DOUGLAS FIR
DOUGLAS FIR WOOD EXTRA INFORMATION
Our Douglas Fir Wood is one of the world’s most important timber due to its large size. It is also very heavy, dense, and strong, yet easy to work with. This species is highly valued for building exterior structures because it is almost knot-free and can be sawn to great lengths.
The Douglas Fir Wood is often used for exterior structures such as pergolas, telephone wire poles, and railway sleepers. The color of this wood is typically yellow-red, faint red, or a pinkish-brown color. It is one of the most structurally sound softwoods available.
DOUGLAS FIR WOOD TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Species: Pseudotsuga menziesii.
Other names: Fir, Spruce-pine-fir (SPF), Big Cone Fir, coast Douglas-fir (P. menziesii var. menziesii), and Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir (P. menziesii var. glauca).
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Douglas Fir Origin: Canada (Alberta, British Columbia); Mexico (Coahuila, Colima, Durango, Hidalgo, Puebla, Sinaloa, Sonora, Zacatecas); United States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming).
Appearance: Douglas fir is a yellowish, light brown colored wood with a straight plain grain, except in flats awn pieces, where the grain is in wild patterns. Tree Size: 200-250 ft (60-75 m) tall, 5-6 ft (1.5-2 m) trunk diameter. Average Dried Weight: 32 lbs/ft3 (510 kg/m3). Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .45, .51. Janka Hardness: 620 lbf (2,760 N). Modulus of Rupture: 12,500 lbf/in2 (86.2 MPa). Elastic Modulus: 1,765,000 lbf/in2 (12.17 GPa). Crushing Strength: 6,950 lbf/in2 (47.9 MPa). Shrinkage: Radial: 4.5%, Tangential: 7.3%, Volumetric: 11.6%, T/R Ratio: 1.6. |
Color/Appearance: The color depends on the tree’s age and location. The color of Douglas fir ranges from light brown to reddish or yellowish brown with darker growth rings. The grain depends on the grade of the Douglas fir bought, with an A grade typically being straight and plain.
Drying: The drying method depends on the size of the wood. Any wood that is 1″ in width (such as that used for siding) will be kiln-dried. Any lumber over 2″ wide will be air-dried.
Sustainability: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) does not list Douglas fir in its appendices. The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN) lists Douglas fir as a species of the least concern.
