I just purchased some lumber to replace the trim around our chimney. The boards are 2x6's and 2x8's. They are quite green and the wood looks too damp to paint. I had hoped to paint the wood right away because the weather is unseasonably warm right now.

I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to place sticks between the boards and leave them in the garage to dry before cutting and nailing them to the chimney. The guy at Home Depot told me that the boards will be less likely to warp if we install them right away. He said that once the boards are nailed down they won't be able to warp.

Our area is southern California High Desert and gets very little rain but it is more likely to rain in January and February than in any other months. I would appreciate opinions on whether to install the wood and leave it to dry on the chimney or keep it in the garage until it is dry and install it later.