Do I need to dry out damp 3x2 for interior stud wall?

[thewoodburner]

Hi

I have bought some treated 3x2 for making a small stud wall in my house but it feels slightly damp. Its pretty straight at present though.

Can anyone advise in whether its best to dry it out before I start to cut and fix it and if so how long - subjective I know - Im just after a rough guess - its only dampish -not visibly wet.

Im concerned that if I let it dry out it might warp a bit making it more difficult to work with. At the same time Im worried that if it is damp then it might shrink after fixing which wouldn't be so good for a stud wall structure.

Thanks for any 'constructive' advice.

Jon

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Hi Jon

I tend to prefer it slightly damp - as you say when it dries out it can warp, but also it's a lot easier and faster to drive screws into slightly damp timber as well as there being less tendency for it to split. Once the plasterboard goes on the whole structure will become a lot more rigid and the boards tend to check the tendency to move as it dries

 

[Slightlytired]

Hiya
You should allow any timber brought in to your house, acclimatise to the room that it will be fixed in. Depending on the moisture content of the timber, I'd allow a week for it to settle down. It will move but you can limit the amount of movement by proper stacking, lay them flat on bearers with bearers in between each layer to allow air to circulate around the timber. Stud walls fixed at 400mm centres with noggins cut correctly and spaced properly will help to pull the timber back in line, and once it has been fixed plumb to you wall, ceiling and floor, any twist, springing or bowing in the timber will be negligible.

 

[thewoodburner]

Thanks very much for the comments - they have helped me.

I couldn't get at it today so it may have to wait a few days - the wood will dry out a bit (have put it in room where I'm doing the job) but hopefully won't warp too much in that time.

cheers
Jon