Douglas Fir Siding is Perfect for Your Cabin

Building that idyllic cabin of your dreams? Durable yet visually appealing wood is a must for such a project. You want it to stand tall and proud, withstand the elements, all while looking great. Douglas fir siding is excellent for this purpose, as demonstrated in the featured project. For siding this cabin project uses 1×8 smooth doug Fir center match with our jasperwood stain of the mountain mist variety. Its soffits use our 1×6 cedar T&G with a natural stain.

Douglas Fir Siding for Cabin Exteriors

One of the world’s best known and widely used wood species, douglas fir comes in two varieties: coastal and interior. It has a tight brown color with a hint of red and yellow, with darker knots all throughout the board. While it is the most stable at a cellular level among the hardwoods, it also contains very little sap or resin that clogs saw blades, making it easier to cut or mill. Once it is “seasoned,” it virtually stops warping and shrinking. Seasoned wood is wood that has been dried until the moisture content in the wood is balanced out by the moisture content in the air. 

Due to its strength and durability, douglas fir lumber is used for building and construction as it is hard and resistant to abrasion, which lets it withstand wear. Trestles, bridge parts, log homes and buildings all use douglas fir. It is ideal for heavy structural purposes, like beams and roof trusses. Likewise, it is also used in furniture, flooring, for cabinets and veneers. Its excellent strength properties are matched by its workability. 

Cedar T&G for Soffit

Cedar tongue and groove can be used anywhere from exterior siding, to soffit, to interior walls. Due to its versatility, Cedar T&G board can be installed vertically or horizontally and stained to fit any personality.

Cedar is an excellent material for siding or walls because it is similar to pine in terms of hardness. It is also a stable wood, so it isn’t prone to expansion with changes in temperature and moisture or cracking. So this combination makes cedar easier to work with and reliable for furniture. The wood also has oils and acids known as polyoxyphenols or “phenols,” which give them their resistance to moisture, decay and pests – as well as that distinct cedar scent of theirs. So this attribute also increases cedar’s durability to such vulnerabilities. And many like that trademark cedar scent as well. 

Cedar makes long and lightweight lengths of timber with fine straight grain and uniform texture – ideal for cutting, sawing and nailing with common tools. It is also suited for planing into smooth surfaces, or machining into any pattern. The wood also holds glue bonds well and is a good base for paints and stains since it doesn’t have pitch and resin.

Mountain Mist Jasperwood Stain

For the featured project we utilized jasperwood stain of the mountain mist variety. This is a water-based, acid reactive stain. The mountain mist blend results in color variation of grays and whites and looks great on siding or accent walls.

One of our custom products, this can be used on new wood to stain it to look like reclaimed lumber. We are now also selling the stain in 2 gallon bottles so you can achieve this look on your own as well.

For Douglas Fir Sidings and Other Cabin Woods

Looking for ideal exterior siding, soffit or stains for your cabin? Reach out to Rustic Lumber for the right kind of wood for your project.  For inquiries, feel free to reach out to us, we have all you need for your projects. As your lumber supplier in the Utah, Idaho and Colorado area, Rustic Lumber has definitely got the wood you are looking for.

Got finished projects using Rustic Lumber products? Show off on Instagram and be sure to tag us!