Las propiedades físicas de la madera varían según la especie del árbol origen e incluso dentro de la misma especie por las condiciones del lugar de crecimiento. Aun así hay algunas características cualitativas comunes a casi todas las maderas.

La madera es un material anisótropo en muchas de sus características, por ejemplo en su resistencia o elasticidad.[8]​.

Si al eje coincidente con la longitud del tronco le nombramos como axial y al eje que pasa por el centro del tronco (médula vegetal) y sale perpendicular a la corteza le llamamos transversal, podemos decir que la resistencia de la madera en el eje axial es de 20 a 200 veces mayor que en el eje transversal.[8]​.

La madera es un material ortótropo ya que su elasticidad "Elasticidad (mecánica de sólidos)") depende de la dirección de deformación.

Tiene un comportamiento higroscópico, pudiendo absorber humedad tanto del ambiente como en caso de inmersión en agua, si bien de forma y en cantidades distintas.[9]​.

La polaridad "Polaridad (química)") de la madera le hace a fin con otros productos polares como agua, barnices, pegamentos con base de agua, etc.[10]​.

La densidad de la madera varía notablemente entre especies. Una vez secas, hay especies que apenas alcanzan los 300 kg/m³ (Cecropia adenopus) mientras que otras pueden llegar a superar los 1200 kg/m³ (Schinopsis balansae).[11]​ No obstante la densidad habitual de la mayoría de especies se encuentra entre los 500 y los 800 kg/m³ (peso seco). La densidad también puede variar significativamente en una misma especie, o incluso en un mismo árbol, en función de la altura del fuste y de la distancia al centro del tronco.

Wood hardness

According to its hardness, wood is classified as:.

Chestnut has a medium hardness and is very flexible, so it can be included in both groups.

The first wood product produced by man dates back to 5,255 BC. C.[12]​ Since then it has received various uses:.

Chipboard or chipboard

It is obtained from small shavings or sawdust,[14]​ glued under pressure in a proportion of 85% shavings and 15% glue mainly. They are manufactured in different types depending on the size of their particles, their distribution throughout the board, as well as the adhesive used for their manufacture. In general, soft woods are used rather than hard ones due to the ease of working with them, since it is easier to press soft wood than hard wood.

Chipboards are stable materials with a uniform consistency, they have completely smooth surfaces and are suitable as bases for veneers. There is a wide range of these boards ranging from wood-based, paper or plastic laminates. Most chipboards are relatively brittle and have lower tensile strength than plywood because the others have perpendicularly overlapping layers of veneer that offer more strength.

This material is recommended for building all types of furniture (functional or artistic).

These boards are affected by excess humidity, presenting expansion in their thickness, an expansion that is not recovered with drying. It is not suitable for outdoors or for places in humid conditions, this type of wood swells immediately in minimal contact with water. In continuous humid conditions the boards swell to such an extent that they fall apart. However, models are manufactured with some resistance to humid conditions.

Although you should avoid placing screws along the edges of this type of sheet, if necessary, the diameter of the screws should not be greater than a quarter of the thickness of the board, to avoid cracking in the veneer on the faces.

In addition there are different types of chipboard:.

Veneer boards

A solid wood board or sheet is relatively unstable and will experience contraction and expansion movements, mostly in the direction of the wood fibers, for this reason it is likely to suffer distortions. To counteract this effect, plywood is constructed by gluing the layers with the fibers transversely over each other, alternately. Most plywood is made up of an odd number of layers to form a balanced construction. The outer layers of a board are called faces and their quality is rated by a letter code that uses A as the best quality, B as intermediate and C as the lowest quality. The best quality side of a board is known as the "front side" and the lowest quality side is known as the "back side" or back. On the other hand, the central layer is called "soul." This is done to increase the strength of the board or piece being made.

Precomposed veneer is called a thin sheet of wood that is obtained by laminating a block of veneers starting from the edge of the block, that is, through the layers of wood pressed together. The strips of the original veneers are converted into the grain of the precomposed veneer, obtaining a grain that is perfectly straight or homogeneous.

By manipulating the contour of the sheets to be pressed, very varied configurations and very attractive appearances can be obtained. Some or all of the constituent sheets can be dyed before joining them, so that very striking appearances or colors are obtained.

Fiber boards

Fiberboards are constructed from wood that has been reduced to its basic fibrous elements and subsequently reconstituted to form a stable and homogeneous material. They are manufactured of different density depending on the pressure applied and the binder used in their manufacture.[15]​.

They can be divided into two main types, those of high density, which use the binders present in the wood itself, which in turn are divided into hard and semi-hard, and those of medium density, which use chemical agents foreign to the wood as a binder for the fibers.

They are divided into several types:[15]​.

Wood deterioration is a process that alters its characteristics. Broadly speaking, it can be attributed to two primary causes:

In most cases, wood deterioration is a continuum, where the degrading actions are one or more agents that alter the characteristics of the wood to the degree required for other agents to attack. The inspector's familiarity with spoilage agents is one of the most important aids to effective inspection. With this knowledge, the inspection can be approached with a careful view of the processes involved in the damage and the factors that favor or inhibit its development.

Las propiedades físicas de la madera varían según la especie del árbol origen e incluso dentro de la misma especie por las condiciones del lugar de crecimiento. Aun así hay algunas características cualitativas comunes a casi todas las maderas.

La madera es un material anisótropo en muchas de sus características, por ejemplo en su resistencia o elasticidad.[8]​.

Si al eje coincidente con la longitud del tronco le nombramos como axial y al eje que pasa por el centro del tronco (médula vegetal) y sale perpendicular a la corteza le llamamos transversal, podemos decir que la resistencia de la madera en el eje axial es de 20 a 200 veces mayor que en el eje transversal.[8]​.

La madera es un material ortótropo ya que su elasticidad "Elasticidad (mecánica de sólidos)") depende de la dirección de deformación.

Tiene un comportamiento higroscópico, pudiendo absorber humedad tanto del ambiente como en caso de inmersión en agua, si bien de forma y en cantidades distintas.[9]​.

La polaridad "Polaridad (química)") de la madera le hace a fin con otros productos polares como agua, barnices, pegamentos con base de agua, etc.[10]​.

La densidad de la madera varía notablemente entre especies. Una vez secas, hay especies que apenas alcanzan los 300 kg/m³ (Cecropia adenopus) mientras que otras pueden llegar a superar los 1200 kg/m³ (Schinopsis balansae).[11]​ No obstante la densidad habitual de la mayoría de especies se encuentra entre los 500 y los 800 kg/m³ (peso seco). La densidad también puede variar significativamente en una misma especie, o incluso en un mismo árbol, en función de la altura del fuste y de la distancia al centro del tronco.

Wood hardness

According to its hardness, wood is classified as:.

Chestnut has a medium hardness and is very flexible, so it can be included in both groups.

The first wood product produced by man dates back to 5,255 BC. C.[12]​ Since then it has received various uses:.

Chipboard or chipboard

It is obtained from small shavings or sawdust,[14]​ glued under pressure in a proportion of 85% shavings and 15% glue mainly. They are manufactured in different types depending on the size of their particles, their distribution throughout the board, as well as the adhesive used for their manufacture. In general, soft woods are used rather than hard ones due to the ease of working with them, since it is easier to press soft wood than hard wood.

Chipboards are stable materials with a uniform consistency, they have completely smooth surfaces and are suitable as bases for veneers. There is a wide range of these boards ranging from wood-based, paper or plastic laminates. Most chipboards are relatively brittle and have lower tensile strength than plywood because the others have perpendicularly overlapping layers of veneer that offer more strength.

This material is recommended for building all types of furniture (functional or artistic).

These boards are affected by excess humidity, presenting expansion in their thickness, an expansion that is not recovered with drying. It is not suitable for outdoors or for places in humid conditions, this type of wood swells immediately in minimal contact with water. In continuous humid conditions the boards swell to such an extent that they fall apart. However, models are manufactured with some resistance to humid conditions.

Although you should avoid placing screws along the edges of this type of sheet, if necessary, the diameter of the screws should not be greater than a quarter of the thickness of the board, to avoid cracking in the veneer on the faces.

In addition there are different types of chipboard:.

Veneer boards

A solid wood board or sheet is relatively unstable and will experience contraction and expansion movements, mostly in the direction of the wood fibers, for this reason it is likely to suffer distortions. To counteract this effect, plywood is constructed by gluing the layers with the fibers transversely over each other, alternately. Most plywood is made up of an odd number of layers to form a balanced construction. The outer layers of a board are called faces and their quality is rated by a letter code that uses A as the best quality, B as intermediate and C as the lowest quality. The best quality side of a board is known as the "front side" and the lowest quality side is known as the "back side" or back. On the other hand, the central layer is called "soul." This is done to increase the strength of the board or piece being made.

Precomposed veneer is called a thin sheet of wood that is obtained by laminating a block of veneers starting from the edge of the block, that is, through the layers of wood pressed together. The strips of the original veneers are converted into the grain of the precomposed veneer, obtaining a grain that is perfectly straight or homogeneous.

By manipulating the contour of the sheets to be pressed, very varied configurations and very attractive appearances can be obtained. Some or all of the constituent sheets can be dyed before joining them, so that very striking appearances or colors are obtained.

Fiber boards

Fiberboards are constructed from wood that has been reduced to its basic fibrous elements and subsequently reconstituted to form a stable and homogeneous material. They are manufactured of different density depending on the pressure applied and the binder used in their manufacture.[15]​.

They can be divided into two main types, those of high density, which use the binders present in the wood itself, which in turn are divided into hard and semi-hard, and those of medium density, which use chemical agents foreign to the wood as a binder for the fibers.

They are divided into several types:[15]​.

Wood deterioration is a process that alters its characteristics. Broadly speaking, it can be attributed to two primary causes:

In most cases, wood deterioration is a continuum, where the degrading actions are one or more agents that alter the characteristics of the wood to the degree required for other agents to attack. The inspector's familiarity with spoilage agents is one of the most important aids to effective inspection. With this knowledge, the inspection can be approached with a careful view of the processes involved in the damage and the factors that favor or inhibit its development.