Moisture Content/Stability
Moisture content varies from beam to beam, but can be quite high. These timbers (and lumber cut from these timbers) are generally less stable (and more prone to shrinkage, twist and other movement) than timbers resawn from hardwood timbers reclaimed from barns and other structures. The moisture content of a specific beam depends on such factors as the amount of air dry time the beam has had.
RubyHardwood Resawn Timbers (including mantels, both finished and unfinished) are a rustic product that can generally be expected to become more rustic (shrinkage, twist and other movement; additional checking; etc) over time.