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utherjorge
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# Posted: 22 Oct 2025 05:22pm
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I appreciate all the help I have gotten from you all so far. It's been a tremendous help.
The cabin is on site, and I want to make sure that when spring comes, it's ready to go when it comes to building out the amish shell I have. I was thinking about a small oil heater (really, anything but those little hair dryer ones) coupled with a dehumidifier that drains outside.
Has anyone done something like this to kinda force the issue, and/or speed things up?
Also...what's a good moisture content to assume I could start actually framing the place out and not expect major shrinkage and cracks?
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 22 Oct 2025 07:16pm
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A small fuel oil heater or wood stove (both require a class A chimney here) with intake air inside the building will draw the moisture through the stove and out.
LP produces a lot of moisture so it wouldnt be good for your purpose.
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DRP
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# Posted: 22 Oct 2025 08:04pm
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If you have a meter... although it should be 8-10%, I would turn the trucks around at 13% for cabinets, trim, furniture. If you are sticking your framing and are in the normal part of the country you should be able to hit that without a heating system, just normal air under roof.
I just took some stair tread material to work, its at 15% (EMC of my sawshop down by the creek). I took it to work and dressed it to within 1/4" and plan to make a tent over it and put a DH inside. As wide plank, high visibility, it needs to be closer to the 8-10% emc of conditioned space.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 23 Oct 2025 10:35am
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Your trying to dry out a pre built cabin shell? Do you have power on site? What is your final hearing source going to be?
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utherjorge
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# Posted: 23 Oct 2025 12:44pm
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gcrank: Thank you. I plan on adding a gravity fed pellet stove but only once I build the inside out this spring. So, I'm thinking like one of those plug-in radiators...but am definitely open to ideas.
DRP: Thanks for the numbers. The whole thing is green lumber (not the floor, which is plywood) but plan on building out the thing with kiln dried stuff as I would any other house, so I want it to be as dry as I can (or as dry as I need to make it) before doing so.
Brettny: There is power there now, a 110 panel on a pedestal right nearby. I'm open to all suggestions for heating sources, but I expect to have a gravity fed pellet stove by the end of next summer, and I already have a diesel heater for the camper that's onsite already. I don't mind making a hole for a vent for that but I don't think I can simply let that thing run without me over several days.
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spencerin
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# Posted: 23 Oct 2025 10:00pm
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What issue are you trying to force exactly??? I'm guessing you want to heat an unfinished cabin shell during the winter, but don't want to jack up the humidity inside such that you have issues finishing it out in the spring?
Wintertime is dry by nature, assuming you're located in a northern-ish climate. As long as you don't run a vent-free propane heater, you're not going to dump excess moisture into the air. When spring comes, yes, run a dehumidifier. 40-50% humidity is a good target.
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utherjorge
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# Posted: 24 Oct 2025 10:42am
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spencerin: I'm merely looking to make sure that when the spring hits, I'm ready to build it out because it's dried enough to make that possible with a minimum of cracking/warping/green lumbers worries. So, your first paragraph is essentially perfect.
NW Pennsylvania is the location. Cabin shell is 12x16, so pretty small.
I think we have a month or so where it'll be above freezing in outside air. A small heater (so my thinking goes) could keep the uninsulated shell warm enough for a dehumidifier to work to "ensure" the wood is dry enough to get 'er done come springtime.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 24 Oct 2025 11:08am
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I'm north east of you a bit. I would crack the top part of the windows and run a box fan in there 24/7 until theres snow staying on the ground. I suspect that wont happen for another 2 months. Dont bother trying to heat or use a dehumidifier. Heat will be gone so fast and dehumidifier will be a power hog. Blowing air at damp wood dries it prety quick. Cracking the windows will allow the humid air to escape.
Insulate in spring then use the heater and dehumidifier combo. But honestly idk if I would bother with heat/dehumidifier combo as it will prob be dry enough to not crack drywall by early summer.
Is this on a frost free foundation? If not dont bother with any of the above, it's going to shift and move with the seasons. The only thing I would be worried about would be mold from wet wood against the insulation. A week of a box fan and it will mostly be gone.
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spencerin
Member
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# Posted: 24 Oct 2025 08:23pm
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Where in NW PA are you? Forest County?
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DRP
Member
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# Posted: 24 Oct 2025 08:50pm
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This is a chart that shows wood moisture content (what my meter reads in the wood) in relation to relative humidity (what you room humidity meter reads)
https://finewoodworking.com/FWNPDFfree/equilibrium-moisture-content-chart.pdf
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utherjorge
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# Posted: 24 Oct 2025 09:46pm
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I continue to appreciate the replies from everyone.
Brettny: as it's just a shell, it's literally just got one of those crappy amish man doors that I'm going to remove and put a new door on anyway. So, no windows to crack though there are upper vents at the top of each side.
Spencerin: That's exactly where this is!
DRP: Thank you for the table!
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Brettny
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# Posted: 25 Oct 2025 07:04am
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Are you putting drywall in there and is it on a frost free foundation?
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DRP
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# Posted: 25 Oct 2025 10:06am
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This set of tables goes down into the weeds a little more;
https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/documnts/fplrn/fplrn268.pdf
It lists the average EMC wood will arrive at if under a roof but exposed to outside air. So not being wetted but also not exposed to any mechanical drying, just air dry EMC's.
We had wood flooring delivered to a job not long ago from a good local company. They metered the subfloor moisture content and the flooring, recorded it and we signed off on the delivery. I was seeing that the materials were on spec and they were assuring that what I was laying it on was dry enough to not cause problems later.
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utherjorge
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# Posted: 25 Oct 2025 10:09am
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Brettny: It's on a gravel foundation. The cabin itself is on four skids.
About the skids: when they placed it, it was close to level...but off some. I brought up my big bottle jack and leveled it where it's less than 1/16 off. I actually think it's less than 1/32 off, but I didn't worry at this time since winter is coming and it will likely shift.
Four skids side to side. Front skids had 2 inch pavers under to level and then the second skid back (which was still in the air when I place the front blocks) got PT 2x4 hammered in. Rear two skids are on ground.
I understand after the winter I'll have to recheck and goof around again.
About the foundation: I had a driveway chiseled in which I had done "the right way." Leveled, base put down with sand and the wrap stuff under, then coarse gravel, with the clean gravel on top. I had a spur put off the side with the same done, too, so that's what's under the cabin.
No drywall planned ever. I plan on tongue and groove for the walls.
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utherjorge
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# Posted: 25 Oct 2025 10:16am
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DRP: I just missed your post!
I'm closest to Erie on that list, which is the moisture count that's the highest, if I'm reading it right. Since I'm nowhere near people, I expect I'm even higher than that, which of course is fine.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2025 08:17am
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You dont really need to worry about drying it out much tongue and grove is very forgiving. Your gravel pad seams adequate and the building will prob be settled in after winter.
I would get some windows put in for better ventilation and leave them cracked.
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utherjorge
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2025 11:15am - Edited by: utherjorge
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Brettny, thank you! I'm actually ready to do either side at any time...and with my future plans being what they are, doing one side would mean that it's one less thing to do in the spring.
Having said that, due to the good ol' Amish construction, when I put in a window, I plan on "reframing" the wall the right way, since it's not good right now. I'll post a pic of what I mean below. In fact, this is the wall I would "reframe," and would do so using your typical kiln-dried stuff.
As you can see, having a single stud in a 12' wall span is....not ideal. I worry about doing that now, and then finding that come spring (or, whenever it dries sufficiently) we've got all sorts of shifting, cracking, and the window won't open any more, and so on.
Full disclosure...I expected that what I got would have framing issues like this, so I was not surprised nor am I aggravated about it.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2025 08:33am
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I have a shed just like that and put windows in it with no more studs. The siding seams to act alot like a stud in that type of construction. That 12' wall isnt load bearing so just serves a purpose of holding the siding.
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utherjorge
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2025 08:54am
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Brettny: what you see is what I've got. Unsure about how much shrinkage I can expect and how long I should wait to start building it out.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2025 08:14pm
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I would be more worried about the pre molded wood than the shrinkage and framing.
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utherjorge
Member
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# Posted: 28 Oct 2025 08:29am
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I will be hitting the wood a couple different ways before I seal that up: chemically, using a more natural solution, as well as with mold killing primer. The same situation exists a few places outside as well. Obviously a major concern, and obviously must be remedied fully.
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Aklogcabin
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# Posted: 28 Oct 2025 10:14am
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The moisture content is going to level out at what the surrounding air moisture levels are. Winter will help. Any air movement and so will any extra heat. It's a little cabin that is open space for good circulation.
Reminds me of when I was a kid in the 70s n working on a construction crew. When it rained everything got covered in tarps and the crew went n played pool. House was kept dry. Nowadays not so much. New homes will osb floors not painted sucking up the water. Lumber open. Soaking wet. And the house is completed in months. Including the water based paint which leaves gallons of moisture inside your home.
Just trying to make comparison. I'd say, nice cabin man
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utherjorge
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# Posted: 28 Oct 2025 11:58am
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aklogcabin: Thank you for your comment! Hoping to make this something that lasts a long time with minimal upkeep...if possible
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