Douglas fir pseudotsuga menziesii, perhaps the most common tree in oregon, is the most important conifer in the state because of its ecological and economic significance. That changed following the leaky building crisis and the resulting revision of the new zealand building code. Difference between pine and fir compare the difference. White oak not all wood species, such as alder, are well suited for use as an exterior option. Several kinds of pines native to the southeast loblolly, slash, shortleaf and longleaf are classified in the lumber industry as southern yellow pine and are widely used in construction. Nonetheless, pitch was indeed produced from the mix and is definitely an experience to enhance mainly because finding spruce and fir resins is a lot faster than finding a bleeding pinus strobus. Pseudotsuga menziesii is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, pinaceae. My horses arent cribbers, just woodchompers, and the addition of antichew products has had zero impact on there beaverish ways. This product fills a big gap between yellow pine vgroove products and premium vertical grade doug fir.
Look for the number of needles that come out of the same spot on a twig. Pitch pine timber, softwood timber whitmores timber. Can be used for residential and commercial projects. Here they are in april, with the typical open grassland understory. Gibson mcilvain has gone through in our decadelong relationship with carrying softwoods, weve come to understand the up sides and down sides of using douglas fir. The forum is a free service, and much like the free content on public radio, we hope you will support woodenboat by subscribing to this fabulous magazine. Decreased pitch pine associated with fire exclusion. Jun 25, 2019 the timber durability chart contains 5 classes of timber, with each class determining how long each timber listed will last these are all to bs en 3502. If the twig carries its needles singly, its a good bet youve got a fir or a spruce. Wood moisture and compressive strength red spruce, longleaf pine and douglas fir moisture content and their compressive strength. Aug 16, 2016 if you want structural integrity, and the warmth of real wood, you will want to take another look at beautiful, locally sourced, douglas fir timbers. Douglas fir with chappo finish douglas fir the texture of this softwood is smooth with a straight, even grain and knots that create beautiful swirl patterns.
Douglas fir clear lumber is able to be painted if desired or needed. Vertical grain douglas fir is a very strong, stiff hardwood that has excellent endurance against the elements. It is a beautiful wood when left natural, although it is the least resistant of other widely used woods. One main characteristic feature of both pine and fir is the production of cones.
Having a hard time swallowing the douglas fir pill for my. Wood and bio mass heat combustion values of wet and dry wood btupounds, kjkg and kcalkg. Personalize your door with the proper wood species. If a twig bears needles in groups of two, three, or five, you can safely call it a pine. Pitch pines heartwood is orange to reddishbrown in colour and resinous. The ponderosa pine pinus ponderosa is found in the dry interior of bc. It is what is called a sap stream or pitch stream that a douglasfir releases to usually combat insects, namely the douglasfir bark beetle dendroctonus pseudotsugae. My dilemma is the choice of lumber with not being able to get my hands on any southern yellow pine like he has used on soo many of his recent benches and highly recommends. Tell the difference between pine, spruce and fir zenseekers. The texture of this softwood is smooth with a straight, even grain and knots that create beautiful swirl patterns. Douglas fir does not take stain as well as pine, so its best to go this route if you plan to paint the finished product or keep it bare, with a clear coat finish. Eight of ten conifers west of the cascades are douglas firs. Fir versus pine plywood the radiata plywood is just another type of pine plwood.
Douglas fir vertical grain vertical grain douglas fir is prized for its strength, weather resistance, beauty and its consistent, tight grain. These tables list commonly encountered signs and symptoms and likely causes, but not every possible symptom or potential cause is noted. Wood columns safe loads safe loads for wood columns. Beautiful looking wood though, so it might be a shame to paint it, but arent they all.
I showed him a douglasfir that was seeping heavy amounts of sap. Sequoia pitch moths, synanthedon sequoiae, are insects that attack douglas fir trees as well as other hosts like pines. The wood typically has a strait or slightly wavy grain pattern. Most of the wood windows made today are soft pine, which i know can be difficult to stain. Much like douglas fir, longleaf pine has a tendency to chip and splinter on cuts. In 1827, english botanical explorer david douglas recognized the fir s resource potential.
We are getting all wood windows for our addition to our 1918 house that has original windows, which we love. Douglas fir the texture of this softwood is smooth with a straight, even. Look for resin dripping in colors like red, yellow, pink or gray as a sign of insect infestation. Douglasfir pseudotsuga menziesii, perhaps the most common tree in oregon, is the most important conifer in the state because of its ecological and economic significance. Douglas fir is used mainly for long length applications rafters or floor joists. Question i have heard conflicting reports about how to set the pitch in doug fir. Douglasfir versus whitewood lumber for framing areas around. With similar benefits as of pine, douglas fir has a few added. Sources have conflicting information on the growth rate of pinus rigida. Foliage characteristics are the best way to differentiate the two, focusing on needle clusters and lengths. Generally, pine tree grows in an irregular form while fir tree grows in a triangular form.
Just like mother nature, fir isnt perfect its got issues. Oct 12, 2011 douglas fir is a fine product that produces fine results. Along with douglas fir, larch is growing in popularity and being specified. It is priced much closer to yellow pine, but offers the beauty, stability and finishing of doug fir looks great paired with doug fir beams. Douglas fir timbers can be readily sourced in many sizes, from 3 x 6 up to 12 x 12. Framing lumber should be stamped and you will see spf on the stamp. Douglass fir vs yellow pine the woodenboat forum is sponsored by woodenboat publications, publisher of woodenboat magazine. Douglas fir on the other hand, features a tight, flowing grain pattern that resists warping and twisting. Pine has broad grain lines that wander, making it far weaker than fir. The choices in my area are hem fir and a few rarer selections of douglas fir and i am having a bit of a hard time accepting douglas fir as an option for at least the top of. Working with douglas fir similar cost wood for tables. Guide to natural durability and treatability of selected wood species of.
Setting pitch in douglas fir temperature and time for setting pitch. The dense grain of the fir wood make it ideal for use in construction, as it holds a nail well and can be used for flooring, windows, panels, trim. May 08, 2017 in springtime, douglas fir tips are tender and have a delicious citruspine flavor. This wood often contains small mineral deposits, but is free of pitch and is not. This product is thirdparty certified, signifying sourcing from renewable and environmentally managed forests. Today, america is recognized worldwide as a sustainable source of top quality products. Hello all and a happy and prosperous new year, i have managed too get hold of a qauntity of pitch pine and douglas fir baulks and over the holidays i run them through my mates hudson bandsaw. Jul 01, 2015 its crush strength was better than douglas fir but not as good as yellow pine, but 40 psf vs 41.
Fir trees are located throughout most of the north and central. Guide to natural durability and treatability of selected wood species of importance in europe. In 2016, the white house chose a douglas fir to festoon the obamas final christmas in the executive mansion, and for good reason. The amended building code significantly restricts the use of untreated radiata pine and douglasfir in domestic. Douglas fir this is another abundant wood type that is very popular for fencing. Jul 07, 2015 douglas fir on the other hand, features a tight, flowing grain pattern that resists warping and twisting. Fir is most commonly used as a building material versus furniture items and has a reddish brown tint to it. Pitch pine is a small to medium sized native north american conifer.
Pitch pine the wood database lumber identification. Eight of ten conifers west of the cascades are douglasfirs. They are both widely used in the building industry to provide lumber and plywood for homes and framed structures as well. Strenth of southern pine and douglasfir compared author. Im not sure if doug fir is less delicious than pine, but, tastiness is worth considering. I wanted to include western larch in the test but was unable to obtain any in time, so i went with what i had. The simple cell structure of softwoods long, uniformly packed fibers gives them a high strengthtoweight ratio, making them flexible and capable of bearing heavy loads. Douglasfir has been used as an untreated framing timber for over 70 years. When freshly milled, the douglas fir is a light, rosy.
Southern yellow pine grades northeast lumber sales. Strenth of southern pine and douglas fir compared author. Not the usual trickling sap we often see, but thick rivulets. Best wood for windows in the uk marvin marvin architectural. While pitch pine has increased in some areas due to increased fire frequencies associated with european settlement, in the same and other areas, fire exclusion since the early 1900s has allowed hardwoods to replace pitch pine. Gather them once the papery brown bud sheafs fall off and they are about. Clear, coastal douglas fir is the wood of choice for top performing wood windows. It is also used to make doors, windows and furniture, railway ties, mine. Aerial photos of the central pine barrens of long island showed. Other species like douglas fir is stable and strong while white pine, cypress and cedar do not have the load capacity as douglas fir or oak. I first ripped down all the sides with a table say and then joined them with glue and kreg jig to make a nice solid top. It is native to western north america and is known as douglas fir, douglas.
Pine also requires routine coating with a sealer, or regular painting, to prolong its life. There are a variety of species that get called whitewood, such as pine, poplar, spruce. Pitch moths are clear winged insects measuring 34 inch long that lay eggs on douglas fir trees. Dec 28, 2018 pine and fir are two softwood species harvested in the northern hemisphere. Parana pine wood is free from resin ducts, pitch pockets, and pitch. This wood is a light, rosy color that is set off by its remarkably straight and handsome grain pattern. Natural, clear or light stain finishes work well for species such as pine, while. In searching for windows for the addition i found a company in canada that makes windows out of douglas fir. Douglas fir is a very strong wood, ranking at a 4 on a scale of 1 to 5. Spf means sprucepinefir and a supplier selling it might have a mix of species, but all graded and stamped. Common examples of softwoods include pine, douglas fir, spruce and yew. This wood species is not listed in the cites appendices, and is reported by the iucn as being a species of least concern. I think it would make sense to use some locally grown wood if there is anything that is grown for construction.
Pitch pine is used for heavy construction work, lorry and railway waggons, shipbuilding, masts, exterior finish, flooring, dock work, decking etc. Pull off a needle, and roll it between your fingers. The oregon legislature recognized this when it designated douglas fir the official state tree in 1936. Radiata pine trees just have a wide growth ring and more straight grain giving it a better appearance than the white pine or yellow pine normally found in plywood. True pine trees will have needles in clusters of two, three, or five. Pine or douglasfir among the most ecologically and commercially important trees in america are the douglasfir and the many pines native to the country. If the bud sheaf is still attached to the base of the tips, you can simply hold the buds in your hand and blow on them to remove them.
Seems like most manufacturers use either pine from the northwest, but some more expensive use douglas fir. For the genus and the other species with common names containing douglas fir or douglas fir, see pseudotsuga. Softwoods have been exported from the united states for over 400 years. Accoya modified radiata pine, 1, modified timber, accoyasoftwood. Wood fences the differences between cedar, fir and pine. The size material you will need for this project will be readily available in whitewood and will be less expensive.
Forum responses sawing and drying forum from gene wengert, forum technical advisor. Pine and fir are two softwood species harvested in the northern hemisphere. A guide to wood species reliable and energy efficient doors and. Hoping that the easily grown tree could adapt to his countrys reforestation efforts, he shipped seed cones from the columbia river basin back to the. This means the lumber is spruce, pine southern yellow or firhemlock all of which could be called whitewood. Another important consideration is whether the timbers will be exposed to the exterior. Pine trees have needle clusters and scaled, platelike bark.
This tough hard pine really helps us fill the gap that good old pitch pine left behind. Fir will work excellent if oiledsealed correctly and covered from weather. Douglas fir is listed as both a class 2 and class 3 timber, uk grown douglas fir is class 4. Fully boarded garage doors garage doors with windows.
Their wood is resilient and therefore a favorite choice for many people in various trades. Redwood and douglas fir lumber are not the same, and each has its own advantages over the other. With douglas fir you get one of the strongest and most durable softwoods, ideal for light or heavy construction. The needles are soft to the touch and can be very long. The lofty tree was the douglas fir, and it still dominates the great forests of the pacific northwest.
If it has little threepointed bract that protrude from each scale, its a female douglas fir cone. Mostly clear, but could have an occasional pitch pocket or small tight knot. It usually grows between 50 and 80 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet in diameter. It is native to western north america and is known as douglas fir, douglasfir, oregon pine, and columbian pine. The oregon legislature recognized this when it designated douglasfir the official state tree in 1936. Similar in general form, basic differences exist between fir and pine trees, including botanical name, native ranges, and cone shape. Door and window manufacturers seem to lead the charge for seeking. Pitch pine is sold and mixed interchangeably with other species as southern yellow pine, which is widely available as a construction lumber for a modest price. To avoid the burning and blade wander that comes from gum buildup during ripping, stop occasionally to wipe the saw teeth with acetone or oven cleaner. Both species of wood are wellsuited for windowmaking, but ponderosa pine has one basic advantage over douglas fir. Ive been curious how the vaunted longleaf pine fatwood would fare against lesser known and not generally commercially available fatwoods such as douglas fir, ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine. Douglas fir woods are strong and ideal, with straight grains that are the result of long, straight trunks.
So fine that people forget that it is a natural product harvested from the earth. Density of various wood species engineering toolbox. Pine tree needles grow in clusters of 2, 3 or 5 needles depending on if they are red, yellow or white pines and, the needles can grow very long think of a scotch pine at christmas as you walk along the path, pick up a cone and take a look. The basic difference between the two woods, as far as appearance is concerned, is that douglas firs are very light brown in color, whereas redwoods, as their name suggests, are reddish brown to brown. It will tend to redden over time when exposed to light and it paints easily and can. Douglas fir is one of the most versatile of the domestic wood species, with uses that include plywood, heavy construction, studding, floor boards, roof trusses, floor and ceiling joists, beams, interior and exterior joinery, windows, doors, marine piling, mining timber and dock and harborbuilding material. The soft wood between the grain lines shrinks and expands, making the wood cup or twist. Lower density grades are used for joinery, light construction, boxes, crates, pallets etc. Douglasfir is a hugely important lumber tree, grown widely in plantations well outside its native range.
Much like douglas fir, longleaf pine has a tendency to chip and splinter on cuts across the grain. Along with its cousin pitch pine, longleaf pine was an important contributor to the. What is the diff between ponderosa pine and douglas fir. The key difference between pine and fir trees is on the tree foliage. In comparison to hemlock, pine, or western red cedar, douglas fir is much stronger and harder. If so, your choices of species drops to just a few like douglas fir, cypress, and white oak. Oct 27, 2009 since the wood you will be using will not be getting wet and will be in an insulated wall, spf spruce, pine, fir lumber is sufficient.
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