Wood Shrinkage

The following table presents average shrinkage values, from green to oven dry, for a number of commercially important woods. The  values are expressed as a percentage of the green dimension for radial, tangential, and tangential to radial  shrinkage.

Source: U.S. Forest Products Laboratory


Wood Species % Radial Shrinkage % Tangential Shrinkage Tangential/ Radial

U. S. Hardwoods
Alder, Red 4.4 7.3 1.7
Ash, Black 5.0 7.8 1.6
Ash, Blue 3.9 6.5 1.7
Ash, Green 4.6 7.1 1.5
Ash, Oregon 4.1 8.1 2.0
Ash, White 4.9 7.8 1.6
Aspen, Bigtooth 3.3 7.9 2.4
Aspen, Quaking 3.5 6.7 1.9
Basswood 6.6 9.3 1.4
Beech, American 5.5 11.9 2.2
Birch, Alaska Paper 6.5 9.9 1.5
Birch, Paper 6.3 8.6 1.4
Birch, River 4.7 9.2 2.0
Birch, Sweet 6.5 9.0 1.4
Birch, Yellow 7.3 9.5 1.3
Buckeye, Yellow 3.6 8.1 2.3
Butternut 3.4 6.4 1.9
California-laurel 3.0 9.0 3.0
Catalpa, Northern 2.0 5.0 2.5
Cherry, Black 3.7 7.1 1.9
Chestnut, American 3.4 6.7 2.0
Cottonwood, Balsam Poplar 3.0 7.1 2.4
Cottonwood, Black 3.6 8.6 2.4
Cottonwood, Eastern 3.9 9.2 2.4
Dogwood, Flowering 7.0 12.0 1.7
Elm, American 4.2 9.5 2.3
Elm, Cedar 4.7 10.2 2.2
Elm, Rock 4.8 8.1 1.7
Elm, Slippery 4.9 8.9 1.8
Elm, Winged 5.3 11.6 2.2
Hackberry 4.8 8.9 1.9
Hickory, Pecan 4.9 8.9 1.8
Hickory, Mockernut 7.7 11.0 1.4
Hickory, Pignut 7.2 11.5 1.6
Hickory, Shagbark 7.0 10.5 1.5
Hickory, Shellbark 7.6 12.6 1.7
Holly, American 4.8 9.9 2.1
Honeylocust 4.2 6.6 1.6
Hophornbeam 9.0 10.0 1.1
Horse Chestnut 2.0 3.0 1.5
Locust, Black 4.6 7.2 1.6
Madrone, Pacific 5.6 12.4 2.2
Magnolia, Cucumbertree 5.2 8.8 1.7
Magnolia, Southern 5.4 6.6 1.2
Sweetbay 4.7 8.3 1.8
Maple, Bigleaf 3.7 7.1 1.9
Maple, Black 4.8 9.3 1.9
Maple, Red 4.0 8.2 2.1
Maple, Silver 3.0 7.2 2.4
Maple, Striped 3.2 8.6 2.7
Maple, Sugar 4.8 9.9 2.1
Mesquite 2.2 2.6 1.1
Oak, Black 4.4 11.1 2.5
Oak, Laurel 4.0 9.9 2.5
Oak, Northern Red 4.0 8.6 2.2
Oak, Pin 4.3 9.5 2.2
Oak, Scarlet 4.4 10.8 2.5
Oak, Southern Red 4.7 11.3 2.4
Oak, Water 4.4 9.8 2.2
Oak, Willow 5.0 9.6 1.9
Oak, Bur 4.4 8.8 2.0
Oak, Chestnut 5.3 10.8 2.0
Oak, Live 6.6 9.5 1.4
Oak, Overcup 5.3 12.7 2.4
Oak, Post 5.4 9.8 1.8
Oak, Swamp Chestnut 5.2 10.8 2.1
Oak, White 5.6 10.5 1.9
Persimmon,Common 7.9 11.2 1.4
Sassafras 4.0 6.2 1.6
Sweetgum 5.3 10.2 1.9
Sycamore, American 5.0 8.4 1.7
Tanoak 4.9 11.7 2.4
Tupelo, Black 5.1 8.7 1.7
Tupelo, Water 4.2 7.6 1.8
Walnut, Black 5.5 7.8 1.4
Willow, Black 3.3 8.7 2.6
Yellow-poplar 4.6 8.2 1.8
U. S. Softwoods
Baldcypress 3.8 6.2 1.6
Cedar, Alaska- 2.8 6.0 2.1
Cedar, Atlantic White 2.9 5.4 1.9
Cedar, Eastern Redcedar 3.1 4.7 1.5
Cedar, Incense 3.3 5.2 1.6
Cedar, Northern White 2.2 4.9 2.2
Cedar, Port-Orford 4.6 6.9 1.5
Cedar, Western Redcedar 2.4 5.0 2.1
Douglas-fir, Coast 4.8 7.6 1.6
Douglas-fir, Interior North 3.8 6.9 1.8
Douglas-fir, Interior West 4.8 7.5 1.6
Fir, Balsam 2.9 6.9 2.4
Fir, California Red 4.5 7.9 1.8
Fir, Grand 3.4 7.5 2.2
Fir, Noble 4.3 8.3 1.9
Fir, Pacific Silver 4.4 9.2 2.1
Fir, Subalpine 2.6 7.4 2.8
Fir, White 3.3 7.0 2.1
Hemlock, Eastern 3.0 6.8 2.3
Hemlock,Mountain 4.4 7.1 1.6
Hemlock,Western 4.2 7.8 1.9
Larch, Western 4.5 9.1 2.0
Pine, Eastern White 2.1 6.1 2.9
Pine, Jack 3.7 6.6 1.8
Pine, Loblolly 4.8 7.4 1.5
Pine, Lodgepole 4.3 6.7 1.6
Pine, Longleaf 5.1 7.5 1.5
Pine, Pitch 4.0 7.1 1.8
Pine, Pond 5.1 7.1 1.4
Pine, Ponderosa 3.9 6.2 1.6
Pine, Red 3.8 7.2 1.9
Pine, Shortleaf 4.6 7.7 1.7
Pine, Slash 5.4 7.6 1.4
Pine, Sugar 2.9 5.6 1.9
Pine, Virginia 4.2 7.2 1.7
Pine, Western White 4.1 7.4 1.8
Redwood, Old-Growth 2.6 4.4 1.7
Redwood, Young-Growth 2.2 4.9 2.2
Spruce, Black 4.1 6.8 1.7
Spruce, Engelmann 3.8 7.1 1.9
Spruce, Red 3.8 7.8 2.1
Spruce, Sitka 4.3 7.5 1.7
Tamarack 3.7 7.4 2.0
Woods Imported into U. S.
Afrormosia 3.0 6.4 2.1
Albarco 2.8 5.4 1.9
Albizia 3.0 6.0 2.0
Almendrillo 5.5 8.2 1.5
Andiroba 3.1 7.6 2.5
Angelin 4.6 9.8 2.1
Angelique 5.2 8.8 1.7
Apitong 5.2 10.9 2.1
Ayan 3.0 5.0 1.7
Azobe 8.4 11.0 1.3
Balata 6.3 9.4 1.5
Balsa 3.0 7.6 2.5
Banak 4.6 8.8 1.9
Benge 5.2 8.6 1.7
Bubinga 5.8 8.4 1.4
Caribbean 6.3 7.8 1.2
Cativo 2.4 5.3 2.2
Cedar, South American 4.0 6.0 1.5
Ceylon Satinwood 6.0 7.0 1.2
Cocobolo 3.0 4.0 1.3
Courbaril 4.5 8.5 1.9
Cuangare 4.2 9.4 2.2
Degame 5.0 9.0 1.8
Determa 3.7 7.6 2.1
Ebony 5.5 6.5 1.2
Freijo 4.0 7.0 1.8
Gmelina 2.4 4.9 2.0
Greenheart 8.8 9.6 1.1
Hura 2.7 4.5 1.7
lpe 6.6 8.0 1.2
lroko 2.8 3.8 1.4
Jarrah 4.6 6.6 1.4
Jelutong 2.0 4.0 2.0
Kaneelhart 5.4 7.9 1.5
Kapur 4.6 10.2 2.2
Karri 7.2 10.7 1.5
Kempas 6.0 7.4 1.2
Keruing 5.2 10.9 2.1
Lauan 3.8 8.0 2.1
Limba 4.5 6.2 1.4
Macawood 2.7 3.5 1.3
Mahogany, African 2.5 4.5 1.8
Mahogany, True 3.0 4.1 1.4
Manbarklak 5.8 10.3 1.8
Manni 5.7 9.7 1.7
Marishballi 7.5 11.7 1.6
Merbau 2.7 4.6 1.7
Mersawa 4.0 9.0 2.3
Mora 6.9 9.8 1.4
Obeche 3.0 5.4 1.8
Ocota 4.6 7.5 1.6
Okoume 4.1 6.1 1.5
Opepe 4.5 8.4 1.9
Parana pine 4.0 7.9 2.0
Pau Marfim 4.6 8.8 1.9
Peroba Rosa 3.8 6.4 1.7
Piquia 5.0 8.0 1.6
Pilon 5.4 11.7 2.2
Primavera 3.1 5.1 1.6
Purple heart 3.2 6.1 1.9
Queensland walnut 5.0 9.0 1.8
Ramin 4.3 8.7 2.0
Roble (Quercus spp) 6.4 11.7 1.8
Roble (Tabebuia spp) 3.6 6.1 1.7
Rosewood, Brazilian 2.9 4.6 1.6
Rosewood, Indian 2.7 5.8 2.1
Santa Maria 4.6 8.0 1.7
Sapele 4.6 7.4 1.6
Sepetir 3.7 7.0 1.9
Spanish-cedar 4.2 6.3 1.5
Teak 2.5 5.8 2.3
Wallaba 3.6 6.9 1.9