Use and Care Manual

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www.swanerhardwood.com
7
RECOMMENDED
TEMPERATURE
& HUMIDITY
GUIDELINES
From the US Dept. of Agriculture Wood Handbook, Wood as an Engineering Material
Humidity Recommendations range from 30% - 50% in a building.
Temperature recommendations range from 60 to 80 degrees in a building.
If you stay within the recommendations range, the amount of expansion and contraction is limited
Your Butcher Block was kiln-dried to an initial moisture content of 7.6%. In order to maintain the beauty and
integrity of your Butcher Block, it is recommended that special care be taken to keep the relative humidity and
temperature within your home or warehouse in the highlighted range. This will limit the amount of expansion
and contraction in your natural wood product and minimize the risk of environmental damage. Environmental
damage does not constitute defective product. Allowing your Butcher Block to acclimate to the environment
for at least 72 hours prior to Installation, following recommended installation practices that allow your Butcher
Block to move with the conditions and controlling the environment itself are all key factors that determine the
life of your product.
It is important to note that as winter temperatures drop, so does relative humidity in the air. The heaters come
on which further dries the air. Keeping the area humidied to an acceptable level usually becomes necessary
during the winter months. The opposite is true in spring and summer as humidity rises, dehumidiers and air
conditioners become the method of control.
Example: If conditions in a warehouse are 60% relative humidity at 50 degrees
Fahrenheit Dry wood will pick up moisture until 11.2% is reached, regardless
of wood species and initial moisture content.
RELATIVE HUMIDITY %
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90
30
1.4
2.6 3.7
4.6
5.5 6.3
7.1 7.8
8.7
9.5 10.4
11.3 12.4
13.5
14.9 17
18.5
21
40
1.4 2.6 3.7 4.6 5.5 6.3 7.1 7.8 8.7 9.5 10.4 11.3 12.4 13.5 14.9 17 18.5 21
50
1.4 2.6 3.6 4.6 5.5 6.3 7.1 7.9 8.7 9.5 10.3
11.2
12.3 13.4 14.8 16 18.4 20.9
60
1.3 2.5 3.6 4.6 5.4
6.2 7 7.8 8.6 9.4
10.2 11.1 12.1 13.3 14.6 16 18.2 20.7
70
1.3 2.5 3.5 4.5 5.4
6.2 6.9 7.7 8.5 9.2
10.1 11 12 13.1 14.4 16 17.9 20.5
80
1.3 2.4 3.5 4.4 5.3
6.1 6.8 7.6 8.3 9.1
9.9 10.8 11.7 12.9 14.2 16 17.7 20.2
90
1.2 2.3 3.4 4.3 5.1 5.9 6.7 7.4 8.1 8.9 9.7 10.5 11.85 12.6 13.9 15 17.3 19.8
100
1.2 2.3 3.3 4.2 5 5.8 6.5 7.2 7.9 8.7 9.5 10.3 11.2 12.3 13.6 15 17 19.5
TEMPERATURE (°F)