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Stability in New and Reclaimed Douglas Fir

January 21, 2012 by | Nicole | There have been 0 comments

As it stands, Douglas fir is a trusted wood product for many reasons. Builders use Douglas fir because it’s dimensionally stable and has a high strength-to-weight ratio, important factors in structural framing and connecting components. Homeowners rely on Douglas fir’s versatility-a wood with both beauty and brawn. So when it comes down to choosing reclaimed or new Douglas fir, you might wonder which one is more stable. Reclaimed Douglas fir is more stable than new Douglas fir.

Why reclaimed Douglas fir?

Reclaimed Douglas Fir Flooring

Most reclaimed Douglas fir is old growth timber harvested 50 or more years ago from Old Growth forests, dating hundreds of years old at time of harvest. The older the wood, the drier it is with a very low moisture content. That’s a really good thing in tree-talk because dry wood is stable wood.

Stability aside, reclaimed Douglas fir helps “green” your home and commerical building projects. By giving new life to old wood, you help sustain our young forests by decreasing the demand for new wood. And to top it off, there’s the history behind each plank that truly distinguishes the old from the new.

Be on the lookout for…

As historic and sustainable as reclaimed Douglas fir is, there are some things that compromise its stability. AltruFir recommends professional grading of reclaimed fir and all reclaimed wood, especially when intended for structural purposes. You should ask the vendor about the condition of their reclaimed material. Be on the lookout for things which affect the structural integrity of the wood:

  • - Splits and splitting
  • - Loose knots
  • - Rot
  • - Warping

Visible nail heads, bolt holes, and checking should not affect the structural integrity of reclaimed wood. However, err on the side of caution. Have all reclaimed wood professionally graded and read your vendor’s buyer guide on reclaimed wood.

Does this mean that reclaimed Douglas fir with loose knots is bad? Nope. It simply means that old fir beam, for example, is better suited for a non-structural purpose, say as a mantelpiece or grand beam above a grand entryway.


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