DRYING CHESTNUT SAWN TIMBER IN CENTRAL GREECE.

Sawn timber of chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill) wood, 50mm thick, was used for kiln drying and air drying, in Central Greece (Karditsa). Drying schedules used for kiln drying showed a good performance. In air drying, it is possible to obtain wood moisture content from around 70% to less than 20%, in a rather short period (3 months) during summer. On the contrary, during winter time air drying is slow and moisture content below 18% can't be achieved before mid of May. Based on the quality assessment of kiln and air dried sawn timber, only minor defects were observed. Ring shakes and discoloration were absent, while case-hardening and a little honeycombing were observed. The overall conclusion of this research is that chestnut wood is suitable for any outdoor and indoor use after being kiln- and/or air-dried. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]