Are Wood Preservatives Safe?

A common question among folks that have small portable sawmills is – how can I dry small loads of lumber?   Kiln drying lumber is an excellent means to add value to the lumber and make a small sawmill more profitable.  Many people that are interested in lumber drying don’t want to buy and operate a boiler and don’t feel that their operation is large enough to justify a dehumidification kiln.   Dehumidification drying is an excellent method of drying small to medium quantities of lumber.

Another alternative is solar drying.  A solar dry kiln is simple to construct and operate.  The USDA Forest Products Lab has already done all the research needed on how to build and operate the kiln.  The operator just needs to be aware of a few drawbacks.  First, there will be little to no drying on cloudy days so your total drying time may take longer than other drying methods.  Second, on sunny days you may have excessive drying so it is important to monitor the drying rate and use your fans and vents