Does lumber swell when wet?
I have two 6x6x16's that got wet during the rain the last two days. I raised them, but one of them is too swollen to fit a post cap on the top. I figured that if I let dry, it will contract; but I also read that wood is dimensionally stable when wet. I'm wondering if the lumber wasn't oversize to begin with.
Should I wait for them to dry, or try to sand the posts to fit.
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If the lumber is untreated it will swell. Give it a few days to dry out completely.
Yes it does swell. Where did you read that? Some professor probably wrote it. They never do anything but sit in an office and make strange claims about all kinds of things. One Prof years back proclaimed that you cannot get drunk off of beer! Let it dry good and try again. Make sure the cap is the right size also.