WOOD FLOORINGS - Douglas Fir

Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Availability: Readily available. Sample is 3/4 by 3 1/4-inch square-edge solid strip. Top portion is finished with water-base urethane; bottom with oil-modified polyurethane.

COLOR: Heartwood is yellowish tan to light brown. Sapwood is tan to white. Heartwood may be confused with that of Southern yellow pine. Radical color change upon exposure to sunlight.

GRAIN: Normally straight, with occasional wavy or spiral texture. Nearly all fir flooring is vertical-grain or riftsawn clear-grade material.

VARIATIONS WITHIN SPECIES AND GRADES: Wood varies greatly in weight and strength. Young trees of moderate to rapid growth have reddish heartwood and are called red fir. The narrow-ringed wood of old trees may be yellowish-brown and is known as yellow fir.

SAWING/MACHINING: Harder to work with hand tools than the soft pines.
SANDING: Sands satisfactorily.
NAILING: Good holding ability.
FINISHING: Some boards develop a slight pinkish to bright salmon color when finished with some products. Because of tendency toward color change, care must be taken to avoid oversanding when refinishing an existing floor.