Kiln Drying Service for Woodworkers in Connecticut
Tougas Timberworks offers professional kiln drying in Monroe, CT at $0.15 per board foot per day. Available to woodworkers, cabinetmakers, and contractors across Connecticut who need lumber dried to furniture-grade moisture content. Contact Eric for current availability.
Nobody Nearby Does This. Eric Does.
If you're a woodworker, cabinetmaker, or craftsman who mills your own lumber, or who has access to raw timber, Eric Tougas offers professional kiln drying service out of his Monroe shop at $0.15 per board foot per day. The kiln is an iDry unit. It's been running consistently since Eric started Tougas Timberworks.
Air drying a year per inch of thickness sounds like a rule. It's more like a starting point. Depending on species, starting moisture content, stacking, and airflow, air-dried lumber in Connecticut can land anywhere from 12% to 18% or higher. Furniture-grade material should be between 6% and 8%. The gap between those numbers is the gap between a piece that stays flat and one that warps, cracks, or gaps at the joints a year after installation.
Air drying also does nothing for biological material in the wood. Kiln drying reaches temperatures that eliminate all of it. Eric learned this the hard way early in his career, when ants crawled out of a piece of furniture he had installed. That was the last air-dried project he ever built.
Pricing and Details
- +$0.15 per board foot per day
- +Available to woodworkers, contractors, cabinetmakers, and hobbyists
- +iDry kiln, temperature and humidity controlled throughout
- +Moisture content verified before release
- +Contact to schedule drop-off and discuss volume
Air-Dried vs. Kiln-Dried: Why It Matters for Furniture
Air Dried
- —Reaches 12% to 18%+ moisture content in Connecticut conditions
- —Does not eliminate insects, larvae, or fungal material in the wood
- —Inconsistent results depending on stacking, airflow, and season
- —Takes years for thick slabs — a year per inch of thickness is a guideline, not a guarantee
- —Acceptable for rough construction lumber. Not acceptable for fine furniture
Kiln Dried
- +Reaches 6% to 8% moisture content — true furniture-grade
- +Eliminates all biological material: insects, larvae, mold spores
- +Controlled temperature and humidity throughout the entire cycle
- +Results are consistent and verifiable with a moisture meter
- +Required for furniture that will be installed in a heated or air-conditioned interior
Other Woodworkers Are Regular Clients
Some of Eric's most consistent kiln clients are other craftsmen, cabinetmakers who mill their own material, hobbyists who have sourced a tree from their property, and small furniture shops that don't have their own drying operation. These clients know what they need and do not need to be convinced why it matters. Eric keeps the process straightforward: bring the material, schedule the drop-off, and pick it up at the target moisture content. If you want to discuss volume or specific species, call him directly.
Our Services
Areas We Serve
Need Your Timber Dried Right?
Call or message Eric to discuss volume, species, and scheduling. The process is simple. The results are consistent. $0.15 per board foot per day.