Is Fir Considered A Hardwood

Hardwood is typically more expensive than softwood.

Is fir considered a hardwood.

According to the university of tennessee agricultural extension service woods are classified as hardwood or softwood not based on their durability but based on the type of tree and the structure of its wood. Douglas fir is technically not a true fir abies genus but is in its own genus. Nordmann fir noble fir fraser fir and balsam fir are popular christmas trees generally considered to be the best for this purpose. It is made by gluing together plywood layers also called veneers.

Both red oak and white oak are harder than douglas fir wood. Most softwoods have a lower density than most hardwoods. Following is a list of common hardwoods and their characteristics. Softwood comes from a conifer cone bearing or evergreen trees such as pine or spruce.

Ash is a white to pale brown wood with a straight grain. Most hardwood trees are deciduous trees which lose their leaves annually like elm or maple. Cedar douglas fir pine spruce redwood and more. Douglas fir is moderately strong and hard for a softwood rating 4 on a scale of 1 to 4.

Most hardwoods have a higher density than most softwoods. It is an incredibly valuable commercial timber widely used in construction and building purposes. Softwood plywood is usually made from softwood such as cedar douglas fir or spruce pine fir or redwood and is typically used for construction and industrial purposes. However douglas fir which is a gymnosperm or softwood is actually harder than chestnut an angiosperm that most people would call a hardwood.

The janka rating for red oak the softer of the two oaks is 1 220 pounds force while that for douglas fir is only 620 which is a little more than half. Examples of softwood trees are cedar douglas fir juniper pine redwood spruce and yew. The texture and density of the wood a tree produces puts it in either the hardwood or softwood category. Balsa is a hardwood but its wood is so soft and lightweight that it s most commonly used for making model airplanes.

The tree itself grows to be very large and yields a large amount of usable lumber and veneer for plywood. Softwood is typically less expensive compared to hardwood. It s pretty easy to work with. Deciduous angiosperms like oak are hardwoods while gymnosperms like spruce are softwoods.

Fir wood left outside cannot be expected to last more than 12 to 18 months depending on the type of climate it is exposed to. Check out the national hardwood lumber association for ways to support sustainable forestry. When it comes to general strength oak is also the winner but fir is more workable.