How Can Hardwood Floors Increase Your Home's Resale Value? Fir is very strong for its weight and hardness. The finish dries quickly with an 'in the wood' appearance. Folded sandpaper can slip beneath a splinter, angling it right into your finger. This article is from Issue 90 of Woodcraft Magazine. Douglas fir can be beautiful in the right hands using the right stain. This post was posted in All Entries, Douglas Fir Flooring, Douglas Fir Trim and was tagged with Douglas fir flooring, fir flooring, flooring stains, flooring finishes, stains, finishes. It was essentially a coin toss to decide which way to first run the board over the jointer. So, know before you go. Doug-Fir forests grow in the Pacific Northwest and up into British Columbia. When I resawed the pieces for the sides of the tool tote, I expected the pieces to cup and bow, but they stayed flat. And I’m planning a project to use the T&G pieces I picked up from the home center. Pieces 6" and wider are graded from the better side or face and one edge, the other edge and reverse side may be one grade lower". The wood can splinter easily, and is tough to work with hand tools. Vertical Grain Fir has long been prized as a finish material for doors, paneling, mouldings, and window trim. Or if it's in the bathroom or kitchen, which have different conditions from the living room or your bedroom, for example. We custom ordered them from our local lumber yard at 2.5″ thick and just shy of 11″ wide and 12 feet long at $33 a pop. 2. Wash only a small section at a time, immediately rubbing dry with a lint-free cloth. x 2.5 in. Dye-based stains are ideal for very fine or close-grained woods like CVG Douglas fir. Home Verticle-Grain Douglas Fir Americano Finish. Item #130752. Douglas Fir is strong and easy to work with – it holds nails and screws well, and readily accepts paint and stain. But, researching stains and finishes can be about as much fun as deciding where to take the family for dinner when your mother-in-law is gluten intolerant. My local place, stocks what they refer to as “tongue and groove fir flooring” (above, right) in the aisle with the premium quality pine boards. Mixed Grain. Left of the wood sample has a clear urethane finish, and right is unfinished. Solid Douglas clear Fir Base, finger jointed and primed: 16 foot long only, This is mixed grain not totally CVG 49 cents a linear foot 5/8" X 2-1/4" Colonial #356 profile. Now that we’ve helped to pinpoint your project needs, you can be in and out of that home improvement store with plenty of time leftover to take your mother-in-law to dinner. Model #720966-12. Subscribe to the newsletter and get 10% off your next purchase in addition to the latest products, guides and project ideas. If looking to finish your log cabin, consider Linseed oil. For woods that are bound to take a beating – siding, trim, patio furniture – use a surface finish. Given the board’s uniform face grain, ascertaining proper orientation for jointer feeding was tricky. Finish sizes available at Weekes: 1 x 4 C & Better Vertical Grain S4S; 1 x 6 C & Better Vertical Grain S4S; 1 x 8 C & Better Vertical Grain S4S; We decided on thick douglas fir shelves for the reading room. Additional information to consider Our Douglas fir doors look great painted, stained or with a clear finish. Vertical-Grain Douglas Fir Clear Laquer Finish. However, sawed for vertical grain and graded for "superior finish," the cost rises by at least three times. The answers to these questions make a difference, especially if you want to save yourself from making multiple trips to the home improvement store. Let’s say you’ve just installed your Douglas fir flooring and you feel a different tint will really show it off. With right finish you can use Doug Fir inside or outside. As part of a renovation project, our gym was updated with ADA-compliant seating. Ask your home improvement specialist for greener products, or shop online. Ability to order specified lengths in flooring and beaded pattern; Product Options. Vertical Grain. Wash the surface daily with cool water for one week. Verticle-Grain Douglas Fir Charcoal Finish. Know your colors, too. For instance, decorative wood items get a glossy-shine from shellac. It resists scuffing and abrasion and it has become … When it comes to a finish, it will protect wood from damage and deterioration and should be the last step in your DIY project. Vertical Grain Douglas-Fir. What are you working on? Sauers - Douglas Fir 4'X8' Veneer Sheet, 10MIL Paper Backed, Sauers - Douglas Fir 4'X8' Veneer Sheet, 3M PSA Backed, Sauers - Douglas Fir Veneer Sheet Vertical Grain 4' x 8' 2-Ply Wood on Wood, You must be logged in to write a comment. They are also easy to apply, but can be messy. Mahogany (African) Quarter Cut. Our Douglas Fir Tongue and Groove Flooring is available in C & Better Vertical Grain for a more refined look in widths of 1x3", 1x4", 1x6" and 5/4x4" and lengths from 3' to 20.' It matters if your project is indoors or outdoors. We offer VG Fir in Millennia, in the colors below: My most recent experience with CVG Douglas-fir came in the residential construction class I teach as one of the Technology Education electives available to my high school students. (There are still a few of us teaching “shop” in America’s public schools.) Grades: Clear Vertical Grain; Offered in 4 widths I also wanted them to have a bit of school history to take home (although I doubt that will matter much to them until they get a little older). Question I'm staining cabinets for a house with a ML Campbell wiping stain. You can also find the wood online. Out of curiosity (and to show the students another use of the bandsaw), I installed a fresh blade and sliced one piece into some veneer. That answer is simple. A durable softwood with a warm, pleasing grain pattern—especially when quarter-sawn—fir takes stain well but doesn't really need it. Clear Vertical Grain Douglas Fir. ... Douglas Fir. JavaScript seem to be disabled in your browser. And we’ll throw in a little bit of extra information that we hope is useful to you. It’s solid and straight and the grain is gorgeous but there’s one downside, douglas fir needs a … Item #50863. As of this writing, the plentiful Douglas-fir is considered far from endangered. Wood finishes are generally referred to as either penetrating or surface. Let’s discuss the application of stains and finishes on your Douglas fir. I’m pleased with the results and look forward to using the rest of my stash with next year’s class. Verticle-Grain Douglas Fir Kodiak Finish. Construction 2×4s designated as SPF (spruce, pine, fir)—are often Douglas-fir. The students learned the importance of grain direction when edge jointing. Fir is an excellent wood for highly finished post & beam frames and commercial work because of its strength and beautiful grain. When it comes to a finish, it will protect wood from damage and deterioration and should be the last step in your DIY project. Again, save yourself the guesswork and frustration by knowing what you need before you go. Doug-fir is one of the harder softwoods on the market and features a distinct difference in the hardness of the earlywood (the lighter colored areas) and the latewood (the darker stripes). Just like the resawn pieces, the veneers stayed perfectly flat. Articles They work best on less dense woods. You can apply several coats buffing with fine sandpaper or just a piece of burlap. The wood glues without a problem and holds both nails and screws well, but drill pilot holes to prevent splitting. Top Choice 2-in x 6-in x 12-ft Douglas Fir Lumber. Unlike the stain on your best button-up or the frayed finish on your go-to denim, the stains and finishes we’ll be talking about beautify and protect your wood. Sand lightly between coats. To protect against mildew, decay, and warping choose a water-repellent stain that protects the wood against weather. The Wood Door Store, serving customers in the Pacific Northwest since 1991, can make the purchase of wood stile and rail doors for your home or business a painless and easy process – whether you need a front door, a patio door unit or a house full of prehung doors, we can take care of your requirements. Category: Domestic Lumber. With my lumber rack overflowing, I set about designing a project my students could tackle that would teach valuable woodworking lessons and utilize this beautiful reclaimed wood. ALL OF THE DEALS, ALL IN ONE PLACE - WOODCRAFT HOLIDAY HQ. Its great for furniture, trim-work, cabinetry and doors. February 25, 2011 by | nell |
Not only does it offer a more varied look, it’s also more economical and still a durable type of lumber. 671. As for choosing an oil or water-based finish, consider the item you are finishing and your preferences as the qualities found in finishes are similar in oil or water-based stains. I was impressed with the wood’s stability. Do you want a natural finish or would you like to add color without painting? You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. Flat Cut. In reality, it's usually a way to make cheap look more expensive or produce a specific desired color that's difficult to find in nature. Log In. A stain’s job is to accentuate the wood grain. Also, what do you want the finished product to look like? Although there are polyurethane finishes for exterior woods, its oil-to-resin content is lower than spar urethane. You’ll feel this distinctly when bandsawing across the grain. Stain it. This is one headache we hope to relieve by reviewing the function of stains and finishes, how that applies to your project, and recommended uses. 1. There have been 0 comments. Finish Lumber S4S: DOUGLAS FIR - C & Btr. Vertical Grain. I convinced the demo crew to save me the lumber from the old bleachers—most of it CVG Doug-fir. Flat Cut. Both are clear surface finishes, but spar urethane is recommended for wood in climates with extreme temperature changes. Climb-cutting when routing profiles greatly reduces splintering. Doug-fir has a warm, reddish-brown hue that deepens with age. To create a look of luster on your indoor trim and paneling, try Danish oil. Douglas Fir can vary in color based upon age and location of tree. VERTICAL GRAIN (R/L): 1/2 x 2: 1/2 x 3: 1/2 x 4: 1/2 x 5: 1/2 x 6 For DIY-ers looking for greener home improvement options, there are environmentally preferable products. Surface or topcoat finishes form a film around the wood and shield it from most everything. Pre-finished, un-stained, CVG Douglas Fir Flooring. This finish colors the wood very little and brings out the grain a bit, but not too much. We’re talking about CVG (Clear, Vertical Grain) Douglas-fir; boards that are more processed and quarter-sawn—cut so the growth rings are relatively perpendicular to board faces. Do yourself a favor and use a sanding block. So, what function do stains and finishes serve? Penetrating finishes “soak” into the wood and leave you with a more natural look. Stain it. Stains As with all refinishing projects, if you're going to stain, you should test it first in an inconspicuous place to see how the wood reacts. An oil-based interior stain offers smoother application with longer drying time, while a water-based stain dries more quickly, is less odorous, and makes for easier cleanup. This is a technique of positioning the log to a certain degree off perpendicular to the saw. Preventing Blotching on Vertical-Grain Fir Tips on using a clear wiping stain base before the tinted stain, and related advice to prevent blotchy results. Our goal is to produce helpful content regarding Douglas Fir Flooring and Fir Products. Hemlock. for pricing and availability. Due to its excellent strength-to-weight ratio, it has long been the go-to species for carpentry and construction projects. Unlike many of the exotic species discussed in previous WoodSense columns, CVG Douglas-fir can be found at big box hardware stores, although the sales staff may not know exactly what you’re asking for. We built a version of the tool tote (shown here). Finishes This material is meant to be used for porch flooring and has a groove on one edge and a tongue on the other, so you’ll waste a little of it if you just want square-edged boards. Douglas Fir. Are you into au naturel or do you prefer bold and bright? 4. Clear vertical grain Douglas Fir is very well suited to accept a variety of coatings and finishes. A stain’s job is to accentuate the wood grain. While pinkish-red when freshly cut, CVG (Clear, Vertical Grain) Douglas-fir ages to a beautiful, warm reddish-brown with darker stripes. The wood machines well, but use very sharp cutters, and employ backer blocks when crosscutting to minimize exit tearout. (If the staining comes out blotchy, use a stain controller first.) The fir was harder and more prone to splintering than the pine the students were used to working. Part of the key is to open pores with sandpaper to allow stain penetration. Fir Beaded Ceiling. Those boards were just as flat, straight, and sturdy as when they were installed over 50 years ago, though with more chewing gum. Vertical grain Douglas fir is the most common, but plain sawn is also available. This results in reduced breathing room for your wood as it expands and contracts during seasonal changes, and it may be more prone to yellowing from the sun’s rays. 5. However, there are many times where mixed grain Douglas fir might be perfect for your building project. Description ; Reviews (0) Description. Architects, carpenters, and cabinetmakers have long valued the wood for its stability and uniform appearance, and have used it for doors, window sashes, paneling, trim, and cabinetry. The 5 panel fir doors were used extensively in mid 20th century homes and are still popular in new homes of today. Douglas Fir is often sawn to expose its vertical grain. With some old-growth lumber, the ring spacing can be 1/16" or less. As of this writing, the plentiful Douglas-fir is considered far from endangered. Its color ranges from light red to pale yellow. Purveyors of Quality Vertical Grain Douglas Fir Stile & Rail Doors. Vertical-Grain Douglas Fir Fruitwood Finish. CVG Doug-fir is quite uniform in appearance, so, seeing before buying isn’t as important as when buying lumber with prominent figure. But before you dismiss this species as simply fodder for framing walls and floors, take a closer look at the photos and the title of the article. Vertical-Grain Douglas Fir Cordovan Finish. Douglas Fir Vertical Grain. A plethora of application opportunities exist A plethora of application opportunities exist within the realm of the S4S E4E board family. It accepts stains readily and can be finished with any number of different topcoats, but soaks up oil. Remove surface film before starting the "breaking-in" process. Fir, Vertical Grain Veneer Species Guide Columbia Forest Products is proud to offer an exciting variety of hardwood and decorative softwood species of faces to meet the demand for architectural individuality in interior design applications. Tung oil is food-friendly so use it for butcher-block countertops. Mature trees can be 200 feet tall and 6 feet in diameter. Surfaced Four Sides boards (S4S) with Eased 4 Edges(E4E) are used for cabinetry work, shelve frames, and other utilitarian uses. x 3 in. Mixed Grain Board (Actual: 0.6875 in. The dense stands in which they grow cause the trees to self-prune, yielding straight-grained logs free of knots. Product Specifications Standard Size 1x4, 1x6, 1x8, 2x4, 2x6, 2x8; custom sizes available Lengths 8’ – 16’ random lengths (RL), with 5% or less 6’ – 8’ 1×2 through 1×12; 2×3 through 2×12; 1×4 tongue and groove flooring; Flat Grain available on Special Order; Custom patterns milled to order; Clear Redwood. From dawn to dusk. This method produces a cut that reveals a uniform straight grain running the length of the board. How to Remove Food and Beverage Stains from Hardwood Floors, Food-Safe Flooring: How to Use Douglas Fir Flooring in the Dining Room, Four Things to Consider When Choosing a Color for Your Hardwood Floors, New Ways to Use Douglas Fir Flooring in Your Bedroom, The Three Most Important Things to Consider When Selecting Hardwood Flooring, Quick Tips to Use Douglas Fir Flooring in the Bathroom, Texture, Coloring, and Authenticity: Breaking Down the Rustic Hardwood Flooring Trend, How to Use Douglas Fir Flooring in the Kitchen, The Heart of the Home: How to Use Douglas Fir Flooring in the Living Room, AltruFir Celebrates Earth Day by Offering Sustainable Flooring Options, Celebrate National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day with AltruFir, Best Products for Cleaning Hardwood Floors. A lot of non-woodworkers seem to think that staining wood is a required step in finishing. Douglas Fir S4SE4E 1 in. Maple. Product Specifications Standard Size 1x4, 1x6, 1x8, 2x4, 2x6, 2x8; custom sizes available Lengths 8’ – 16’ random lengths (RL), with 5% or less 6’ – 8’ Our horizontal 5-panel design with raised panels is our most popular interior fir door. April 30, 2009. Let’s say you’ve just installed your Douglas fir flooring and you feel a different tint will really show it off. Reclaimed Douglas Fir Walnut Finish. While cherry can be routed with a bit that has lost some sharpness (albeit with some burning), Doug-fir splinters badly when using dull cutters. Repeat until the entire surface of the door has been washed. We buy our douglas fir timbers directly from a west coast supplier who uses only the best looking timber. Look for UV-resistant and water clear on the label to prevent this from happening. Clear Vertical Grain Sample. Clear Vertical Grain (CVG) Douglas Fir Flooring, 3 Steps for Removing Bubbles in your Wood Finish, The Lowdown on Responsibly Harvested Douglas Fir, 3 Benefits of Choosing Douglas Fir Flooring over Carpet, Eliminate the Squeak in your Floors with 3 Simple Tips, Increase Your Home's Resale Value with Doug Fir Flooring, How to Transform your Home into a Rustic Cabin, Air Quality, Temperature Control & Cleanliness: 3 Additional Benefits of Hardwood Floors, Wood Flooring vs. Imposters: Why Go with the Real Thing, 4 Tips for Decorating Your Porch for Fall, Four Tips for Installing New Moulding in Your Home, Enjoy a Staycation with New Porch Decking. STAIN VS. Clear Vertical Grain Douglas Fir. 79 cents a linear foot 9/16" X 3-1/4" flat with Roman OG profile #623 $1.29 per linear foot 1/2" X 5-1/4" flat with Roman OG profile # 618 Hardwood! History in woodworking Let’s start with stains. It's an incredibly valuable commercial timber, widely used in construction and building purposes. Coats dry and are sandable within an hour or two depending on conditions. The harder areas can also cause small drill bits to drift off course. Recommended Application: Multiple coats, especially for clear coats (about 5 or 6 depending on the desired look). We are happy to source any commercially available wood veneer or solid; and our finishing department can custom mix or match any stain color your project requires. Eucalyptus. Pigment-based stains tend to hide the natural grain because they sit on the surface, but they do leave your wood with an impressive color effect. Hemlock. Water-based stains and water-based finishes tend to be more earth-friendly, as are finishes made from plant oils and waxes. Polyurethanes are recommended as a finish for floors and cabinetry because they resist scuffing. x 96 in.) Sawn as vertical grain, Douglas fir performs well as flooring and looks stunning as cabinetry. Flat Cut. Found across most of the nation as common construction lumber, Douglas fir falls in the inexpensive price range of about $1 per lineal foot. Douglas-fir is one of the United States’ most plentiful softwoods. Compare; Find My Store. They also learned the value of drilling pilot holes before nailing through the thin sides and of using a backup board when crosscutting. It typically machines well, but has a moderate blunting effect on cutters. Ever since the Oregon Trail opened up the Northwest to settlement, Douglas-fir has been valued as a prime building material. Douglas Fir provides a tough surface that will hold a finish, maintain its appearance under extreme wear and remain level without cracking, scuffing or splintering. (Or crosscussing, as they named it). Mature trees can be 200 feet tall and 6 feet in diameter. It’s typically recommended for furniture. The WWPA tell us that for finish grades " pieces 5" and narrower are graded from both edges and the better side or face; the reverse side may be one grade lower. Many Craftsman homes feature VG Fir throughout the house, from framing lumber to ceilings, floors and even furniture. I also found using fresh router bits made a big difference in how cleanly the boards cut. It has a higher oil-to-resin ratio that helps it work harder and longer to protect your wood from sun damage and water exposure. Our clear vertical grain (CVG) fir flooring takes stains very well and can make for a beautiful addition to any home looking for the look of vertical grain patterns in lighter color. PAINT GRADE FIR • Domestic Softwood ** possible pitch pockets / caution in south or western exposure with dark finish • 2.8 lbs./sf • STAIN grade = MIN 8 rings per inch, no knots Doug-fir’s flatsawn edges tore badly when run against the grain. It’s genus (Pseudotsuga) translates to “false hemlock.” Doug-Fir forests grow in the Pacific Northwest and up into British Columbia. If your grain is that tight and quarter/rift sawn like that, that's some beautiful old-growth Douglas-Fir. Mix ½ boiled linseed oil and ½ turpentine with a few drops of japan drier. If you have an idea for an article, do not hesitate to contact us. Douglas Fir flooring easily withstands consistent harsh weather and is a very dependable option for high foot traffic areas. If you want to accentuate the natural grains in your wood, a dye-based stain will penetrate the pores. In truth, Doug-Fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii, isn’t a fir, at all. Are you replacing the siding on the sunny side of your house or installing wainscoting in the bathroom? These 1×4 pieces sell for about $6/board foot. VERTICAL GRAIN DOUGLAS FIR. Indoor woodwork, furniture, and flooring should get an interior stain. But do note whether the grain is described as “tight” or “loose.” The tighter the grain, the closer together the growth rings are, creating a more uniform texture and making it easier to work. Can be “rubbed out” to a silky smooth finish with high grit (400-800 grit) sandpaper. Advantages. Vertical grain Douglas fir is also the wood of choice when you need the specific clear, consistent look of this beautiful, natural product. While not all the pieces in the bin are vertical grain, you can usually sort through and find those that are. 3. Lacquer also leaves a gloss, but it’s tougher than shellac and comes in multiple colors. Think of it this way, a stain is like an accessory; it’s not required, but it looks nice. Vertical grain, you can use Doug fir inside or outside the natural in. Little and brings out the grain of japan drier and holds both and... Stash with next year ’ s flatsawn edges tore badly when run against the a! 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