🌳 Specifics of Drying Birch Boards in Wood Kilns

Birch is one of the most popular deciduous tree species in Latvia, widely used in furniture manufacturing, finishing, and interior design. To ensure a high-quality final product, proper drying of birch boards is essential, especially when done in industrial wood kilns.

🔍 Why is birch drying challenging?
Birch is a hygroscopic material with high moisture content, making it sensitive to deformation, cracking, and color changes if not dried under controlled conditions. Compared to conifers, birch fibers are denser, meaning moisture evaporates more slowly and unevenly.

🌀 Specifics of the kiln drying process
Initial phase – conditioning
Before active drying begins, boards should be conditioned – gradually adjusting temperature and humidity to prevent rapid moisture loss.
Temperature control
The optimal drying temperature for birch boards ranges from 45°C to 60°C, depending on board thickness. Excessive heat can cause cracks and internal stress.
Relative humidity regulation
The kiln must gradually reduce relative humidity to allow even moisture evaporation. Too rapid a decrease can lead to warping.
Ventilation and airflow
Consistent air circulation is crucial to ensure uniform drying across the entire batch. Poor ventilation can cause uneven moisture distribution.
Drying duration
Depending on board thickness and initial moisture content, birch drying can take from 5 to 15 days. Thicker boards require more time.

✅ Recommendations for quality drying

Use automated wood kilns that allow precise control of temperature, humidity, and airflow.
Regularly monitor moisture content with moisture meters.
After drying, perform conditioning to equalize internal moisture distribution.
📦 Result
Properly dried birch boards are stable, crack-free, and warp-free, with uniform color and suitable for further processing – sanding, lacquering, or gluing.