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Wood Quality

Douglas Fir, our wood of preference, is the strongest structural wood and features a warm and beautiful color. We use old growth Douglas Fir from our local supplier on Vancouver Island. However, any grade is available including: Douglas Fir, Red & Yellow Cedar, Spruce and Hemlock.

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Douglas Fir
Douglas Fir Is the strongest of the materials we use. It's rich red color and stability make it one of the most prized species for timber frame. There is old growth and second growth Douglas Fir. Old growth is more stable due to the smaller spacing between the rings. We use 90% old growth in our projects. Good availability, easy to work with and it ages well. 

Yellow Cedar
Yellow cedar is a very dense wood because it grows slower in the higher elevations. It is the most expensive of the wood species that we feature. Excellent for outside use.

Red Cedar
Red Cedar is light and has a nice color and has a lovely smell. It is also more resistant to rot due to the oil content in the wood; so we suggest it for outside use or interior use where humidity is high. Excellent for outside use.

Spruce
Spruce Is a good alternative to Douglas Fir. It has slightly less structural strength and is lighter in color.

Hemlock
Hemlock is one of the stronger softwoods. It starts out quite blond in color and is often mistaken for pine. It has a more pronounced grain, however, and ages to a rich honey color. It is slightly more difficult to work with than spruce.

All of the above species are readily available to us in all sizes.

Recycled Timbers
We have used recycled timbers many times before, the problem can sometimes be availability. There is an inconsistent supply and which makes it difficult to price out projects. Having said that, we do have limited supply here on the Island. Please note however that prices can sometimes be higher than "fresh" wood.