Stability

Dimensional stability is a critical wood property for cladding, joinery and exterior millwork uses.

One key element that contributes to the stability of wood products is the kiln drying process. Fletcher Wood Solutions’ manufacturing process uses the latest in kilns and kiln technology to produce stable products. The use of final steaming to eliminate drying stresses is one example of this.

Radiata pine has naturally low shrinkage, which contributes to its stability. Compared to other North American softwoods, radiata pine has shrinkage comparable to ponderosa pine and lower than hemlock, loblolly pine and Douglas-fir.

The use of finger-jointing further enhances the dimensional stability of LIFESPAN products. In addition, the preservative treatment used in LIFESPAN contains waxes and resins, which significantly reduce the uptake of liquid water and subsequent swelling of wood. LIFESPAN products will show improved stability over untreated products.