Trada warns of moisture in wood

Trada Technology has estimated that more than 80% of the in service problems with wood are related to moisture content.

The organisation has released a revised version of its Moisture in Timber information sheet. Trada said moisture content is one of the most important factors affecting the performance and properties of wood. The amount of water in timber affects weight, strength, workability, dimensional stability and its susceptibility to biological attack.
 
Wood is usually dried to prevent decay, Trada said, as some timbers will suffer from mould staining, even if they remain wet for only a short a period of time. Ensuring that timber is at moisture content of 20% or below will prevent decay or discolouration.
 
Wet wood will usually dry out in service, which causes lateral shrinkage but possibly also distortion. Pre-drying allows the wood to avoid these inevitable dimensional changes in service.
 
The revised Wood Information Sheet is aimed at specifiers, users and distributors of timber, and includes guidance on specifying moisture content, caring for dried timber and offers a practice checklist for suppliers and distributors.