Engineering ToolBox - Resources, Tools and Basic Information for Engineering and Design of Technical Applications!

This is an AMP page - Open full page! for all features.

Search is the most efficient way to navigate the Engineering ToolBox!

Wood Species - Moisture Content and Weight

Sponsored Links

The amount of bounded water in wood is determined by the relative humidity (RH) of the surrounding atmosphere. The water content changes slowly as the relative humidity of the surrounding air changes.

Typical density values for fresh green wood versus air-dried seasoned wood:

For full table - rotate the screen!

Fresh and Dried Wood Species - Moisture Content and Weight
Wood SpeciesFresh Green WoodAir-dried Seasoned Wood
(20% moisture content per weight unit)
Specific GravityDensity
(lb/ft3)

Weight per Cord
(lb/cord)

Specific GravityDensity
(lb/ft3)

Weight per Cord
(lb/cord)

Afromosia       0.71 44  
Alder 0.72 45 3604 0.45 28 2218
Applewood or wild apple       0.66 - 0.83 41 - 52  
Ash, black   52     34  
Ash, Oregon   46     38  
Ash, white   48     41  
Ash, green 0.85 53 4237 0.64 40 3178
Aspen   43   0.42 26  
Baldcypress
Balsa       0.18 6.9 - 12.5  
Basswood   42     26  
Bamboo       0.30 - 0.40 19 - 25  
Beech, American   54     45  
Birch, British   57   0.67 44  
Birch,  Paper   50     38  
Black Ash       0.54 34  
Black locust 0.93 58 4614 0.79 49 3952
Black walnut 0.91 57 4579 0.61 38 3053
Boxwood / Buis  59 - 69
Buckeye, yellow 23.9
Bur oak 0.99 62 4923 0.69 43 3475
Butternut 25.2
Cottonwood 0.93 58 4620 0.45 28 2218
Cedar, Alaska   36     31  
Cedar, Eastern Red   37   0.37 33  
Cedar, Northern White   28     22  
Cedar, Southern White   26     23  
Cedar, Western Red   27     23  
Cherry, black   45     35  
Cherry, wild red 26.5
Chestnut   55     30  
Cocobolo 68.6
Coralwood 68.6
Corkwood 12.9
Cottonwood, Eastern   49     28  
Cottonwood, Northern Black   46     24  
Cypress, Southern   51   0.51 32  
Dogwood (flowering) 49.7
Douglas Fir, Coast Region   38   0.53 33  
Douglas Fir, Rocky Mountain  Region   35     30  
Ebony       0.96 - 1.12 60 - 70  
Elm, American   54     35  
Elm, Rock   53   0.82 44  
Elm, Slippery   56     37  
Eucalyptus, Karri West Autralia 51.8
Eucalyptus, Mahogany New South Wales 66
Fir, Balsam   45     25  
Fir, Commercial White   46     27  
Greenheart, British Guiana 66 - 77
Grenadilla, Mpingo 75 - 78
Gum, black   45     35  
Gum, red   50     34  
Hackberry 0.82 51 4039 0.59 37 2938
Hemlock, Eastern   50     28  
Hemlock, Western   41     29  
Hickory 1.03 64 5107 0.77 48 3830
Hickory, pecan   62     45  
Honeylocust 0.93 58 4638 0.72 45 3590
Hornbeam 47.6
Iroko       0.66 41  
Ironwood, black 67 - 81
Jacarandá, Brazilian rosewood 53
Larch   48   0.59 37  
Lignum Vitae       1.28 - 1.38 80 - 86  
Locust, black   58     48  
Magnolia, cucumber 32.2
Mahogany, Honduras       0.54 34  
Mahogany, African       0.50 - 0.85 31 - 53  
Maple, bigleaf   47     34  
Maple, black   54   0.75 40  
Maple, red   50     38  
Maple, silver   45     33  
Maple, sugar   56     44  
Maple, Soft 0.80 50 3960 0.53 33 2640
Mpingo 75 - 78
Mulberry 0.95 59 4710 0.71 44 3533
Oak, Red 0.98 61 4886 0.67 42 3350
Oak, white   63     47  
Osage orange 1.03 64 5120 0.91 57 4552
Persimmon 48.5
Pine, Lodgepole   39     29  
Pine, Northern White   36     25  
Pine, Norway   42     34  
Pine, Ponderosa   45     28  
Pine, Southern Yellow   52 - 53     36 - 41  
Pine, Sugar   52     25  
Pine, Oregon       0.53 33  
Pine, Parana       0.56 35  
Pine, Canadian       0.35 - 0.56 22 - 35  
Pine, Red       0.37 - 0.66 23 - 41  
Poplar, Yellow   38     28  
Post oak 1.03 64 5086 0.72 45 3590
Pecan 0.99 62 4937 0.72 45 3590
Redwood, American   50   0.45 28  
Redwood, European       0.51 32  
Rosewood, Bolivian 44.3
Rosewood, East Indian 48.7
Satinwood, Ceylon 64.4
Sourwood 37
Spruce, Engelman   39     23  
Spruce, Canadian   34   0.45 28  
Spruce, Sitka   33   0.45 28  
Sugar maple 0.95 59 4746 0.67 42 3350
Sycamore 1.01 63 5051 0.54 34 2755
Red elm 0.79 49 3947 0.58 36 2870
Sweetgum
Sycamore
Tamarack   47     37  
Teak       0.63 - 0.72 39 - 45  
Tupelo
Walnut, black   58     38  
White cedar   24     23  
White elm 0.88 55 4362 0.54 34 2755
Willow 0.87 54 4320 0.43 27 2160
  • density of  water 62.4 lb/ft3 (1000 kg/m3)
  • 1 lb/ft3 = 16.018 kg/m3 = 0.016 g/cm3 = 0.00926 oz/in3 = 2.57 oz/gal (Imperial) = 2.139 oz/gal (U.S.) = 0.0005787 lb/in3 = 27 lb/yd3 = 0.161 lb/gal (Imperial) = 0.134 lb/gal (U.S) = 0.0121 ton/yd3
  • water content in wood
  • Softwood - woods that come from gymnosperms (mostly conifers plants)
  • Hardwood - woods that come from angiosperms (flowering plants)
.

In green softwoods the moisture content of sapwood is usually greater than that of heartwood. In green hardwoods the difference in moisture content between heartwood and sapwood depends on the species. Variability of green moisture content exists even within individual boards cut from the same tree.

When wood is alive and fresh it consists primarily of water, i.e. most of the weight is actually water. Green wood is freshly sawn wood in which the cell walls are completely saturated with water. Additional water may reside in the lumina. The moisture content of green wood can range from less than 30% to more than 200% of dry wood weight.

  • Sapwood - the actively conducting portion of the stem in which parenchyma cells are still alive and metabolically active
  • Heartwood - the darker colored wood found to the interior of the sapwood

Moisture Content of Wood in Equilibrium with Relative Humidity and Temperature

- in Fahrenheit

- in Celsius

Example - Moisture Content in Wood - Summer vs. Winter

At a given location the typical summer condition inside a house is 25 oC temperature with 65% relative humidity. The typical winter condition in the same house is 18 oC temperature with 15% relative humidity.

From the chart above we can estimate the moisture content in the wood in the house at summer time to be 12%. The moisture content at winter time can be estimated to be 3-4%. 

Wood changes dimensions with moisture - it swells when it gains moisture - and it shrinks when it loses moisture.

Typical wood shrinkage from green to ovendry moisture content is typical 3-8% in radial grain direction and 6-12% in tangential grain direction. Volumetric shrinkage is typical 11-18%. Longitudinal shrinkage parallel to the grain is generally quite small. Typical values from green to ovendry wood are 0.1-0.2%.

Sponsored Links

Related Topics

Combustion

Combustion processes and their efficiency. Boiler house and chimney topics. Properties of fuels like oil, gas, coal and wood and more. Safety valves and tanks.

Densities

Densities of solids, liquids and gases. Definitions and convertion calculators.

Material Properties

Properties of gases, fluids and solids. Densities, specific heats, viscosities and more.

Related Documents

Air - Drying Force

The drying force of air depends on the air moisture holding capacity and the water surface to air evaporation capacity.

Air - Maximum Moisture Carrying Capacity

Maximum water content in humid air vs. temperature.

Angle Calculator - Carpenter's Square

Calculate angles with a straight board across carpenter's square.

Board Feet Chart and Calculator

Board feet is used as a volume measurement of lumber.

Fire Wood - the Cord

The cord unit for purchasing fuel wood.

Glue-Laminated Timber - Dimensions

Common sizing of glue-laminated timber.

Hardwood and Softwood Species

Species of hardwood vs. softwood.

Hardwood Lumber - Dimensions

Sizing of hardwood lumber.

Lumber - Surface Finishing

Lumber and surface finishing abbreviations.

Miter Saw - Calculate Sawing Angle

Calculate miter saw protractor angles for skirting and decorative mouldings work.

Moisture Content Calculation

Calculate the moisture content in products like wood on wet and dry basis.

Nails and Spikes - US Standard Dimensions

US common wire standard nail and spikes sizes and dimensions - Imperial Units.

Nails and Spikes - Withdrawal Force

Allowable withdrawal load for nail and spikes.

Sandpapers - Grit Sizes

Grit sizes ranging 12 - 600.

Softwood Lumber - Grading

Rough lumber, surfaced lumber (dressed), worked lumber, shop and factory lumber and yard lumber.

Softwood Lumber - Standard Sizes

Nominal and minimum-dressed lumber sizes.

Tree Species - Water Demand

Trees species and relative water demand.

Urban Tree Heights

Height of trees commonly used in towns and urban areas.

Wood - Combustion Heat Values

Combustion of wood and firewood heat values for species like Pine, Elm, Hickory and more.

Wood - Compressive Strength vs. Moisture Content

Red Spruce, Longleaf Pine and Douglas Fir - moisture content and their compressive strength.

Wood - Density vs. Moisture Content

The density of wood versus moisture content.

Wood Headers - Max. Supported Weight

Weight supported by a double or triple wood headers.

Wood Screws - Withdrawal Force

Allowable withdrawal load force.

Wood Species - Densities

Densities of various wood species - apple, ash, cedar, elm and more.

Wood, Panel and Structural Timber Products - Mechanical Properties

Density, fibre stress, compressive strength and modulus of elasticity of clear wood, panel and structural timber products.

Sponsored Links

Search Engineering ToolBox

Search is the most efficient way to navigate the Engineering ToolBox!

SketchUp Extension - Online 3D modeling!

Add standard and customized parametric components - like flange beams, lumbers, piping, stairs and more - to your Sketchup model with the Engineering ToolBox - SketchUp Extension - enabled for use with the amazing, fun and free SketchUp Make and SketchUp Pro . Add the Engineering ToolBox extension to your SketchUp from the Sketchup Extension Warehouse!

Privacy

We don't collect information from our users. Only emails and answers are saved in our archive. Cookies are only used in the browser to improve user experience.

Some of our calculators and applications let you save application data to your local computer. These applications will - due to browser restrictions - send data between your browser and our server. We don't save this data.

Google use cookies for serving our ads and handling visitor statistics on the AMP pages. Please read Google Privacy & Terms for more information about how you can control adserving and the information collected.

AddThis use cookies for handling links to social media. Please read AddThis Privacy for more information.