Architects and engineers favor this wood because of its dimensional stability, its remarkable strength-to-weight ratio, and durability. It also takes nails and screws extremely well and possesses a high degree of weather resistance.
We consider pinewood a softwood, making it softer than many types of hardwood. You will find pine trees all over the world as well as across the United States. It displays a considerable stiffness and resistance to shock, making it a preferred choice for making furniture and using it as a building material. You will find pinewood easy to work on due to the softness of the wood. Traditionally, colonialists used pine to construct their homes as it was the commonly-available lumber at the time.
Through the ages, preferences shifted to other more exotic and perhaps more robust varieties of wood. However, pinewood is fast gaining popularity again today due to its rustic looks and sustainability.
As we mentioned above, Douglas fir is a naturally strong type of wood which makes it the favored choice for using to build heavy structures like posts and beams. It plays a vital role in building and construction and you will find its resistance to abrasion particularly useful when using it for flooring.
You will also find Douglas fir commonly used for making doors, windows, millwork, veneer, cabinets furniture, transmission poles, and structural beams. Because of its strength-to-weight ratio, it is also a suitable variety of wood for building boats and ships. Pine can be distinguished by its light color, punctuated with dark knots. It is a look that many people prefer, but others do not. Douglas fir on the other hand comes in a wider range of colors. The sapwood is light and you will get a yellow to reddish-brown from the heartwood.
Then, there is a marked difference in appearance between earlywood and latewood, the latter being significantly darker. The wide color range combined with the straight, non-porous grain makes Douglas fir an attractive variety of wood to use. Pine exhibits a fair degree of resistance to shock making it reduce the effects of damage through impact.
Although pine tends to be less prone to shrinking and warping, Douglas fir is significantly better in this aspect. It will not resist insect attack unless treated with suitable chemicals. Thus, you need to consider all these factors if you want to use pinewood outdoors.
Douglas fir has a less tendency to absorb moisture, and it is quite flexible when subjected to force. Thus, it is also less prone to warping and twisting, making it far stronger than pinewood.
To determine the actual size needed for your project, consult the project plans, residential code book or local code official. The American Wood Council also offers an easy to use span calculator. But remember: any calculations are only as accurate as the information input.
Reach out to a qualified professional if needed. Their own unique properties and availability can vary by region.
For a breakdown of species, check out the Think Wood Species Guide. Structural wood is graded on the basis of strength, with appearance secondary. The most common structural grades include Stud, No. Finishes and millwork sometimes cover structural elements like post wraps or are the project themselves trim, cabinets.
For example, trim that will be painted should have a smooth and consistent surface that may be finger jointed or have voids filled. Usually this material will be listed as paint grade or primed. For projects where the wood grain will be seen, consider labels such as stain grade, clear, supreme, choice or select. The Western Wood Products Association has a helpful finish grade list.
If you are looking for a clear and consistent appearance, Hem-Fir may be the right choice. If you are looking for a grain pattern or knotty appearance, Eastern White or Ponderosa Pine may fit the bill. For lightweight and excellent wood working qualities, Western Red Cedar is a good choice.
For projects using stain, you need to also consider the base color of the wood. Douglas fir plywood and regular lumber are typically more available and desirable for applications like flooring, decking, and other construction elements. By contrast, yellow pine is typically only used to make furniture, and sometimes cabinets and chests. When it comes to handling weather conditions and moisture, Douglas fir is the clear winner.
Like any wood, fir will react to moisture, and its fibers may contract or swell. However, it will usually return to the same shape once it dries out. By contrast, pine reacts very poorly to moisture and weather.
When the softwood between its grain lines expands or shrinks, that change is permanent. Any warping or swelling is then permanent. The reliability of fir, even under the changing circumstances of weather and humidity, makes it far more desirable for most projects, especially if we are talking about cabinets, flooring, decking, or the actual structural components of a home.
One problem you may run into with both Douglas fir and yellow pine is locating truly high-quality lumber. Tight-grained Douglas fir boards from older trees are increasingly rare due to over-harvesting and demand. The same can be said of older, tougher yellow pine. The really nice straight-grained wood from mature trees is just difficult to come by these days. With that said, it is important to keep an eye on where you are sourcing your lumber.
It is best to support companies and providers that actually care about reforesting and responsible use. Unfortunately, too few lumber companies are truly earth-conscious and sensitive to the future of the forests. When you find a supplier that you believe is both responsible and reasonably priced, try to support them as much as you can.
You can find superb quality pieces in old buildings. If you know of a building that is going to be torn down to make room for new modern construction, see if you can arrange to take a look inside prior to demolition. Check the rafters, support posts, and flooring, and you just might find seasoned lumber and boards that are true treasures. You want pieces that have structural integrity and are untouched by rot. Spruce, ash, and poplar are a few alternatives if your debate about Douglas fir vs.
There are also options like cedar, redwood, larch, oak, and hemlock. And of course, if you are willing to pay a lot more, you can get into the high-end woods like maple, cherry, walnut, and mahogany, or even into the realm of exotic lumber. If you have your heart set on using a particular wood for a specific project or element within your home, it might be possible to make it work, even if another kind of wood would be better.
You just might have to put in extra time treating and pre-conditioning the wood to make it suitable for what you want to do.
Sometimes, you will find that investing the extra money in a finer quality of wood with greater hardness and a better grain will be worth it in the end. And if you are dealing with structural elements in your home, it is always better to go with quality and invest extra money in ensuring that your home is as solid and secure as you can make it.
0コメント