Douglas Fir

Botanical name: Pseudotsuga menziesii. Grows in: North America.

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.

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.

Durability: Average.

Hardness/Janka: Janka: 660; (49% softer than Northern red oak).

Dimensional Stability: Above average (7.3; 15% more stable than Northern red oak)

Workability: Difficult to work with hand tools, but good machining qualities. It is good with sanding, nailing.

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. May be difficult to stain.