Is Douglas Fir A Hardwood Or Softwood

Douglas fir has a high bending strength shear strength and stiffness.

Is douglas fir a hardwood or softwood.

Due to its strength it is used for building and construction and is one of the finest timbers for heavy structural purposes including glulam beams and roof trusses. Balsa is a hardwood but its wood is so soft and lightweight that it s most commonly used for making model airplanes. Most softwoods have a lower density than most hardwoods. Douglas fir like all firs is a softwood softwood is actually a term that is used to classify all the conifers while hardwood is used as a classification for all angiosperm trees.

It dries evenly and stays stable during use. The oldest trees can be more than 1 500 years old. It is a hard species and is suitable for use where wear is a factor. Spruce pine fir south this species combination classed as moderately strong is cross continental in origin.

Oak is a hardwood and douglas fir is a softwood which means that oak is harder right. Such a gorgeous scandinavian style floor our most popular floor dubbed the world s most beautiful floor but the most problematic that we produce. You may not find this wood as readily as pinewood as it mostly comes only from the west coast or eastern asia. This softwood lumber dries well with good dimensional stability.

It is a very durable wood which is used extensively in industrial applications for wharves trestles and heavy construction. Hardwood is typically more expensive than softwood. That reasoning doesn t apply in every instance but in this case it does. However douglas fir which is a gymnosperm or softwood is actually harder than chestnut an angiosperm that most people would call a hardwood.

The heartwood is light tan to medium brown changing to orange brown due to exposure to sunlight and age. Most hardwoods have a higher density than most softwoods. Softwood is typically less expensive compared to hardwood. The heartwood is moderately decay resistant.

Douglas fir douglas fir wood image. Many people are unaware that douglas fir is a softwood and will mark dent easily it also has a tendency to split and crack. Wikimedia commons douglas fir is another softwood that plays a vital role in making furniture and several other wooden items. Examples of softwood trees are cedar douglas fir juniper pine redwood spruce and yew.