Using Green Stickers

Dry stickers are better, but green could be okay for stacking boards for barn siding. March 28, 2012

Question
My husband and I are getting ready to get about 2900 bf sawed. I have been looking to buy dry stickers, but am not having luck. And I'm not keen on paying 30 cents each when we have plenty of lumber.

So I was thinking of having our sawyer cut 2 times the stickers we need, using green, and then restacking a week later on the hopefully dry stickers we have not used. How does that sound?

We are in southern Indiana. The stickers will probably be poplar. Most of the lumber is poplar with the end use of barn siding. We hope to sell additional lumber we don't need, most of which is poplar, with a bit of black oak and cherry.

Forum Responses
(Sawing and Drying Forum)
From contributor A:
While green stickers are better than no stickers and the end use is barn siding, I would not worry about it. If there is going to be some clear wood that you have other plans for, then I would look for some dry stickers. Maybe your sawyer will have some dry pine he can sell you to make stickers out of.

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From contributor E:
What contributor A said. I have used green stickers, and have sometimes had problems, sometimes not. Restacking should help minimize sticker stain on the boards where that matters.

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From contributor G:
Can you cut stickers earlier than the lumber? Even a few weeks dry time will help this time of the year.

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From contributor C:
Thanks for the tips. I ended up being able to borrow some stickers from a friend, but our estimate of board footage was too low, so we ended up stickering some on green on a temporary pile. We also had him saw some oak stickers and have them stickered and drying at the top of a pile right now. Thought I had everything ready for this endeavor - still no proper roof... Temporarily tarped until tonight or tomorrow. Sawed and stacked 4000 bf this weekend... Whew! Thanks again!