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Introduction of Douglas Fir Lumber

Introduction of Douglas Fir Lumber

Named after the botanist who found its many uses, David Douglas, the Douglas Fir (botanical name Pseudotsugamenziesii) is a coniferous tree that is grown in the western region of the United States and is the state tree of Oregon. It is also known as the Douglas Spruce and Oregon Pine due to the needle like appearance of its leaves that give it the distinctive look of a pine tree.

Douglas Fir is a very popular lumber producer for construction projects all over the Miami as it embodies a large number of characteristics that make it an ideal wood for house framing and structural work. Even though it is considered softwood, The Douglas Fir lumber is a very stable and strong wood. Another reason, it is perfect for structural use and it has excellent resistance to decay and is susceptible to preservation treatments to keep it safe from insect attacks. This also makes it an ideal wood for boat decking.

The trees grow up to 250 ft (75m) and have a diameter of up to 5 ft (2m) making attaining larger dimensions of clear Douglas Fir Lumber for larger construction projects very easy. Due to it, being one of the heaviest and hardest softwoods that are commercially available in North America, the wood is also used to construct an assortment of products including flooring, cabinets, lumber transmission poles, railroad tiles, furniture, veneer, ship and boat construction, general millwork and marine pilings. The Rocky Mountain Douglas Fir and Coast Douglas Fir, names after their geographic locations, are smaller types of the tree and are very popular as Christmas trees around the United States.

The color of Douglas Fir Lumber is dependent on the age and location of the tree. It is normally a lighter brown color with splashes of yellow or red. The growth rings are generally darker. The grain of the wood is slightly wavy at times but is normally straight with a reasonable amount of natural luster and an average to grainy texture.

Douglas Fir Lumber is generally easy to work on with machine tools but might prove difficult with hand tools due to its coarse texture. It might also have a slight blunting effect on cutters while it responds very well to painting but might not stain as well due to the elevated levels of resin in the wood. It is very acceptable of glues and finishes.

The reason you can get Douglas Fir Lumber in Miami and all over the country so abundantly is that it grows very fast so it is a sustainable wood and reforestation is easily attainable. It is in no danger of extinction and has not been listed in the CITES(the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Appendices. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) reports it as being a species of minor concern.

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