The lack of certified wood from native forests may result in demand for wood from planted forest, which have good quality for furniture and structures. Therefore, technological characterization becomes important as raw material with availability and potential for this use. In technological aspects, it is desirable that wood destined to furniture presents high dimensional stability. It is known that this property is correlated with wood density. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the potential of 14 species of trees to be used for furniture and construction, according to wood basic density and dimensional variation. Samples of trees proceeding from various parts of the world were used in this study. 15 samples per species were used for the determination o wood shrinkage and basic density. Tectona grandis and Swietenia macrophylla presented the highest dimensional stability. Wood of Castanea sativa, although with similar density to the Aucoumea klaineana, presented small volumetric shrinkage. Entandrophragma cylindricum and Fagus sylvatica presented volumetric shrinkage higher than 15%. Longifolia manilkara and Guibourtia ehie presented the highest basic densities. Wood of Entandrophragma cylindricum and Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) presented low coefficient of anisotropy.