Some relations between green and kiln dry moisture contents

The quality of lumber produced is of major economic concern to all lumber processors. One highly important element of product quality is out-of-specification moisture content. Lumber moisture content may be lower than specified. If it is, it may tend to be brash and it may swell when put into use in atmospheres of higher equilibrium moisture contents. However, the major effect of producing too-dry lumber is the reduction in product value due to checks, splits, warp and other shrinkage effects. Many data have been gathered which show that product value at a low moisture content may be several dollars per thousand board feet less than lumber dried to specification moisture content.