Field notes · 6 min read
Choosing timber that lasts generations
Why the species and the seasoning matter more than the finish — and what to ask before you commission a piece.
Timber is bought twice: once by the client, once by the joiner who selects the boards. The second purchase matters more.
Wood is a relatively simple material. What lets a piece down isn't the species named on the quote — it's the moisture content, the grain selection and how it's been seasoned before it ever reaches the bench. Boards moved before they're acclimatised. Badly matched grain. No allowance for seasonal movement in a fitted piece.
When we specify timber we begin with the room: humidity, sunlight, how the piece will be used, the household's habits. The timber that comes out of that process is rarely the one in the brochure.
Ask the joiner how long the boards have been acclimatising in the workshop. Ask how they'll allow for movement. Ask what they'll do to the timber before it's ever cut. The right answers are worth more than a species name.