Douglas Fir - One of the Best Wood Species in the World

Douglas Fir is one of the premium quality wood species found today. It is native to the western portion of North America. This wood species is widely used for timber across the globe.

This tree grows quickly and reaches a formidable height while also possessing bark that is highly resistant to several diseases, pests, and wildfire. It is most dominant in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Douglas Fir trees have a lifespan of 500-1000 years and are one of the tallest species of tree in the world.

There are various types of lumber that are currently used for fencing, furniture, woodwork, decking, garden box, etc. Most of these lumber types consist of high-quality wood that can offer immense strength and durability to your projects. Let’s have a sneak peek into the Douglas Fir, its origins, applications, characteristics, and benefits.

Origins of Lumber

Douglas Fir, in fact, is a special wood species found mostly in Pacific Northwest. It is widely known as a fir but resembles a pine tree. It is the most popular and commonly found wood species of softwood available in North America.

Strength and Application

Commonly, Douglas Fir is a species of softwood, but it is also considered to be one of the widely-used types of lumber, especially in fencing, home construction and decking in the United States. It is also popular due to its perfect proportion of weight and strength. Known for its dimensional strength, it resists natural elements such as strong wind, storms, and earthquakes. It is also known as the toughest Western softwood and is very easy to mold. Overall, this lumber type is the most popular and ideal lumber for residential, commercial and other construction projects.

Paint and Polishing

Douglas Fir always has big and straight grains. It is also equipped with consistent and even texture, making the painting and finishing work easier and faster. With age and consistent exposure to light, this lumber type slowly becomes darker in color and turns deep red. This highly desirable characteristic of Douglas Fir renders it unique and ideal for many construction types like outdoor wooden structures, deck, fence, garden box, etc.

Weather Resistance

It’s a fact that all types of wood shrink and expand to a certain extent when exposed to severe weather conditions. Because of the cellular structure of the wood, the shrinking and swelling is evidenced in its width and thickness, as opposed to the length of the lumber. The length of the wood remains intact.

Fir is a type of species among softwoods that stays dimensionally stable without requiring any drying or another remedy. In a way, this highly valuable atmospheric moisture management property makes this lumber waterproof, although it is capable of holding water.

To make your surface waterproof, do not forget to coat it, as this will allow it to repel moisture. It can also be painted or stained, similar to other lumber. You can use tar or wax to coat and preserve a structure built with Douglas Fir. If you have constructed any home-based structure, a coat of primer oil combined with a double coat of latex paint or double coats of exterior-grade stain will enable protection from the elements. These are the best coating processes for keeping your furniture’s surface waterproof and strong.

If you plan to create some wood-based structures for your home, it’s best to opt for Douglas Fir wood in order to build a strong and long-lasting frame. Douglas Fir is the strongest and thus most durable softwood you can rely upon. Hopefully, above details will prove useful to you for implementing this type of lumber into your project successfully.