Old timer in Ohio taught me to let the wood rest

Back in 2009 I was framing decks outside Columbus and this retired carpenter named Pete kept telling me to cut the stringers a day ahead and let the lumber sit. I thought it was horse crap, so I rushed through it one morning and by afternoon the whole set had twisted on me. Had to rip out three steps and redo the cuts, cost me a full Saturday plus $40 in extra wood. Next job I tried his way, let the pressure treated stuff acclimatize overnight, and everything laid flat as glass. Have any of you seen a difference letting PT lumber rest before cutting, or was that just a lucky batch?

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charlesanderson25d ago

Well dang, Pete knew what he was talking about. I've seen the same thing with PT lumber, especially in humid weather. The wood moves so much in the first 24 hours that cutting it immediately is basically a gamble. Letting it sit a day lets the moisture even out, so your cuts stay true when you make them. It's an extra day of planning, but it beats redoing work and burning a weekend, that's for sure.