DOUGLAS FIR HARDWOOD IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

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DOUGLAS FIR HARDWOOD IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

An In-Depth Look at Douglas Fir's Characteristics, Color, Grain & More

Douglas Fir

OTHER COMMON NAMES

Douglas fir, named after the Scottish botanist David Douglas [1], also goes by Doug fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. [2]

LATIN NAME

Douglas fir’s latin name is Pseudotsuga menziesii. It is not a true fir; the Pseudotsuga component means “false hemlock”, because it is also not a true hemlock. The latter part of the name derives from Archibald Menzies, a rival of David Douglas and the first to document the tree’s existence in 1791. [1] [2]

CHARACTERISTICS - DOUGLAS FIR

The size and age of the Douglas fir can influence its color. This type of wood is typically light brown with hints of red and/or yellow in the heartwood, with darker growth rings. The sapwood is often pure white. [1]

Douglas fir’s grain can vary depending on how it is cut: quartersawn pieces will usually show a straight grain, but flatsawn pieces can exhibit fiery, busy patterns. [3]

MAIN USES - DOUGLAS FIR

Douglas fir wood enjoys wide use as building material because of its durability and resistance to warping. Its strength to weight ratio is the highest of North American woods. It’s used in applications such as construction lumber, and for use in wood projects like windows, doors and moldings. Its distinct grain pattern makes it popular for use as veneer. [1]

MOULDINGS
DOORS
DIMENSIONAL LUMBER
 
 

MILLING PROPERTIES - DOUGLAS FIR

Douglas Fir wood performs well when machining. All species of Douglas Fir experience significant shrinkage during the drying process, and care must be taken when kiln drying to avoid warping and checking of Douglas Fir lumber. [2,3]

HARDWOOD PROPERTIES - DOUGLAS FIR

Despite Douglas fir being a softwood, its coarse texture makes for stubborn workability with hand tools, so it’s not ideal for woodworking. Power tool blades should be very sharp to avoid tearing the grain, and it has a tendency to blunt blades that are used on it. [1] [3]

Janka Hardness Scale

ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE - DOUGLAS FIR

Douglas Fir is native to western North America. Its growth range extends from northern Mexico up the coasts of California and British Columbia to Alaska, and from coastal regions inland to the Rocky Mountains. Douglas fir trees can easily reach a height of 300 feet, with a diameter of ten to seventeen feet. Early loggers recorded that old-growth Douglas firs reached 400 feet! Young trees have smooth bark dotted with resin-filled blisters. Older trees have rough bark that can be up to twelve inches thick. [1]

DOUGLAS FIR PRODUCTS AT BAIRD BROTHERS

Baird Brothers Fine Hardwoods is happy to assist with any questions you have about our Douglas fir products, which include Douglas fir lumber, Douglas fir plywood, and other items.

 

Please call 1-800-732-1697 or Contact Us if you need help with our extensive inventory.

COMPARISON TO OTHER WOOD SPECIES

Source: The Department of Agriculture's Wood Handbook

LumberSpecific GravityJanka HardnessModulus of Elasticity (MPa)Impact Bending (mm)Grain
African Mahogany --- 830 lb 9,700 --- Medium/Coarse
Alder 0.41 590 lb 9,500 510 Fine
Ash 0.6 1,320 lb 12,000 1,090 Fine
Basswood 0.37 410 lb 10,100 410 Fine
Beech 0.64 1,300 lb 11,900 1,040 Fine/Medium
Birch, Yellow 0.62 1,260 lb 13,900 1,400 Fine
Cedar, Western Red 0.32 350 lb 7,700 430 Fine
Cherry, Brazilian 0.91 2,350 lb 22,510 --- Medium
Cherry 0.5 950 lb 10,300 740 Fine
Cypress 0.51 510 lb 6,300 --- Medium
Douglas Fir 0.48 710 lb 12,300 660 Medium/Coarse
Hemlock 0.4 540 lb 8,300 530 Coarse
Hickory 0.66 1,820 lb 11,900 1,120 Medium
Maple, Hard 0.63 1,450 lb 12,600 990 Fine
Maple, Soft 0.47 700 lb 7,900 640 Fine
Oak, Red 0.63 1,290 lb 12,500 1,090 Coarse
Oak, White 0.68 1,360 lb 12,300 940 Coarse
Pine, Eastern White 0.35 380 lb 8,500 460 Medium
Pine, Ponderosa 0.4 460 lb 8,900 480 Medium
Pine, Yellow (Shortleaf) 0.51 690 lb 12,100 840 Fine/Medium
Poplar 0.42 540 lb 10,900 610 Medium
Sapele 0.67 1,410 lb 15,930 --- Fine
Teak 0.66 1,070 lb 10,700 --- Coarse
Walnut (Black) 0.55 1,010 lb 11,600 860 Medium

*Data is based on a moisture content of 12%.

GLOSSARY

Impact Bending — In the impact bending test, a hammer of given weight is dropped upon a beam from successively increased heights until rupture occurs or the beam deflects 152 mm (6 in.) or more. The height of the maximum drop, or the drop that causes failure, is a comparative value that represents the ability of wood to absorb s hocks that cause stresses beyond the proportional limit.

Janka Hardness — Defined as resistance to indentation using a modified Janka hardness test, measured by the load required to embed a 11.28-mm (0.444-in) ball to one-half its diameter. Values presented are the average of radial and tangential penetrations.

Modulus of Elasticity — Elasticity implies that deformations produced by low stress are completely recoverable after loads are removed. When loaded to higher stress levels, plastic deformation or failure occurs.

Specific Gravity - A measure of the ratio of a wood's density as compared to water. If a wood species had the same density as water, the specific gravity would be 1.00.

SOURCES

  1. “Douglas Fir: The globe-trotting he-man of American softwoods”. WoodMagazine.com. Accessed Aug. 2021.
  2. "Douglas fir". Wikipedia.org. Accessed Oct. 2021.
  3. “Douglas fir”. The Wood Database. Wood-database.com. Accessed Oct. 2021.
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