How long does wood take to air-dry?

The time required for air drying depends on the wood species, sawn timber thickness and ambient conditions. As a rule of thumb, about 1 year is needed for every 25 mm of thickness for hardwood species, while softwood species dry faster.

What is the difference between air drying and kiln drying of wood?

Air drying takes place naturally outdoors and takes months to years. Kiln drying in a hot-air, condensation or vacuum kiln is a controlled process that significantly shortens the drying time.

To what moisture content should wood be dried for interior use?

For interior use (furniture, flooring), a wood moisture content of 6–10% is recommended. For structural timber used outdoors, a value of up to 18–20% is acceptable.

What does the warning about drying too quickly mean?

If the moisture loss is too rapid, there is a risk of cracks and deformation in the wood. The calculator compares the calculated daily moisture loss with the safe value for the given wood species and warns if the drying is too aggressive.

Wood drying time
Drying time calculation

Select the wood species, sawn timber thickness, drying method and ambient conditions. The calculator will calculate the estimated drying time and daily moisture loss.

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Drying time

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Wood species [ Preferred species ]

Drying

Timber / Thickness (mm)

Air Circulation

Initial moisture (%)

Final moisture (%)

Temperature (°C)

Relative humidity (%)

The final value is approximate and due to various factors may differ from the actual value.Did you find an inaccuracy?

Did you find an inaccuracy?

Our aim was to create calculators for wood professionals that provide the most accurate results possible. However, there are many coefficients, standards, deviations and calculation methods that vary by country and local conditions, so it is not possible to cover all locations with 100% accuracy immediately. For some calculators, however, it is possible to enter custom parameters, such as wood densities or growth factors.
However, the system is designed so that we can refine it gradually, and we would appreciate your feedback, which will help us improve the calculators further and adapt them to practical use.

Tree species parameters

Wood species parameters, such as density, can vary significantly depending on location and growing conditions. To account for these natural variations, we offer fine-tuning options that help ensure accurate and reliable data adapted to specific environments.

Tree species parameters »

Preferred species

Most commonly used wood species by the user

Choose preferred wood species »

Wood drying timeDrying time calculation

Drying time

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Tree species parameters

Preferred species

Wood drying time
Drying time calculation