Guide
Moisture content is the number that decides whether the job survives
Timber bought at twenty-two percent and brought into a heated house dries to about ten and shrinks doing it. That shrinkage is where joints open and doors stick.
The number
Around eight to ten percent for interior work, twelve to sixteen for exterior. A meter costs about twenty pounds and settles every argument.
Acclimatising
Stack it with spacers in the room it will live in for two weeks before working it. That single step prevents most subsequent movement.
What to look for
Cupping and end splits mean it dried too fast. Both continue after purchase and neither is worth buying at any discount.
Read the full guideSee how to stack it
