Wood movement by species
How much each wood expands and shrinks as humidity changes with the seasons, the thing that cracks tabletops and jams drawers when it’s ignored. Figures are computed from published USDA shrinkage data. Pick a species to see how much a panel actually moves, or open the calculator to run your own board.
- African MahoganyVery stable
- African PadaukVery stable
- Afzelia (Doussie)Very stable
- Alaskan Yellow CedarVery stable
- American BeechMoves a lot
- American ChestnutModerate
- American ElmModerate
- American HollyModerate
- American SycamoreModerate
- AppleModerate
- Australian BlackwoodModerate
- Bald CypressVery stable
- BalsaModerate
- BasswoodModerate
- Bigleaf MapleModerate
- Black AshModerate
- Black CherryModerate
- Black LocustModerate
- Black Tupelo (Blackgum)Moderate
- Black WalnutModerate
- Black WillowModerate
- BloodwoodModerate
- BocoteModerate
- BoxelderModerate
- BubingaModerate
- Bur OakModerate
- Butternut (White Walnut)Very stable
- CanarywoodVery stable
- CatalpaVery stable
- Cedar of LebanonVery stable
- Chechen (Caribbean Rosewood)Moderate
- Claro WalnutVery stable
- CocoboloVery stable
- Cumaru (Brazilian Teak)Moderate
- Douglas FirModerate
- East Indian RosewoodVery stable
- Eastern CottonwoodModerate
- Eastern HemlockModerate
- Eastern Red CedarVery stable
- Eastern White PineVery stable
- Engelmann SpruceModerate
- English Oak (European Oak)Moderate
- European AshModerate
- European BeechMoves a lot
- European WalnutModerate
- European YewVery stable
- Flowering DogwoodMoves a lot
- Gaboon EbonyMoves a lot
- Gonçalo Alves (Tigerwood)Moderate
- HackberryModerate
- Hard Maple (Sugar Maple)Moderate
- HickoryMoves a lot
- Honey LocustModerate
- Hophornbeam (Ironwood)Moderate
- Incense CedarVery stable
- IpeModerate
- IrokoVery stable
- JarrahModerate
- Jatoba (Brazilian Cherry)Moderate
- KoaVery stable
- Lignum VitaeModerate
- Limba (Korina)Very stable
- Live OakModerate
- MahoganyVery stable
- MakoreModerate
- MerbauVery stable
- MesquiteVery stable
- MonkeypodVery stable
- Norway SpruceModerate
- Osage OrangeVery stable
- Pacific MadroneMoves a lot
- Paper BirchModerate
- PaulowniaVery stable
- PearMoves a lot
- PecanModerate
- PersimmonMoves a lot
- Pin OakModerate
- Ponderosa PineVery stable
- Port Orford CedarModerate
- PurpleheartVery stable
- Quaking AspenModerate
- Radiata PineModerate
- Red AlderModerate
- Red Elm (Slippery Elm)Moderate
- Red MulberryModerate
- Red OakModerate
- RedwoodVery stable
- River BirchModerate
- Santos MahoganyVery stable
- SapeleModerate
- SassafrasVery stable
- Scots PineModerate
- Sitka SpruceModerate
- SnakewoodVery stable
- Soft MapleModerate
- Southern MagnoliaModerate
- Southern Yellow PineModerate
- Spanish CedarVery stable
- Sugar PineVery stable
- Sweetgum (Redgum)Moderate
- TeakVery stable
- WengeModerate
- Western HemlockModerate
- Western Larch (Tamarack)Moderate
- Western Red CedarVery stable
- White AshModerate
- White FirModerate
- White OakModerate
- Yellow BirchModerate
- Yellow PoplarModerate
- YellowheartModerate
- ZebrawoodModerate
- ZiricoteModerate