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
- American BeechMoves a lot
- American ChestnutModerate
- American ElmModerate
- American HollyModerate
- American SycamoreModerate
- Bald CypressVery stable
- BalsaModerate
- BasswoodModerate
- Bigleaf MapleModerate
- Black AshModerate
- Black CherryModerate
- Black LocustModerate
- Black WillowModerate
- BubingaModerate
- Bur OakModerate
- Butternut (White Walnut)Very stable
- CatalpaVery stable
- CocoboloVery stable
- Douglas FirModerate
- East Indian RosewoodVery stable
- Eastern CottonwoodModerate
- Eastern HemlockModerate
- Eastern Red CedarVery stable
- Eastern White PineVery stable
- Engelmann SpruceModerate
- Flowering DogwoodMoves a lot
- HackberryModerate
- Hard Maple (Sugar Maple)Moderate
- HickoryMoves a lot
- Honey LocustModerate
- Hophornbeam (Ironwood)Moderate
- IpeModerate
- IrokoVery stable
- JarrahModerate
- Live OakModerate
- Loblolly PineModerate
- MahoganyVery stable
- MerbauVery stable
- MesquiteVery stable
- Pacific MadroneMoves a lot
- Paper BirchModerate
- PecanModerate
- PersimmonMoves a lot
- Pin OakModerate
- Ponderosa PineVery stable
- Port Orford CedarModerate
- PurpleheartVery stable
- Quaking AspenModerate
- Red AlderModerate
- Red Elm (Slippery Elm)Moderate
- Red OakModerate
- RedwoodVery stable
- River BirchModerate
- SapeleModerate
- SassafrasVery stable
- Sitka SpruceModerate
- Soft MapleModerate
- Southern MagnoliaModerate
- Southern Yellow PineModerate
- Spanish CedarVery stable
- Sugar PineVery stable
- Sweetgum (Redgum)Moderate
- TeakVery stable
- Western HemlockModerate
- Western Larch (Tamarack)Moderate
- Western Red CedarVery stable
- White AshModerate
- White FirModerate
- White OakModerate
- Yellow BirchModerate
- Yellow PoplarModerate