big douglas fir

[cmlands]

I've got a douglas fir that fell probably fifty years ago since its got big trees growing out the side of it. It's about 200' tall, approx 7 feet wide at the base. Pretty big. Anyway a fellow who was cutting some maple slabs for guitars on my neighbors property, told me that wood would make the nicest deck wood ever. He thinks it will be perfect inside, not rotten at all. Does anybody have experience with anything like this. It would be a ton of work for rotten wood, this is why I ask.

 

[Daninvan]

50 years? I would think it is pretty dodgy at this point, but I don't have the exact experience of cutting into a 50 year old Doug fir to be sure!

If it were me, I'd take a saw and cut into it and see. Maybe if you are lucky, once you get far enough away from the butt end, and if there aren't too many deep cracks, you may have some decent wood. Sounds like the tree would have been old growth, so probably a better chance.

What do you mean by your comment here:

its got big trees growing out the side of it.

If it has other trees growing out of it wouldn't that be a sign that it's rotten and the other trees are using it for fertilizer?

Dan

 

[SDB777]

Big trees growing out of the side could mean nothing more then those are the limbs that continued to grow from the roots remaining in the ground.


I agree....cut into it!




Scott B

 

[Frank Boyer]

Doug fir isn't used for decks that much. It doesn't hold up in the weather.

 

[Timberframed]

But yet good for doors and windows, flooring, trim, table tops....

 

[TraditionalTool]

Doug fir isn't used for decks that much. It doesn't hold up in the weather.

Well, most wood will not hold up without the proper finish on it.

Plenty of decks made out of fir out west, especially the structural components, so even if people will use ipe (or other popular decking wood) as the decking, they will often use Doug Fir for the framing.

Doug Fir is one of the most common species out west used for beams, rafters, and other roof structure components as well.

There is nothing wrong with it for decking, IMO.

Typically it grows straight with little taper, and is often used to build log homes with (B.C. area uses it a lot).