Timber that is sawn so that the growth rings are inclined at less than 45 degrees to the wide face.
A comprehensive guide to the most common timber terms from A to Z.
Back sawn timber
Baffle
A rigid or flexible barrier used to direct and control the flow of air.
Batch
In drying, a group of timber with similar drying and product characteristics.
Beam
Structural member, other than a triangulated frame, which supports load primarily by its internal resistance to bending.
Bearer
A sub floor timber beam placed across piers or stringers and supporting floor joists
Berm
An artificial ridge of earth
Bevel
Any angle not at 90 degrees. Also, a tool for marking such an angle.
Biodeterioration
The breaking down of timber by natural or biological agents such as fungi and insects.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of all life forms: the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, their genes and the ecosystems of which they are a part. Biodiversity underpins the processes that make life possible.
Biota
All living animals and plants
Birds Eye
Figure on the surface of wood that has numerous rounded areas resembling small eyes.
Birds Mouth
The notch in a rafter that rests on the top plate of a wall.
Board
1. A piece of sawn, hewn, or dressed timber of greater width than thickness. Usually 19 mm to 38 mm thick and 75 mm or more wide. 2. Manufactured products supplied as rigid or semi-rigid sheets, eg. fibreboard and particle boards.
Boreal Forest
The forest areas of the Northern North Temperate zone dominated by coniferous trees such as spruce, fir and pine.
Botanical name
A botanical name is the formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) and, if it concerns a plant cultigen, the additional cultivar and/or group epithets must conform to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. The botanical names of Australian and imported species of timber and their relationship to trade names are defined in AS 2543 Nomenclature of Australian Timbers and AS 1148 Nomenclature of Commercial Timbers Imported into Australia.
Bound Moisture
Moisture which is closely bound to the cell wall constituents of wood.
Bound Water
Water molecules bound into the cell wall of timber. They are weakly bound chemically to the molecules of the cell wall and energy is required to break them free.
Bow
A curvature in the longitudinal direction of a board causing the wide face to move away from a flat plane.
Bowstring truss
A truss where the top chord of the truss is curved to an arch shape.
Box Beam
A built-up beam with solid timber flanges (a) and plywood or wood-base panel product webs (b).
