Lumber Processes

Heat Treating
Heat treating is a process with the end goal of removing living organisms from wood products to make them ready for shipment or export.  During this process wood, is brought to a temperature of 132.8 degrees or above and held there for 30 minutes.  This kills any bugs so that the wood may be exported. After heat treating, the lumber or crating is stamped to certify that the process has been completed and it is then ready to ship.  Heat treating is a completely different process than kiln drying.  Kiln drying removes the moisture content of the lumber, while heat treating kills any organisms inside.  ​

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Kiln-Drying
Kiln-drying is a process which involves applying heat to lumber for a specified period of time in order to obtain a desired low moisture content (normally 6% or less, depending on your application).   Hollingsworth Lumber has been providing kiln drying services for over thirty years.  Kiln-drying is a better alternative to air-drying because we keep the lumber in a controlled environment and do not allow it to dry too quickly.  Also, most air-drying applications do not dry lumber below 18%.  Kiln-drying is more time consuming depending on species and thickness of the lumber you are drying.  When kiln-drying, lumber is stacked on sticks in order to allow circulation around the boards.  ​

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