What you need to know when buying a live edge slab

Have you been seeing more images and talk of live edge slab furniture on social media? Are you interested in using live edge slabs in your home? Using live edge slabs in your home makes a statement. Whether it's a dining room or coffee table, a headboard, a charcuterie board, or a piece of art with a live edge slab, you own a one-of-a-kind handmade item. The cool thing about using live edge slabs, is that they are often used from urban trees in your area. Trees in your neighborhood that are coming down due to disease, damage or development can be repurposed into furniture, charcuterie boards, or pieces of art. Urban wood is a sustainable resource and definitely worth looking into if you are in the market for a one-of-a-kind furniture piece. So let’s break down what questions to ask and what is meant when you hear the woodworkers talk about things like spalting or cookies (hint–it’s not the kind you eat).

First of all, there are several places to find live edge slabs–local lumber stores, online lumber stores, local woodworkers, and online marketplaces such as Facebook and Etsy. Remember to do your research and protect your investment by asking the following questions:

HOW WAS IT DRIED

This is probably the most important question for you to ask. All wood needs to be dried before you or anyone else works with it. You can read the reasons why in our blog post but generally speaking, dried wood is stronger and there will be less warping if you have the wood dried before you start. You will want the live edge slab to spend at least some time in a kiln, even if it has been air dried. Kiln drying is faster and it kills any bugs or fungus that may be in the wood.  

IS IT FLATTENED

Live edge slabs need to be flattened before they can be sanded and finished. Flattening is exactly what it sounds like, it is the process of removing the high points so that you are left with a perfectly flat piece of wood. This can be done with a planer or a CNC machine. We use a custom-made CNC machine that accommodates slabs 5’ wide and up to 20’ wide. You can check it out here. This process typically takes a couple of hours depending on the size of the slab and whether or not you want both sides flattened or just one. 

IS IT FINISHED

How much work do you want to do yourself? Finished slabs have been flattened, sanded, and finished with a protective layer of some sort - it could be varnish, shellac, polyurethane, oil, etc. If you want to do some of the work yourself, you will want to pick out an unfinished slab. If not, you can buy a slab that is already finished or work with a woodworker to finish the slab for you. 

Now that you know what questions to ask, let’s go over some common terms that you may come across when looking at live edge wood. 

COMMON TERMS

Slab - These are the long pieces cut vertically with the grain of the wood. They are typically used for coffee and dining room tables in long form. Shorter pieces are often used for charcuterie boards.

Cookie - These are “circular” in shape. Circular being relative as many trees are not perfectly circular. They cut horizontally against the grain of the wood and expose the growth rings of the trees. You can get some really unique shaped pieces. These are good for side tables.

Spalted - This a term you will often hear when describing some maple trees. Spalting refers to black lines in the wood created by natural decay of the wood. Maple is the most common type of wood in which to see this feature. This type of maple typically costs more than maple without spalting. 

Bookmatch - Two slabs cut from the same log that when opened like a book, each side closely mirrors the other. Woodworkers used bookmatched slabs to increase width to make things like dining room tables. 

Bowtie - These are pieces of wood (usually in the shape of a bowtie) used to fill cracks so they don’t widen over time. 

Burl - This is a large outgrowth or malformation in a tree that is thought to be the result of abnormal cell development due to unknown stress on the tree. They require specialized skill to remove and repurpose it properly and because of that, they are usually a higher price.  

Are you ready to take the plunge and buy a live edge slab for your home project? The coolest thing about using a live edge slab, especially one that is from salvaged urban lumber, is that you have a unique, one-of-a-kind piece in your home. It could be a tree from the neighborhood that you grew up in or maybe even your own backyard. You are allowing that tree’s story to continue and become part of your own. That is priceless, so make sure to do your research and ask questions. 

Still have more questions about us or our services. Check out our FAQ page or email us at info@welhousstudio.com.