Construction can be menacing on it's own, when you begin to get into the larger timbers whether if be for look or for the structure, you have to know a couple of things before diving in. You have to be educated on what's going on and there are 3 areas that are crucial: grade, FOHC (freed from Heart Center) and appearance.

The grade of a timber is extremely important when referring to structural use, the 2 most typical grades are 1 and two, and these are the sole 2 grades you would like to use for any type of structural use. Most probably you will have an engineer making the calls on a timber grade so this issue isn't that vital to the ultimate user.
The massive issue here is that there's an enormous myth that if a timber makes one grade that it's going to be pretty. The grade of a timber has nada to do with how it is.

Regardless of what a contractor tells you (I may say it again) the grade of a timber has zipped to do with how it is. As the building industry is now leaning much heavier on the large custom home folks are using a load more custom accents and doug fir timber appears to be an one seller. Be conscious of what you are purchasing and make sure your contractor knows what you need. In closing on this aspect, you can always request a grade stamp on any timber, this could eliminate any question.

The center of a Doug fir timber is highly important too. The heart makes reference to the middle of a tree or the "bullseye", here is where the expansion rings are at their littlest in the dead middle of a tree. You don't desire this in any timber you use. If you see a bullseye in any piece of a timber you are using, stop and replace it. The term you need to use is freed from Heart Center which basically means, that heart center isn't there. If you use one of those timbers you'll get unnecessary splitting and checking, it'll laterally split in half as time goes on.

It is a nightmare that you're going to never need to handle; replacing already installed timber isn't simple or inexpensive. Using FOHC timber isn't a sector standard so you have to ask the questions. It costs a tiny bit additional cash for a FOHC timber but you'll pay less in the final analysis if you do it the best way the 1st time.