Appearance
Color: Heartwood
is yellowish tan to light brown. Sapwood is tan to white. Heartwood
may be confused with that of Southern yellow pine. Radical color
change upon exposure to sunlight.
Grain: Normally
straight, with occasional wavy or spiral texture. Nearly all fir
flooring is vertical-grain or riftsawn clear-grade material.
Variations
Within Species And Grades: Wood
varies greatly in weight and strength. Young trees of moderate to
rapid growth have reddish heartwood and are called red fir. The
narrow-ringed wood of old trees may be yellowish-brown and is known
as yellow fir.
Properties
Hardness/Janka: Janka:
660; (49% softer than Northern red oak).
Dimensional
Stability: Above
average (7.3; 15% more stable than Northern red oak)
Durability:
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Workability
Sawing/Machining: Harder
to work with hand tools than the soft pines.
Sanding: Sands
satisfactorily if the correct sanding sequence is
followed.
Nailing: No
known problems.
Finishing: Some
boards develop a slight pinkish to bright salmon color when finished
with some products. Because of tendency toward color change, care
must be taken to avoid oversanding when refinishing an existing
floor. May be difficult to stain.
Comments: Orgin:
North America
Cost
Multiplier:
Availability
Readily
Available.
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