Solar Wood Kiln Plastic Sheet

A very personal experience with lunar lumber.

Solar wood kiln plastic sheet.

Apply a non hardening silicone caulk to the outer surface of the frame to provide a seal between the plastic and the wood. Bands give plywood an edge. Two layers will decrease drying times. More lumber and sheet goods.

Cover the kiln roof with one or two layers of translucent fiberglass plastic film or glass. We constructed this nifty 8x8x12 passive solar kiln. A well insulated floor and walls are important for an efficient drying process in a solar kiln. Fiberglass is inexpensive resistant to breaking and the easiest to work with.

Solar lumber dry kiln designs the following section contains a summary of selected published information on solar lumber dry kilns that have been designs constructed and tested. Typical solar collectors in such kilns utilize glazed glass fiberglass or plastic sheets facing to the south. First you have to make sure it was treated with wood preserver. A common type of greenhouse kiln is a simple construction with a lumber frame made of plywood or oriented strand board osb sheeting.

Keep in mind that air drying your logs can take up to 9 months so it s not the most time efficient method. And boy does it work not to mention save money. Because the wood is protected from the elements this solar kiln offers more control with much less chance of defects than air drying provides. Eventually the logs will be done dry and ready for further processing.

You can build the kiln from standard sheets of exterior plywood. All lumber and sheet goods. Unlike air drying it ll dry wood to the moisture level needed for interior use. Gene wengert forum technical advisor.

You could use a solar kiln to dry the wood for your fireplace saving up on money. A solar kiln is the simplest and safest way to dry green wood quickly. You can wrap the stack in a plastic sheet or place them under an overhead canopy to prevent rain from seeping into the logs. The walls of the kiln represent a double skin of plywood with sheep s wool insulation in between them.

The uv resistance does not interfere with transmission of solar into the kiln. The idea of using an inner layer of uv resistant plastic is perfect. In some cases the available information was not complete but sufficient information existed to copy the design.