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So iv been building a couch and doing this outside and my untreated wood got wet.. can I continue my project as usual or so I need to let it dry before I go sawing it and drill screws in it? Will it split? Please help I'm new at this woodworking and need help/answers/advice etc

LumberJaquiline
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  • How long was it wet? I would think if it's only a few minutes, you could dry it off and go. – Steve Wellens Mar 02 '23 at 16:59
  • Well it was in a heavy downpour of rain for about an hour This morning – LumberJaquiline Mar 02 '23 at 17:01
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    Will depend on how wet it is. Light rain for a couple of hours or flooding where the wood could soak in water. Just surface wetness should be okay, but I like my wood dry when working on it, less messy. – crip659 Mar 02 '23 at 17:01
  • Yes I'd PREFER it to be dry just because but I don't. Wanna postpone my project I'm ready to do this! – LumberJaquiline Mar 02 '23 at 17:03
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    You should be fine. Once wood is dried it doesn't absorb much water along the length of the lumber, maybe some more at the ends. If you want to be super safe, take it inside and stack it using stickers to allow airflow for a week or so. – George Anderson Mar 02 '23 at 18:40
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    See also the woodworking stack; they tend to be pickier about wood condition than folks doing construction are. – keshlam Mar 02 '23 at 18:55

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The biggest risk is warpage. If it wasn’t thoroughly soaked, it might be salvageable. Don’t worry about splitting. Dry wood actually is more apt to split.

Mlew
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