Douglas Fir

Douglas Fir  (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

This highly prized timber is perhaps the best known of Canadian species. In Britain it is often known as Columbian Pine. 

In the early pioneering days of timber extraction in British Columbia,  Douglas Fir was the only tree thought worth felling and other tree species were ignored ! ( Of course forestry practice today is  quite different and the greatest attention is paid to achieve sustainable harvesting and maintaining bio-diversity).

The European popularity of Douglas Fir has remained undiminished and it is renowned for its beauty, strength and stability.

Today there are two distinct types of Douglas Fir available: Old-growth fine-grained Fir and Second-growth plantation Fir.

Western Forest Products - represented by MBM - sell Old-growth Certified Fir. This timber is of exceptional quality and texture - the closely packed growth-rings giving it a mellow appearance of exceptional lustre and beauty. There is a distinct colour difference between the heartwood and sapwood - a feature often exploited by architects.

Second growth Fir is available too and will become increasingly so as more areas rejuvinated  forest reach maturity. The timber in these replanted stands grows far more quickly than in original forest and consequently the growth rings are more widely spaced and the textuure of the timber far coarser.  This timber is useful where a bold widely-spaced grain appearance is required or in many structural applications.

As with other Canadian timbers, environmental concerns are paramount when any harvesting of Douglas Fir is undertaken.  All foresty practice within British Columbia is highly regulated and any Douglas Fir marketed by MBM is guaranteed to meet all known Canadian government requirements.  In addition much of the Fir we sell carries independent third-party environmental certification - meeting the stringent requirements of CSA Z809 - Sustainable Forestry Standard - and we in turn carry Chain-of-Custody Certification allowing us to sell the timber as 'Certified'.