Wood Cracking and Splitting

Wood is a natural resource, which means that it's prone to natural changes throughout it's lifespan. Also referred to as wood checking, wood cracking and splitting is not something to be concerned about, and is simply part of the wood's nature.

Why does wood crack and split?

Wood contracts and expands throughout the year due to changes in temperature and humidity. The cracks and splits begin to appear when the weather is drier and hotter, as the wood tries to mimic its surroundings, and shrinks as it dries.

Water and Wood

Before being made into beautiful wooden garden furniture, the wood is dried and pressure treated. This removes around 75% of the water, which is often referred to as Free Water. The remaining water in the wood is known as Bound Water, which is within the cells of the tree - this water remains within the wood. It's important to note that this is actually a good thing; it's essential that the wood used to make wooden garden furniture contains some moisture as the wood would be incredibly brittle and difficult to work with if not.

Is it preventable?

Whilst this natural occurrence cannot be stopped entirely, there are steps you can take to minimise the cracking and splitting, and help it bounce back to its usual beauty. To minimise cracking, you can try and minimise the amount of time your wooden garden furniture spends in direct sunlight, or in extreme or fluctuating temperatures. However, this isn't always realistic if your wooden furniture is in a fixed position, or if you don't have any undercover space to store your wooden furniture. There are also products that you can use to fill in cracks, such as wood putty, but this tends to have mixed results when the wood shifts again.

The Impacts

Wood cracking and splitting is certainly not something to worry about, rather a unique quality of a natural material. It's important to note that when properly treated and prepared, wood cracking and splitting does not have an impact on the wood's structural integrity or strength.