I have been cutting and drying my own lumber for a while now and am curious what anyone else thinks about using box tape on the ends just wrapping the end tightly instead of painting the ends or waxing to avoid checking.
I'm not sure this would work. Has anyone tried this?
Never tried it or heard of anyone trying it. I imagine it would be better than nothing, but not as good as sealing. If the ends are cut with a chainsaw as they often are, tape is not gonna stick well. Cut with a miter saw or other would be better.
I would think that taping the ends of boards would be more time consuming and perhaps more expensive than applying a coat of paint or sealer. Since the tape would not seal well if the board is dusty or damp, the area around the end would at least need to be cleaned off. Once the tape is applied to the end, I would think reinforcing strips would have to run from one face to the other to hold the end piece of tape in place. Then a strip or two of tape would be wrapped around the end reinforcing strips. Any less would cause me to fear that over time the tape could loosen and allow moisture to enter and leave the board. I would also think that greater care would be required when handling the lumber. Sliding one board over another could catch the edge of the tape, causing it to release.
Nonetheless, if the ends are taped, a high quality tape that would offer some moisture resistance is needed. I doubt box tape is the best tape, and not all packing tape is the same. For example, I have had box tape release from the moving boxes within a few days. Four or five rolls of packing tape at a cost of about $20 from a moving company seem to adhere very well to the boxes. Another choice could be house wrap tape (about $12/roll). House wrap tape seems to adhere well and offers some resistance to moisture.
It might be worthwhile to try your idea on a piece of scrap. Once taped, set the taped end in a bucket of water for a while. Then remove it from the bucket and let it dry. Then check how well the tape performed. Admittedly this is a pretty severe test, but having some assurance that the tape will remain in place over the course of a year or so would be peace of mind.
Maybe you could just stare the end of the log in the face and sternly tell it not to let any moisture out or else!
On second thought, no, that wouldn't work either.
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