Category: Glossary of Terms -H

A substance that can absorb and retain moisture, or lose or throw off moisture. Wood and wood products are hygroscopic. They expand with absorption of moisture and their dimensions become smaller when moisture is lost or thrown off.

The tendency of wood to absorb and expel moisture as humidity levels change.

Having a strong tendency to repel water.

Having a strong tendency to bind or absorb water.

Brown to reddish-brown color. Heartwood tends to be light to medium brown, with a reddish hue; sapwood is a paler yellowish brown. Grain is usually straight, though occasionally wavy, with a medium texture. On average, Hickory is denser, stiffer, and harder than either White Oak or Hard Maple.Pre-boring for nailing is required. Used for flooring,…

Creamy white with a reddish tinge. The heartwood tends to be a darker reddish brown. Grain is generally straight, but may be wavy. Has a fine, even texture. High bending and crushing strength. Difficult to work with. Used for Flooring, veneer, paper (pulpwood), musical instruments, cutting boards, butcher blocks, workbenches, baseball bats, and other turned…

Hardwood is a type of flooring made from the wood of deciduous trees that have broad leaves. Species of hardwood include cherry, maple, oak and poplar.

That property of the wood species or dried film of finishing material that causes it to withstand denting or being marked when pressure is exerted on its surface by an outside object or force. Values are given in Newtons (N) and are a measure of the load required to embed an 11.3mm ball to one…

An instrument for used to measure relative humidity.

The amount of water vapor in the air.