Glossary

The absence of wood on any face or edge of a piece of timber, leaving exposed the original underbark surface with or without bark. Wane is the presence of bark, lack of wood, or rounded log surface on the edge or corner of a sawn timber piece, caused by cutting close to or beyond the round outer edge of the log.

The absence of wood, other than wane, from the arris or surface of a piece of timber. Want is a term used to describe a missing corner, edge, or portion of timber that results in it not having full rectangular or square cross-section dimensions.

Warp is a defect in timber where the wood deforms out of shape—such as twisting, bowing, cupping, or crooking—due to uneven moisture loss, internal stresses, or growth irregularities.

In drying timber and other wood products, the application of external loads to a rack, stack, or pack of the timber to prevent or reduce warp.

A substance or finish that prevents or slows the penetration of water into a material’s surface, helping to protect it from swelling, decay, warping, staining, or mould.

A water-repellent preservative is a liquid wood treatment that both protects timber from biological attack and slows water absorption, helping to prevent swelling, shrinking, warping, and surface cracking.

A wavy figure is a visually striking grain pattern in timber caused by irregular or wave-like fibre alignment that reflects light unevenly, creating a sense of depth and movement in the wood surface.

A long, narrow, overlapping timber board fixed horizontally to the outside of a building, where each board overlaps the one below to create a weather-resistant barrier.

The mechanical or chemical disintegration and discolouration of the surface of wood caused by exposure to light, the action of dust and sand carried by winds, and the alternate shrinking and swelling of the surface fibres with the variation in moisture content. Weathering does not include decay.

The web is the intermediate section of a structural beam or truss, positioned between the flanges, that transmits shear forces and helps maintain the shape and strength of the member under load.

The wet-bulb temperature is measured using a thermometer whose bulb is wrapped in a water-saturated cloth (called a wick). It reflects the cooling effect of evaporation. It is always lower than or equal to the dry-bulb temperature and it indicates the humidity level: the more moisture in the air, the closer WBT is to DBT. Wet-bulb temperature is important in kiln drying, as it helps determine how fast timber can safely lose moisture

In wood, any decay caused by fungi that attack both cellulose and lignin, producing a generally whitish residue that may be spongy or stringy or occur in pockets.

An unusually striking or chaotic grain pattern that differs from the uniform or straight grain seen in most cuts, often used for decorative purposes.

Wind bracing is the use of diagonal members, rigid sheathing, or steel straps in a building’s framework to resist sideways (lateral) loads from wind pressure and transfer those forces safely to the foundation.

A wind post is a steel or timber post fixed vertically within or against a wall to help it withstand lateral forces, particularly from wind pressure or suction.

Workability is the measure of how well timber responds to various processing operations like sawing, planing, drilling, sanding, gluing, nailing, and finishing. The degree of ease and smoothness of cut obtainable with hand or machine tools.