A walnut slab in my shop split overnight and I think I know why

I had this beautiful 8/4 walnut piece air drying in the corner for about six months, but the heat kicked on hard last Tuesday and the next morning there was a crack you could fit a quarter in. I'm pretty sure the sudden dry air from the furnace did it, so now I'm keeping a pan of water near the wood pile. Anyone else deal with indoor drying during winter and have a better fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

wade_perez1mo ago

Watch how many homes and shops get wrecked by this exact thing every winter. People crank the heat and suck all the moisture out of the air, then their wood floors buckle, their furniture joints loosen, and nice slabs like yours just split open. That pan of water helps, but you really need a cheap humidity gauge to see the actual number. I aim to keep my space above 40% relative humidity now, which stops most of the shock. It's a basic step most folks miss until they hear that awful cracking sound.

paige_murphy981mo agoMost Upvoted

Wait, you aim for 40%? That's wild to me, @wade_perez. My apartment feels like a swamp if it even touches 35%. I had a cheap bookshelf basically fall apart last year, the whole side just came unglued. My guitar neck needed a full adjustment. I guess my place is just built weird and holds moisture, but hearing you say 40% is the goal makes me question my whole life. Maybe my humidity gauge is just broken.

mark72328d ago

Yeah, that "awful cracking sound" is the worst. Paige_murphy98, your bookshelf story makes me think your gauge might actually be toast.