Is Douglas fir grown in NZ?
Is Douglas fir grown in NZ?
Douglas-fir ranks as the second most important softwood in New Zealand, after radiata pine, and occupies about 5% of the total plantation forest area. Most of the Douglas-fir sawn timber that is produced comes from the central North Island and from the northern South Island.
Is Douglas fir good timber?
Douglas Fir is widely recognised for its superior strength to weight ratio with it having the highest strength rating of any softwood. These properties are very similar to Oak but Douglas Fir is 30% lighter in weight making fresh sawn Douglas Fir an excellent alternative.
How long do Douglas fir trees take to grow?
Douglas firs grown for Christmas trees take 7-10 years to grow to the right size depending on the growing conditions, the trees are sheared once every summer so they grow in uniformly in shape and size.
How hard is Douglas fir?
While it might be called a softwood, Douglas fir is actually harder than some angiosperm hardwoods, such as chestnut. Douglas fir is a very durable hardwood flooring option. Douglas fir has a Janka score of 660, meaning it takes 660 pounds of force to do this.
Is Douglas fir good for framing?
Douglas Fir-Larch studs are the backbone for most interior and exterior wall framing. Characteristics affecting strength and stiffness values are limited, making this product perfectly suited for vertical uses such as load- bearing walls.
How Long Will Douglas fir last outside?
It’s also naturally resistant to rot, decay, and insects. According to research done by the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, completely untreated Douglas fir will last 10-15 years in outdoor uses.
Is Douglas fir good for joists?
Known for its dimensional stability and strength-to-weight ratio, long-length Douglas Fir is a great choice for joists, rafters, and beams.
Is Douglas fir soft or hardwood?
Doug-Fir is one of the most popular softwoods used both in factories and at home, and it is quite an interesting species. Despite being a softwood, it possesses features that enable it to be used in tasks mostly meant for hardwoods. Significantly, its high versatility gives it an unbeatable edge over its competitors.
How old do Douglas fir trees get?
The largest coast Douglas firs commonly live to be at least 500 years and sometimes exceed 1,000 years. Rocky Mountain Douglas firs have a shorter lifespan, usually living no more than 400 years. The population of these trees is stable.
Where can I get Douglas fir post and beam?
For technical information on Douglas Fir see this page, or the Fir species page for more general info. Bear Creek Lumber can provide you with a variety of post and beam material in any size needed.
What can you use Douglas fir lumber for?
Douglas Fir is ideal for outdoor or indoor applications where strength is needed for a structural purpose. A perfect choice for outdoor patio covers, pergolas, or pavilions – either stained or painted.
What are the structural characteristics of Douglas fir?
The tree is quite large, so large cants over incredible length are easy to obtain. Moreover, the structural characteristics of Douglas Fir mean that it has great stiffness (little deflection) over large spans.
Where does Douglas fir come from in North America?
Douglas Fir is a native species in the Pacific Northwest, and these days it is mostly sourced from British Columbia, Canada. Although the species has a wide range up and down the western coast of North America, moving large timbers more than 3000 miles to east coast projects can be both cost prohibitive and time consuming. J.