material / wood / acacia
material / wood / African
material / wood / almique
material / wood / ash
material / wood / Asian
material / wood / Australian
material / wood / avocado
material / wood / balsa
material / wood / balsamo
material / wood / banak
material / wood / bark
material / wood / basswood
material / wood / beech
material / wood / boxwood
material / wood / Brazilian
material / wood / burl
material / wood / cedar
material / wood / Central America
material / wood / check
material / wood / cherry
material / wood / chestnut
material / wood / coniferous
material / wood / cottonwood
material / wood / cypress
material / wood / deciduous
material / wood / ebony
material / wood / elm
material / wood / European
material / wood / fault
material / wood / finish
material / wood / fir
material / wood / grade
material / wood / grain
material / wood / greenheart
material / wood / gum
material / wood / hardwood
material / wood / hemlock
material / wood / hickory
material / wood / holly
material / wood / India
material / wood / juvara
material / wood / knot
material / wood / kyaya
material / wood / larch
material / wood / lauan
material / wood / limba
material / wood / locust
material / wood / lumber
material / wood / magnolia
material / wood / mahogany
material / wood / maple
material / wood / Mexican
material / wood / oak
material / wood / olive
material / wood / padauk
material / wood / palmwood
material / wood / pearwood
material / wood / pequia
material / wood / Philippines
material / wood / pine
material / wood / plywood
material / wood / poplar
material / wood / property
material / wood / redwood
material / wood / rosewood
material / wood / sandalwood
material / wood / sapele
material / wood / satinwood
material / wood / sawn
material / wood / seasoned
material / wood / shake
material / wood / shape
material / wood / shrinkage
material / wood / snakewood
material / wood / South American
material / wood / spruce
material / wood / sycamore
material / wood / teak
material / wood / tepesuchil
material / wood / tigerwood
material / wood / treated
material / wood / tuart
material / wood / tupelo
material / wood / veneer
material / wood / walnut
material / wood / West African
material / wood / yew
material / wood / yuba
material / wood / grain
material / wood / acacia
- acacia: A wood of the tropical regions of the world, most of which is not important commercially as lumber or veneer.
material / wood / African
- accra: A wood from the African Gold Coast, used for fine veneers, having a dark red mahogany color, sometimes with a curled grain.
- bilinga: Woods from the west coast of Africa, yellow to reddish with reddish brown, diagonal stripes; used for veneer.
- capomo: A South African wood resembling hard maple except that it lacks the bird’s-eye grain; used for furniture, interior woodwork, and also veneer.
- gaboon: Also see okoume.
- giallo antico: This is found, not in Numidia proper, but in the Mountain of the Capes, in the provinces of Africa and Mauritania in Algeria. The colors range through shades of yellow, drab, and pink to deep red.
- khaya: A wood of many localities in Africa, the color ranging from light pink through bright red to red-brown; hard, works well, and is usually figured, producing a good veneer.
- makore: Also called African cherry and baku; a tree native to the Gold Coast and Nigeria, the wood of which is pink to pinkish or red-brown, somewhat resembling khaya but with dark red growth lines similar to cherry; used principally for veneer.
- mansonia: Also called ofun; a wood from the west coast of Africa, frequently used as a substitute for American walnut where long length is required; used also for veneer.
- ofun: Also see mansonia.
- okoume: Also called gaboon; a wood from the African west coast, light reddish brown with dark, broken strips and a lustrous sheen; moderately soft and light in weight, yet strong; used chiefly for veneer.
- sandarac: A tree of North Africa, the wood of which is dark and hard; also called Algerian thuja.
- tigerwood: Also see African walnut.
material / wood / almique
- almique: A red or reddish brown wood from the Guianas and Cuba, used chiefly for inlay.
material / wood / ash
- argento: Another name for mountain ash, from Australia or Tasmania; the wood, used for fine veneers, is creamy white with irregular light brown wide streaks and a cross-fire similar to English harewood.
- ash: Hardwoods of the eastern U.S.A., ranking high in weight, strength, resistance to shock and wear, and ability to hold a formed shape; used in manufacture of doors and other interior woodwork; heartwood warm brown, sapwood white.
- European ash: A term including wood from English, French, and Turkish sources; the English ash resembles olivewood in its grayish white color, showing, in burl veneer, variations of wavy, curly grain.
- mountain ash: Also see argento.
material / wood / Asian
- keruing: Woods of many species from the Malay Peninsula and North Borneo; dull, purplish red or reddish brown or tan with a striped figure; used for veneer.
- tamo: A wood from Japan, varying in color from brownish tan through gray to almost white; in veneer the figure resembles a peanut shell.
material / wood / Australian
- Australian black bean: A coarse-textured, straight-grained wood with texture somewhat resembling chestnut; fairly hard and heavy, resembling teak; used for veneer.
- eucalpytus: Trees native to Australia, having many species that have been widely planted outside Australia; only a few produce a commercial supply of lumber.
- jarrah: A timber tree of southwestern Australia, its brick-red to mahogany-colored wood strongly resistant to decay, in air or under water; its sometimes curly grain makes it useful also for veneer.
- messmate: An Australian tree; light tan to golden brown in color; straight-grained and well patterned for veneer; it is also used for interior finish and flooring.
- totara: A tree of New Zeeland, the wood of which is deep red and very durable; used for panels and veneers; available in long, wide pieces.
- yate tree: An Australian tree, the yellowish gray wood of which resembles ash in its toughness and elasticity.
material / wood / avocado
- alligator pear: Also see avocado.
- avocado: Also known as alligator pear; a native tree of the Antilles, Mexico, and Central America but cultivated in all tropical countries, furnishing a handsome cabinet wood, light red-brown in color, fine-textured and easy to work.
material / wood / balsa
- balsa: Known also as corkwood; lightest in weight of all woods, weights by 7 1/2 pounds per cubic foot when dry. The wood is pinkish white, soft, and porous.
- corkwood: Also see balsa.
material / wood / balsamo
- balsamo: Pink to purplish red wood with darker, wavy lines of red, shading almost into black; a dense, hard, strong, fine-grained wood used for lumber and fine veneer.
material / wood / banak
- banak: Also called banak; woods of tropical America, pale to deep reddish brown, frequently with a purplish hue; used chiefly for veneer.
material / wood / bark
- bark: Outer sheath of tree trunks and branches, used in 18th and 19th c. for cladding/roofing garden-buildings to create a rustic effect. 2. Structural timber with bark attached used to construct a bark-house or hut.
- bark covering: Bark used as a material for covering of a structure often of bent saplings.
- bark slab: Bark cut into a rigid structural member, commonly made of pine, cedar, or redwood.
- inner bark: A layer of tissue that carries food from the leaves to the growing parts of a tree.
material / wood / basswood
- basswood: Also called linden and, in Europe, limewood; fine-textured, soft, light in weight and easily worked; used for Venetian blinds, furniture, millwork, core material, and plywood.
- limewood: Also see basswood.
- linden: Also see basswood.
material / wood / beech
- beech: American, a hard, stiff, strong hardwood with reddish brown heartwood and white sapwood; plentiful throughout eastern U.S.A.; low in resistance to decay; difficult to season because of shrinkage and tendency to warp.
- cooinnew: Or white beech, an Australian tree, the wood of which is fine textured, termite resistant, and has low shrinkage; used for boats, furniture, and flooring.
- European beech: A wood similar to American beech, but preferred to the American product by furniture makers.
- white beech: An Australian tree, the wood of which is fine textured, termite resistant, and has low shrinkage; used for boats, furniture, and flooring.
material / wood / boxwood
- boxwood: A very strong hardwood.
- angelim amargoso: A Brazilian wood, yellow when cut, becoming yellow-brown or somewhat reddish, with fine stripes.
- angelim pedra: Brazilian woods, pale red-brown with white streaks, darkening on exposure; close-textured with numerous pores; likely to be riddled with worm holes.
- araca: A hard and heavy wood from Brazil, used for veneers, having an olive-brown cast with straight, darker brown ribbon stripes.
- araucaria: A tree native to southern Brazil, in England called “monkey puzzle.” The wood closely resembles Parana pine in color and grain.
- canarywood: Also called muiraquatiara; a wood from Brazil; heartwood yellow or orange, variegated, usually changing to red or brown; used for paneling and veneer.
- goncalo alves: A wood chiefly from Brazil, of straw color, streaked with dark reddish brown; hard and close-textured, taking a high polish; used for flooring, wainscoting, furniture, and veneer.
- imbuia: A wood from Brazil, frequently misnamed Brazilian walnut; it has a rich brown color and is finely figured in veneer cuttings.
- ipe: Woods from Brazil, used there for outside, rough construction work and piles; in veneer cutting the woods are a lustrous brown with a slight greenish tinge, some highly figured.
- jequitiba: Sometimes called Brazilian or Colombian mahogany; a South American wood used chiefly for cabinetwork and paneling.
- kingwood: A wood from Brazil with alternate fine, regular striping, violet-brown and blackish; used principally for veneer.
- marnut: Woods from Brazil, of rich violet-brown streaked with lighter and darker markings of golden yellow; used for cabinetwork, doors and veneer.
- masawood: Woods occurring from Mexico to the Brazilian Amazon, of a rich red or reddish brown color with light and darker veins; used chiefly for veneer.
- Parana pine: A wood – not a true pine – plentifully exported from Brazil; warm, yellowish brown in color, with a closer and finer grain than the better-known pine; used for many purposes.
- pequia peroba: Woods from Brazil.
- peroba do campo: Also called peroba do campo; a wood from Brazil, of a pale, golden olive or brownish color, with medium texture; said to be stronger than teak; used for structural work, interior woodwork, and veneer.
- rosa peroba: Woods from Brazil called by many confusing names; rose red to yellowish color with darker streaks, fading to brownish tones; used for flooring, fine furniture, interior finish, and veneer.
- sucupira: A wood from Brazil and northern South America with a light tan-brown background, and often darker brown with narrow stripes; used chiefly for veneer in which it resembles English fumed oak.
- tulipwood: A very hard wood from northeastern Brazil, with alternate stripes of red or violet and yellow; used for veneer and inlays.
- white peroba: Also called peroba do campo; a wood from Brazil, of a pale, golden olive or brownish color, with medium texture; said to be stronger than teak; used for structural work, interior woodwork, and veneer.
- amboyna burl: A wood from the East Indies, used for fine veneers, having a rich brown color streaked with red or yellow.
- baytree: Also see myrtle burl.
- birch: A wood of north-eastern U.S.A., commercially distributed in two varieties, yellow birch and sweet birch; even-textured, hard, strong wood used for flooring, interior woodwork, and veneer.
- burl: Wood taken from a knotty part of a tree; usually a veneer having a characteristic curly pattern.
- Carpathian burl elm: A wood from France, England, and the Carpathian Mountains, resembling ash or oak burl and varying in color from almost brick red to light tan; used for veneer.
- laurel: Also see myrtle burl, tepesuchil.
- madrone burl: A wood from the Pacific Coast, U.S.A., heavy, tough, and, in color, a light reddish brown with occasional spots of deep red; used chiefly for veneer.
- myrtle burl: Also called California laurel or baytree; a wood of the west coast, hard, strong, golden brown and yellowish green in color, sometimes with dark purple blotches; used for veneer.
- myrtyle burl: Also see myrtle burl, tepesuchil.
- Norway burl birch: A wood from Norway, Sweden, and Finland, somewhat resembling bird’s-eye maple; used chiefly for veneer.
- thuja burl: A wood from the Atlas Mountains, North Africa; light brown to nearly black, sometimes with tiny eyes similar to bird’s-eye maple; used chiefly for veneer.
- African cedar: Also see guarea.
- Alaska yellow cedar: A wood of the Pacific Northwest, moderately light, low in strength, highly resistant to decay, easily worked; used for interior finish and furniture.
- arbor vitae: Thuja articulata, or white cedar, with figured parts called Tigerwood and Pantherwood, used for inlay and other fine work (e.g. the retablo in Seville Cathedral).
- aromatic red cedar: An aromatic wood available from Nova Scotia west to the Dakotas and from that line south to the Gulf of Mexico; used chiefly for plywood and for lining storage closets as a deterrent measure against moths.
- latilla: Split cedar or aspen saplings which were placed perpendicular to the vigas to form a mat on which mud or tamped earth was placed to make a flat roof.
- Lebanon cedar: A wood from Europe, Asia, and Africa, yellowish brown when first cut but darkening with exposure to a rich lustrous brown with darker ring markings; used for exterior construction work and fencing.
- Philippine cedar: Also see kalanta.
- Port Orford white cedar: A wood of northern California and southern Oregon; moderately light, of moderate strength, with a fine and uniform texture; used for Venetian blinds, interior finish, and furniture.
- Spanish cedar: Woods from Central America, marketed under a wide variety of names; they belong to the mahogany family but are lighter in weight and color; fragrant and formerly found in cigar boxes; also used in furniture and veneer.
- spicy cedar: A wood from West Africa, with gray sapwood and reddish yellow to bright red heartwood; used for interior woodwork and furniture.
- western red cedar: A widely used wood from the Pacific Northwest; used, because of its resistance to decay, for siding and shingles.
- cativo: A wood from tropical America, straight-grained, moderately strong, and easily tooled; heartwood brown, thick sapwood a dingy white; used chiefly for veneer, as it is not suited to exterior use.
- cocobolo: Hard and heavy woods from South and Central America; heartwood is very variable, striped orange and deep red, the latter often showing dark veins yields a fine surface in lathe work.
- guapinol: Or West Indian locust, a cabinet wood from South and Central America, somewhat resembling both cherry and mahogany; used for veneer, construction, and furniture.
- lignumvitae: Very heavy woods of great strength, with white or yellowish sapwood and olive to dark brown heartwood, originating in the coastal regions of Central America and the West Indies. They are used for propeller-shaft bearings of ships and other machinery, pulley sheaths, caster wheels, and mallet heads.
- macaya: Also called moca or mocha; a wood from Central and South America and the West Indies which is considered one of Mexico’s potentially valuable species; coarse-textured, hard, strong, and durable, it is described as yellowish, reddish, or brown, sometimes very dark; light-colored specimens suggest hard pine, others palm wood, and some are compared to English oak; used for interior woodwork and furniture.
- moca: Also called moca or mocha; a wood rom Central and South America and the West Indies which is considered one of Mexico’s potentially valuable species… Also see mocha, macaya.
- mocha: Also called moca or mocha; a wood rom Central and South America and the West Indies which is considered one of Mexico’s potentially valuable species… Also see mocha, macaya.
- sabino: Endemic to Puerto Rico with a hard, fine-grained wood, brown in color; very scarce.
- San Domingo harewood: A wood from San Domingo and the West Indies resembling San Domingo satinwood; yellow in color with a satiny luster; used for veneer.
- yacca: Woods from the West Indies, Mexico, Central and South America; whitish or yellowish in color; fine-textured; used for flooring, furniture, and cabinetwork.
- yaqua: The royal palm, as it is called in the West Indies, used for roof thatching.
- zapota: The chicle tree of Central America, the wood of which is a deep, rich red or plum color with a hard, close texture; used where resistance to decay and rot is needed, and also for veneer.
- through check: A check that extends completely through a board or wood veneer.
- African cherry: A close-textured wood frequently used in cabinetwork, taking a high polish; heartwood light to dark reddish brown, sapwood nearly white.
- black cherry: A close-textured wood frequently used in cabinetwork, taking a high polish; heartwood light to dark reddish brown, sapwood nearly white.
- cherry: A close-textured wood frequently used in cabinetwork, taking a high polish; heartwood light to dark reddish brown, sapwood nearly white.
- chestnut: An American tree, formerly used for timber, now lacking in mature form because of the chestnut blight, a parasitic fungus.
- conifer: Any of various predominantly evergreen cone-bearing trees, as pine, fir, hemlock, and spruce.
- evergreen: Having foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year or through more than one growing season.
- kauri: Conifers with light brown or pinkish color, of Queensland and New Zealand, the long, straight-grained wood of which is useful for timber.
- monkey puzzle: Also see araucaria.
- sabine: An evergreen Eurasian shrub (Juniperus sabina) having brownish-blue seed-bearing cones and young shoots that yield an oil formerly used medicinally. 2. Any of several related plants, especially the eastern red cedar. Also see savine.
- white deal: A wood imported from the Baltic as white fir, white deal, or Norway spruce, and also from Canada, where it is called yellow spruce; a white, straight-grained, even-textured, tough, light wood used for interior construction.
- cottonwood: A light, weak wood which warps and splits easily and decays quickly in contact with the ground; used for boxes and crates and in veneer.
- cypress: A wood found in the low swamplands in southeastern USA and in the Mississippi River valley. The heartwood is particularly resistant to decay, so that the wood is used for exterior woodwork and work in contact with the ground.
- pecky cypress: Cypress having disintegrated spots, caused by a fungus attack in the standing tree, which are thought to add interest to its texture and color.
- deciduous: Shielding leaves annually or at the end of a growing season. The term is descriptive of most hardwoods and a few softwoods.
- African blackwood: A hard, close-textured, dark purple wood used chiefly for veneer. There is also an Australian blackwood of a deep, reddish brown color.
- American ebony: A wood from the West Indies; its yellow to dark-brown background is variegated or finely striped; it is exceedingly hard and takes a high polish.
- black ebony: A hard, heavy wood from India, the heartwood of which becomes black, often streaked with brown or purple, and can be highly polished.
- blackwood: Also see blackwood.
- calamander ebony: A wood from Ceylon, close-textured, hard, and of a hazel-brown color, mottled and striped with black; used in veneer and furniture.
- congowood: Also see blackwood.
- ebony: A fine-textured wood of Ceylon and India, heartwood jet black or, rarely, streaked.
- Macassar ebony: Also see marblewood.
- marblewood: An East Indian tree also known as Macassar ebony; its reseate gray-and-black wood is prized for cabinetwork and veneer.
- Mozambique ebony: Also see blackwood.
- American elm: A moderately hard, heavy, and strong wood of the eastern U.S. It is used largely for core stock.
- elm: A common hardwood.
- rock elm: A heavy, hard, and strong wood, prized for its bending qualities.
- oriental plane: A tree that grows in southeastern Europe and adjacent Asia, producing a wood that is pale yellow to light red; used for cabinetwork, furniture, and flooring.
- royal tartan: A wood from New South Wales and Queensland, brown with a red tinge which, when quartered, shows a pattern of small flecks crossed by wavy, thin lines; used for flooring, joinery, paneling, and veneer.
- rot: See dry rot.
- check: A crack in wood, caused by uneven shrinkage.
- ebonized: Wood stained and polished black to simulate ebony.
- milled: Having a serrated surface useful in circular metal forms that are to be turned by hands.
- mill-worked: Same as milled.
- sanding: Sandpapering wood to a smooth surface.
- xylotechnigraphy: Decoration of wood by staining, graining, and finishing to resemble a more expensive and finer wood, patented in England c.1871.
- Douglas fir: Found abundantly in the northwest U.S.A.; a wood of strength and density approximately equal to those of southern yellow pine; widely used for flooring, sheathing, and timber.
- silver fir: Common European wood for floorboards and joinery.
- white fir: A wood cut mainly in Idaho and California; both heartwood and sapwood a reddish tinge of white; a wood of many architectural uses.
- A-grade: A smooth, paintable softwood veneer with a limited number of neatly made repairs parallel to the grain.
- appearance grade: One of three grades of glue-laminated timber – premium, architectural, and industrial – based on surface appearance as affected by growth characteristics, wood fillers, and dressing operations.
- backing grade: A grade of hardwood veneer similar to utility grade but permitting larger defects not affecting the strength or durability of the panel.
- B-grade: A softwood veneer having a solid surface with circular repair plugs, tight knots, and minor splits permitted.
- C-grade: A softwood veneer having tight knots or knotholes of limited size, synthetic or wood repairs, and discoloration and sanding defects that do not impair the strength of the panel.
- C-plugged grade: An improved C-grade softwood veneer having smaller knots and knotholes, some broken grain, and synthetic repairs.
- D-grade: A softwood veneer having large knots and knotholes, pitch pockets, and tapering splits.
- engineered grade: The grade of a structural wood panel based on its intended use as sheathing, subflooring, or in the fabrication of box beams and stressed-skin panels.
- good grade: A grade of hardwood veneer similar to premium grade except that matching of veneer faces is not required.
- gradestamp: A trademark of the American Plywood Association (APA), stamped on the back of a structural wood panel product to identify the panel grade, thickness, span rating, exposure durability classification, mill number, and National Research Board (NRB) report number.
- N-grade: A smooth softwood veneer of all heartwood or all sapwood, free from open defects and only a few well-matched repairs.
- panel grade: The grade of a wood panel product identified by the face and back veneer grades or by its intended use.
- premium grade: The highest grade of hardwood veneer permitting only a few small burls, pin knots, and inconspicuous patches.
- sound grade: A sound, smooth hardwood veneer free of open defects but containing streaks, discoloration, patches, and small sound tight knots.
- utility grade: A hardwood veneer permitting discoloration, streaks, patches, tight knots, small knotholes and splits.
- annual ring: A concentric layer of wood produced during a single year’s growth of a temperate tree. Also called growth ring.
- close grain: Wood grain characterized by narrow, inconspicuous annual rings with little difference in pore size between springwood and summer wood.
- coarse grain: Wood grain characterized by wide, conspicuous annual rings with considerable contrast in pore size between springwood and summerwood.
- coarse texture: Wood grain having large pores. Also called open grain.
- comb grain: That face of wood in quarter-sawn boards or lumber which shows narrow, approximately parallel lines, such as are particularly clear in longleaf pine.
- comb-grain: Also see comb-grain.
- cross grain: Wood grain having the cells and fibers running transversely or diagonally to the length of a piece as a result of sawing, or irregularly as a result of a growth characteristic.
- crossgrained: Having the grain transverse or oblique to the length; used particularly of boards in which, owing to the crookedness of the log from which they are cut, the grain lies diagonally or crooked in the plane or in the width of the board, such stuff being liable to chip under the plane, and difficult to work.
- diagonal grain: Wood grain having the annual rings at an angle to the length of a piece, resulting from sawing at an angle to the axis of a log.
- edge grain: Wood grain resulting from quartersawing, having the annual rings forming an angle of 45 degrees or more with the broad faces of a piece. Also called vertical grain.
- end grain: Wood grain resulting from a cut across the grain.
- end-grain: Describing the face of a piece of timber exposed when the fibers are cut transversely.
- fine texture: Wood grain having small, closely spaced pores.
- flat grain: Wood grain resulting from plain-sawing, having the annual rings forming an angle of less than 45 degrees with the broad faces of a piece.
- growth ring: A concentric layer of wood produced during a single year’s growth of a temperate tree.
- mixed grain: Any combination of edge-grained and flat-grained lumber.
- open grain: Wood grain having large pores.
- raised grain: A dressed wood surface having the denser summerwood rising above the softer springwood.
- silver grain: In certain woods a peculiarly brilliant grain and very decorative in effect, obtained by cutting in the direction of the medullary rays; that is, by sawing the boards or planks in the direction of the radius of the section of the log. It is peculiarly attractive in oak, partly because of the openness of the other grain, with which the broad and smooth stripes of the silver grain contrast.
- slope of grain: The angle of grain relative to a line parallel to the length of a wood piece.
- straight-grain: Also see comb-grain.
- vertical grain: Wood grain resulting from quartersawing, having the annual rings forming an angle of 45 degrees or more with the broad faces of a piece.
- greenheart: A tough and durable wood from the Guianas, its color pale yellow-green to black; used for marine construction and veneer.
- black gum: Also known as sour gum, black tupelo, and pepperidge; quarter-sliced it exhibits a ribbon stripe and is used for veneer.
- blue gum: An Australian wood, pale straw yellow when freshly cut, turning on exposure to a pale brown or red background with darker reddish brown broken strips and sometimes a curly figure, for veneer.
- blue process: Also see blue process.
- gum: Also see gum.
- pepperidge: Also see black gum.
- red gum: Sweet gum, a wood from the moist lands of the lower Ohio and Mississippi basins, the southern coasts of the U.S.A., and Mexico and Central America; reddish brown heartwood and pinkish white sapwood.
- red river gum: Also see yarrah.
- water tupelo gum: A wood of the southeastern U.S.A. and the Gulf States with white sapwood and pale, brownish gray heartwood.
- yarrah: Also called red river gum; an Australian tree with hard and durable red wood, some of which bends well; used primarily for construction; also prized for underwater or underground work.
- alder: A red wood of the Pacific Coast, with heartwood and sapwood a pale, pinkish brown; used for interior work, sometimes in imitation of mahogany or walnut.
- Brazil nut: A wood resembling walnut and often used as a substitute therefor.
- butternut: A pale brown, satiny wood with soft texture, resembling American walnut in grain; used chiefly for veneer.
- chickrassi: A close-textured hardwood from India and Burma, of a golden mahogany color. Also called chittagong.
- chittagong: A close-textured hardwood from India and Burma, of a golden mahogany color. Also called chickrassi.
- Circassian: Also see French walnut.
- hardwood: Wood of the broadleaved trees – oak, maple, ash, walnut – as contrasted with softwoods of the needle-leaved trees, such as pine, spruce, hemlock, etc.
- ipil: A hardwood of the Philippines, valuable for its brown, strong, highly durable timber.
- katmon: A hardwood from the Philippines with light to dark reddish brown color; used chiefly for veneer.
- koa: A wood highly prized for veneer, also valued as timber; abundant in the Hawaiian Islands; rich red, golden brown, or brown with black lines in old trees; walnut-like uniform texture and lustrous sheen.
- pecans: Natives of the U.S.A. with heartwood reddish brown in color, with darker brown stripes, and sapwood varying from pale red to white; can be stained and finished to resemble walnut; used for interior finish, furniture, and veneer.
- Eastern hemlock: A wood from the Lake States and eastern mountain country of the U.S.A.; used chiefly for framing, sheathing, roofing, and sub-flooring; more brittle and liable to splinter than spruce.
- Western hemlock: A wood chiefly from the Pacific Coast and western Canada, straight-grained, fine-textured; used largely for framing.
- hickory: Wood found plentifully in the eastern United States and available commercially as white (sapwood) and red (heartwood), both of which are tough, hard, and strong.
- holly: A white wood of extremely close texture, used largely for inlay.
- coralwood: A yellowish wood of India and the Andamans, becoming coral color as it is cured; used in cabinetwork.
- greywood: Indian silver, a tree native to the Andaman Islands, producing two different kinds of woods, one a yellow straw color and the other a smoky yellow with rich dark streaks; it is moderately hard and heavy and works well; used extensively in England for decorative woodwork and veneer.
- gurjun: Woods from Burma, India, and the Andaman Islands, reddish brown or yellowish tan with a coarse texture and stripe figure; used chiefly for flooring.
- haldu: A wood of India, Burma, and Ceylon; bright yellow, darkening with exposure; very fine, even texture and straight or interlocked grain; used for turnery, construction, boxes, and veneer.
- jaman: A wood from India and Burma, reddish to brownish gray in color with some darker streaks; it is moderately hard, heavy, strong, and fairly durable; used for decorative paneling and for doors.
- kokko: A wood from the Adaman Islands, India, Burma, and Ceylon, its background grayish brown to golden in color, marked with black lines; used for veneer.
- sissoo: A hardwood from India in a warm brown with golden or deeper brown streaks, used for veneer.
- ivara: Also see juvara.
- dead knot: A knot having annual rings not intergrown with those of the surrounding wood. Encasement may be partial or complete, but a dead knot is considered to be a defect since it can easily loosen or be knocked out. Also called encased knot, loose knot.
- encased knot: A knot having annual rings not intergrown with those of the surrounding wood. Encasement may be partial or complete, but a dead knot is considered to be a defect since it can easily loosen or be knocked out. Also called encased knot, loose knot.
- intergrown knot: A knot having annual rings intergrown with those of the surrounding wood. Live knots are allowable in structural timber within certain size limits.
- live knot: A knot having annual rings intergrown with those of the surrounding wood. Live knots are allowable in structural timber within certain size limits. Also called intergrown knot.
- loose knot: A knot having annual rings not intergrown with those of the surrounding wood. Encasement may be partial or complete, but a dead knot is considered to be a defect since it can easily loosen or be knocked out. Also called encased knot, loose knot.
- sound knot: A knot that is solid across its face, at least as hard as the surrounding wood and undecayed.
- tight knot: A knot held firmly in place by growth or position.
- red khaya: Misleading term for the red kyaya.
- European larch: A tree found throughout northern Europe, which in England is an important softwood, exceedingly durable under all conditions.
- larch: A strong resinous softwood.
- western larch: A native of Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and southeastern Canada, the wood of which splits easily, is heavy, strong, and stiff; it is frequently logged with Douglas fir and sold as larch fir.
- mangasinoro: Also see mangasinoro.
- red lauan: Also spelled lauaan; a wood from the Philippines shading in color from light red to dark reddish brown, coarse textures; quarter-sawn it has a conspicuous ribbon stripe; used for furniture, cabinetwork, and veneer.
- white lauan: Also spelled lauaan; a tree of the Philippines, the wood of which is light to grayish brown to light reddish brown; it is fairly heavy and coarse in texture; used for furniture and cabinetwork.
- yellow lauan: Also see mangasinoro.
- afara: Also see limba.
- frake: Also see limba.
- korina: Also see limba.
- limba: A West African wood also known as afara, frake, offram, and “korina,” varying in color from pale cream to brown; used chiefly for furniture and veneer.
- offram: Also see limba.
- black locust: A tree of North America, the hard, heavy wood of which is particularly resistant to decay underground.
- West Indian locust: Also see guapinol.
- air-dried: Of or pertaining to lumber seasoned by exposure to the atmosphere.
- apa: Light brown woods that darken on exposure, several species of which are produced commercially for utility lumber of the general character of teak.
- appearance lumber: Lumber sawn or selected primarily for use as a finish material rather than for strength, graded according to natural characteristics and manufacturing imperfections.
- beams and stringers: Structural lumber of rectangular cross section, at least 5 inches (127 mm) thick and a width more than 2 inches (51 mm) greater than the thickness, graded primarily with respect to bending strength when loaded on the narrow face.
- cull lumber: Inferior material; wood of the lowest grade and not fit for usual purposes of construction. The term is used loosely in the lumber trade, the exact meaning varying in different parts of the country. Specifically, the inferior lumber not sufficiently good to be graded in one of the standard class.
- d. &. m.: Also see dressed and matched lumber…
- design value: Any of the allowable unit stresses for a species and grade of structural lumber obtained by modifying the base value by factors related to size and conditions of use.
- dimension lumber: Yard lumber from 2 to 4 inches (51 to 102 mm) thick and 2 inches or more wide.
- dimensioned lumber: Standardized framing elements of different fixed sizes.
- dressed and matched lumber: Also see d. &. m..
- dressed dimension: The dimension of lumber after seasoning and surfacing, from 3/8 to 3/4 inch (9.5 to 19.1 mm) less than the nominal dimension. A dressed size is always written with inch marks.
- dressed lumber: Lumber that is surfaced with a planing machine to attain a smooth surface and uniform size.
- dressed size: The dimension of lumber after seasoning and surfacing, from 3/8 to 3/4 inch (9.5 to 19.1 mm) less than the nominal dimension. A dressed size is always written with inch marks. Also called dressed dimension.
- face width: The width of the face of a piece of dressed and matched or shiplapped lumber, excluding the tongue or lap.
- factory lumber: Lumber sawn or selected primarily for further manufacture, graded according to the amount of usable wood that will produce cuttings of a specified size and quality. Also called shop lumber.
- framing lumber: Dimension lumber and timbers graded either by visual inspection or mechanically on the basis of strength and intended use.
- glued-laminated timber: A structural lumber product made by laminating stress-grade lumber with adhesive under controlled conditions, usually with the grain of all piles being parallel. The advantages of glued-laminated timber over dimension lumber are generally higher allowable unit stresses, improved appearance, and availability of various sectional shapes. Glue-laminated timbers may be end-jointed with scarf or finger joints to any desired length, or edge-glued for greater width or depth. Also called glulam.
- Glulam: A structural lumber product made by laminating stress-grade lumber with adhesive under controlled conditions, usually with the grain of all piles being parallel. The advantages of glued-laminated timber over dimension lumber are generally higher allowable unit stresses, improved appearance, and availability of various sectional shapes. Glue-laminated timbers may be end-jointed with scarf or finger joints to any desired length, or edge-glued for greater width or depth. Also called glulam.
- grademark: A stamp applied to each piece of lumber indicating the assigned stress grade, mill of origin, moisture content at time of manufacture, species or species group, and the grading authority.
- joists and planks: Structural lumber of rectangular cross section, from 2 to 4 inches (51 to 102 mm) thick and more than 4 inches wide, graded primarily with respect to bending strength when loaded either on the narrow face as a joist or on the wide face as a plank.
- kiln-dried: Said of lumber which has been freed of excess moisture by heating in a kiln.
- laminated veneer lumber: A structural lumber product made by bonding layers of wood veneers together under heat and pressure using a waterproof adhesive. Having the grain of all veneers run in the same longitudinal direction results in a product that is strong when edge loaded as a beam or face loaded as a plank. Laminated veneer lumber is marketed under various brand names, as Microlam, and used as headers and beams or as flanges for prefabricated wood I-joists. Abbr: LVL.
- light framing: Dimension lumber 2 to 4 inches (51 to 102 mm) thick and 2 to 4 inches wide, intended for use where high strength values are not required.
- list: In the U.S., to cut off (from boards or lumber) the list or rough edge or face beneath the bark.
- lumber: Wood in dimensioned form after being sawn from the log.
- machine rating: The grading of structural lumber by a machine that flexes a test specimen, measures its resistance to bending, calculates its modulus of elasticity, and electronically computes the appropriate stress grade, taking into account such factors as the effects of knots, slope of grain, growth rate, density, and moisture content. Also called machine stress-rating.
- matched lumber: Lumber having edges dressed and shaped to form a tongue-and-groove joint when laid edge to edge or end to end.
- Microlam: A structural lumber product made by bonding layers of wood veneers together under heat and pressure using a waterproof adhesive. Having the grain of all veneers run in the same longitudinal direction results in a product that is strong when edge loaded as a plank. Laminated veneer lumber is marketed under various brand names, as Microlam, and used as headers and beams or as flanges for prefabricated wood I-joists. Abbr.: LVL.
- millwork: Woodworking-mill product assembled at the mill.
- nominal size: The dimension of lumber before drying and surfacing, used for convenience in defining size and computing quantity. Nominal dimensions are always written without inch marks.
- oven-dry: Of or pertaining to lumber dried to a point at which no moisture can be extracted when exposed in a kiln to a temperature of 214 degrees to 221 degrees F (101 degrees to 105 degrees C).
- Parallam: A structural lumber product made by bonding long, narrow wood strands together under heat and pressure using a waterproof adhesive. Parallel strand lumber is a proprietary product marketed under the trademark, Parallam, used as beams and columns in post-and-beam construction and for beams, headers, and lintels in light frame construction. Abbr: PSL.
- parallel strand lumber: A structural lumber product made by bonding long, narrow wood strands together under heat and pressure using a waterproof adhesive. Parallel strand lumber is a proprietary product marketed under the trademark, Parallam, used as beams and columns in post-and-beam construction and for beams, headers, and lintels in light frame construction. Abbr: PSL.
- patterned lumber: Lumber dressed and shaped to a pattern or molded form.
- planks: A thick board usually between 1 1/2″ and 3 1/2″ thick and over 6″ wide.
- posts and timbers: Structural lumber of square or approximately square cross section, 5 x 5 inches or larger and a width not more than 2 inches (51 mm) greater than the thickness, graded primarily for use as columns carrying an axial load.
- puncheon: Slablike planks split or sawn from a log.
- quartered: Descriptive of lumber that is sawn from the log approximately radially.
- quarter-sawed: In lumber working, sawed into quarters longitudinally; – said of a log so cut in preparation for the subsequent making of boards which are cut at 45 degrees with the first cuts, and hence more or less parallel with medullary rays…
- rough lumber: Lumber that is sawn, edged and trimmed, but not surfaced.
- rough-hewn: Lumber left exposed in construction that looks hand-cut and is heavily textured.
- sheet piling: A line of planks, often tongued and grooved on the sides, driven endwise into the ground to protect subgrade operations.
- shop lumber: Lumber sawn or selected primarily for further manufacture, graded according to the amount of usable wood that will produce cuttings of a specified size and quality.
- size factor: A coefficient for modifying the base values of a species and grade of lumber according to the cross-sectional size of the piece.
- size-adjusted valve: A base value for a species or group of species of structural lumber, adjusted for cross-sectional size.
- softwood: Lumber of the coniferous trees as distinguished from the hardwoods.
- straight grain: That face of wood in quarter-sawn boards or lumber which shows narrow, approximately parallel lines, such as are particularly clear in longleaf pine.
- structural lumber: Dimension lumber and timbers graded either by visual inspection or mechanically on the basis of strength and intended use. Also called framing lumber.
- surfaced dry: Of or pertaining to dressed lumber having at a moisture content of 19% or less at the time of manufacture.
- surfaced green: Of or pertaining to dressed lumber having a moisture content exceeding 19% at the time of manufacture.
- timbers: Yard lumber 5 inches (127 mm) or more in the least dimension.
- turned work: Woodwork cut on a lath.
- undressed lumber: Lumber which is not planed smooth.
- visual grading: The visual examination and grading of structural lumber by trained inspectors according to quality-reducing characteristics that affect strength, appearance, durability, or utility.
- wind: A twisting warp in lumber.
- yard lumber: Softwood lumber intended for general building purposes, including boards, dimension lumber, and timbers.
- cucumber tree: Also see magnolia.
- magnolia: Southern evergreen and cucumber tree, trees of the southeastern U.S.A. frequently marketed with the lower grades of yellow poplar; used for furniture, siding, millwork.
- acajou: The French word for mahogany.
- African mahogany: Misleading term for the red kyaya.
- Brazilian mahogany: Also see jequitiba.
- Colombian mahogany: Also see jequitiba.
- Hondouras mahogany: A Central American wood.
- mahogany: Widely regarded as the premier cabinet wood of the world, based on its use through centuries. Attractive appearance of its very pale to very dark reddish brown color, ease of working, strength, and low shrinkage are outstanding properties. Commercially, three species are important: mahagoni of the West Indies; humilis of the west coast of Mexico and Central America; and macrophylla of Central and South America. The last named species produces the bulk of mahogany in the world’s markets.
- Philippine mahogany: Also see guarea.
- rose mahogany: Also see rosamay.
- hard maple: Also see hard maple, sugar maple.
- maple: Also see hard maple, sugar maple.
- aromilla: Also called nargusta; a wood from Mexico and British Honduras, light in color, with an attractive figure of wavy red-brown lines. It is hard to work on account of the cross grain and requires expert dry kilning.
- billywebb: A wood from Mexico, Central, and northern South America, light brown and lustrous; used mainly for veneer.
- nargusta: Also see aromilla.
- tachuelilla: A wood from Mexico, Costa Rica, Lesser Antilles, and South America, resembling yellow poplar with its satiny finish and ease of working; used for furniture, interior woodwork, and veneer.
- brown oak: A wood from New South Wales and Queensland, brown with a red tinge which, when quartered, shows a pattern of small flecks crossed by wavy, thin lines; used for flooring, joinery, paneling, and veneer.
- English brown oak: One of the finest woods in use for furniture, interior woodwork, and veneer; its color varies from light tan to a deep, leathery brown with black spots, similar to tortoise shell.
- lacewood: Also called silky oak; a tree that grows throughout southeastern Queensland and down into New South Wales; the wood is pink with a silver sheen, and, quarter-sliced, is used for veneer.
- oak: Hard, heavy, strong woods used for heavy framing and prized for furniture, interior trim, and flooring. There are two principal groups, white and red.
- silky oak: Also see lacewood.
- Tasmanian oak: Also see yuba.
- tulip oak: Also see royal tartan.
- Italian olive: A wood of yellowish brown color, streaked with darker markings of various shades; used largely for inlay, working smoothly to tool.
- African padauk: A close-textured wood from the west coast of Africa; the heartwood is red to dark brown with red streaks and is used quarter-sliced for veneer; it is also used for carving.
- Andaman padauk: A wood from the Andaman Islands, heartwood varying in color from yellowish pink to purplish red, darkening on exposure; strong, takes a smooth finish for cabinetwork, flooring, furniture, and veneer.
- Burma padauk: A wood from Burma, close-textured with interlocked grain, yellow or golden reddish to dark, dull red with darker brown crossbands; usually quarter-sliced for veneer.
- padauk: A wood from the Andaman Islands, heartwood varying in color from yellowish pink to purplish red, darkening on exposure; strong, takes a smooth finish for cabinetwork, flooring, furniture, and veneer.
- palmwood: Also see tepesuchil.
- pearwood: A native of Europe and Asia, long cultivated in the U.S.A., although most of the wood comes from France or Germany; almost flesh-colored with light and dark shadings; used chiefly for veneer.
- pequia: Also see pequia.
- peroba: Also see pequia.
- primavera: A wood widely dispersed in tropical America, yellowish white to light yellowish brown in color; when quarter-sliced, it produces a straight-striped or highly figured veneer.
- acle: A wood from the Philippines used for fine veneers, similar to walnut in color but with a coarser grain and irregular ribbon stripe.
- almon: A light-colored wood that darkens; from the Philippines, where it is plentiful and is used for furniture and fixtures.
- amugis: A hard, heavy, reddish brown wood from the Philippine Islands.
- angsena: Also see narra.
- apitong: A wood from the Philippine Islands, red, hard, heavy, straight-grained, and of coarse texture.
- bagtikan: A hard, heavy, coarse-textured wood from the Philippines; pale white to light red, sometimes with a slight brownish tinge.
- banaba: A Philippine wood, hard, heavy, strong, and durable; ashy rose to reddish brown in color.
- banuyo: A Philippine wood, light to dark brown in color; hard and heavy; works well for carving.
- batete: A wood from the Philippines; reddish brown turning to very dark brown with age or exposure; moderately fine texture and cross-grained.
- batikuling: A tree of the Philippine Islands supplying a light-weight light-colored wood that takes a high polish.
- bolongita: A tree of the Philippine Islands producing a reddish wood streaked with black.
- guijo: A reddish wood from the Philippines, hard and heavy, used quarter-sawn for its attractive figure in furniture and cabinet-work.
- kabiki: A tree of the Philippine Islands, the reddish brown, hard, heavy wood of which is used in building.
- kalanta: Sometimes called Philippine cedar; a red to reddish brown, light, soft wood with a strong cedar odor; used for furniture and cabinetwork.
- kalmansanai: A wood from the Philippines, yellow to bright rose red, fading when cut; used for veneer.
- kalunti: A light yellow or light grayish wood from the Philippines, used chiefly for cabinetwork and furniture, but difficult to saw.
- lauaan: Also spelled lauaan; a wood from the Philippines shading in color from light red to dark reddish brown, coarse textures; quarter-sawn it has a conspicuous ribbon stripe; used for furniture, cabinetwork, and veneer.
- lumbayao: A wood from the Philippine Islands frequently sold as Philippine mahogany; differentiated from mahogany by a decided purplish brown tinge; used for furniture and cabinetwork.
- lumbayau: A wood from the Philippine Islands frequently sold as Philippine mahogany; differentiated from mahogany by a decided purplish brown tinge; used for furniture and cabinetwork.
- malugai: A wood from the Philippines, light red to reddish brown in color, hard, and heavy; used for construction, cabinetwork, handles, furniture, and where a strong, tough wood is required for bending.
- manggasinoro: Or yellow lauan, a wood from the Philippines, yellowish white to pale brown, moderately hard and heavy, of medium fine texture, used for furniture and interior work.
- meranti: Also see seraya.
- narra: Also called sena and angsena; a wood from the Dutch East Indies and the Philippines, in a red variety and a yellow variety; moderately hard and heavy, of limited strength, fairly easy to work, takes a good polish; it is a popular cabinet wood in the Philippines.
- oro: Also called tindalo; a wood from the Philippines, hard, heavy, and strong with pale orange heartwood turning to a deep wine-red color with age; used for interior finish, floors, doors, and veneer.
- paldao: A wood from the Philippines, Indo-China, and the West Indian Archipelago, possessing a great variety of grain and figure and a wide range of color, from grayish to greenish yellow with irregular, concentric, dark brown bands; used for veneer.
- palosapis: A wood from the Philippines and British Malaya, pale yellow with a pinkish cast, used for inexpensive furniture, interior finish, and veneer.
- sena: Also see narra.
- seraya: Also called meranti, a wood from the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and Singapore, frequently marketed as Philippine mahogany; heartwood pink to purple-brown.
- supa: A wood from the Philippines, pale yellow, turning to yellowish brown with age; it is very hard and heavy, suitable for interior work and flooring.
- tanguile: A wood of the Philippines with heartwood pale to dark reddish brown with a purplish tinge; sapwood a very pale gray-brown; used for furniture, cabinetwork, and veneer.
- thingan: A wood of India, Burma, and the Andamans similar to Philippine yakals.
- tindalo: Also see oro.
- yakals: Woods from the Philippines; light-yellow-brown, hard and durable; see thingan.
- deal: English term for a commonly used pine. 2. A general term used in many parts of the world for board and plank sizes of softwoods.
- eastern white pine: The first lumber used by the early settlers in America; soft, fine-textured, easily worked; heartwood endures under exposure; now largely knotty second growth and replaced by western white pine under the names of California and Idaho pine.
- Norway pine: Also see red pine.
- Oregon pine: Found abundantly in the northwest U.S.A.; a wood of strength and density approximately equal to those of southern yellow pine; widely used for flooring, sheathing, and timber.
- ponderosa pine: A tree of the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Coast regions, with wood moderately light, rather uniform in texture, easy to work; used widely for millwork of doors, frames and sash.
- red pine: A member of the yellow-pine group, growing in Canada and the Lake states; more contrast in texture, heavier, stronger, and somewhat more resinous than the eastern white pine with which it is sold in the lower grades.
- southern yellow pine: Woods of the southeastern states, consisting chiefly of loblolly, slash, longleaf, and shortleaf; the lumber is relatively strong and dense. The wood characteristics of the species overlap according to age and growth conditions. They are well fitted for heavy and light framing and for boarding. Southern yellow pine is one of the two most extensively cut woods in the U.S.
- sugar pine: Grown in California, southern Oregon, and Mexico. Large trees yield wide and thick sizes of lumber for millwork.
- crossband: A layer of veneer immediately adjacent to and at right angles to the face piles in a plywood panel.
- decorative plywood: Hardwood-faced plywood manufactured for use as paneling or in cabinetry and furniture.
- exterior plywood: A plywood panel consisting of C-grade veneers or better, bonded with a fully waterproof glueline for permanent exposure to weather or moisture.
- group number: A number identifying one of five groups of species used for the face and back veneers of a plywood panel, the species being classified on the basis of bending strength and stiffness, with Group 1 containing the stiffest species and group 5 the least stiff.
- interior plywood: A plywood panel made with D-grade veneers or better, bonded with an exterior, intermediate, or interior glueline.
- laminate: A product made by uniting two or more layers of material by an adhesive or other means, as plywood and plastic laminate.
- laminated: Made up of thin layers, as plywood or laminated structural members; the latter maintain the direction of grain in successive layers.
- plywood: A wood panel product made by bonding veneers together under heat and pressure, usually with the grain at right angles to each other and symmetrical about the center ply.
- specialty panel: Any of various wood panel products, as grooved or rough-sawn plywood, intended for use as siding or paneling.
- stressed-skin panel: A structural panel consisting of plywood facings glued to lumber stringers, used as floor, roof, or wall member subject to bending. The plywood facings and stringers act as a series of I-beams with the plywood resisting nearly all of the bending stresses. Cross bracing may be placed to support the edges of the skin and to help distribute concentrated loads.
- support fin: Plywood cut into a shape that may be joined between a wall and roof to provide support.
- texture 1-11: An exterior plywood panel having grooves 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) deep and 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) wide, spaced 4 or 8 inches (102 or 203 mm) on center.
- tulip poplar: Also see yellow poplar.
- whitewood: Wood of the tulip tree, yellow poplar, cottonwood, or basswood trees; fine-textured and easily worked.
- yellow poplar: Also see tulip poplar.
- acclimatize: To store wood products, as millwork and flooring, in an interior space until the materials adapt to the moisture content and temperature of the new environment.
- aceitillo: A term loosely used for numerous woods.
- alburnum: The younger, softer, living portion of wood between the cambium and heartwood, comparable in strength to heartwood but usually lighter in color, more permeable, and less durable.
- cambium: The layer of cells between the bark and the wood of a tree.
- cellulose: An inert carbohydrate that is the chief constituent of the cell walls of plants and of dried woods, jute, hemp, and cotton, used in the manufacture of a wide variety of synthetic building materials.
- clear: Applied to milled wood, without knots.
- cup: A curvature across the width or face of a wood piece, measured at the point of greatest deviation from a straight line drawn from edge to edge of the piece.
- dry rot: Decomposition of wood through fungus attack.
- duramen: The heartwood of an exogenous tree trunk.
- early wood: The softer, more porous portion of an annual ring that develops early in the growing season, characterized by large thin-walled cells.
- equilibrium moisture content: The moisture content at which wood neither gains nor loses moisture when surrounded by air at a given temperature and relative humidity.
- exposure 1: An exposure durability classification for structural wood panels manufactured with an exterior glueline for use in protected construction subject to repeated wetting.
- exposure 2: An exposure durability classification for structural wood panels manufactured with an intermediate glueline for use in fully protected construction subject to a minimum of wetting.
- exposure durability: A classification of a wood panel product according to its ability to withstand exposure to weather or moisture without weakening or warping.
- fiber: One of the slender, thick-walled cells which together serve to strengthen plant tissue.
- fiber-saturation point: The stage in the drying or wetting of wood at which the cell walls are fully saturated but the cell cavities are void of water, ranging from a moisture content of 25% to 32% for commonly used species. Further drying results in shrinkage and generally greater strength, stiffness, and density of the wood.
- figure: The natural pattern in wood caused by such factors as color differences between heartwood and sapwood, or growth rings; quite often exploited ornamentally. 2. A combination of geometric elements disposed in a particular form or shape. 3. A shape or form, as determined by outlines or exterior surfaces.
- flat use factor: A coefficient for increasing the size-adjusted bending value for planking having a face width of 4 inches (102 mm) or more.
- heartwood: The mature wood at or about the center of a timber tree.
- knot: In medieval architecture, a bunch of leaves, flowers, or similar ornament, as the bosses at the intersections of ribs, and bunches of foliage in capitals. 2. An ornamental design resembling cords which are interlaced. 3. The base of a woody branch enclosed by a subsequent growth of wood in the stem from which it rises. In the structural grading of a wood piece, knots are restricted by size and location.
- late wood: The harder, darker, less porous portion of an annual ring that develops late in the growing season, characterized by compact, thick-walled cells.
- lignin: An organic substance that, with cellulose, forms the woody cell walls of plants and the cementing material between them.
- machine burn: A surface charring caused by overheating of the cutting blades or abrasive belts during shaping or finishing of a material.
- mill-dressed: Also see milled.
- moisture content: The amount of water contained in a wood piece, expressed as a percentage of the weight of the wood when oven-dry.
- oil-borne preservative: An organic chemical dissolve din a petroleum oil carrier, as pentachlorophenol or copper naphthenate, used as a wood preservative. Pentacholorophenol, the most commonly used oil-borne preservative, has a persistent odor, is insolube in water, and is highly toxic not only to fungi and insects but also to humans and plants.
- out of wind: A bend, twist, or crook, such as occurs in some timber in drying.
- phloem: A layer of tissue that carries food from the leaves to the growing parts of a tree. Also called inner bark.
- pitch pocket: A well-defined opening between the annual rings of a softwood, containing or having once contained solid or liquid pitch.
- pith: The soft, central core about which first growth takes place in a newly formed stem.
- pore: One of the relatively large vertical cells for conducting sap, especially in hardwood trees.
- ray: One of the vertical bands of transverse cells that radiate between pith and bark for the storage and horizontal conduction of nutrients.
- resin canal: A tubular, intercellular space in a woody stem that secretes resins, especially in conifers.
- resin duct: A tubular, intercellular space in a woody stem that secretes resins, especially in conifers. Also called resin canal.
- sap: The vital fluid of water, nitrogen, and mineral nutrients that circulates through a plant.
- sapwood: That portion of a tree just beneath the bark, consisting of the young growth.
- skip: An area on the surface of a board or panel missed by a planing machine.
- span rating: A number specifying the maximum recommended center-to-center spacing in inches of the supports for a structural wood panel spanning with its long dimension across three or more supports.
- springwood: The softer, more porous portion of an annual ring that develops early in the growing season, characterized by large, thin-walled cells. Also called early wood.
- summerwood: The harder, darker, less porous portion of an annual ring that develops late in the growing season, characterized by compact, thick-walled cells. Also called late wood.
- tracheid: One of the elongated, supporting and conductive cells in woody tissue, having tapering closed ends and lignified walls oriented parallel to the axis of a tem or branch.
- twist: A warp resulting from the turning of the edges of a wood piece in opposite directions.
- vessel: A tubular structure of woody tissue for conducting water and mineral nutrients, formed by the fusion and loss of end walls in a series of connected cells.
- wane: The bevel or feather edge on a board or plank sawn from an unsquared log, the bevel being a part of the natural curvature of its surface. 2. The presence of bark or absence of wood at a corner or along an edge of a piece.
- wet use factor: A coefficient for decreasing the size-adjusted values for wood members when their moisture content will likely exceed 19% in use.
- wood: The cellulose substance inside the bark of trees, cut into lumber and veneer for many uses in building.
- xylem: The woody tissue of a tree that provides support and conducts water and mineral nutrients upward from the roots.
- alerce: A wood from Chile which somewhat resembles California redwood and is used for carpentry and furniture.
- redwood: A tree of California, the lightweight, reddish wood of which is quite decay resistant and is used in building for both exterior and interior work, and for structural timber.
- African rosewood: Also see bubinga.
- Australian rosewood: Also see rosamay.
- Brazilian rosewood: A hard, close-textured wood, of dark purple or red to tawny shades; highly prized for cabinetwork and useful as veneer.
- bubinga: Also called African rosewood, a hard, heavy wood from West Africa, with pink or red strips against a red-brown background; used chiefly for veneer.
- East Indian rosewood: A wood varying widely in color, from dark purple and almost black through many shades of red into yellow; used for furniture and veneer.
- rosamay: Known also as Australian rosewood and rose mahogany; a wood from Australia suggesting mahogany, with its fine texture; is easily worked and with some fragrance; used for fine cabinetwork.
- iliahi: A tree of Polynesia, known in commerce as the yellow sandalwood.
- aboudikro: Also see sapele.
- sapele: Also see aboudikro.
- Brazilian satinwood: A wood from Brazil, frequently substituted for the satinwood from Ceylon or San Domingo; bright golden yellow in color; hard; texture medium, uniform; used for veneer.
- Ceylon satinwood: An East Indian tree valued for use in fine cabinetwork and veneer; pale golden color with lighter ripple.
- satinwood: A term loosely used for numerous woods.
- West Indian satinwood: Also see aceitillo.
- bastard-saw: To saw a squared log into boards with evenly spaced parallel cuts.
- crosscut: A cut made across the grain of wood.
- gang-sawn: Adjective descriptive of a moderately smooth granular surface of building stone that results from the gang sawing alone.
- half-round slicing: The slicing of a flitch mounted off-center in the lathe, slightly across the annual rings, producing characteristics of both rotary cutting and flat slicing.
- hand-hewn: Hewn or shaped by hand using tools such as axes or adzes.
- pit sawn: Wood that has been cut into boards with a large, two-man saw, one of the men working in a pit.
- plain-saw: To saw a squared log into boards with evenly spaced parallel cuts. Also called bastard-saw.
- quartersaw: To saw quartered logs approximately at right angles to the annual rings.
- quarter-sawn: Descriptive of lumber that is sawn from the log approximately radially.
- quartersawn oak: At the sawmill, the log is first split into four quarters, then cut on the diagonal from the center of the tree out toward the edges. Quartersawn Oak, a material little used today, is one of the hallmarks of the Arts & Crafts and Prairie styles.
- rift cutting: The slicing of oak and similar species perpendicular to the conspicuous, radiating rays, so as to minimize their appearance.
- rip: In sawing lumber, to saw with the grain. Also called ripsaw.
- ripsaw: To saw wood in the direction of the grain.
- sawed wood: Wood characterized by teeth marks which may be parallel and straight, or crescent-shaped.
- split wood: Cut by a froe and maul along its grain.
- air wood: Wood seasoned by long exposure to the open air, as distinguished from wood that has been dried by artificial heat.
- preservative: Any of various substances for coating or impregnating wood in order to protect it against wood-destroying fungi and insects.
- seasoned: Applied to wood or timber, dried (not necessarily by kiln) and hardened by aging after being cut.
- working: To alternate swelling and shrinkage of seasoned wood occurring with changes in moisture content caused by changes in relative humidity of the surrounding air.
- handsplit-and-resawn shake: A tapersplit shake having a split face and a sawn back.
- shake: A thick shingle formed by splitting a short log into a number of tapered radial sections. 2. A separation along the grain of a wood piece, usually between the annual rings caused by stresses on a tree while standing or during felling.
- shakes: Split wood shingle.
- straightsplit shake: A handsplit shake of uniform thickness.
- tapersplit shake: A handsplit shake tapered by reversing the block with each split.
- wood shakes: Handcut wood shingles. Shakes can be distinguished from shingles in that shakes are not tapered and usually have more irregular surfaces. Their length varies from 12 inches to over three feet.
- arrowwood: Slender twigs and branches used in earthen structures of Native Americans.
- assis: In ancient Roman construction, a flat board or plank.
- baku: Also see makore.
- balaustre: Also see arariba.
- bastard cut: Sawed from a log longitudinally by parallel cuts in regular sequence from one side to the other. Said of a board or plank so cut.
- bent saplings: Wood that is shaped to provide structure, common in Native American structures.
- hewn: A wood, roughly dressed by ax or adze; of stone, cut to form by mallet and chisel.
- hewn wood: Wood squared by a broadax and an adz along its faces.
- latillas: Split cedar or aspen saplings which were placed perpendicular to the vigas to form a mat on which mud or tamped earth was placed to make a flat roof.
- log: Type of construction in which walls are formed of straight tree-trunks each placed horizontally on top of another, overlapping at the corners of the building. Joints were filled with mud, dung, moss, etc. 2. A length of trunk or large limb of a felled tree, ready for sawing.
- logs: Felled trees used as the primary member in log construction.
- Masonite: Trade name for a compo board.
- ply: Lamination, twist, fold, as three-ply.
- ply-wood: Board composed of three or more thin layers of wood bonded (glued) together with the grain of adjacent layers running at right angles to their neighbors to give increased strength and resistance to warping.
- puncheons: Slablike planks split or sawn from a log.
- quarter cut: Same as quarter-sawed.
- reeper: In the East, a piece split lengthwise from the fibrous trunk of a palm tree, used for building purposes. By extension, a wall or screen made with a succession of such sections.
- sarking: In Scotland and the north of England, thin boards for lining, sheathing, etc.
- scantling: A piece of wood cut to a certain size or the size to which a piece of wood is cut.
- slab: The outside lengthwise cut of a log. 2. A thick plate of material, as a slab of stone, concrete, or glass.
- squared log: A balk.
- stick: A long piece of wood, as a stick of timber.
- timber: Large, squared wooden members used as the frame in a post and girt – or timber frame – house.
- uphers: Fir poles, 4 to 7 inches in diameter and 20 to 40 feet long, sometimes roughly hewn, used in England for scaffolding, and occasionally, when split, for slight and common roofs.
- longitudinal shrinkage: Wood shrinkage parallel to the grain, about 2% of radial shrinkage.
- radial shrinkage: Wood shrinkage perpendicular to the grain, across the growth rings.
- tangential shrinkage: Wood shrinkage in a direction tangent to the growth rings, about double that of radial shrinkage.
- letterwood: Also see snakewood.
- amaranth: A South American wood, used for fine veneers, having a dull brown color that oxidizes when cut to a rich purple, and a mottle figure.
- andiroba: A South American wood used for veneer, having the red-brown color of mahogany and a stripe figure when quarter-sawn.
- arariba: A Brazilian wood, commonly called balaustre or canarywood in the U.S.A. Of yellow or orange color, changing to red or brown, often variegated with red or black streaks.
- bethabara: Woods from South America that are hard, brown, and oily, and resemble teak; used mainly for timber.
- canaletta: A hard, dense wood from tropical America having a tobacco or reddish brown color with brown or black streaks, affording attractive veneer.
- carapa: Also see andiroba.
- copaiba: Reddish brown, dark-streaked, lustrous woods from Central and South America; used chiefly for cabinetwork.
- crabwood: Also see andiroba.
- ibiraro: A wood from Argentina, light pinkish brown, depending on exposure, with occasional black stripes; it is hard, heavy, strong, and durable, suggesting mahogany; used for cabinetwork and veneer.
- ivorywood: White to pale yellow-brown wood from South America, sometimes with a slight greenish tinge; it is hard, heavy, tough, and strong but not durable; used for cabinetwork and lathe work.
- kelobra: A wood from Central and South America having a brown background with a slight greenish or reddish tinge, and a coarse texture, which in crotch cutting is prized for veneer.
- muiraquatiara: Also see canarywood.
- pekea: Trees of tropical America, the yellowish or grayish wood of which is valued for timber.
- purpleheart: Also see amaranth.
- satinee: A wood from South America, of a rich red, medium texture, not difficult to work; it takes a good polish and is used for veneer.
- snakewood: Also called letterwood, a wood from northern South America to southern Mexico, reddish brown streaked with black lines, very hard and heavy; used for veneer and inlay.
- virola: Also called banak; woods of tropical America, pale to deep reddish brown, frequently with a purplish hue; used chiefly for veneer.
- Canadian spruce: Whitish softwood used in joinery and for structural timbers.
- European spruce: A wood imported from the Baltic as white fir, white deal, or Norway spruce, and also from Canada, where it is called yellow spruce; a white, straight-grained, even-textured, tough, light wood used for interior construction.
- spruce: An important wood with a number of species, including eastern spruce, and Engelmann spruce, and Sitka spruce, of which the Sitka is in wide use a strong, light, shock-resisting wood used for interior and exterior finish, siding, and general construction.
- American plane: Also see American sycamore.
- American sycamore: Also called buttonwood or American plane tree; a tree of southern Ontario and the eastern U.S.A., south to Florida and Texas, the hard, reddish brown wood of which develops, in veneer, small flakes more numerous than in quartered oak.
- buttonwood: Also see sycamore.
- English harewood: Called sycamore in England; a wood that is dyed to many colors; used for furniture and veneer.
- sycamore: Also see sycamore.
- angelique: A heavy wood, resembling teak, from British, French, and Dutch Guiana, red-brown in color, clean and even in grain, moderately hard, tough, strong, elastic, and not difficult to work.
- teak: An East Indian tree, the wood of which is dark, heavy, and durable; used chiefly for fine flooring, decking, greenhouses, furniture, and interior finish.
- bonjon: Also see tepesuchil.
- tepesuchil: Also called laurel, palmwood, bonjon, a wood from tropical America, yellowish to brown, and resembling American walnut in color and density; texture uniform; used for furniture and interior finish.
- benin: Also see tigerwood, African walnut.
- lovoa: Also see tigerwood.
- creosote: An oily liquid of aromatic hydrocarbons obtained by the distillation of coal tar, used as a wood preservative for marine installations or for severe exposures to wood-destroying fungi and insects. Creosote and creosote solutions have a penetrating odor and render wood unpaintable.
- empty-cell process: A process for pressure-treating wood in which the pressure of the entering preservative entraps air in the wood fibers, which expands when the pressure is released to expel excess preservative from the cell cavities. The empty-cell process yields a drier product while ensuring deep, uniform penetration of the preservative.
- fire-retardant wood: Wood treated with mineral salts impregnated under pressure to reduce flammability or combustibility. The salts react chemically at temperatures below the ignition point of wood, causing the combustible vapors normally generated in the wood to break down into water and carbon dioxide.
- full-cell process: A process for pressure-treating wood in which a vacuum is first drawn to remove air from the wood fibers and allow the preservative to be absorbed by the cell walls, after which pressure is applied to force additional preservative into the cell cavities. The full-cell process leaves the maximum amount of preservative in the wood.
- kyanise: To make wood decay-resistant by impregnation with mercuric chloride.
- non-pressure-treated wood: Wood coated, dipped, or impregnated with a preservative under atmospheric pressure.
- pressure-treated wood: Wood impregnated with chemicals applied under pressure to reduce its resistance to decay and insect infestation.
- treated wood: Wood that has been coated or impregnated with chemicals to improve its resistance to decay, insect infestation, or fire.
- vacuum process: A non-pressure treatment in which a vacuum or partial vacuum exhausts air from the cells and pores of the wood while atmospheric pressure forces preservative into the wood.
- water-borne preservative: An inorganic, water-soluble compound, as ammoniacal copper arsenite (ACA) or chromated copper arsenite (CCA), used as a wood preservative. ACA and CCA affix chemically to the wood cell walls and is resistant to leaching. The copper acts as a fungicide while the arsenate is toxic to wood-destroying insects. Wood treated with ACA and CCA is odorless and paintable.
- tooart: Also see tuart.
- tuart: A tree of Australia, the light yellow wood of which has a fine texture and interlocked grain and is very tough and dense; contains much tannin; used for ties and vehicles.
- black tupelo: Also see black gum.
- water tupelo: Also see gum.
- bird’s-eye: A group of grain patterns visible in many veneers, particularly in maple.
- Compreg: Trade name for wood veneers impregnated with resin, dried, stacked, and cured under heat and pressure, making a hard, dense board.
- crotch veneer: Veneer cut from the crotch of a tree, revealing unusual grain patterns.
- flat slicing: The longitudinal slicing of a half-log parallel to a line through its center, producing a veneer having a variegated wavy figure. Also called plain slicing.
- flitch: A bundle of veneer sheets in sequence as they were sliced from the log. 2. A log made ready for cutting into veneer. 3. A longitudinal section of a log to be cut into veneers.
- four-piece butt match: A method of cutting and piecing four adjacent, square-cut pieces of wood veneer so that a diamond pattern results at the center.
- Impreg: Trade name for wood veneers impregnated with resin, dried, stacked, and cured under low pressure.
- plain slicing: The longitudinal slicing of a half-log parallel to a line through its center, producing a veneer having a variegated wavy figure.
- quarter slicing: The longitudinal slicing of a quarter log perpendicular to the annual rings, producing a series of straight or varied strips in the veneer.
- rotary cutting: The rotating of a log against the cutting edge of a knife in a lathe, producing a continuous veneer with a bold, variegated ripple figure.
- veneer grade: A grade defining the appearance of a veneer in terms of growth characteristics and the number and size of repairs that may be made during manufacture.
- African walnut: A golden brown wood with dark streaks; used for furniture, veneers, gunstocks, and inlaying.
- American black walnut: A hard, dark brown wood used chiefly for furniture and interior trim. It is the traditional material for gunstocks and is available for other architectural uses in limited supply.
- Brazilian walnut: Also see imbuia.
- California walnut: Woods of California which produce veneers of tannish brown with prominent black and white stripes and black spots.
- French walnut: Also see French walnut.
- oriental wood: Also called Queensland walnut; an Australian wood varying in color from brown to gray or black, with pink streaks and a pinkish cast; used for veneer.
- Queensland walnut: An Australian wood varying in color from brown to gray or black, with pink streaks and a pinkish cast; used for veneer.
- abura: A West African wood used for veneers, having a light brown color with a pink tinge.
- agba: A wood from West Africa, used for veneers, having a pale, cedar-brown color and resembling mahogany.
- apaya: Also see avodire.
- avodire: A West African wood also called apaya; used as lumber and for fine veneers, its color ranging from paper white to a light, golden cream shade; fine-textured, strongly figured.
- ayan: Also called movingui; a wood from West Africa, the light background resembling satinwood but with a more open grain; used chiefly for veneer.
- ayous: A west African wood, known as obeche and by many other names; a clean, creamy white wood with a fairly open, uniform grain; weathers to a light brownish yellow; used for fine veneer.
- bosse: A wood from West Africa, sold under many names, such as “pink mahogany” and “African cedar”; sapwood pinkish white, heartwood pink to light mahogany with a veined or curly appearance; aromatic scent when freshly sawn; used for furniture, flooring, and interior woodwork, also veneer.
- celtis: A West African wood with sapwood and heartwood a light yellow, hard grained and fine textured; used for furniture, cabinetwork and flooring.
- chenchen: A wood from West Africa, useful for its white to yellowish gray veneer, which has a good stripe.
- dahoma: A wood from West Africa; straw-colored sapwood and light to golden brown heart-wood; a durable, moderately hard, termite-resistant wood.
- danta: A wood from West Africa with sapwood of pinkish yellow and heartwood reddish brown, lustrous, fine-textured, hard, and tough; its architectural use is in veneer.
- ekki: A wood from West Africa with dark red to chocolate-brown heartwood, speckled; extremely hard, heavy, and coarse in texture; used for outdoor construction and flooring.
- emeri: A wood from West Africa, used chiefly for veneer; pale yellow to light brown in color. Also called ireme, idiabo.
- guarea: A wood from West Africa, sold under many names, such as “ink mahogany” and “African cedar”; sapwood pinkish white, heartwood pink to light mahogany with a veined or curly appearance; aromatic scent when freshly sawn; used for furniture, flooring, and interior woodwork, also veneer.
- idiabo: A wood from West Africa, used chiefly for veneer; pale yellow to light brown in color. Also called ireme, emeri.
- ireme: Also called idiabo; a wood from West Africa, used chiefly for veneer; pale yellow to light brown in color. Also see emeri.
- iroko: One of the most useful woods of West Africa; of light yellow-brown color, becoming darker with exposure to air; rather cross-grained and does not readily split; used for construction, railway ties, and veneer.
- movingui: Also see ayan.
- opepe: A wood from West Africa, with yellowish or pinkish sapwood and orange to golden yellow heartwood, darkening slightly upon exposure; texture coarse, grain frequently interlocked, hard, moderately heavy; used for flooring, furniture, panels, and veneer.
- zebrano: A wood from West Africa which, quarter-sawn, gives a veneer of light straw-colored background with parallel dark brown stripes; heavy, hard texture somewhat coarse.
- zebrawood: A wood from West Africa which, quarter-sawn, gives a veneer of light straw-colored background with parallel dark brown stripes; heavy, hard texture somewhat coarse.
- zingana: A wood from West Africa which, quarter-sawn, gives a veneer of light straw-colored background with parallel dark brown stripes; heavy, hard texture somewhat coarse.
- European yew: A wood from Europe and Asia, the sapwood almost white and the heartwood bright tan, becoming a warm brown upon exposure; may form burls; used chiefly for veneer.
- stringybark: Also see yuba.
- yuba: An Australian tree, also called stringybark, messmate, and Tasmanian oak; light tan to golden brown in color; straight-grained and well patterned for veneer; it is also used for interior finish and flooring.
material / wood / Brazilian
material / wood / burl
material / wood / cedar
material / wood / Central America
material / wood / check
material / wood / cherry
material / wood / chestnut
material / wood / coniferous
material / wood / cottonwood
material / wood / cypress
material / wood / deciduous
material / wood / ebony
material / wood / elm
material / wood / European
material / wood / fault
material / wood / finish
material / wood / fir
material / wood / grade
material / wood / grain
material / wood / greenheart
material / wood / gum
material / wood / hardwood
material / wood / hemlock
material / wood / hickory
material / wood / holly
material / wood / India
material / wood / juvara
material / wood / knot
material / wood / kyaya
material / wood / larch
material / wood / lauan
material / wood / limba
material / wood / locust
material / wood / lumber
material / wood / magnolia
material / wood / mahogany
material / wood / maple
material / wood / Mexican
material / wood / oak
material / wood / olive
material / wood / padauk
material / wood / palmwood
material / wood / pearwood
material / wood / pequia
material / wood / Philippines
material / wood / pine
material / wood / plywood
material / wood / poplar
material / wood / property
material / wood / redwood
material / wood / rosewood
material / wood / sandalwood
material / wood / sapele
material / wood / satinwood
material / wood / sawn
material / wood / seasoned
material / wood / shake
material / wood / shape
material / wood / shrinkage
material / wood / snakewood
material / wood / South American
material / wood / spruce
material / wood / sycamore
material / wood / teak
material / wood / tepesuchil
material / wood / tigerwood
material / wood / treated
material / wood / tuart
material / wood / tupelo
material / wood / veneer
material / wood / walnut
material / wood / West African
material / wood / yew
material / wood / yuba
Also see Architecture index.
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