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Stability
Stability has at least two different meanings in building. The first refers to how solidly a structure is constructed.
If it is well built, and does not have any inherent ability to move (and it's not supposed to move), then it is stable.
This is a desirable quality of a deck, for example. Stability in this sense may rely on factors like
deflection and load bearing ratings.
The other way stability is used is to describe how much a product expands or shrinks over time. Man made products like the
composite decking tend to grow and shrink with changes of temperature, sometimes drastically. There
is no splintering, splitting, or checking despite this change of size,
and there is no appreciable loss of supporting strength, but it does have a factor of stability to take into account when
you use these products. (Note: the growth or shrinkage is generally not more than 1/8" or 1/16" of an inch, i.e. not drastic.)
Natural wood products also can grow and shrink with changes in weather, but it is changes in humidity rather than temperature
that affect wood fibers most. Hardwood floors can shrink or grow, depending on the moisture content in the air of the room where
they are installed. This is the reason for allowing wood flooring to acclimate to a room for some time before installation. Letting
the wood sit in the room where it will be installed helps the wood to either dry out or pick up the same moisture content as
the room, and so will shrink or grow a bit before it is nailed down, and so help reduce the chance of splitting or breaking.
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