Timber that stays flat in Hong Kong humidity

Timber moves with moisture. That is not a defect — it is what wood does. The question for a Hong Kong commission is whether the movement has been designed into the piece or ignored.

Acclimatise before machining

Boards are conditioned to the moisture content of the destination climate before they are cut. Furniture built dry and shipped into a Hong Kong summer will cup; furniture conditioned first will not.

Floating panels, not glued ones

Wide panels — cabinet doors, table tops, bed panels — are built to float within their frames with expansion room at the edges, so the panel can expand across the grain without splitting the frame or forcing a joint open.

Seal every face equally

The most common failure in imported furniture is a beautifully finished top over a raw underside. The two faces then absorb moisture at different rates and the top bows. We finish all faces, including the hidden ones.

Choose the right species

American black walnut is comparatively stable and takes an oil finish well. Where a piece will sit against an exterior wall prone to condensation, we specify an engineered core with solid lippings instead of a wide solid panel.

Keep it off the wall

A 15mm gap behind a cabinet on an external wall prevents the condensation staining that appears on the back of flush-fitted furniture within a season or two.