Humidity Control in the Wood Working Industry

Get expert advice on humidity control

Benefits

Optimal humidity ensures dimensional stability, precise processing, and long-lasting wood quality. Condair’s humidification and dehumidification systems help manufacturers control air humidity efficiently, reducing waste and energy costs.

Consistent quality & precision

45–55% humidity keeps wood stable, avoiding warping, cracking, swelling, and ensuring quality.

Safer work & less dust

Below 45% RH causes static and dust; controlled humidity ensures safety and a cleaner workshop.

Strong bonds & lamination

Stable 50–55% RH ensures adhesives cure properly, preventing delamination and joint failure

Humidity Control in Wood Working

Problems with gluing and laminating

Problems with gluing and laminating are not uncommon. Glues often do not cure completely and evenly in dry conditions. Gluing problems also frequently occur with poorly fitting parts. Dry air can often cause glue joints to come apart or veneers to peel off the base wood when dimensions change or parts twist or “crack.”

Problems with static electricity

Problems with static electricity in a woodworking environment occur when dry air causes surfaces to become charged with static electricity. This leads to a variety of problems such as dust fires and static explosions. In some cases, static electricity can also affect the adhesion of paints and coatings to wood.

Sawn timber drying and storage

Dehumidification or drying can be an important factor in wood storage, ensuring smooth production afterwards. This prevents deformation, warping, or surface cracks, and the tearing or splitting of joints and frame corners can also be prevented by conditioning the wood appropriately. Dried sawn timber, for example for furniture production, may have a maximum moisture content of 8-9%. For other wood, for example for doors or windows, the moisture content may be a maximum of 12%. If this type of wood is stored in rooms without dehumidification, the result can be highly fluctuating quality. Changing moisture levels can cause changes in the wood structure and lead to processing problems during final processing. This results in high rejection rates due to poor product quality.

Sustainable climate control for the wood industry

Furniture manufacturers, sawmills, flooring and panel producers, joineries.

By maintaining stable humidity, Condair systems improve product quality, reduce rejects, and extend equipment life. This enables more sustainable and energy-efficient production with fewer interruptions and lower costs.

Discover Condair in action

Projects and references

Pinetum Furniture

Condair has supplied and installed a JetSpray humidification system to Pinetum, a pine furniture manufacturer based in Wiltshire. 116 nozzles, which combine compressed air and water to produce a fine atomising spray, humidifying the company's timber store, machine shop and assembly areas, maintaining the humidity at 60% relative humidity. 525 litres of water are pumped into the atmosphere every hour around Pinetum's production facility, ensuring that the timber being worked and stored there remains in total equilibrium with its environment.

Argelith Bodenkeramik H. Bitter GmbH, Bad Essen (Germany)

Argelith Bodenkeramik H. Bitter GmbH (Bad Essen) is one of the world's leading companies as a manufacturer of high-quality industrial tiles. In order to reduce the high heat loads caused by the thermal processes of production, the company uses direct room air humidification.

Vitra haus

Its distinctive stacked-house architecture is complemented by Condair steam humidifiers, which ensure clean and consistent indoor humidity.

Nordan SP. z o.o., Wolsztyn (Poland)

The NorDan Group is one of the leading manufacturers of wooden windows and doors. At the Wolsztyn site, high-pressure air humidification ensures quality at all stages of production.

Fritz Hansen, Rawicz (Poland)

The international design brand Republic of Fritz Hansen is famous for exclusive design classics such as the EggTM lounge chair or the 7TM chair series. With innovative craftsmanship and premium quality, the Danish company, founded in 1872, sets standards worldwide.

Nemschof Inc, USA

Nemschoff, the highly regarded healthcare‘furniture manufacturer in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, faced serious production problems when its 60,000¯sq¯ft casegoods plant dropped to relative humidity (RH) levels as low as 12%. The dry air caused wood panels™ moisture content to drop to 3‘4¯%, leading to massive waste: 25“30% of panels split and were discarded at a cost of¯$90“$100 each. Seeking an energy‘efficient, low‘maintenance alternative to compressed‘air and boiler steam systems, they selected Condair™s engineered ML humidification system. Installed and calibrated across zones, the ML Princess units maintained RH above 35%. The result: splitting of hardwood panels fell from around 25‘30% to just 1‘2%. The solution delivered significant cost savings, increased productivity and better scheduling reliability. Nemschoff now plans to upgrade additional plants with Condair systems.

Munster Joinery

Munster Joinery was founded in 1973 and is among the largest manufacturers of energy efficient windows and doors in Europe.

Saint Joseph Chapel at Holy Cross

The Stage, Museum of Shakespeare

This new, permanent visitor experience in London will transport guests back to the 16th Century to follow in the footsteps of the world's most famous playwright through a series of immersive and interactive experiences.London's Curtain Playhouse was a cultural and social centre for the city during the life of Shakespeare. In 2025 it will be triumphantly reborn as the capital's newest and most dramatic cultural attraction: the Museum of Shakespeare.Condair RS steam humidifiers are maintaining the ideal indoor humidity for the preservation of the wooden floors and architecture in the venue.

Quotes from our customers

Mondi Group, Sonneberg (Germany)

Frank Drews

Technical Coordinator

"Humidity is very important for us to ensure standardized conditions throughout the production process."
Fritz Hansen, Rawicz (Poland)

Maciej Waldmajer

Maintenance Manager

"Air humidification is an integral part of our quality management, on which we have to rely 100%."
Nordan SP. z o.o., Wolsztyn (Poland)

Maciej Sosiński

Senior Engineer

"Stable processes and production conditions are extremely important to us. That is why consistent, optimal humidity is also essential."
Preston Sp. z o.o., Poznan (Poland)

Filip Karoński

CEO

"Thanks to air humidification, we no longer have problems with electrostatics, which in the past often led to production interruptions."

Frequently asked questions

How does proper humidity control improve product quality?
Why is controlling humidity important during wood processing?
Why is dehumidification needed in lumber storage?
Why is humidity control important for wood flooring?
Get free expert advice

If you want to explore your options for humidity control, Condair's expert sales engineers will visit your site, review your project and talk you through their recommendations.

Alternatively, if you would prefer a call or online meeting, our team are always happy to discuss possible solutions and offer free technical advice.

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