Wilson Wood Products, Elkins

We had a beautiful blue sky and
temperature in the 80's today that made it an
excellent day for our trip!

Another trip we took today was to the Frank Wilson Lumber Company in Elkins, West Virginia. The
Frank Wilson Lumber Company takes green lumber (wood that has been freshly cut or has not been dried in a kiln) and kiln dries it for further use as building materials. They also provide milling services and grading.

Lumber that is ready for shipment!

Wood planks ready to be planed and then
dried in a kiln.

       

This is a tool that is used to determine
the thickness and width of boards.

Wood is loaded into the kiln.
Wood is placed on sticks to separate
it before it goes into the kiln. This allows
air flow between the boards so they
can dry more evenly. Depending on the
species of wood the drying process can
take less than two weeks or more than
three months!

Wood samples are weighed daily from
each kiln to monitor their water loss.
They bring the amount of moisture in each
piece of lumber down to around 6%.

 Above the lumber is inspected and given
a quality grade prior to being sent for
stacking. Grade 1 and 2 lumber would
be used for furniture, flooring and
other finished products. Lumber that is
graded below these would be used in
applications such as framing and other
less noticeable uses.