The Douglas fir cladding guide

Douglas fir is a type of wood that is particularly well suited to exterior cladding thanks to its strength, durability, and natural aesthetic appeal. Long used for wooden facades, it appeals to architects and homeowners alike for its technical qualities and warm appearance.

In this comprehensive guide, our expert Yvon Debeaumont answers all your questions about Douglas fir wood cladding: characteristics of the wood species, advantages, installation tips, choice of finishes, and maintenance. Whether you are planning a new build, an extension, or a renovation, discover how to achieve durable, attractive, and high-performance Douglas fir wood cladding.

Key points to remember:

• Douglas fir (or Oregon pine) is a robust and durable wood species, now grown in France and PEFC certified. Its rapid growth, natural durability (class II), and dimensional stability make it a preferred choice for wood cladding.
• Thanks to its mechanical strength and good outdoor performance, Douglas fir is ideal for wooden facades, frames, and terraces, provided that the sapwood is removed and it is installed with adequate ventilation.
• The aging of Douglas fir wood cladding can be controlled using non-film-forming saturators (wood tone or pre-grayed), which protect the wood while preventing flaking.
• Douglas fir wood cladding can be installed vertically or horizontally, depending on the desired aesthetic effect. Each method requires particular attention to water drainage, chamfering, and the positioning of the boards to ensure durability and stability.

Douglas fir is a naturally durable and resistant softwood that is widely used in construction and outdoor landscaping. Recognizable by its warm pinkish hue, it is distinguished by its excellent stability and good weather resistance. Thanks to its mechanical qualities, Douglas fir is the preferred choice for wood cladding, decking, framing, and other structures requiring strength and aesthetic appeal. Economical and environmentally friendly, Douglas fir from certified French forests is a responsible alternative to exotic woods.

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Characteristics of Douglas fir wood

• A fast-growing species, Douglas fir stands out for its pink colour
• The presence of healthy, adherent knots grouped together and of average size: the existence of pockets of resin on the surface:
• The wide growth of Douglas fir gives its grain a low relief.

How can I prevent Douglas fir cladding from greying?

Are you wondering how to keep the original colour of Douglas fir? All wood naturally turns grey if it is not maintained or if it does not have a top coat (saturator, paint, stain, oil, etc.). Choose a solvent-free saturator finish for optimum protection of your wood cladding against UV rays and bad weather.

For maintenance or installation advice on Douglas fir, contact our experts directly.

What treatments and saturators are suitable for Douglas fir cladding?

To maintain the natural, attractive colour of Douglas fir, avoid treatment with a covering or film-forming product such as varnish or paint. Douglas fir is a wood that is difficult to impregnate. For optimum treatment of your Douglas fir cladding, the experts at Sivalbp recommend the use of saturators for wood cladding. Our saturator finishes are solvent-free, non-film-forming and penetrate deep into the wood fibres for optimum protection.

Douglas fir wood offers excellent value for money. This type of wood is one of the first choices for high-quality wood cladding solutions. Douglas fir cladding is suitable for a wide range of projects in many different parts of France:

• Extension.
• Renovation.
• Collective buildings.
• Public buildings.

Would you like to know how much Douglas fir cladding costs? Contact our wood experts for a quote on your Douglas fir cladding.

If you're looking for an alternative to Douglas fir cladding, choose EcoThermo Scots Pine from Sivalbp. Our Ecothermo process gives our Scots Pine wood cladding :

• Improved dimensional stability of blades to reduce the risk of warping
• Long-lasting durability to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your façades
• Neutralisation of resin pockets
• Adaptability to all climatic zones

This table shows the different characteristics of Douglas fir versus Scots pine.

At Sivalbp, we offer a wide range of Douglas fir cladding. All our Douglas fir cladding comes from French forests and is entirely manufactured at our production site in Thônes, Haute Savoie.

Douglas fir Elegance wood cladding

Choose our Elegance range of Douglas fir cladding with its wood tones saturators for sublime Douglas fir cladding.

New Age Douglas fir cladding

Choose our New Age range of Douglas fir cladding with these pre-weathered saturators to anticipate the effects of time and add a contemporary touch to your facades.

Douglas Authentic wood cladding

For natural wood cladding without saturator, choose our Authentic range of Douglas fir wood cladding.

For more advice on Douglas fir cladding, contact our experts directly - they'll be able to tell you which cladding is best suited to your project!