Is Douglas Fir A Hardwood Or Softwood

Wikimedia commons douglas fir is another softwood that plays a vital role in making furniture and several other wooden items.

Is douglas fir a hardwood or softwood.

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. Oak is a hardwood and douglas fir is a softwood which means that oak is harder right. It dries evenly and stays stable during use.

Many people are unaware that douglas fir is a softwood and will mark dent easily it also has a tendency to split and crack. Balsa is a hardwood but its wood is so soft and lightweight that it s most commonly used for making model airplanes. Spruce pine fir south this species combination classed as moderately strong is cross continental in origin. Most hardwoods have a higher density than most softwoods.

Such a gorgeous scandinavian style floor our most popular floor dubbed the world s most beautiful floor but the most problematic that we produce. The oldest trees can be more than 1 500 years old. 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. Examples of softwood trees are cedar douglas fir juniper pine redwood spruce and yew.

Red oak wood is almost exactly twice as hard as douglas fir wood and white oak wood is even harder. 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 is a very durable wood which is used extensively in industrial applications for wharves trestles and heavy construction. Softwood is typically less expensive compared to hardwood.

This softwood lumber dries well with good dimensional stability. Straight grained and moderately heavy with limited resin this is one of the most attractive and strongest of the western softwood species. It is a hard species and is suitable for use where wear is a factor. Most softwoods have a lower density than most hardwoods.

You may not find this wood as readily as pinewood as it mostly comes only from the west coast or eastern asia. The heartwood is moderately decay resistant. Douglas fir douglas fir wood image. Hardwood is typically more expensive than softwood.