The Nature Of Wood

The virtues of wood as a building material are legendary. It’s attractive, abundant, and easy to work. Pound for pound, it’s stronger than steel. If properly cared for, it will last indefinitely. And you can use it to make almost anything, from a tiny box to a huge building.

It’s also a complex (and often perplexing) material. Unlike metals and plastics, whose properties are fairly consistent throughout, wood is wholly inconsistent. It’s stronger along the grain than across it. It expands and contracts more in one direction than another. Its color, weight, and grain pattern vary not only from species to species but from board to board.

To work with wood — and have it work for you — first learn its complex nature. In particular, you must understand three unique properties that affect everything you build. These are grain, movement, and strength.