Douglas fir for exterior brackets
user-7404906
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
Hey guys. I’m building a shed style porch canopy over an entry door and am thinking to make the brackets from douglas fir 4x4s. My plan is to paint the brackets. It seems to me that so long as it is painted, douglas fir should be ok, but I thought I’d ask to see what other people think. Cedar is my other option, but it seems a little soft to me for a structural application like this. What do you think? Thanks in advance!
Replies
You don't say where you are and that will matter. If you're in rainy, wet Florida I'd make them out of something else. If you're in the west Doug fir will be fine.
I'm in central Ohio. We get the full spectrum of weather. Plenty of inclement weather. Humidity. Snow. Rain. Heat. Cold. We get some super nice days here, but they are outnumbered in my estimation by the days that suck.
I've been going back and forth between cedar and douglas fir. I know Douglas fir doesn't have natural rot resistance, but I figured if it is painted, that would not matter. It's more a question of whether it would be stable enough to keep the paint from cracking and whatnot. I really don't know.
Cedar is definitely hardier with respect to rot and infestation. But it l think it feels kind of soft. And the 4x4s you can get here have tons of knots and stuff.
But people do timber frame some with cedar don't they? And they frame decks and stuff with it. So maybe that is the way to go...?
If you're going to paint it any way you could use KD pressure treated or laminated PVC. I'm not a fan of cedar at all.
Doug fir is fine. If possible, I'd get a higher grade so there are no knots and the grain is tighter. The bracket in the picture is DF and has been in place for about 6 years. I primed it and painted it with Sherwin-Williams Super-paint. I live in western Oregon, so you won't get any wetter in Ohio.
I put flashing on top of all the brackets to shed water. I'd do that with cedar or treated as well.
I’m in northern Wisconsin and will be building a portico over an exterior door in the next month. I plan on using Douglas fir timbers for my corbel supports since we will be painting everything. Never had a problem with Doug fir in exterior applications as long as it’s sealed with a good quality paint or stain(pay attention to end grain), caulked and maintained.
Hope this helps
Good luck with your project
Tom Neville
Neville Builders