How to Identify Douglas-fir Wood (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

Usually a light brown color with a hint of red and/or yellow, with darker growth rings. Grain generally straight or slightly wavy; medium to coarse texture with moderate natural luster. End grain: Small to medium resin canals, infrequent and variable in distribution; high contrast between lighter earlywood and darker latewood; abrupt earlywood-to-latewood transition; medium-large tracheids.

Janka hardness 710 lbf (side hardness: the force needed to embed a 0.444-inch steel ball to half its diameter). Specific gravity 0.48 at 12% moisture content, so a cubic foot weighs roughly 30 lb. Weight in the hand is one of the quickest checks: compare a piece of known size against a board you already know.

Both show strong earlywood/latewood contrast, but Douglas-fir's resin canals are small-to-medium and infrequent/variable versus southern yellow pine's large, numerous, evenly distributed canals; Douglas-fir also grows in the West versus the Southeast for yellow pine. The Southern Yellow Pine (Loblolly/Longleaf) page has its own details.

Distinct, resinous odor when being worked; reported to cause skin irritation, nausea, giddiness, runny nose, and an increased likelihood of infected splinters.

Veneer, plywood, and structural/construction lumber.

Typically machines well but has a moderate blunting effect on cutters; accepts stains, glues, and finishes well; reported to cause skin irritation, nausea, giddiness, runny nose, and increased infection risk from splinters.

Photograph a freshly cut or sanded face in daylight, not a finished or stained surface, since stain hides color and finish flattens grain. Add a close-up of the end grain: cut a clean end, wet it or sand it to 220, and shoot from straight on; pore pattern and rays are the most reliable marks. Put a ruler in frame. The app suggests the likely species; confirm with the end grain and weight.