Douglas Fir Lumber Grades Explained

Select grade douglas fir.

Douglas fir lumber grades explained.

An overview of lumber grades and wood quality. Douglas fir ponderosa pine white fir and western red cedar are the most common single species sold as dimension lumber products. So with just a glance you can know the type of tree the lumber came from its classification its grade and its moisture content. What different types of lumber grades mean.

That little stamp contains all the information that we just talked about above. Doug fir d fir l. Lumber is a wood product sawn and shaped from timbers of harvested trees. If you want to see a more defined grade.

The triangle with d fir in it lets us know that this piece of lumber came from a douglas fir. These groups grade the lumber based on its intended use. When it comes to douglas fir you re going to see grades from agencies that specialize in softwoods from the western u s such as the west coast lumber inspection bureau or the western wood products association. This lumber must be at minimum 4 wide and 6 long.

Knowing what it takes to meet a lumber grade can help you plan your lumber purchases and design your projects to ensure you can get what you need. Structural lumber including dimension lumber is visually and or mechanically msr graded for its strength and physical working properties appearance is secondary unless specified. This lumber must be at minimum 6 wide and 8 long and 83 of the board must be free of defects. Underneath the umbrella of alsc are numerous lumber grading agencies.

All pictures are meant for a general grade description. That means of course that it does not encompass exotic hardwood species such as ipe or mahogany or softwood species such as red cedar or douglas fir. Limitations of the nhla grading system. By its nature wood is not of uniform consistency and therefore will contain defects that impact the appearance of the lumber that is created from the wood material and which may impact the structural characteristics as well.

Lumber of this grade is intended primarely for use in housing and light construction where it is exposed as paneling shelving and other uses where a knotty type of lumber with the finest appearance is required. Establishes lumber quality based on a grader s visual inspection. The abbreviations for framing grade softwoods from strongest to weakest are as follows. Western wood products association 1500 sw first ave ste 870 portland or 97201 phone.

First and most significantly the nhla grading system as its name implies is limited to domestic hardwood lumber. Douglas fir l western larch syp. Before we get into the different grades of lumber let s take a look at the various defects you may find in a piece of lumber.