The effect on moisture sorption of six types of coating (heat-infused and noninfused beeswax, Acryloid B-72, Saran F-310, commercial polyurethane and uncoated) applied to blocks of four different species of wood (mahogany, oak, basswood, poplar) was examined after exposure to repeated cycles of relative humidity (RH). Each coating covered the entire sample. Plots of moisture sorption versus time for three RH-cycles showed characteristic curve patterns for each wood/coating combination. Sorption rate was calculated for each wood/coating combination. Analysis of variance showed that sorption was influenced by coating type and wood species.