Green moisture content, fiber saturation point, shrinkage and dimensional stability for 60 timber species — the numbers that govern drying, movement and joinery.
Wood is hygroscopic: it gains and loses moisture with the surrounding air, and it shrinks or swells as it does. Above the fiber saturation point (FSP, typically 26–30%) wood is dimensionally stable; below it, every change in moisture moves the wood. The T/R ratio (tangential ÷ radial shrinkage) predicts cupping and distortion — values near 1.5 are stable, above 2.0 are prone to movement.
| Species ↕ | Green MC ↕ | FSP ↕ | Radial Shrink ↕ | Tangential Shrink ↕ | T/R Ratio ↕ | Stability ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PaulowniaPaulownia tomentosa | 100% | 30% | 2.2% | 4.0% | 1.82 | Good |
| Sugi Japanese CedarCryptomeria japonica | 100% | 30% | 1.8% | 4.2% | 2.33 | Poor (warp-prone) |
| Spruce-Pine-Fir SPFPicea / Pinus / Abies spp. | 95% | 30% | 4.4% | 7.4% | 1.68 | Excellent |
| Hem-FirTsuga / Abies spp. | 95% | 28% | 4.4% | 7.6% | 1.73 | Good |
| Norway SprucePicea abies | 95% | 30% | 3.7% | 7.8% | 2.11 | Moderate |
| Kail Blue PinePinus wallichiana | 90% | 30% | 2.5% | 5.2% | 2.08 | Moderate |
| Southern Yellow PinePinus spp. (P. palustris, P. taeda) | 90% | 28% | 5.4% | 7.7% | 1.43 | Excellent |
| Western HemlockTsuga heterophylla | 90% | 28% | 4.2% | 7.8% | 1.86 | Good |
| Western Red CedarThuja plicata | 90% | 28% | 2.4% | 5.0% | 2.08 | Moderate |
| Scots PinePinus sylvestris | 90% | 28% | 4.0% | 7.7% | 1.93 | Good |
| Hinoki CypressChamaecyparis obtusa | 90% | 30% | 2.0% | 4.5% | 2.25 | Moderate |
| Mango WoodMangifera indica | 85% | 28% | 3.6% | 6.0% | 1.67 | Excellent |
| Douglas FirPseudotsuga menziesii | 85% | 28% | 4.8% | 7.6% | 1.58 | Excellent |
| European LarchLarix decidua | 85% | 28% | 3.3% | 7.8% | 2.36 | Poor (warp-prone) |
| Sweet ChestnutCastanea sativa | 80% | 28% | 4.3% | 6.4% | 1.49 | Excellent |
| African MahoganyKhaya ivorensis | 80% | 28% | 3.0% | 5.0% | 1.67 | Excellent |
| Deodar CedarCedrus deodara | 75% | 30% | 2.0% | 4.5% | 2.25 | Moderate |
| European BeechFagus sylvatica | 75% | 28% | 5.8% | 11.8% | 2.03 | Moderate |
| Silver BirchBetula pendula | 75% | 29% | 5.3% | 7.8% | 1.47 | Excellent |
| Meranti Red LauanShorea spp. | 75% | 28% | 3.0% | 7.5% | 2.50 | Poor (warp-prone) |
| IrokoMilicia excelsa | 75% | 27% | 2.8% | 3.8% | 1.36 | Excellent |
| Yellow BirchBetula alleghaniensis | 72% | 29% | 7.3% | 9.5% | 1.30 | Excellent |
| Rubber WoodHevea brasiliensis | 70% | 28% | 2.3% | 5.1% | 2.22 | Moderate |
| Bamboo Structural EngineeredBambusa / Dendrocalamus spp. | 70% | 30% | 4.0% | 8.0% | 2.00 | Moderate |
| Black WalnutJuglans nigra | 70% | 28% | 5.5% | 7.8% | 1.42 | Excellent |
| American CherryPrunus serotina | 70% | 28% | 3.7% | 7.1% | 1.92 | Good |
| European OakQuercus robur | 70% | 28% | 4.6% | 11.0% | 2.39 | Good |
| SapeleEntandrophragma cylindricum | 70% | 27% | 4.6% | 7.4% | 1.61 | Excellent |
| NeemAzadirachta indica | 65% | 28% | 3.4% | 6.2% | 1.82 | Good |
| Hard MapleAcer saccharum | 65% | 29% | 4.8% | 9.9% | 2.06 | Moderate |
| White AshFraxinus americana | 65% | 28% | 4.9% | 7.8% | 1.59 | Excellent |
| KeruingDipterocarpus spp. | 65% | 27% | 5.2% | 10.9% | 2.10 | Good |
| TeakTectona grandis | 60% | 28% | 2.6% | 5.3% | 2.04 | Moderate |
| GarapaApuleia leiocarpa | 60% | 27% | 4.6% | 8.2% | 1.78 | Good |
| Burma Teak Premium GradeTectona grandis | 58% | 27% | 2.5% | 5.0% | 2.00 | Moderate |
| Indian RosewoodDalbergia latifolia | 55% | 26% | 2.7% | 5.8% | 2.15 | Moderate |
| Shisham SissooDalbergia sissoo | 55% | 26% | 3.0% | 6.0% | 2.00 | Moderate |
| MassarandubaManilkara bidentata | 55% | 25% | 6.3% | 9.4% | 1.49 | Excellent |
| MerbauIntsia bijuga | 55% | 26% | 2.7% | 4.6% | 1.70 | Good |
| BalauShorea spp. | 55% | 26% | 3.5% | 6.5% | 1.86 | Good |
| WengeMillettia laurentii | 55% | 26% | 4.8% | 8.1% | 1.69 | Excellent |
| JarrahEucalyptus marginata | 55% | 26% | 4.6% | 6.6% | 1.43 | Excellent |
| Spotted GumCorymbia citriodora | 55% | 25% | 4.0% | 6.0% | 1.50 | Excellent |
| SalShorea robusta | 50% | 27% | 4.0% | 7.5% | 1.88 | Good |
| Ipe LapachoHandroanthus serratifolius | 50% | 25% | 6.6% | 8.0% | 1.21 | Excellent |
| CumaruDipteryx odorata | 50% | 25% | 4.5% | 7.2% | 1.60 | Excellent |
| BangkiraiShorea laevis | 50% | 26% | 3.8% | 7.0% | 1.84 | Good |
| EbonyDiospyros ebenum | 45% | 25% | 5.5% | 6.5% | 1.18 | Excellent |
| African BlackwoodDalbergia melanoxylon | 40% | 24% | 2.9% | 4.8% | 1.66 | Excellent |
| Lignum VitaeGuaiacum officinale | 35% | 23% | 4.0% | 6.5% | 1.62 | Excellent |
| Thermowood Pine ThermoDPinus sylvestris | 12% | 14% | 1.2% | 2.5% | 2.08 | Moderate |
| Thermowood Spruce ThermoDPicea abies | 12% | 14% | 1.0% | 2.2% | 2.20 | Moderate |
| Thermowood Oak ThermoDQuercus robur | 12% | 15% | 1.8% | 3.5% | 1.94 | Good |
| Thermowood Birch ThermoDBetula pubescens | 12% | 15% | 1.6% | 3.0% | 1.88 | Good |
| Thermowood Ash ThermoDFraxinus excelsior | 12% | 15% | 1.7% | 3.2% | 1.88 | Good |
| Thermowood Larch ThermoDLarix decidua | 12% | 14% | 1.3% | 2.8% | 2.15 | Moderate |
| Thermowood Radiata Pine ThermoDPinus radiata | 12% | 14% | 1.2% | 2.6% | 2.17 | Moderate |
| Accoya Acetylated Radiata PinePinus radiata | 12% | 12% | 0.7% | 1.5% | 2.14 | Moderate |
| Thermowood Siberian Larch ThermoDLarix sibirica | 12% | 14% | 1.4% | 2.9% | 2.07 | Moderate |
| Thermowood Western Red Cedar ThermoDThuja plicata | 12% | 14% | 1.0% | 2.0% | 2.00 | Moderate |
