Haha, "gentle ocean waves"—that's a perfect description. I'm about halfway through my first custom build right now, and I almost skipped acclimating too. Luckily, my neighbor caught me unloading lumber and gave me a friendly heads-up (plus a horror story about his own wavy walls). Glad I listened... walls are straight so far, fingers crossed. Definitely one of those steps that's easy to underestimate until you see the results firsthand.
Good call on listening to your neighbor—acclimating lumber is definitely one of those steps builders tend to overlook until it's too late. I've seen plenty of projects where skipping this step led to frustrating (and costly) fixes down the line. Also worth mentioning: moisture meters can be a lifesaver. Even if lumber looks and feels dry, hidden moisture can still cause warping later. Better safe than sorry, especially when you're aiming for straight walls and a solid build overall.
"moisture meters can be a lifesaver. Even if lumber looks and feels dry, hidden moisture can still cause warping later."
Good point about the moisture meters, though honestly I've seen some builders become overly reliant on them. Ever had readings look fine but still ended up with warped studs later? Makes me wonder if we're missing something else...
I've noticed that too—sometimes moisture meters don't tell the whole story. Maybe it's also about how the lumber was dried initially or even storage conditions before it hits the site... could kiln drying vs. air drying make a noticeable difference here?
I've wondered about kiln vs. air drying too. Kiln-dried lumber is supposed to be more stable, right? But I've had kiln-dried studs twist on me anyway, especially if they've sat around a while before use. Maybe it's also about how quickly the wood absorbs moisture again after drying... could storage conditions or even regional humidity play a bigger role than drying method alone?
