Pine vs fir
At the lumberyard “pine” and “fir” usually mean eastern white pine, southern yellow pine or Douglas-fir. The two pines are further apart than pine and fir: longleaf pine is harder than Douglas-fir, and eastern white pine is far softer than both.
- Longleaf pine is about 23% harder than coast Douglas-fir.
- Longleaf pine is about 23% heavier than coast Douglas-fir.
- Coast Douglas-fir has about 8% more movement across a flatsawn board than longleaf pine.
- Coast Douglas-fir is about 87% harder than eastern white pine.
- Coast Douglas-fir is about 37% heavier than eastern white pine.
- Coast Douglas-fir has about 26% more movement across a flatsawn board than eastern white pine.
Each column is the species its page leads with: longleaf pine for southern yellow pine, coast Douglas-fir for Douglas-fir.
Side by side
| Property | Eastern white pine | Southern yellow pine | Douglas-fir |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janka hardness, 12% MC | 380 lbf | 870 lbf | 710 lbf |
| Weight, 12% MC | 24.5 lb/ft³ (392 kg/m³) | 41.3 lb/ft³ (661 kg/m³) | 33.6 lb/ft³ (538 kg/m³) |
| Specific gravity, 12% MC | 0.35 | 0.59 | 0.48 |
| Tangential shrinkage | 6.1% | 7.5% | 7.6% |
| Radial shrinkage | 2.1% | 5.1% | 4.8% |
| 12 in flatsawn board, 6% → 12% MC | 0.153 in | 0.179 in | 0.192 in |
| 12 in quartersawn board, 6% → 12% MC | 0.051 in | 0.099 in | 0.119 in |
| Bending strength (MOR), 12% MC | 8,600 psi | 14,500 psi | 12,400 psi |
| Stiffness (MOE), 12% MC | 1.24 million psi | 1.98 million psi | 1.95 million psi |
| Crushing strength, 12% MC | 4,800 psi | 8,470 psi | 7,230 psi |
One source: USDA Forest Products Laboratory, the authority for species properties it measured
Wood Handbook Tables 5-3b, 4-3 and 13-5; weight and movement worked with its Eqs. 4-14 and 13-3. A dash means the Handbook prints no value.
What sets them apart
- Douglas-fir’s name
- The Handbook describes Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) under its own heading, apart from the true firs. Its local names include red-fir, yellow-fir and Douglas-spruce. (Wood Handbook, p. 2-11 to 2-12)
- Weight and strength
- Longleaf and slash pine are heavy, strong, stiff and hard; shortleaf and loblolly are usually somewhat lighter. Douglas-fir varies widely in weight and strength, and the Handbook says to use the denser wood where strength matters. Eastern white pine is lightweight, moderately soft and moderately low in strength. (Wood Handbook, p. 2-12 and 2-15)
- Stability and working
- Eastern white pine has low shrinkage, ranks high in stability, and is easy to work and glue. The southern pines have moderately high shrinkage but are dimensionally stable when properly dried. (Wood Handbook, p. 2-13 and 2-15)
- Uses
- Southern pine goes into heavy framing (stringers, trusses, joists), plywood and preservative-treated lumber. Douglas-fir goes mostly into building lumber, plywood and millwork. High-grade white pine goes into patterns, sashes, doors, furniture and knotty paneling. (Wood Handbook, p. 2-12 to 2-15)
For any other pair, open each species page from the wood hub; every page uses the same layout and the same sources.