Accreditation
Formal recognition that a certification body is competent to audit against a standard, provided by an accreditation body such as ASI (for FSC) or national accreditation bodies (for PEFC).
Related: Certification body (CB)
The hardwood reference
Certified hardwood glossary
49 terms covering certification claims, grading, drying, trade law and wood science—each linked to related concepts.
A
Air-dried (AD)
Lumber dried by exposure to air rather than a kiln. Moisture content is typically higher and less uniform than kiln-dried stock; confirm the actual reading before use.
Related: Kiln-dried (KD), Moisture content (MC)
Annotation (CITES)
A note attached to a CITES listing that specifies which parts and derivatives are covered—for example logs, sawn wood and veneer only, with finished products exempt. Read the annotation before assuming a product needs a permit.
Related: Appendix II (CITES)
Appendix II (CITES)
A CITES listing for species that are not necessarily threatened with extinction but whose trade must be controlled. Export permits are required, and some listings carry quotas or annotations limiting which product forms are covered.
Related: CITES, Annotation (CITES)
B
Board foot
A North American volume unit equal to 144 cubic inches (1 inch × 12 inches × 12 inches). Hardwood lumber is commonly priced per board foot or per thousand board feet (MBF).
Related: Quarter (4/4, 8/4)
C
Certificate code
The unique identifier issued to a certified organisation by a certification body (for example an FSC or PEFC chain-of-custody code). It should appear on invoices bearing a certification claim and can be checked in the scheme’s registry.
Certification body (CB)
An independent organisation accredited to audit companies against a scheme’s standards and issue certificates. The scheme owner sets the rules; the CB performs the audits.
Related: Accreditation, Certificate code
Chain of custody (CoC)
The documented path of certified material from the forest through each stage of processing and trade. CoC certification covers how a company controls, tracks and claims certified material—not the forest itself.
Related: Forest management (FM) certification, Transaction claim
CITES
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. It regulates cross-border trade in listed species (including many timbers such as rosewoods, genuine mahogany, ipe and cumaru) through a permit system.
Related: Appendix II (CITES), Annotation (CITES)
Clear cutting
In hardwood grading, a portion of a board free of defects that could be cut from it. NHLA grades are based on the number and size of clear cuttings, not on the appearance of the whole board.
Related: FAS (First and Seconds), NHLA grading rules
Controlled sources (PEFC)
Non-certified material that a PEFC chain-of-custody certified company has assessed under the PEFC due diligence system as low risk of coming from controversial sources.
Related: PEFC Certified
Controlled Wood (FSC)
Non-certified material that an FSC-certified company has assessed as avoiding five unacceptable categories (such as illegal harvest and high-conservation-value destruction). It may be mixed with certified material in FSC Mix products but is not itself “certified wood”.
Related: FSC Mix, Due diligence
Credit system
A chain-of-custody control method in which a company accumulates “credits” from certified inputs and may sell an equivalent volume of output with a certified claim, even though individual pieces are not physically tracked.
Related: Percentage system, Transfer system
D
Deforestation-free
Under the EUDR, produced on land not subject to deforestation after 31 December 2020. It is a legal definition with specific cut-off dates and geolocation requirements, not a marketing adjective.
Related: EUDR, Geolocation
Due diligence
A documented process of gathering information, assessing risk and mitigating it before placing timber on a market. Required under laws such as the EUDR, UKTR and Australia’s illegal-logging legislation; a certificate can inform it but does not replace it.
Due diligence statement (DDS)
The declaration an operator submits under the EUDR confirming due diligence has been carried out for a product. It is filed through the EU information system and referenced on customs declarations.
Related: EUDR, Due diligence
E
Equilibrium moisture content (EMC)
The moisture content wood will eventually reach in a given temperature and relative humidity. Matching delivered MC to the expected EMC minimises movement after installation.
Related: Moisture content (MC)
EUDR
The EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (2023/1115). It requires operators and traders placing relevant commodities—including wood—on the EU market to prove they are deforestation-free and legally produced.
F
FAS (First and Seconds)
The highest standard grade under the NHLA hardwood lumber grading rules, requiring large clear cuttings from wide, long boards. Grades below include Select, No. 1 Common and No. 2A Common.
Related: NHLA grading rules, Clear cutting
Flatsawn (plain-sawn)
Boards cut tangentially to the growth rings, producing cathedral grain patterns. Generally higher yield and lower cost than quartersawn, but more prone to cupping.
Related: Quartersawn, Rift-sawn
Forest management (FM) certification
Certification that a specific forest area is managed according to a scheme’s standard. It applies to the forest, not to the companies downstream—those need chain-of-custody certification to pass claims on.
Related: Chain of custody (CoC)
FSC 100%
An FSC label indicating all material in the product comes from FSC-certified forests.
Related: FSC Mix, FSC Recycled
FSC Mix
An FSC label for products made from a combination of FSC-certified material, recycled material and/or FSC Controlled Wood. It is the most common FSC claim on manufactured wood products.
Related: Controlled Wood (FSC), FSC 100%
FSC Recycled
An FSC label for products made entirely from reclaimed material.
Related: FSC Mix
G
Geolocation
Coordinates identifying the plot of land where a commodity was produced. The EUDR requires geolocation for all plots in scope; for plots over four hectares, polygons rather than single points.
Related: EUDR, Deforestation-free
H
Heartwood
The inner, non-living wood of a tree, usually darker and more decay-resistant than sapwood. Durability ratings apply to heartwood only.
Related: Sapwood, Natural durability
J
Janka hardness
A measure of resistance to indentation, expressed in pounds-force (lbf) or newtons. It is a useful indicator of dent resistance for flooring, not a measure of strength, stability or durability.
Related: Natural durability
K
Kiln-dried (KD)
Lumber dried in a controlled chamber to a target moisture content. Ask for the target range and the actual reading at delivery; “KD” alone does not specify a number.
Related: Moisture content (MC), Air-dried (AD)
L
Lacey Act
A US law prohibiting trade in illegally harvested plants and plant products, and requiring an import declaration (species and country of harvest) for many wood products.
Related: Due diligence, PPQ 505 declaration
M
Moisture content (MC)
The weight of water in wood expressed as a percentage of its oven-dry weight. Interior hardwood is commonly specified at 6–9% in temperate climates, but the right target depends on the service environment.
Related: Kiln-dried (KD), Equilibrium moisture content (EMC)
N
Natural durability
A wood’s inherent resistance to fungal decay and insect attack without treatment. Ratings (e.g. very durable, durable, moderately durable, non-durable, perishable) refer to heartwood in ground contact and vary by source.
Related: Heartwood, Janka hardness
NHLA grading rules
The National Hardwood Lumber Association rules used across North America (and for much exported hardwood) to grade lumber by the yield of clear cuttings.
Related: FAS (First and Seconds), Clear cutting
O
Operator (EUDR)
Under the EUDR, the person or business that first places a relevant product on the EU market or exports it. Operators carry the primary due-diligence obligation.
Related: EUDR, Trader (EUDR)
P
PEFC Certified
The PEFC label for products containing at least 70% certified and/or recycled material, with the remainder from controlled sources under the PEFC due-diligence system.
Percentage system
A chain-of-custody method in which the certified percentage of inputs over a period is applied to outputs, allowing a percentage-based claim.
Related: Credit system, Transfer system
PPQ 505 declaration
The Lacey Act plant and plant product declaration, historically a paper form (PPQ 505) and now filed electronically through ACE or APHIS’s LAWGS system.
Related: Lacey Act
Q
Quarter (4/4, 8/4)
North American thickness notation in quarters of an inch for rough lumber: 4/4 is one inch, 8/4 is two inches. Finished thickness after surfacing is less.
Related: Board foot, S2S / S4S
Quartersawn
Boards cut roughly radially to the growth rings, giving straight grain, greater stability and, in oak and sycamore, prominent ray fleck. Lower yield and higher cost than flatsawn.
Related: Flatsawn (plain-sawn), Rift-sawn
R
Rift-sawn
Boards cut at an angle between quartersawn and flatsawn, producing very straight grain without ray fleck. The most expensive cut because of low yield.
Related: Quartersawn, Flatsawn (plain-sawn)
S
S2S / S4S
Surfaced two sides (faces planed) or surfaced four sides (faces and edges). Surfacing reduces the rough dimension; specify whether prices are for rough or surfaced stock.
Related: Quarter (4/4, 8/4)
Sapwood
The outer, living wood beneath the bark, usually paler and not decay-resistant. Grades and specifications often limit how much sapwood is acceptable.
Related: Heartwood
Scientific name
The botanical genus and species (e.g. Quercus alba). Required on Lacey Act declarations and essential for CITES checks; a trade name is not a substitute.
Related: Trade name, CITES
Scope (certificate)
The products, sites and activities a certificate actually covers. A company may be certified for some product groups and not others; always check scope, not just status.
Related: Certificate code, Transaction claim
T
Trade name
A commercial name that may cover several species or be unrelated to botany—“Brazilian cherry” (jatoba), “African teak” (iroko), “Brazilian walnut” (ipe). Specifications and legality documents should use scientific names.
Related: Scientific name
Trader (EUDR)
Under the EUDR, a business in the supply chain that makes relevant products available on the market after they have been placed there. Large traders have due-diligence obligations; smaller ones mainly record-keeping.
Related: Operator (EUDR)
Transaction claim
The certification claim (e.g. “FSC Mix 70%”, “PEFC Certified 100%”) stated on a sales document for a specific product. A certified supplier may sell non-certified goods; only the claim on the invoice makes an item certified.
Related: Chain of custody (CoC), Scope (certificate)
Transfer system
A chain-of-custody method in which the claim on outputs is the lowest claim among the inputs of a batch, with certified and non-certified material kept physically segregated.
Related: Credit system, Percentage system
U
UKTR
The UK Timber Regulation, retained from the EU Timber Regulation after Brexit. It prohibits placing illegally harvested timber on the UK market and requires operators to exercise due diligence.
Related: Due diligence, EUDR
V
Verified legal / legality verification
Third-party confirmation that timber was harvested and traded in compliance with applicable laws, without necessarily meeting a full sustainability standard. Distinct from forest-management certification.
Related: Due diligence, Forest management (FM) certification
Definitions are editorial summaries for orientation. The rules of each certification scheme and the text of each law govern; consult them for any decision.