Better Built...Because They Are!

About Our Company

Better Built Dry Kilns was established by Larry Randall in 1997. His son, Chris, graduated with his MBA from UK in 2004 and joined his father in the business. His daughter, Alex, graduated with a degree in HR from NKU and joined her father in 2006.

With 30 years of experience in dry kiln sales for national and international companies in both Dehumidification and Conventional kilns, Mr. Randall has seen most of the pitfalls in dry kiln construction and components. BBDK presents a kiln package that substantially reduces those pitfalls. BBDK offers dryers that are top performers and are appreciated for their quality and precision, installed by experienced professionals. Special attention is paid to every component from the 304 stainless steel finned pipe with extruded aluminum fins, to the 304 stainless steel supply and return lines, to the 304 stainless steel interior skins and the R32 insulated walls and roof.

The company philosophy is to bring a trouble free, long lasting product to the end user at a competitive price. Truly, "Better Built."

Better Built Dry Kilns specializes in the sale and installation of dry kilns, center fan wall pre-dryers, walnut/cherry steamers and pallet heat treaters.

Kilns offered can be package or track loaded, high or low pressure steam fired, hot water heated, direct or indirect fired format. Dehumidifiers are also available in various sizes.

Pre-dryers are all cross-flow and either single line or double opposing overhead fan line format or center fan-wall designs. All are offered in multi-zone format. Most feature fan speed controls.

Steamers are designed with heating elements submerged in city water, in high or low pressure steam applications or as stand-alone gas or oil-fired submersible burners.

Pallet Heat Treaters are offered in 3 forms: A Rooftop model mounted on a customer supplied shipping container; a field assembled all aluminum/stainless steel, truck load lot machine; or a multiple-load, self-propelled machine that  captures a pre-staged load while exposing a finished load. It doubles as a dry kiln.

Controls available range from  7 day circle chart, dual dry bulb, single wet bulb format to fully computerized multiple zone systems featuring wireless dry bulbs and wireless EMC built expressly for Better Built and supported by Lignomat Corp. Softwood control systems are all PLC based and feature “AccuStop” MC wands that work in conjunction with TDAL technology, built expressly for and supported by Secovac Controls

Parts are available for all kinds of applications.  Most common are fan blades, kiln duty motors, VFD drives, Controls, valves and actuators, and Steam Traps.  

From Our Customers

“Graf Brothers Flooring, the men who manufactured, marketed and perfected, the Old World Charm, of Rift and Quarter Sawn Products.”

Larry

Just a note of thanks for a job well done; both Greg and myself want to thank you for a first class job on our new kilns and steamer. You delivered on time and did a quality installation job.

We are delighted with the help on the concrete work provided by your installer Kerry Fry. He was great to work with throughout the whole project. The installation went off with very few problems and the kilns and the steamer continue to perform very well. The combination of the Lignomat wireless control system, the Hurst boiler and the Better Built Dry Kilns is hard to beat. We are burning only 5 truckloads a week of green dust to meet the demands of all ten kilns and the steamer. The boiler uses only 35% of its capacity. We attribute the minimal demand to the very well insulated and tight kilns and to the stainless steel heat exchanger vent system. They also attribute to a very smooth drying curve.

We are able to reduce the fan speed to 28 Hz when drying white oak. Last month we realized a $3000 reduction in the power bill. We are convinced that the savings result from the use of the drives, the heat exchanger vents and the turbo tube fan line that gives us plenty of air flow when we need it; great technology!

The steamer is the best we have ever seen. There is no effluent commonly found on the ground around steamers. It is really fast and does an excellent job, as all of our customers will attest to. We like the fact that all of the condensate is returned to the boiler. We are convinced that this is one reason the boiler works so little. In addition we are saving on chemicals, as there is no live steam being used because of the boiling pit.

Keep up the good work and please feel free to bring any potential customers by to see our kilns.

Thanks again

David Graf
President
Graf Brothers Flooring

Frank E. Wilson Lumber Company, Inc.

Dear Larry,

Your service last year in rebuilding our kilns was helpful and appreciated. You gave us some good ideas and I believe that the kilns should outlast me! It surely is a good feeling to have the repair money outflow stopped and all seven kilns running once again!

Sincerely,
Jim Wilson

Comins Lumber Sales, Inc.

Dear Larry,

It has been a great pleasure working with you on our new kilns. Kerry and Paul couldn't have been more helpful. Steve from Lignomat did a great job of setting up and training us. Again dealing with you and the guys was exceptional. Please feel free to have any prospective kiln buyers call me, and you can also send them here for a look at the kilns by contacting myself or Ray.

Thank You,
Sy Yoder

Wayne Lumber Company, Inc.

Larry,

A note of thanks for the great job your company did for us. The kilns have been online for 3 months and they are great!

The quality and service you provide is top notch. Having known you the past twenty-plus years, the kilns are everything I anticipated and more. You provided everything requested and went the extra mile to satisfy any needs. The kilns are performing as expected and look wonderful.

I extend an invitation for any prospective clients you may have, to visit. I think they will be impressed with the product you have.

Once again, thanks for the great product and service.

Very truly,
Alan Richardson