Identifying Wood Species

[Structures33]

I need to identify the wood species of the members of a building. It is located in Portland, OR and is estimated to have been built in the 1920's. I have uploaded a picture of some truss members where you can see the wood grain pretty well. Any insight is greatly appreciated. I've always been on the east coast and am not familiar with what wood may have been typical in the west at that time. (material testing is not an option for this client)
Thanks!

 

[Ron]

The verticals look like cedar, the horizontal looks like fir. Show the photo to an arborist at the US Forest Service...I'm sure they can tell with more authority than I.

You can cut a small plug from the center of the member. If it is a cedar variety it will be aromatic. If fir, not so much. Certainly appears to be a softwood of similar variety to cedar, fir, spruce or pine, but that covers a lot of territory for material properties!

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Not sure - but it is OLD.. Probably a fir(very common) and possibly a cedar. Agree w/ Ron

 

[msquared48]

Portland + 1920 = Douglas-Fir. Hands down.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
Motto: KISS
Motivation: Don't ask

 

[dik]

If that old, try driving a nail into it. If you can use anything less than a sledge hammer, it's cedar, else it's Doug Fir... We built my parents cottage using reclaimed 90 year old Doug Fir... and you couldn't drive a nail into it or pull one out... nearly had to pre-drill the nail holes.

Can't tell from the photo, but if you can get a clear area where you can see the early and late wood, Doug Fir has a distinctive light and dark 'banding'.

The sawcuts look a little 'fuzzy' and reminds me of cedar. Depending on the type of cedar, it may no longer be 'aromatic' or may only have been slightly aromatic when first fabricated.

Dik

 

[Sawbux]

It's probably Fir. At that time cedar was considered a "trash" wood and not used for structural purposes. Main use of cedar was for siding or roof shakes.

Try pulling out a splinter with a knife. If its fir, you should get a long sharp one. If cedar, it will be short and punky.

Try denting it with your fingernail. If it dents, its cedar.