Douglas Fir vs Southern Yellow Pine
Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and Southern Yellow Pine (Pinus taeda) are two woods people often weigh against each other. Southern Yellow Pine is the harder of the two at 690 lbf on the Janka scale, versus 660 lbf for Douglas Fir, which affects how each handles wear, tools, and denting.
| Property | Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii | Southern Yellow Pine Pinus taeda |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Softwood | Softwood |
| Cost | $ · Budget | $ · Budget |
| Hardness | 660 lbf | 690 lbf |
| Workability | Good | Good |
| Seasonal movement | Small | Medium |
| Outdoor-friendly | No | No |
| Origin | Domestic (North America) | Domestic (Southeastern US) |
| Commonly built | Workbenches, Timber-frame beams, Built-in shelving, Shop cabinets, Garden trellises | Framing lumber, Pressure-treated lumber, Flooring, Workbenches |
| Overview | The structural softwood, stiff, strong, and dimensionally stable. Common in framing, increasingly popular for sturdy shop furniture. | The strongest common construction softwood, dense, resinous, and stiff. Great structural strength for the price, though the hard latewood bands can fight your tools. |
Finishing
Douglas Fir
Strong grain contrast between soft early wood and hard late wood makes it blotch and take stain unevenly; condition first or use a gel stain, or embrace the bold grain under a clear finish. Takes clear film finishes and paint well. A traditional choice for a clear-finished, character-forward look.
Southern Yellow Pine
Very strong early/late wood contrast makes even staining difficult, use a conditioner or gel stain, or clear-finish to show the bold grain. Resinous, so seal knots and resin streaks with shellac before finishing to prevent bleed-through. Takes paint and clear finishes well otherwise.
Want to weigh these against a third wood, or compare different species? Use the interactive comparison tool.