Vacuum Kiln Drying

Vacuum Kiln drying

We offer vacuum kiln drying services for residential and commercial clients. Using our iDry kiln we can dry wood without requiring years of air drying.  The kiln can hold approximately 1,300 board feet in a single charge, although that varies depending on the thickness of the material. 

Our Rates

1,300 board feet or less: 12 cents per day per board foot with a $200 minimum.

1,300 and over: 10 cents per day per board foot. 

For example, 1,300 board feet x 10 days at 10 cents = $1,300.00

How to bring your wood to us

Want to save time and money? Bring us your wood properly stickered and stacked so we can easily load and unload your charge with our forklift. Wood requiring proper stacking by NW Wood Creations is $100.00/hour for labor. 

Here are some tips on properly stacking slabs and dimensional lumber:

  1. Place stickers between each row of boards or slabs every 18”-24”. If stickering 4/4 or 5/4 stock, place stickers every 12”. 
  2. Make sure each row of stickers lines up from the bottom of the stack to the top. 
  3. Place a row of stickers at the ends of each stack to reduce end checking. 

*OUR KILN CHAMBER CAN HOLD A CHARGE OF WOOD 12’ 6” LONG, 51” HIGH AND 52” WIDE. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE YOUR STACKS LARGER THAN THESE DIMENSIONS OR THEY WILL NOT FIT INTO THE KILN!

Air drying first?

While it is possible to load a charge of wood green, we recommend some amount of air drying, depending on the thickness of the material. Green wood may take a significant amount of time to dry and increase drying charges. Slabs generally take the most time to dry. 

Here are some general guidelines for air drying:

Softwoods

4/4-8/4 dimensional lumber: 2-3 months of air drying.

Slabs: 12 months of air drying

Hardwoods

4/4 and 5/4 dimensional lumber: 6 months of air drying

6/4 and 8/4 dimensional lumber: 9-12 months of air drying

12/4 and slabs: 12-18 months of air drying

*Please note some woods are more sensitive than others. Oregon white oak in particular should be air dried the full amount of time recommended above. Otherwise it will check and warp. 

Here are examples of how to bring your wood to us.

OR bundled like this

Here is an example of how NOT to bring your wood to us

Billing

We require a 1 week deposit on all wood charges at time of drop off. Once your wood has been dried, Northwest Wood Creations will bill you the remaining balance. 

No wood is allowed to be removed from the property until the balance is paid in full.

General Terms and Conditions

  1. We use our skill and expertise to properly dry wood. However, wood is a natural material and can move, twist, bow, and crack as it dries which is beyond our control. We are not liable for natural defects present in the wood before, during or after drying. 
  2. The length of time to dry wood varies.  We can give an estimate as to how long your batch of wood may take, but it may take longer or shorter depending on the moisture content, thickness and species. Customer is responsible for paying all kiln drying fees, even if it takes longer than estimated. 
  3. We generally dry wood to around 8%-10% moisture content unless otherwise requested.  
  4. We strongly encourage slab customers to air dry their material for 12-18 months to ensure good results in the kiln. 

We are just 30 minutes from Portland OR and 22 minutes from Downtown Vancouver!!!