Wane

Category: science

A lumber defect characterized by the presence of bark or a lack of squared wood fiber along the edge or corner of a board.

Wane occurs when a piece of lumber is sawn too close to the outer perimeter of the log’s natural curved surface. While a minor amount of wane is acceptable in standard framing grades, excessive wane reduces the flat nailing surface area and compromises the structural integrity of structural load bearings.

Common Examples

• The inspector flagged the stud for replacement because excessive wane had removed over a third of the structural framing edge.
• Premium and prime grade lumber selections are specifically milled to ensure they are virtually free of edge wane.