What Difference Does Kiln-Drying Make to Window Shutters?

Throughout your life, you may have noticed great variances in the quality of wooden window shutters at different abodes, from their finish to rate of degradation, even if they’re manufactured from the same species of wood.

 

The reason for this can be multifaceted, but one of the major players involved in the manufacturing process is whether or not the wood is kiln-dried.

 

To give you clearer understanding behind why some shutters stand the test of time and others don’t, let’s take a look at this important procedure:

 

How Does Kiln Drying Work?

A kiln can be considered much like an oven, except larger and providing greater control over variables such as temperature, humidity, and air circulation.

 

In order for wood to be kiln-dried, it is heated within the kiln through a combination of direct and indirect heat. The difference between these two types of heat is related, in large part, to the location of the wood relative to the heat source and the type of heat used, e.g. solar energy for indirect heat and open flame for direct heat.

 

As you might imagine, a substantial proportion water is housed within wood, with some species known for having a moisture content of ≥75%. Kiln drying is an extremely effective method of bringing this moisture content down to levels as low as 7% (Wood-Mizer, 2016).

 

The question is, does all this effort pay off? To answer this…

 

Is Kiln-Dried Wood Better?

While a more intensive process than utilizing raw materials, it undoubtedly produces window shutters of superior quality.

 

One reason that is most pertinent to window shutters in particular comes from the reduction of moisture that is present in the wood. Why is this important? This dehydration from kilning minimizes the possibility of warping, cracks, breakage, and a dulled finish from occurring during the manufacturing process, ensuring you receive the shutters you envisioned when you made your initial purchase.

 

Some of the other benefits that kiln-dried wood provide for shutter usage are:

• Lower moisture content makes for a lighter and more practical shutter.
• Fungal deterioration is curbed as a result of the dried wood.
• Extreme weather conditions, such as in Canadian winters, pose no threat for shutter warping.
• Allergens, insects, molds, and other particulates are mitigated from kiln drying.

 

Kilning Your Shutters, Kindling Your Excitement

To put it simply – we understand shutters. After all, we’ve been in the business since 1981, producing made-to-order window shutters for residents of Toronto as they continue to appreciate the value of our kiln-dried pine and hardwood shutters, that is, value in terms of quality and cost! Reach out to a member of our team at California Shutters to see what all the fuss is about!

 

References

Wood-Mizer (2016) Kiln drying, Introduction to kiln drying. Available at: https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/b7d5533c/files/uploaded/KLN INT ENG MAY 2016_lo.pdf.