      Hope this helps.

  16. JB says:

    Could you use fresh sawn “green” oak wood just weeks after its cut to build a piece of furniture, such as a table?

    • Larry Loffer says:

      JB,

      Typical moisture contents for making hardwood furniture is 6% to 9%. Your oak can be worked into furniture if it had enough time to dry to that moisture content.

      Thank you,

      Larry

  17. Yuri Gartenberg says:

    Hi, I wanted to get some studs but they are klin dried, so I’m a bit worried
    the process only uses heat? no chemicals whatsoever? I wanted them to build a part of my lizard terrarium, so no chemicals

    • Larry Loffer says:

      Yuri,

      Kiln drying itself in the United States does not use chemicals. I don’t know about other countries. Some lumber mills “Pressure Treat” wood after kiln drying to withstand harsher environments better. It would be safer to use “Green” or non-kiln dried wood with animals.

  18. Kenny says:

    How would I kiln dry driftwood

    • Larry Loffer says:

      Hi Kenny,

      Fresh sawn wood drying in a kiln is a much different animal than driftwood that has been soaking in salt water. Kiln schedules will vary depending on the species and the amount of time in the water. There may be different species from piece to piece. Moisture detection equipment will be influenced by the salt content.

      You may want to post your question on http://www.kilndrying.org; it has experts from various fields that can provide more detail.

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