500,000 BFKiln Capacity
Rex Lumber Company provides commercial kiln drying services with 500,000 board feet of kiln capacity. Our facilities in Englishtown, New Jersey, and Acton, Massachusetts, handle both domestic and tropical lumber.
Experienced kiln operators manage the drying process to meet demanding specifications. Our team works with specialty lumber, including wood for musical instrument manufacturing. These applications require careful attention to moisture content, color, flatness, and consistency.
Our dry kilns use wood waste boilers that burn sawdust and chips from our millwork operations.
Careful Drying for Specialty Lumber
Proper kiln drying requires more than simply removing moisture. Drying schedules, stacking methods, and material handling all influence lumber performance. These factors can affect machining, gluing, finishing, and future production.
Rex takes special care with white species that stain easily. Our operators use fluted or “Breeze Dry” stickers to help minimize sticker staining.
We also use end sealing and position stickers every 12 inches and at each end of the pile. These practices help maintain flat boards and minimize end checking.
Throughout the process, our kiln operators follow proven drying schedules and regularly check samples. Their attention helps produce flat, straight, bright, stress-free lumber.
Benefits of Proper Kiln Drying
Proper moisture content plays an important role in lumber performance. It helps prepare wood for machining, gluing, moulding, sanding, and finishing.
Kiln drying offers several important benefits:
- More consistent moisture content
- Better preparation for machining and millwork
- Improved conditions for gluing and finishing
- Less weight compared with green lumber
- Greater resistance to fungi and insects
- More predictable performance during production
For commercial buyers, dry lumber is only part of the goal. Consistent moisture levels help manufacturers plan production and reduce material-related surprises.
The Lumber Kiln Drying Process
Our team sorts lumber by species and dimensions before loading it into the kiln.
Steam travels through pipes while fans circulate heated air throughout the chamber. As the lumber warms, moisture moves toward the wood’s surface.
The heat causes surface moisture to evaporate. Airflow then carries the moisture out of the kiln.
Throughout the drying cycle, our operators control temperature and relative humidity. They adjust conditions according to the species, dimensions, and drying requirements.
Regular sample checks help the team track moisture levels and work toward the desired final moisture content.