Timber shrinking HELP

[307955]

Hello,
I have horozontal timber planking lining the inside of my boat.
It was already fitted when I bought it, so I dont know if it was seasoned or treated. It was also already painted, and I dont want to strip it down unless I have to.
My boat is unoccupied for long stretchs while I go to work, so the temprature does change quite dramaticaly.

The timber appears to be shrinking in vast amounts, is there anything I can do to stop this? and how much can it still shrink??

 

[TicklyT]

The shrinkage may well be at it's worst around this time of year. The humidity is very low as cold air holds very little moisture, so the wood will dry out and shrink. When the weather warms up, the humidity goes up, and the wood will probably expand again as it's moisture content increases to match the atmosphere.

 

[mointainwalker]

The shrinkage may well be at it's worst around this time of year. The humidity is very low as cold air holds very little moisture, so the wood will dry out and shrink.

@TricklyT

So if the air holds little moisture, where is the moisture from the wood going ?

 

[WoodYouLike]

Moisture in wood goes into the air - wood is hygroscopic and tries to find equilibrium with surroundings.

 

[mointainwalker]

WLY

Sorry but that makes no sense as I see it.

TT says "

a) Shrinkage may well be at it's worst at this time of year
b) Cold air holds little moisture.

I agree whole-heartedly with b) so the air is likely to be saturated and unable to physically hold any extra moisture .

If this is true , by what mechanism can/does the moisture exit the wood ?

 

[WoodYouLike]

If your wood is shrinking now means it holds more moist than its surroundings and therefore evaporates moist in the air.
Compared with your plank air has a much bigger "body" and therefore able to absorb the moist from your wood even in winter

 

[307955]

Would some linseed oil help it to stop shrinking so much? Theres nbothing I can do about the moisture in the air