How to Ship Wooden Items to Canada Without Cracking from Humidity Changes

Soleil Team — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 02:00:00 +0000

Sending wooden religious items such as wall-mounted altars, altar picture frames or wooden statues to Canada is important to many Vietnamese families who want to keep up ancestor worship far from home. However, when wood moves from Vietnam’s hot, humid climate to Canada’s dry environment with constant indoor heating, it easily shrinks, cracks or warps.

To keep these sacred items intact, you need to know how to treat the wood and pack it professionally while still in Vietnam.

1. Treat the wood before shipping to Canada

Canadian winters are extremely dry because indoor heating runs constantly. Wood that is too young or not properly kiln-dried loses moisture suddenly on arrival and cracks along the grain.

Check the moisture content: Before packing, make sure the wooden item has been properly dried. If it is newly made, let the wood “breathe” and acclimatise in the shade for a few days before finishing.
Apply a protective finish: Make sure every surface, including the underside of the altar and the back of the frame, has a PU coating or a thorough coat of oil. This finish acts as a barrier that slows moisture loss when the wood meets Canada’s dry, cold air.

2. Wrap the surface against scratches

The carved details on wall altars and altar frames chip easily if they are knocked during air cargo handling.

First layer – PE stretch film: Wrap the item tightly in PE film to hold any loose parts in place and protect the finish from scratches.
Second layer – bubble wrap: Wrap at least 2 to 3 layers of bubble wrap over the PE film. Add extra around the sharp corners of the altar and any raised carvings.
Protect the corners: Use rigid cardboard corner guards or moulded foam on the four corners of the frame or altar so they don’t get crushed under weight.

3. Use a wooden crate or a strong carton with padding

For wooden items shipped to Canada, choosing the right packaging accounts for 90% of their safety.

Rigid cartons: For light items such as small frames, you can use sturdy 5-ply or 7-ply cartons. Fill all gaps with foam or packing peanuts so the item can’t move in transit.
Wooden crates or pallets: For large, heavy or intricate wall altars, a slatted wooden crate or pallet is essential. Note that the wood used for the outer crate must be fumigated in line with Canadian customs (CBSA) rules.

4. Customs declarations and plant health inspection

Wooden items are forest products, so they must follow strict quarantine rules when entering Canada to avoid confiscation or destruction.

Fumigation certificate: Raw wooden crates used for packing must be fumigated and come with a certificate that meets international standards.
Accurate declaration: When shipping, describe the goods clearly as “Wooden altar for personal use” so customs can classify and inspect them easily.

5. Choose an all-inclusive, duties-paid air service

Long sea voyages can leave wooden items mouldy from salty air. That’s why air shipping is the best option for these sensitive religious items.

Soleil Transportation offers two-way Vietnam Canada door-to-door air shipping at a very competitive starting price of just $16/kg.

With our service, you can be completely confident because:

The rate includes import duties, with no hidden costs on delivery in Canada.
Fast transit of 7–14 days keeps the time your wooden items spend in warehouses with unstable temperatures to a minimum.
Basic packing in a carton is free at our warehouse.
You can easily track your order online with a tracking number, with updates by email, SMS or Zalo.