You commission a carpenter to make a beautiful dining table or wardrobe, everything looks perfect when it is delivered, and then a few months later the wood starts cracking, joints start opening up and doors stop closing properly. This is one of the most common complaints about locally made furniture in Malawi, and in most cases the cause is not poor craftsmanship in the way the piece was assembled. The real culprit is almost always the wood itself.

Green Timber: The Root of Most Furniture Problems in Malawi

Timber needs to be properly dried before it is used to make furniture. When wood is freshly cut, it contains a high percentage of moisture. As it dries over time, it shrinks. If furniture is made from undried or partially dried timber, called green timber, the wood continues to dry after the furniture has been assembled. As it shrinks, it pulls against joints, causes boards to warp along their length and creates cracks as different parts of the piece shrink at different rates. In Malawi, where many small carpenters buy timber from sawyers and use it almost immediately to keep costs low and turnaround fast, green timber is the single biggest cause of furniture that deteriorates quickly after delivery.

How to Tell If a Carpenter Is Using Properly Dried Timber

The simplest test is weight. Properly dried timber is noticeably lighter than green timber of the same species and dimensions. Ask the carpenter to show you the timber before work begins and lift a piece. If it feels unusually heavy, it is likely still wet. Check the ends of the boards for radial cracks, which are small splits that run from the centre outward. These appear naturally as timber dries and are a sign the wood has had time to lose moisture. A carpenter who is serious about quality will also store timber under cover off the ground for weeks or months before using it, rather than taking it directly from the supplier to the workbench.

The Role of Finishing in Preventing Warping

Even well-dried timber will absorb and release moisture seasonally in Malawi's climate, which causes some movement in any wooden furniture. The way to minimise this is proper finishing. Varnish, lacquer or quality paint seals the surface of the wood and slows moisture absorption significantly. Furniture that is left unfinished or given only a thin coat of cheap paint will absorb humidity during the rainy season and dry out in the dry season, causing ongoing movement and eventual cracking. Always ask your carpenter what finishing they apply and whether it seals all surfaces including the underside and back of panels.

Find a Carpenter Who Works With Properly Dried Timber

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