WESTERN WOODS

fir lumber remains the first choice among our customers," Phillips remarked.

Lumber products cut from Douglas fir range from studs and framing lumber to timbers and appearance grades. However, a vast majority of Douglas fir-98Vo-is produced as structural lumber for use in construction.

It is the first choices for architects and engineers who seek the best in structural lumber. Douglas fir is dimensionally stable, allowing it to dry in place with minimal warp or splitting. For that reason, some'l3%o of Douglas fir production is sold as unseasoned or green lumber. Coast mills in particular produce mostly green lumber. In 2004, almost X)Vc of Coast production rvas sold as green compared to lSVc of Inland DF-L our put.

The species is universally recognized for its superior strength-torveight ratio. Its high specific gravity provides excellent nail- and plateholding ability. Douglas fir also has a history of superior performance against external forces such as rvinds. storms and earthquakes.

With one of the highest modulus of elasticity (E), or stiffness ratings. of all North American softwood species, Douglas fir's high stiffness to srrength ratio makes it a perfect fit for floor joists and rafters. This unique property provides stiff but comfortable floors on par rvith engineered wood's performance but at a significantly lower cost.

It also carries the highest ratings of any western softrvood in other design values and performs competitively rvith engineered wood products.

"Despite the competition from other species as rvell as engineered rvood products, Douglas fir is still the product of choice in many markets throughout the country." said Steve Schmitt. vice president of marketing for Stimson Lumber Co. The Portland-based company produces Coast green Douglas fir lumber as rvell as kiln-dried Douglas fir-larch products at their Inland operations.

"Builders like the rvorkability of Douglas fir lumber and architects value its high strength values. which offers great flexibility in design," said Schmitt.

Multi-story construction often utilizes Douglas fir's unique strength characteristics. Wood-framed buildings of four, five and even six stories push the limits of the building code. But Douglas fir is rvell suited for such structures.

Wood's ability to carry short-term increased stresses resulting from rvind and seismic loads give it a high margin of reserve strength. Douglas fir, in particular, is a favorite among multistory designers because of its superior strength and the large body of available test data from using the species in shear rvalls. diaphragms and firerated assemblies. It is also one of a select group of species readily available in fire-retardant treatments.

Douglas fir is one of the few western species available in large sizes. from 3x4 posts to l2xl2 heavy timbers. Best known for their tough fiber, dense grain structure and strength, Douglas fir timben are specified for a variety of uses. from long-span beams in residential and commercial structures to supports for bridge and road construction.

"We cut only Douglas fir lumber because it is the best free-of-heart lumber product to use under extreme circumstances, like crossarms for utility poles. thanks to its strength and durability," said Bob lrwis, c.e.o. of

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Columbia Vista Corp.. Vancouver. Wa. "Douglas fir also performs well as kiln-dried traditional items for Japanese post and beam construction. where it is highly valued for its appearance and durability."

The future of Douglas fir remains bright. as it ranks as the most plentiful softrvood species in North America. accounting for one-fifth the continent's total softrvood teserves.

As mills expand their reach for timber. customers may notice some nerv markings on Douglas fir lumber in addition to the familiar D Fir and Doug Fir-L marks.

Mills that source logs from the U.S. and Canada stamp their lumber rvith a combination grademark shorving both the D Fir and D Fir (N) marks. These combination marks are necessary because of the modest differences in design values-mostly in the highest grades-betrveen U.S. and Canadian Douglas fir.

Simpson Timber Co.. Shelton. Wa.. norv stamps much of its lumber rvith the dual U.S. and Canadian Douglas fir marks. "The species combination stamp gives us the opportunity to utilize Canadian logs in our production," noted sales manager Laurie Creech. "Most of our customers have transitioned easily to the combination stamp."

Douglas fir is intertrvined rvith the history of the Pacific Northrvest. David Douglas. the Scottish botanist rvho is the tree's namesake, recorded in his journal that the Douglas fir "form(s) one of the most striking and truly graceful

Douglas Fir

Hem-Fir . White Fir

Ponderosa Pine

Dimension Lumber, to 2O' Shop & Moddrng Grade Iaminate Grade Stock

Vertical Grain Fir Select Structurd

FOHC Timbers

Truck Shipments

BNSF. UP

Warm Springs

Forest Products Industrles

P.O. Box 810, Warm Springs. Or.97761 o Fax 541.553.1063

Phone 54r.553.f f48

Janet Corbett Lori Courtney wunr.wsfpi.com

objects in Nature."

For the past 180 years. it has been used to build millions of homes and structures that are strong. stable and durable. Through rvise forest management and replanting. the West's abundant Douglas fir forests rvill continue to supply lumber that will meet today's-and tomorrow's-construction needs.

Rest of the West

Although the Douglas fir is the most abundant species, the West has more commercial softwood species than any other region in North America

Here arc some of the other imporbnt species of lumber produced in the West:

Hem-fir

Hem-fir is a species combination of western bmlock and the true firs (noble, California red, grand, Pacific silver and white fu). It is an extrernely versatile species group used for multiple, general-purpoce framing applications. In the structural framing grades, bemfir is capable of meeting the span requiremens of many instrllations.

Lilhite Fir

While white fir is part of the hm-firgrqrp, it is preferred by many buyers and often pulled as a single species. Some buyers consider white fir more stable, but the design values and strength properties are the same as those for hem-fir.

Ponderosa pine

If tlouglas fir is the king in the region, pine has traditionally reigned as queen. Its wood is :rmong the most beautiful of all pines, ftrom sapwood that is rich gold to the reddish brown of the heartrvmd Moderately strong, straight grained and dimensionally stable, it is favored for joinery such as window frames and doors, and is used for shelving, paneling, trim and furnimre or can be pressure treated for otrtdoor use.

Western rcd cedar

PR0DUfiS in Horwood's 5 million BF inventory include:

. Douglos Fir, Redwood ond We$ern Red [edor

F0HI ond Exposed Iimbers-All Species . Anti-Mold/Stoin Treoted tumber

. Speciol Cutfings 3"x ond lorger-up t024"x24"x24'

Iimber Sizer: S4S limbe6 uptol4"x26" . Uniform Rough

SERVICIS ronge from'

. Precision End Trimming /Vlixed loody'Speciol Orders . [I[Avoiloble

Jobsite Delivery Ouicklurnorcund . 0rders Pulled to the Piece

' Just-in-Iime Delivery Shipmentbylruc[ Roil or Contoiner

Cedar grows throughout the forests of the West into Canada. One of the lightest softwoods by weight and naturally durable, it often used for decking, siding, fencing, shingles and shakes. The products cut on the east side of the Cascade Mountain range arc often marketed as inland red cedar.

Lodgepole pine

Native people historically used lodgepole pine to build tepees and lodges, herrce its name. Today,lodgepole pine is used to make doors, windows and frrniture, and commonly sold in together with Engelmann spruce as ES-LP, since both sharc similar stnrctural properties.

Sugar pine

Tallest of the westem pines, sugar pine is prized for use in general joinery, foundry patterns, boxes and crates, paneling and shelving. Most of the sugar pine lumber today is produced by mills in California