What are Douglas Fir Wood Uses?
As one of the best–known softwoods, douglas fir wood is used in so many appliances at home and factories.
Douglas fir wood possesses interesting characteristics that enable it to be used in woodworking applications, primarily for hardwoods.
Although it is softwood, Douglas fir wood has excellent durability, making it suitable for outdoor applications.
Regardless of the name, Douglas fir is not a fir (or pine or spruce); however, certain conifer types create wood that’s much more resilient than numerous conifers, consisting of hem fir yellow Sitka spruce, and pines.
Douglas Fir Wood for Trim and Joinery
Douglas fir wood has remarkable strength features and is very well–known for its workability.
It has a stunning natural appearance, making it primarily Douglas fir wood uses for trim and joinery.
Its stunning looks make it an excellent choice for the finishing of a house, such as window sills, window cases, and stairway risers.
Douglas Fir Wood for Flooring
The soundness of Douglas fir wood has made this softwood is mainly known for its application in flooring. During the tree’s growth, it creates straighter and longer fibers.
Straighter and longer fibers of Douglas fir wood make it very resistant to physical impacts and robust.
This property ensures Douglas fir wood’s longevity and rarely requires maintenance.
Its great pattern also adds desired feeling when people walk on it barefoot.
Douglas Fir Wood for Boat – Building
Douglas fir wood is one of the six species of evergreen trees that are important timber trees.
This wood is one of the finest timbers with tough features and is suitable for heavy structural purposes, including boatbuilding.
Indigenous people in BC have used Douglas fir wood as fishing hooks and boatbuilding.
This wood robustness is an excellent choice to build ships, boats, marine pilings, and many more.
Native people already used Douglas fir wood for constructing boats since its notable strength prevents this wood from bending or buckling.
Until now, Douglas fir wood is still one of the most primary woods, if not the only one, to make wooden ships for minesweepers in the US Navy.
How good is Douglas Fir Wood For Furniture?
Using Douglas fir for furniture during the products’ longevity can be sustainable, thanks to the carbon capture.
1. Douglas Fir Wood for Indoor Furniture
Hardwoods are the most commonly used type of wood for furniture making. Its sturdiness makes hardwoods the most favorable choice. But, since Douglas fir wood has great strength, it makes this type of wood can give an excellent output in furniture making.
It is mainly used to build a chair, desk, high-quality wood cabinets, dining tables, etc.
Douglas fir wood has a stunning look, with the heartwood ranges from reddish-brown to yellowish. However, it has a difference in color depending on the age of the wood.
Its fine to medium texture makes Douglas fir wood a good choice for indoor furniture. Douglas fir wood furniture will bring a rustic atmosphere to the room.
2. Douglas Fir Wood for Outdoor Furniture
Douglas fir wood’s great features enable this wood to be used for outdoor furniture as well.
A wide variety of outdoor furniture is being constructed using Douglas fir wood such as doors, windows, sashes, and many more.
Douglas fir wood can be shaped relatively easily using good machining qualities.
Douglas Fir Wood for Heavy Structural Purposes
One of the most commonly Douglas fir wood uses for heavy constructions.
Although categorized as softwood, Douglas fir wood is resistant to abrasion and toughness, making this wood suitable for applications where fatigue is a factor such as bridge parts, commercial buildings, piers, log homes, and buffer.
Its good characteristics make Douglas fir wood suitable for heavy structural constructions such as roof trusses. Native people in BC have used Douglas fir wood for heavy structural construction.
Douglas Fir Wood for Aircraft Making
Among the top uses of Douglas fir wood, aircraft making can be one of the most popular.
Douglas fir wood has excellent dimensional stability, which is not affected easily by weather conditions and environmental impact.
This characteristic is essential for aircraft safety requirements.
Due to its excellent strength, Douglas fir wood uses primarily for heavy construction and building.
This wood has good characteristics such as being resistant to abrasion and sturdy, which are very important for outdoor applications.
Native people in BC even had already used Douglas fir wood for many woodworking because of its notable strength.
Douglas fir Durability
For softwood, douglas fir has moderate durability and is not supposed for furniture or any application with ground contact for an extended period without any treatment.
As long you sealed it with a proper wood sealer, yes, it is possible to use douglas fir with ground contact.
Douglas fir wood is highly impenetrable, and it can be improved by incising and naturally resistant against fungal, rot, and insect infestation.
What is the best finish for douglas fir wood?
For staining, douglas fir wood is best with clear and natural and a light stain, combined with a clear sealer. You can add semi-shine paint To create a clean, smooth look or even severe shine.
Painting this wood might not be a good decision, but for its holding ability, douglas fir having a good paint holding ability.
Painting is mainly for using this wood in building and very rare in a piece of furniture made by this wood is painted.
If you want to wax this wood, it will have a good result if you use mellow pine or Chesnut colored waxes; it’s from light to medium waxes.
So what is the best result for douglas fir wood finish?
For me, Lacquering is giving the best and Excellent results for your final woodworking project.
In Summary, Below are the uses of douglas fir wood
The predominant use of Douglas fir is in Building and construction industry, but below are other uses of this wood:
- Architectural and acoustic panels
- Balconies and Pergolas
- Cladding, Façade, and wall paneling
- Doors & Window frames
- Dust panels and Back panels
- Furniture, Fine cabinetry & Drawer parts
- General millwork, Lumber & Laminated beams
- Hydraulic engineering
- Joinery (Exterior & Interior)
- Parquet flooring & Stairs components
- Production of cellulose products such as fibrous paneling and plywood
- Roof trusses and Ceiling joists
