Did you know wood moves? Well actually it expands and contracts depending on the humidity in the air. You see wood is hygroscopic… meaning it is a substance that can gain for loose water depending on the surrounding air’s humidity. So, again varying levels of moisture in the air surrounding the wood can cause it to shrink or expand.

This post IS sponsored by Wagner Meters. All opinions are my own. This post DOES contain affiliate links. For more information on my affiliate programs, see my DISCLOSURES.

Why is this important? Well you don’t want to build a piece of furniture with wet wood and then have it shrink and possibly crack or warp after you put in all your time and effort making it. So, how do you build furniture with wood that that won’t happen to? Well, you ensure that the wood is within 2% of the equilibrium moisture content where you are going to use it.

What’s the equilibrium moisture content or EMC? It is the moisture content at which point hygroscopic material (i.e. WOOD) is neither gaining nor losing moisture.

How do you measure the EMC and the moisture content in wood?

How do you measure the EMC and the moisture content in wood? With a moisture meter!

Wagner Meters Orion 950 is a top of line model that can not only figure out the EMC where you are located, but it has a large sensor giving you more accurate readings every time. It can measure the moisture content in wood 1/4” to 1 1/2” thick and is adjustable depending on the the species of wood you are measuring.

On average, ideal moisture levels are between 6-8% but can vary depending on the EMC where you live. For more information on this meter and all the others Wagner offers… click here!

What if your wood is too wet?

Okay, so what if your wood is too wet? You wait. Just like I am sure you have heard of wood flooring having to sit in the space it is going to be installed for at least 48 hours before. That is so that the wood can acclimate to the surroundings. You wouldn’t want to install a wet flooring into a house that is dry and then the wood shrinks and you have gaps everywhere. Furniture making is similar, but to help you can buy wood that has been kiln dried.

What about the changing of the seasons?

What about the changing of the seasons? Doesn’t the moisture in the air change with them? Won’t that cause my wood to shrink and expand? Yes, yes it will. So when building or assembling your furniture you want to also make sure that you build it in a way that the wood moves together and/or leave room for the wood to move.

When attaching table tops to table bases you want to use fasteners like z-clips. They are installed into a slot in the table apron and secured to the top. The part that is in the slot can move freely as the top expands and shrinks with the seasons or the humidity in the air. I make my slots with my biscuit joiner, but you could also rip a kerf slot with a table saw as well.

TO WATCH ME BUILD THIS COFFEE TABLE, WATCH HERE!

If you were to just screw the top directly to the base, with say pocket holes, the wood would crack or warp eventually if the humidity in the air were to change causing the wood to expand.

To Recap

When building furniture, be sure to use wood that is dried within 2% of the EMC where you live. Or rule of thumb is 6-8% moisture. Again, you can get a moisture meter to help easily check wood before buying it.

And second, use proper building techniques to allow the wood to move with seasonal moisture difference.

The are other factors to wood movement, like grain direction, but you do these two things and your will give your furniture the best chance for a long beautiful life.

I hope this was helpful, but if you have any questions… please ask them below.

Thank you for following my building journey…. and remember Build LOUD, Build WILD and have an AWESOME day!

Sadie

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